Stupid design!!!

[Aliv6]

You don't get a jack/socket with the car to remove the wheel to get access to the inspection hatch (You simply can not do this without removing the wheel!!) - Or rather not with 19's and lowered springs!

With 245 wide front tyres on my car, it is easy to remove the cover to get at the headlight, but you have to do something counter-intuitive to get space to work: turn the wheel fully out, not in.

I can only assume you have hands like a 8 yr old!

Ok, so you can probably remove the inspection hatch! But to get to the 2 bolts and get them out without dropping them is a mission! It's considerably easier to take the wheel off. Fact.

I still maintain that it's a stupid design!

 

[Bing]

Still confused - what bolts :?

Though agree, it's a stupid design that always ends up with me dirty to the elbows and a scraped knuckle...

 

[BMWZ4MC]

I must say, I have never succeeded in switching the direction of the headlights from RHD to LHD when driving in Europe. There just isn't enough space to get to the hatch. Far easier to pop to Halfords and put the stickers on the headlights than take off the front wheels on a Seafrance ferry!

 

[Bing]

I didn't know you could switch the direction of the lights - if it was easy that's quite cool.

Playing with mine today, when the bulb goes the indicator and dash light come on. However if you turn off the ignition and the lights, then start the car and put dipped headlights on, the indicator stays off - though the dash bulb out warning stays on.

 

[shambolic]

Our SLK used to indicate left by itself until we got a new stalk. Very very dangerous on roundabouts etc as folk used to pull out on us until it was fixed.
Good job you don't have the E89 as you could keep goldfish in the rear light clusters

 

[aerobod]

You don't get a jack/socket with the car to remove the wheel to get access to the inspection hatch (You simply can not do this without removing the wheel!!) - Or rather not with 19's and lowered springs!

With 245 wide front tyres on my car, it is easy to remove the cover to get at the headlight, but you have to do something counter-intuitive to get space to work: turn the wheel fully out, not in.

I can only assume you have hands like a 8 yr old!

Ok, so you can probably remove the inspection hatch! But to get to the 2 bolts and get them out without dropping them is a mission! It's considerably easier to take the wheel off. Fact.

I still maintain that it's a stupid design!

Not sure which 2 bolts you are trying to remove, but a coin is the best tool to undo the plastic half-turn screws that secure the cover, then the wire retainer that holds the cover on the back of the headlight can be pulled back to open the headlight up. For the side markers / indicators, the philips end of the screwdriver in the toolkit is an exact fit into the bulb carriers to twist and remove them, nothing gets dropped if you use that screwdriver, the bulb carrier stays on it even if you hold it upside down. You don't need small hands, just practice.

Having a jack in the car isn't much of a help in removing the wheel to gain access to the headlight if you don't have axle stands too, if one values safety.

 

[Andy]

Just to add I had the indicator stuck on too although iirc they replaced the LCM in the end.

But if your indicator stays on when you turn off the ignition, simply cycle it on and off once more without starting the engine and it will switch off.
Not obvious but saves you removing the battery. BMW assist told me about this & it's happened to a few ppl

 

[Aliv6]

Is your car lowered and on 19's!? You shouldn't need to practice, it should just be better arranged to enable a 'fix'

Anyway we digress.

 

[daz05]

Worst argument ever!

 

[Aliv6]

Tell me about it!

 

[aerobod]

Is your car lowered and on 19's!? You shouldn't need to practice, it should just be better arranged to enable a 'fix'

Anyway we digress.

I'd say that it isn't really relevant that the car is lowered, as I'm sure BMW didn't design it with that in mind. The tyre is the thing that gets in the way more than the wheel, so a 245/40-18 tyre is more of a problem than a 225/35-19 or 235/35-19 from a clearance perspoective. I'd be interested to hear how you would change the design to make the back of the headlight more accessible without adding 6" to the nose (bearing in mind that the back of the headlight is almost touching the wheel arch lining already). I suppose you could always take off the bumper, unbolt the headlight and change the bulb that way, no small hands required?