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DIY: Taking your headlight apart (excludes facelift coupes)

200K views 144 replies 52 participants last post by  M5bb 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys, DIY time. Anyways, this is just a DIY on how to take apart your headlights and take out that trim in the middle (this was the whole reason why there is this DIY in the first place). I'll also show you where (and how to take it apart) the igniter and ballast are so you can stop asking what it looks like. While I'm at it, i'm going to show you guys how to change the xenon bulbs for these headlights, except I'll have these outside of the car. You can see that thread here: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?p=8554311#post8554311

***Note: Follow this at your own risk. I am not liable for any damages or injuries that may have resulted or caused by this DIY.***

Tools needed:
- Gloves (because it gets dirty, also prevents you from leaving fingerprints on the chrome especially on the shroud)
- Phillips screw driver (a power drill with the right bit would definitely help)
- Flat screw driver (a longer one than normal is a plus)
- t20 driver (or bit for your screw driver or whatever)
- Pair of needle nose pliers

Before you start, make sure you take the headlights off the car :rofl: otherwise, you are going to have a very hard time doing this.

First of all, you want to take out all the easy parts. The plastic lense, bulbs, etc. If you already know how to do all that, just keep scrolling down.

As for those that don't, to take out the lense, you up pop (lift up) the 7 tabs that is holding it down, and pry it apart. If you cannot do this, please do not continue, and find someone who is competent enough.







And this is what you end up with:


Next remove the headlight trim, which is clipped in by 4 prongs (one on each corner). you want to pull them toward you.







Here's a picture showing 3 of the 4 prongs:


Next you want to remove the bulbs/bulb holder, and disconnect everything.

For the high beam side, you will see 2 prongs/tab that protrude out. You want to twist them a quarter turn or less to your left, then pull out the whole bulb holder. You can put that aside. (if you have halogen headlights, you will just do this twice; once for lows, once for highs). Take out the rubber dust cover as well.







For the low beam side just follow this DIY i just wrote at the same time: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?p=8554311#post8554311

You should end up with something like this:


Next you want to remove the ballast. The ballast is held on by 3 t20 torx screws. Remove those, then pull the ballast straight up to disconnect it.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/sillieidiot/diy%20stuff/09192008721.jpg[/IMG

Here's a shot of the ballast with part numbers and stuff:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/sillieidiot/diy%20stuff/09192008722.jpg[/IMG

Lastly, you need to unplug the connector that supplies the power for the bixenon shutter. (if you have single xenons, this does not apply to you).

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/sillieidiot/diy%20stuff/09192008727.jpg

Ok we're done with the easy part, now for the most time consuming part.

You see these 2 adjustment knobs (even though one of them has a piece missing), you will be turning these clockwise until you can't go anymore. As you're doing it, you will see the reflector bowls move forward and down. Otherwise, you are turning the wrong way. This is where you would want to use that power drill or phillips screw driver (turning it with your hand will be painful and time consuming). And trust me, it takes a long time, even with a screw driver.





100 years later with my ratcheting screwdriver, this is what you should end up with:


To take out the reflector bowl, you need to remove one more piece that's holding onto the bowl. It's the autoleveling arm, you need to pry this arm up with a flat screw driver (or push it down. whichever is easier for you). I usually pry it up, but i found it easier to push down on this particular headlight while pulling on the bowl and everything should come off. (for halogen headlights, the arm is white and is stationary).

Here's a shot of what it looks like:


Another showing where to stick the flat (prying up method):


Now you have the 2 pieces apart.



To take out the igniter, just remove the 2 t20 screws that is holding it on, and disconnect the white connector that is attached to it.





Here's a shot of the igniter with the part numbers and what not:




That's pretty much everything you need to replace those parts. So no need to go on there. Just reverse everything you did to put it back. This next step is just for ASAed330 and those people who wanted to know how to take out the center trim to paint or something.

Here's the trim in question:


On the back of the bowl, there are 2 little prongs that hold that sucker in.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/sillieidiot/diy%20stuff/09192008735.jpg[/IMG

you want to take a needle plier and just squeeze the two edges like so:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/sillieidiot/diy%20stuff/09192008736.jpg[/IMG

and it will pop right out like this:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/sillieidiot/diy%20stuff/09192008737.jpg[/IMG

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/sillieidiot/diy%20stuff/09192008738.jpg[/IMG

And you are done. now just do the reverse of that. Normally I would keep going, but I have a migraine so yeah


Again, you can thank ASAed330 for requesting this DIY.
 
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#9 ·
OMG this is the part ive been looking everyday for the past 2 yrs that has just dissapointed me!!!:excited: i orginally had the black trim and i bought the titanium trim however this part is still black and it makes a BIG difference... do u have the part number for this part in titanuim?

I cannot thank you enough for this, this has been bugging like no other, you dont even understand!!!! :bow:
 
#10 ·
that small piece? although it has a part number. bmw does not sell that part. it's a part number most likely for AL (automotive lighting). you should have swapped it with asaed330 lol. he painted those titanium ones black. you can do what he did, and take the black ones out and paint them titanium if you wanted. if not, just wait awhile longer. i'm bound to come across some spare headlights with those and we'll swap for black ones. i always took them out and painted them black.
 
#16 ·
I am new to this forum and just purchased an 01' 330i that came with a xenon out and you guessed it a fried igniter, bulb and bulb mount melted together. In my research I have come across different part numbers for both igniters and ballasts pre 9/01 and aft. The early parts are bosch and post 9/01 are split between two different manufacturers, (not Bosch). The price is way different with the early model I have being 350.00 and the latter igniter being 100.00. Can these possibly be any different in spec??

Thanks
EGRON
 
#18 ·
sorry to hear about your mishap. anyways, if you can take a picture of the ignitor part. i'm fairly certain that it's an AL (Automotive Lighting, used to be a subsidiary of Bosch) ignitor as BMW only used 2 kinds for the e46. The other would be i believe Mitsubishi, which were only on ZKW units only (03 sedan models).

what you can do to make sure is go to www.realoem.com. type in your VIN number, and then go and search for your headlight and the ignitors. there it should give you the right part numbers, and you can look it up. I have an AL ignitor (the one pictured in my DIY) for sale if you happen to find that is the same one as yours.
 
#19 ·
Hello,
That is pretty much what I did when I updated my 323i with a set of 325ci/330ci xenons i bought on ebay for only $200, for the pair. Had to pull both apart to fit the xenon assemblies in my non-xenon housing, due to the coupe different to the sedan. Had to make a slight adjustment with the igniter not fitting in properly but all good. Took me awhile to figure it out, if only this was here when I did it.

Oh I put my black internals back in my headlight assembly, I'm not sure what colour the ones out of the coupe were, I'll have a look on the weekend.

However the problem I have is the when the headlights are off there is an error saying my headlights are blown in the insturment cluster, this is probably because the xenon ballast/igniter is acting like an open circuit when the headlights are switched off. I have heard that I can take it to a BMW dealer to fix the problem, but apparently I loose my insides lights for highbeam, and they are only then used for flashing. And the fact they will probably charge me more then enough to plug something in and press a couple of buttons. Or put something across it to make it look like a short when the headlights are off? I saw something on ebay once to fix the problem but missed it, now they never seem to be on there.

Also, they are bi-xenon headlights, which I'd like to connect up. Can I just wire a relay into the high beam circuit, like you would if you were connecting aftermarket spotlights to your car?

Also does anybody know where to buy the plugs from??? So it kinda looks like a factory install.
 
#21 ·
What you need is a reflash from the dealer or an indy shop with a GT1 or newer diagnostic machine. You will not lose your high beams as your car is a 323i, bixenon's were not available that year. You can also do the capacitor mod, but i don't like to recommend it as I consider it a hack mod.

for the connectors, you can find the part number off www.realoem.com, and then get it from your dealer. simply just splice the respective +/- wires with the high beam wires and that will activate the bixenon shutters. No relay is needed, unless you want to.
 
#20 ·
To all you guru's out there
I am fairly new to modding. I have a 2001 325 ci with stock lights. I want to put a hid kit with projector headlights. Once I get the HID kit and the projector assembly, is there anything else I need so that I don't get all kinds of orange lights on my dash?
 
#23 ·
In order to to remove the plastic retainer clip which connects to the autoleveling arm, I found it easier to remove the black plastic trim in between the lights. Once that's removed, you have access to the back side of the plastic retainer clip, allowing you to compress it and pop it out. I slightly damaged my retainer clip in my first attempts to pop it out from inside the headlight. The dealer didn't see it as a replaceable part, but one of the other parts guys handed me one and said he saves them when the techs do warranty work on headlights - I guess it's manditory that they replace that piece when they're doing warranty work on headlights. On the drivers side (light in which I replaced the igniter) autoleveling used to start the beam low and then level when I turned on my headlights. My headlight now starts high then goes to level, my guess is the retainer clip is upside down - can anyone confirm that would be the cause?
 
#25 ·
that clip doesn't affect anything no matter which way it's pushed in. i'm guessing maybe you could have manually leveled it wrong the first time and had it too high? i haven't run into that problem really.

either that, or you did something wrong and wedged something on the bottom of the bowls so that the arm couldn't move down, senses that, and then go to move up.
 
#24 ·
there's actually many different methods. most likely taking it out won't break. but when you put it in, that there were everyone breaks it. i've done it a couple of times, but i have a lot of spares to take it from. i've been meaning to update this thread. i guess i'll update it now.
 
#26 ·
Great information. I think my igniter is failing and I may have to replace it.

While I'm in there, I would like to open up the hole for the city lights. I've brought the car to Italy and were supposed to use these. The local shop can flash the LCM to enable them and run the wires, but they are not sure how to drill out the plug. I'm up to try it. Any advice?
 
#27 ·
there is already a hole for the city lights. on the back of the headlight, you will see the circular outline of where the city lights should go (if you're looking from the back, look at the high beams and its on the upper right). that's where you want to drill out a hole. make sure you drill out just big enough for the bulb holder.

for the bulb holder, just look for a 194 bulb holder, and that will work. good luck.
 
#31 ·
Many thanks for this write-up! Just today I received my Xenons and one had a loose/broken auto-leveler bracket which is causing the lamps to rattle up and down and may affect aiming. Now I can try to fix!

Do you know if the main black plastic body of this headlamp is the same between Xenon and regular?
Car is 2003 Touring. That way I could cannibalize my non-Xenons to make a perfect set.
 
#32 ·
are you talking about the small white clip that everyone breaks? lol if so, then no. the halogens have a black one which is smaller than the xenon ones (which uses a bigger white one). but you can certainly take the black one and glue it in there to make it work

^ this only applies to facelifted sedans/wagons for those that are reading it. for prefacelift headlights, the clips are the same.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Damn.

Is that part available from the dealer? What are my options if it's not to stop the looseness?
Or if I fix it down rigid will that affect aiming?

My car does not have auto aiming but does have manual.

Also, flashing the LKM to 'accept' Xenons and stopping the warning lights, I thought the only proper way to fix that is to use a new headlamp switch which has the capacitor built-in. It's what BMW ask you to buy also when buying Xenons.
 
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