Xenon Intermittent Fault Indication

[wiseguy]

I'm not sure if this is the same issue but i spent 60 very frustrating minutes trying to attach the ignitor again and lock it into place.

I then realized that they are designed to be attached and locked/rotated without the connector (power) cable being attached. when you attach the power cable it rotates the plastic inner circle a little so you cant lock the ognitor in place.

I think this is a safetly feature to make sure you don't have the power cable attached when trying to fit the ignitor if that makes sense.

It went on first time for me after i removed the power cable...doh

Well, don't I wish I had come across that little nugget of info before changing my bulbs. I tried your method, and you are correct. The power wire must be removed from the ballast/igniter before reinstalling that part. I've been driving with the ballasts that I damaged for 2 weeks, and they have held fast, so I may be OK. I'm going to order additional metal clips and try to bolster them in place.

FYI, the $29 bulbs I linked to would not fit my car, so I took a chance on some new bulbs on Ebay. $11/pair, shipped, and they work great! (knocks on wood) I was skeptical, but so far, so good. So, perhaps it is possible to not pay BMW $170 per bulb or my local parts house $100/bulb, and still get quality parts. Only time will tell. I had a nice 2 hour drive the other night, so the new bulbs got a proper workout. They are a TAD less blue than OEM, but after asking a few other people about the color difference, none could see it but me. We Z4 owners are, after all, a picky lot...

I say save your money for some other upgrades (the Leather Z armrest/storage compartment is on my list) and take a chance on lesser-priced bulbs. I'll post here if I have any problems with my new bulbs.