E89 left hand drive conversion

[eejlny]

Hello group,

I have a UK Z4 e89 that would like to export to Spain and need to deal with the headlights. Almost everybody including BMW say that you need to replace the headlights for EU lights to pass the technical inspection (ITV). There is a member in this forum silverstar that seems to say that there is a lever you can use to make the beam flat and pass ITV. Is my understanding correct Silverstar or anybody else has done this conversion without new headlights, please ? I am aware that the beam is quite flat and for holidays is not a big deal but I want to do a permanent export and register the car in Spain. Thanks for the help.

 

[mr.tourette]

Drop Silverstar a pm.. He's a decent chap and Im sure he'll be happy to advise

 

[flybobbie]

There is no change over lever on E89 cars.
I have had the lamps apart to modify them, so know how they work.
There is a shutter with a step, the step is to the left or right depending on whether L or R hand drive.
This the aftermarket lamp shutter, wrong way around for UK car.

Autodoc do aftermarket headlights, different design, for left hand drive cars.
https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/headlight-insert-10533/bmw/z4/z4-e89
I tried them, they supply only left hand drive lamps even though the web sales page said lefthand traffic (something lost in translation)..
They tried supplying again, but sent another set left hand drive.

Other than that try buy 2nd hand lefthand drive from Europe.

 

[eejlny]

Thanks for the advise....a big expense then since second hand EU lights do not seem to be popular.

 

[AnubisZed]

Here's a couple, from Germany.

Right side one...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294792854230?hash=item44a305fad6%3Ag%3AWgwAAOSwnz9h6Ca0&LH_ItemCondition=4

Left side one (minor clip damage)...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203796566901?hash=item2f7338d375%3Ag%3ApNwAAOSwaxph6EJO&LH_ItemCondition=4

 

[Silverstar]

There is no change over lever on E89 cars.
I have had the lamps apart to modify them, so know how they work.
There is a shutter with a step, the step is to the left or right depending on whether L or R hand drive.
This the aftermarket lamp shutter, wrong way around for UK car.
20211105_180436.jpg
Autodoc do aftermarket headlights, different design, for left hand drive cars.
https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/headlight-insert-10533/bmw/z4/z4-e89
I tried them, they supply only left hand drive lamps even though the web sales page said lefthand traffic (something lost in translation)..
They tried supplying again, but sent another set left hand drive.

Other than that try buy 2nd hand lefthand drive from Europe.

This is not true well at least not on my 2009 car, it failed the Spanish ITV (MOT) when I first tried to register it but as per my original post on this topic I found the lever inside the headlight and flicked it over and had my local garage check the beam pattern before I took it back to the ITV center where this time it passed. OP I have sent you a PM.

 

[flybobbie]

Please show a picture of the lever, my 2009 doesn't have one and mechanically can't be changed.

I never found any lever, the beam is set by a horizontal shutter with a shallow slope and level for the dip beam.
A solenoid below it pulls it down for main beam.
I used it's power to run relay to run my modded inner beams.
The shutter is reversed on left hand drive cars.

 

[flybobbie]

Left and right, different part numbers.

Only chance you stand is to wind the beams hard over to the right, but beam pattern would be out.

 

[flybobbie]

https://e89.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=294196

You can see this question been about a long time.
You could say it's Brexit compliant.

E85 headlight is a twin beam design, so the dipped side can be changed, E89 single beam.

 

[Silverstar]

Please show a picture of the lever, my 2009 doesn't have one and mechanically can't be changed.
20211101_161729.jpg20181226_143115.jpg
I never found any lever, the beam is set by a horizontal shutter with a shallow slope and level for the dip beam.
A solenoid below it pulls it down for main beam.
I used it's power to run relay to run my modded inner beams.
The shutter is reversed on left hand drive cars.

Well I am not about to take my car apart just so I can take a picture to show you, it's too much work! But the lever is right there you can see it if you remove the HID lightbulb. Unless BMW made different headlights for 2009 UK cars which I doubt, it will be there. I can confirm this because I have done it precisely to pass the technical exam. Also from another thread you will find from my advice another member did the same when he imported his car into France or Spain (can't remember which).

 

[eejlny]

Hello gents, thanks for the answers and the learning discussion. I think this lever is already stuff of legend. Silverstuff looking at the pictures that flybobbie has posted , if the lever was to exits in my 2010 where would it be please ? Where I marked the red ink ? Thanks

 

[Silverstar]

If you look at the screenshot that I have taken of Flybobbie's pic it's near where I have drawn the arrow. Remove the HID lightbulb and you should see an arc shaped lever that you can move up or down.

 

[eejlny]

Thanks for the info, I will investigate

 

[acm]

Unfortunately I didn't keep a reference to the web page where I found this picture; does it shows the lever that Silverstar found? It looks like the opposite side to where he identified the location, but the lamp unit looks like it may be the other side to that one in the earlier posts.