I am offering for sale a controller circuit for bixenon (or bi-xenon) projectors which use 3-wire solenoid connections (primarily the Bosch projectors used in the BWM E46). I also sell 3-wire pigtail harnesses for connecting these controllers to the Bosch projectors.
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Background and Overview
As part of my project to install HID headlights with bixenon projectors retrofitted into the OEM
Integra headlight housings, I acquired some Bosch projectors, which are commonly found in many
European cars, especially the BMW E46. These projectors are fairly easy to find on Ebay for $75-150 per set, and have a good reputation
for performance in a small package, and are easily retrofitted into different cars' headlights.
These projectors use solenoids to change the position of a metal shield, so that in one position it acts as a cutoff to prevent light from blinding oncoming drivers, and in the other position this restriction is removed for full brightness. The problem is that there are actually two solenoids in this package, one for pulling and one for holding, and consequently there is a 3-wire connector on the projector. For proper operation, the pull coil is supposed to be activated for about 1/5 of a second, and then turned off while the hold coil is still powered as long as high beams are desired. The hold coil alone is not strong enough to move the shield, only to hold it in the high-beam position. While it is possible to just use the pull coil all the time, powering the pull coil for long periods of time is not a good idea because it consumes a lot of power, and consequently generates a lot of heat. The solenoid is not designed to get that hot, so this would certainly reduce its lifespan a great deal, and it would probably burn out quickly.
Normally, in the E46 car, the solenoids are triggered by a special circuit that is located in the ballasts which came with that car. If you're using these E46 bixenon ballasts, then you don't need my circuits at all (go here to see how to use this functionality), but most people buy these components separately on Ebay and end up using different ballasts which don't have this extra circuit built-in. So I designed these circuits to handle this.
I have seen another circuit on the internet for controlling these solenoids, however this circuit uses a relay and a capacitor and resistor to achieve the proper delay. While this probably works (I haven't tried it), I believe my circuit to be better because it uses a MOSFET and therefore has no moving parts unlike a relay-based circuit, making it extremely reliable. It is also much smaller, and could be easily hidden inside a headlight housing or other enclosure.
Specifications
This device is shipped as a bare circuit
board with two connectors: one to connect to the solenoid and one to connect to the high-beam
circuit. You may mount these boards anywhere you choose, though it's advisable to mount them inside
the headlight enclosures where they will be protected from the elements. Each unit is fully tested,
and includes instructions. Normal orders will be for two units, though you may order a single unit
if you wish. For the sake of reliability and easier wiring, I recommend buying two, one for each
headlight.
The only catch for buyers is that they must handle the installation themselves (or hire someone such as a car-audio installer who knows how to deal with car wiring). But if you're retrofitting projectors into your headlight housings yourself, you can probably handle this as well. These circuits are easily wired with only a screwdriver, as the connectors have a cavity where you insert the stripped wire end, and then turn a screw to clamp it in place.
Compatibility
This controller circuit is designed for the
Bosch bixenon projector solenoids normally found in the BMW E46 and other vehicles. It will
interface to any vehicle which can activate high beams with a simple +12V connection.
To make sure your projectors need this device, check the photos below. The left picture shows the correct E46 solenoid circuit board, which needs a circuit such as mine to control the solenoids. The right picture shows a different variant of the E46 projectors, which only has two wires and does not need a controlling circuit. Notice that the middle pin doesn't go anywhere on the circuit board on this one.
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| Correct Solenoid (needs controllers) | Incorrect Solenoid (does not need controllers) |
Warranty
This product will come with a one-year warranty.
Since most problems lie in installation, reasonable effort will be given to assist the installer in
diagnosing installation errors if a problem is reported. If the problem is diagnosed to be in a
bixenon solenoid controller unit, the customer will be allowed to send the malfunctioning unit back
for repair or replacement, at my discretion. In this event, shipping charges will be refunded to the
customer.
Pricing
The price for this bixenon solenoid controller is
$18 for a pair, or $9 for a single unit, plus any applicable shipping charges. If you
purchase using the Paypal button below, it will calculate your shipping if you live in North
America, Australasia, or Europe, and will give you multiple options for shipping.
Additionally, if you need the 3-wire pigtail harnesses to connect the controllers to your projectors, I am offering these for an additional $6 per pair, or $3 for a single harness. You can purchase these by selecting the appropriate Paypal button below. Please see the Installation Instructions page to see how to properly install these.
Shipping
Currently, economy shipping by USPS First Class
Mail to U.S. addresses is $1.38, to Canadian addresses is only $1.68, and to other countries is
only $2.49. If you live in another country not covered by my Paypal options, please email me and I will send you a quote.
Economy shipping is simply First Class Mail, with no tracking, and is the least expensive way I've found of shipping these controllers to customers all over the world. In the US, I also offer three higher grades of shipping service: "standard domestic" shipping, which is First Class with Delivery Confirmation, and provides a tracking number; "priority", which is Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation, and has a tracking number; and "express", which is Express Mail which also has a tracking number. For non-U.S. shipments, the only higher shipping grade I offer is "express international", which is Express Mail and includes tracking. If you prefer another shipping service or grade not offered here, please contact me and I'll do my best to accomodate you.
Payment
I currently accept payment by Paypal or by money
order. If you have another online payment method you prefer, please let me know and I'll happily
take a look at it.
Ordering
Interested? If you're in North America, Europe,
or Australasia, you can order a pair quickly and easily by clicking on one of the Paypal links
below. If you're in another country, would like to pay by money order, need only one or more than
two, or have some other special needs, just email me and let
me know how I can help you.
Other Information
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If you're interested in my credentials for designing electronic equipment for cars, I'm an electrical engineer formerly employed at a transportation research institution where I designed analog and digital circuits and printed circuit boards (my current job is embedded programming). So you shouldn't be worried about plugging one of these in and having it catch on fire!