Rain Light Sensor LENS - SOLVED + Info

[StudioWizard]

Hey all

I need to replace the lens on my Rain/Light Sensor (RLS) unit. It appears that most parts dealers do not sell just the lens. They want you to buy the whole unit with the lens attached. The used ones on Ebay sell the whole thing much cheaper, but most of them don't have the lens part or it's broken - probably from when removing it like mine did. ll:-//

First, does anybody know where I can get just the lens?

Second, did BMW make the exact same lens but with different model numbers for the Mini, 3 Series/E46, E85/86, etc? On this particular Ebay store, they have the exact same picture for each of these different cars.

Any thoughts?

[StudioWizard]

Here's the Ebay store selling two "different" models:

[StudioWizard]

Hopefully this info will be useful to anyone needing to replace the R/L Sensor Plate.

TLDR: I found the very hard to find R/L sensor plate (see below). I did not use the 3M primer that comes with it. There are still some air bubbles in the gel after I attached it, but everything works perfectly anyway. Maybe the air bubbles aren't THAT critical???

Full text:

I found a company in Texas that specializes in windshields and parts. They have just the plate for sale. It's a company called Equalizer out of Round Rock, Texas, just outside of Austin. The part is KRS 401 if you need it. It cost me about $75 including shipping and comes with a 3M gel pad already attached. All you need to do is remove the plastic strip cover and stick it on your windshield.... well... not quite. haha It's a little more complicated than that.

The part comes with 3M primer which is to be applied directly to the glass to give it a super sticky surface for the gel pad. The instructions state that the gel pad should be heated before attaching to the glass (don't use a heat gun because it'll blow dust onto the pad). I attempted to warm it up by using a halogen lamp. Not sure if it worked or not.

Here's the deal: I gave up on the primer because when I put it on the glass, it created streaks. I can't imagine that's a good thing for the lens. I watched some 3M videos that suggested putting the primer on and simultaneously wiping it off. I tried that and it just gummed up and made little balls of primer. I tried a bunch of different ways but ultimately gave up and did not use the primer. Instead, I just made sure the glass was SUPER clean by wiping it down with 50/50 mix of water/alcohol.

I put the top down, stood on the seats and carefully stuck it to the glass while looking down on the front of the windscreen. Once you land it on the glass, you can't really move it, so guide it in there carefully. Immediately, I noticed several air bubbles. I pressed and wiggled the plate and most of them disappeared... all except one long one. I could not seem to get that one out. I spent a good hour pressing, wiggling, trying various tools, etc. I considered removing it and re-attaching, but the instructions indicated that this would create a poor seal. Instead, I decided to wait it out for a bit to see if the sun would help. That bubble is about half now and maybe it'll completely disappear by the end of the day. It's in the low 90's here today....

Meanwhile, I had a decision to make: do I instead the module and test it out anyway, or do I wait until the bubble is gone (or not) for a day or so, then try it? Screw it. I'm trying it now!! haha

Good news: even with that bubble, the wipers work when water hits the screen and the auto headlights seem to work. In the ON position, the headlights did not turn on during the day. We'll see what happens tonight....