BMW 3 Series Headlights: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

Bulb type, unit part numbers, and the faults that actually cause that flickering or dim light you've noticed.

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OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — aftermarket LH Hella 1EX 016 809-711 / RH Hella 1EX 016 809-721

Accuracy note: Covers the BMW 3 Series (G20 2019 on) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Headlights are sold by side (passenger / nearside = LH, driver's / offside = RH on a UK car) and by lamp type — halogen, xenon (D1S / D3S) and LED or full-LED units are not interchangeable, and DRL, cornering and levelling options change the part number again. The references below are UK aftermarket catalogue listings for this generation, labelled by brand; genuine numbers are shown only where a listing quotes one. Check the lamp type and traffic side (UK right-hand-traffic units, not LHD) against your VIN, and expect xenon / LED and adaptive units to need levelling adjustment or coding after fitting.

Passenger side (LH / nearside) headlight — aftermarket	Abakus 444-11ASLMLDEM2 (LED, LED DRL, electric motor); Van Wezel 0593963 (LED, LED DRL, electric motor, not facelift, no adaptive lighting); Van Wezel 0560965 (LED, electric motor, facelift, adaptive front lighting); Alkar 2741485 (LED, electric); Hella 1EX 016 809-711 (matrix LED, DRL, ECE Europe); Hella 1LX 016 808-631 (LED, DRL, ECE Europe)
Driver's side (RH / offside) headlight — aftermarket	Abakus 444-11ASRMLDEM2 (LED, LED DRL, electric motor); Van Wezel 0593964 (LED, LED DRL, electric motor, not facelift); Van Wezel 0560966 (LED, electric motor, facelift, adaptive); Alkar 2742485 (LED, electric); Hella 1EX 016 809-721 (matrix LED, DRL, ECE Europe); Hella 1LX 016 808-641 (LED, DRL, ECE Europe)
Bulb types	Confirm against the existing unit
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	None quoted in catalogue listings — order genuine units against your VIN
Fitment notes	Every unit is LED (standard LED or matrix/laser-style Hella units); no halogen or xenon listed; Van Wezel separates pre-facelift (0593963/4) from facelift adaptive units (0560965/6); Hella SAE North America units (-751/-761) are not for UK cars.

A Genuinely Important UK Rule Worth Knowing Before You Buy — BMW 3 Series Headlights

If your 3 Series has factory-fitted halogen headlamp housings, converting them to fit LED bulbs is treated as a definite MOT failure under the current inspection manual — this isn't a grey area or a minor advisory, since a housing designed for halogen doesn't distribute an LED bulb's light output correctly, which can genuinely dazzle oncoming drivers. If you want a genuine LED upgrade, the correct route is a complete headlight unit designed for LED from the factory, not a bulb swap into an existing halogen housing.

Before you buy: matrix LED, adaptive, and cornering headlight systems often require electronic coding to the car after a unit swap, even for a genuine like-for-like replacement — a headlight that isn't recognised by the car's electronics can trigger warning lights or fail to auto-level correctly. Check whether your specific trim has one of these systems before assuming a straightforward bulb-in, bulb-out job.

BMW 3 Series Headlights: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: BMW G20 HEADLIGHT LENS REPLACEMENT

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G20 lens/unit work, not bulb

BMW 3 Series Headlights: What It Does

Precise beam angling to light the road without dazzling oncoming traffic is the BMW 3 Series's headlight unit's core job, housing the main and dipped beams — or LED/matrix modules on higher trims. Because it often also integrates the daytime running light and front indicator, both the part number and repair complexity increase accordingly.

BMW 3 Series Headlights: Generations, Derivatives & Headlight Type

E90/E92/E93, base trims	Halogen as standard
E90/E92/E93, options	Adaptive Xenon was available as an upgrade on pre-LCI and LCI models, with Adaptive LED added as a further option on later LCI cars — pre-LCI and LCI headlights are genuinely different shapes and aren't interchangeable
F30/F31/F34, entry-level variants	Halogen main headlight paired with LED daytime running lights — the DRL function is LED even when the main beam isn't
F30/F31/F34, mid trims	Standard LED — a simple LED projector per headlight with no adaptive function, meaning the beam doesn't respond to speed, road shape, or oncoming traffic
F30/F31/F34, higher trims	Adaptive LED — genuinely different from standard LED, using coding-enabled dynamic beam functionality; European-market cars have significantly more of this functionality unlocked than US-market equivalents, despite often sharing the same underlying hardware
G20/G21, entry-level	Standard LED, no adaptive function
G20/G21, options	Adaptive LED or full Laser Light are available further up the range — Laser Light is BMW's current top-tier headlight technology

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BMW 3 Series Headlights: Common Faults, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Headlights Guide for the four bulb technologies and how they differ, UK law on aim and modifications, common faults to check for, how difficult this job is to DIY, and confirming fitment against your VIN.

More BMW Headlights

The same part, covered across other BMW models.