2012–2019. UK specification. Halogen base spec unless a row says otherwise — cars with factory xenon or LED headlamps use sealed units for those positions.
Main beam (high)H7VerifiedBase halogen headlamp uses H7 for both dip and main beam; xenon/D1S only on optional adaptive headlight variant.
Front fogH8VerifiedH8 listed as primary fog bulb by both sources; H11/D1S variants also sold but H8 is the standard fitment.
Sidelight / DRLH6WVerifiedH6W (BAX9s) parking light in halogen headlamps; birnen-typ and mk-led.hr agree. DRL ring in halogen lamps is PW24W (mk-led). Xenon/LED headlamp variants have LED position lights (youcanic chart says LED).
Front indicatorPY21WVerifiedAmber bulb in clear headlamp-integrated indicator lens; confirmed by both sources.
Rear indicatorP21WVerifiedOften listed as PY21W elsewhere — birnen-typ explicitly lists Blinker hinten as P21W (clear bulb behind amber-tinted rear lens), not PY21W. Autodoc F30 indicator catalogue also lists P21W as a fitment for this vehicle.
Brake / tailP21WVerifiedSingle-filament P21W (UK 382) brake; tail is an LED strip in the cluster. Autodoc rear-lamp UNIT specs list LED + P21W + H21W (H21W = rear fog, pre-LCI) only; P21/5W and P21/4W come from autodoc's catch-all bulb category, not the lamp spec. youcanic lists 1156 (=P21W).
ReverseP21WVerifiedbirnen-typ lists Rückfahrlicht as P21W or H21W depending on variant; P21W is the primary/base value. H21W appears on some LCI/facelift lamp clusters.
Rear fogH21WVerifiedOften listed as P21W elsewhere — birnen-typ gives Nebelschlussleuchte as H21W or LED (not P21W); autodoc reverse/rear-fog listing supports a distinct type.
Number plateLED (non-replaceable)VerifiedFactory LED number plate units on all F30/F31 (birnen-typ and youcanic agree; autodoc rear-lamp listings show no plate bulb). Autodoc C5W/C10W/W5W entries are catch-all category noise, not F30 spec.
Sources · last checked 4 Sept 2026
Two independent sources agree: bulb-finder.com F30/F80 low beam bulb type; Turner Motorsport BMW F30 lighting parts (Dip beam (low))
Most trims of this car have halogen headlamps. In the UK, a halogen headlamp unit on a car first used on or after 1 April 1986 must not be converted to LED or HID bulbs: the MOT inspection manual (§4.1.4) treats a converted unit as a fail, however bright or well aimed it is. “Retrofit LED H7” bulbs sold for these cars are for off-road use. Halogen upgrade bulbs (+150% and similar) are legal because the unit is unchanged. Sidelights, indicators and number-plate LEDs are a separate question — E-marked LED versions of those are road legal.
What dipped beam bulb does the BMW 3 Series F30 take?
H7. Base halogen headlamp variant. Bi-xenon-equipped cars use D1S instead.. Verified — the source is shown on the card above.
Is the main beam the same bulb as the dipped beam?
Yes — one H7 does both on this car. Base halogen headlamp uses H7 for both dip and main beam; xenon/D1S only on optional adaptive headlight variant..
Did the 3 Series F30 change bulbs at the facelift?
Brake / tail: P21W. Single-filament P21W (UK 382) brake; tail is an LED strip in the cluster. Autodoc rear-lamp UNIT specs list LED + P21W + H21W (H21W = rear fog, pre-LCI) only; P21/5W and P21/4W come from autodoc's catch-all bulb category, not the lamp spec. youcanic lists 1156 (=P21W).
What if my 3 Series has xenon headlamps?
Cars with factory xenon use a sealed D-series capsule for dipped beam, not the halogen fitting above. Check the printing on the back of the headlamp unit or the handbook page for “D1S/D2S/D3S”.
Can I put LED bulbs in the 3 Series's headlamps?
Not legally in a halogen unit — the MOT inspection manual treats a converted headlamp as a fail. Halogen upgrade bulbs are fine. Details in the legality section above.
What brake and tail light bulb does the BMW 3 Series F30 use?
P21W. Single-filament P21W (UK 382) brake; tail is an LED strip in the cluster. Autodoc rear-lamp UNIT specs list LED + P21W + H21W (H21W = rear fog, pre-LCI) only; P21/5W and P21/4W come from autodoc's catch-all bulb category, not the lamp spec. youcanic lists 1156 (=P21W).. Separate bulbs on this car.
Other cars that use H7 dipped beam
27 other cars on this site share this fitting — the rest of the cluster usually differs, so check each car's own page.