- Joined
- Feb 18, 2016
- Points
- 231
- Model of Z
- Z3M Imola and Z4 (e89)
There isn't really a great deal on line ref changing the headlight bulbs on the e89, so thought I post. Hate to think what BMW would charge for this. As it turns out its a 10 minute job and easy to do once you know.
So BMW very kindly put a cut out in the inner wing so you can change the indicator bulb, but did not make it big enough to get to the headlight, but it is tantalisingly close.
The cut out is in the front of the wheel arch liner, just undo to two plastic screws on the lower end.
Once off you can just see the edge of the headlight bulb cover, but unless you have tiny hands or want to lose the skin off your hands it's nearly impossible to get to it, I couldn't anyway.
You will find two 10mm plastic nuts on the liner, one on the inner wing and one ar the front top by the bulb cut out, remove these and then you can pull the liner away to give enough room to access the bulb cover and bulb through the cut out.
Once the cover is off you can see the bulb, the wire is a simple pull off push on, no clips or locks, it looks just like a USB plug, just pull it out of the ballast unit. Once out hold the ballast unit and turn it anti clockwise and the whole HID unit will come out.
Once out you will need to swap the plastic ring off the old unit onto the new one, you will see a locking clip, just push it in and the plastic ring opens up on a hinge, remove it off the unit.
The plastic ring has a couple of little lugs on it and the HID unit has a couple of cut outs, these need to be aligned when fitting the ring onto the new unit.
Once the ring is on refitting to the car is a reverse of removal.
I took the wheel off the car to give me better access.
Important: Don't touch the bulb glass on the new unit, it will blow if you do.
Hope this is helpful.
So BMW very kindly put a cut out in the inner wing so you can change the indicator bulb, but did not make it big enough to get to the headlight, but it is tantalisingly close.
The cut out is in the front of the wheel arch liner, just undo to two plastic screws on the lower end.
Once off you can just see the edge of the headlight bulb cover, but unless you have tiny hands or want to lose the skin off your hands it's nearly impossible to get to it, I couldn't anyway.
You will find two 10mm plastic nuts on the liner, one on the inner wing and one ar the front top by the bulb cut out, remove these and then you can pull the liner away to give enough room to access the bulb cover and bulb through the cut out.
Once the cover is off you can see the bulb, the wire is a simple pull off push on, no clips or locks, it looks just like a USB plug, just pull it out of the ballast unit. Once out hold the ballast unit and turn it anti clockwise and the whole HID unit will come out.
Once out you will need to swap the plastic ring off the old unit onto the new one, you will see a locking clip, just push it in and the plastic ring opens up on a hinge, remove it off the unit.
The plastic ring has a couple of little lugs on it and the HID unit has a couple of cut outs, these need to be aligned when fitting the ring onto the new unit.
Once the ring is on refitting to the car is a reverse of removal.
I took the wheel off the car to give me better access.
Important: Don't touch the bulb glass on the new unit, it will blow if you do.
Hope this is helpful.
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