Headlight nightmare!!!

G

GaryH

Member
I'd love to meet the person who designed the way of replacing the headlight bulbs and find out if they were drunk at the time. What a ridiculous way to change the bulbs!! I replaced the lights with the Philips blue ones, only to find the H7 bulbs are the hi beams and not the normal dipped lights aaarrgghh. So my usual night time lights are still that yellow color but hi beam is bright!!

Anyway, those two round fixers on the panel in the wheel arch which you have to undo to get at the lights..... I broke two. Any ideas where could get two new ones, the guy in bmw seemed to think I would have to buy the entire search inner!!!!!

Never ever will I attempt to change the bulbs again I'd rather get bmw to do it, took me ive an hour today!
 
What about Quarry or FAB?-i know what you mean about the stupid design,i wouldnt fancy changing a bulb on a darkened roadside! :thumbsdown:
 
I feel your pain! Found it easier to remove the wheel, and use 50p coin to remove the inner clips. The back of the light was also tight, but you've just gotta be confident with it. I'm now a pro at changing the lights!

I mangled the clips, but they still work. I'll buy some if you find out where they can purchased though!!

Should be able to find the part number from realoem :thumbsup:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Be thankful. Too many cars these days require the entire headlight to be removed (like my XF). Now that is a faff.

Z4 is really quick and easy once you know what you're doing.

Realoem confirms liner is all one part :thumbsdown:
 
cj10jeeper said:
Be thankful. Too many cars these days require the entire headlight to be removed (like my XF). Now that is a faff.

Z4 is really quick and easy once you know what you're doing.

Realoem confirms liner is all one part :thumbsdown:
Click to expand...

i heard one of the Meganes is a bumper off job?
 
GaryH, changing bulbs is a pain, but actually once you've done it a couple of times it becomes easy.

About the plastic liner - I cannot believe these cost a lot. I got two new headlight back covers from my local stealers for £24, so a couple of plain curved pastic covers must be cheap as chips. Might take them a couple of days to get them ordered in, but I'd get new rather than used. If you find out how much they are, let us know - mine need replacing :thumbsup:
 
Bing said:
GaryH, changing bulbs is a pain, but actually once you've done it a couple of times it becomes easy.

About the plastic liner - I cannot believe these cost a lot. I got two new headlight back covers from my local stealers for £24, so a couple of plain curved pastic covers must be cheap as chips. Might take them a couple of days to get them ordered in, but I'd get new rather than used. If you find out how much they are, let us know - mine need replacing :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

You do not appear from either info from the dealer or realoem to be able to buy the cover flaps alone. Has to be the eniire wheel liner and I'll bet that's £100
 
cj10jeeper said:
Bing said:
GaryH, changing bulbs is a pain, but actually once you've done it a couple of times it becomes easy.

About the plastic liner - I cannot believe these cost a lot. I got two new headlight back covers from my local stealers for £24, so a couple of plain curved pastic covers must be cheap as chips. Might take them a couple of days to get them ordered in, but I'd get new rather than used. If you find out how much they are, let us know - mine need replacing :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

You do not appear from either info from the dealer or realoem to be able to buy the cover flaps alone. Has to be the eniire wheel liner and I'll bet that's £100
Click to expand...

No way :o - sorry, I misinterpreted 'liner', my bad :oops:

I have seen the entire liners eBay - cannot remember how much though.

EDIT - what about trying these guys if whole new new splash guards / liners is the way to go : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Z4-FR...CarParts_SM&hash=item2c59822d9a#ht_1999wt_972

£38 each, plus delivery.

However Andy's suggestion is probably best - might need to send Quarry Motors a pic though... Register with Parts Gateway, then your query will go to a number of breakers :thumbsup:
 
One other thing - if you have halogen, which I assume you have, then all 4 main bulbs are H7, so if you fancy more practice just go back in and swap 'em over, or buy two more :thumbsup:
 
Bing said:
One other thing - if you have halogen, which I assume you have, then all 4 main bulbs are H7, so if you fancy more practice just go back in and swap 'em over, or buy two more :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

+1

If the dipped beams are xenon's then they will be white, otherwise they are the same H7 bulbs as the high beams. Just hsve to reach a little further in :P
 
Lol cant believe I went to all that trouble and didnt change the main bulbs, thing is, the lights which are on during the night seem to have a different connector on the back - and the main bulb seems to be encased - whereas the one I changed you can actually see the H7 bulb in the headlight if that makes sense?

I looked at the OEM site and found the part (well the cover), spoke to the guy in BMW and he said they are under a fiver to order, but he was unsure if the round screw things come with it, although it does show them on the part on the OEM drawing so im going to order one and see what happens.

Not too keen on going through all that again to remove the bulbs!!!!! I never realised that I knew so many swear words!!! :rofl:
 
Have you got a height adjuster for the lights on the lighting control panel ? If you don't then you have Xenons as the main beam which would explain why the figment is different... Though not why the bulbs are dim, unless they are about to go ?

Thinking about it, the 'casing' you are talking about could be the motor for adjusting the headlight level, as that sits between the two main bulbs. I wish I had a picture to show you :headbang:

IIRC you'll find it hard to actually see the dipped bulb without sticking your head in the arch - I had to look, then come out and actually do it by feel.

I would have thought the fixing 'screws' come as part of the panel as they are, well, fixed to it :D

When you get them can you post up the part nos ? I want some too !
 
The xenon lights have an igniter on the back. It should say the words "open" and "close" with a couple of arrows pointing left/right:
d9909257-773f-a2d4.jpg


It's the most accessible part, once the cover is removed. You twist it to remove. The igniter screws/twists into the bulb which it held in place. If you look at the xenon through the headlight, you'll just see a magnifying glass affect. It's a "d2s" bulb in there :thumbsup:

Just been through this exact issue. Bought h7 bulbs as that's what halfords said, they were wrong. Which I found out after taking the wheel etc all off. So, I then bought xenon bulbs, took the wheel off etc, wasn't the bulb. Finally figured out it was the ballast. I've found a whole new vocabulary over the last two weeks. Still it beats paying the stealers £500 to do it!

Hope you get it sorted!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hi Bing

Yes I have headlight adjuster control in the car, they are not Xenons. The bulbs are not dim as such, just that yellowy colour and I wanted a more "white" light! Just me being picky, if I knew it was so much hassle I wouldnt have bothered!!!!!

Looking at the OEM image, its the Vertical Aim headlight adjuster I can see. I couldnt actually see the dipped bulb, I think if I dare to do this again I will take the wheel off and really get into the arch! I cant believe BMW expect your average Joe Bloggs to be able to do this, especially if youd pulled over in the night to replace a bulb!!!

The part number for the flap is actually on the flap itself, you need to take it off to see it - the screw things dont have any part numbers, but i'll report back my findings tomorrow!!
 
@garyH

Are you after a set of the plastic covers that are set into the wheel arch for accessing the lights?

If so I think I still have a (used) set of these you can have for free. I don't need anymore as I fitted the M bumper on my z4


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
GaryH said:
Hi Bing

Yes I have headlight adjuster control in the car, they are not Xenons. The bulbs are not dim as such, just that yellowy colour and I wanted a more "white" light! Just me being picky, if I knew it was so much hassle I wouldnt have bothered!!!!!

Looking at the OEM image, its the Vertical Aim headlight adjuster I can see. I couldnt actually see the dipped bulb, I think if I dare to do this again I will take the wheel off and really get into the arch! I cant believe BMW expect your average Joe Bloggs to be able to do this, especially if youd pulled over in the night to replace a bulb!!!

The part number for the flap is actually on the flap itself, you need to take it off to see it - the screw things dont have any part numbers, but i'll report back my findings tomorrow!!
Click to expand...

Cheers Gary, I will give my local stealer a call tomorrow :thumbsup:

I don't think BMW want you to do it yourself as the bulb type and how to change them is not even in the handbook :roll:
 
Bulb type is also stated on the back of the headlight cover - mine shows H7 and DS2, so one halogen (high beam) and one Xenon (main beam)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom