5 Series head lights

I have no doubt that this subject has been raised before, but I am new to this forum.

Having recently acquired a 523ISE 1997 'S' plate.  I find that it's headlights have the most miserable light output of any car I have experienced in recent years.  The problem is mainly with the dipped beams. These are rated (standard BMW) as 55 watts and I have been unable to find any of a higher output.   It seems that there are two types of bulb fitted to this model. One is a seperate type with a large metal fixing ring. The other (the type that I have got)  is pre-fixed into a molded plastic holder/cable socket bent at 90 degrees. This holder is fitted with an '0' ring seal and attaches directly to the back of the lamp.  I believe the colour coding of the '0' ring determins whether it is for a dipped lamp or driving light.  The plastic holder is marked either 9005 or 9006.  Can anyone advise me if there is an uprated bulb on the market, or any other way to improve the headlight output.

 Thanks in advance     Ron rider

It is actually illegal to have higher wattage bulbs higher than 55w or 60/55w in vehicles after the age of april 1986 unless they are used in spot/fog lamps or are used off road. As the 9005/9006 was a late type modified halogen bulb introduced in the early 90's, any form of this bulb in a higher wattage would therefore be illegal if used on the roads.

It is also illegal to have these higher wattage bulbs in spot lamps or fog lamps in vehicles after 1991 if they are to be used on the roads. Thats why "brilliance" or "xenon" bulbs came out cos they keep the wattage the same but by changing the gas inside the bulb from halogen to xenon then they get 30% brighter cos when you put an electrical charge through xenon gas it glows a lot whiter, crisper.

As long as the bulb is "e" marked then it has been classed as legal for road use. You could either risk getting a producer by the police or your car could fail the mot by fitting something else. But you run the risk yourselves.

Oh yeah, another point to remember from higher wattage bulbs is that they will draw a lot more current. We fitted some into an early honda civic & the idle speed of the engine actually halved cos the bulbs were drawing so much power from the alternator, the engine was having to work harder to drive the alternator to produce more power. Also the lenses got quite hot. I could feel the heat from the lamps just by standing next 2 them! On certain vehicles, wiring, fuses & the headlamp relay may need uprating as well to cope with the extra load depending on the type of bulb used.

I hope this was of some help