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Thread: 2003 Sealed Headlights Adjuster Replacement (no cutting)

  1. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by OnTheFence View Post
    I can't even imagine trying to replace these adjusters without baking open.
    If yours can open, trust me, open them.
    And, I have done one headlight, so I know exactly what is inside...
    If you've never done an adjuster job before, I think is basically impossible to even understand what is going on here.

    The one near the angel eyes blub, you can't even SEE!
    Hats off to you, my man, but the non-bake method would literally take me months.
    If really did pull this off, you should have been a surgeon, and picked the wrong line of work!
    In fact, I'd have to see it to believe it.
    Quote Originally Posted by OnTheFence View Post
    Not only is the non-bake replacement of the high beams physically impossible, cutting a hole in the top is also impossible to remove the adjusters.
    I don't care what anyone claims, there simply is no physical way to replace the high beam adjusters from the bulb hole or from a cut hole in the top. (ie: without baking open)

    The only way to fix your lights is to bake them open. If you can't bake open, buy new headlights.
    I'm entitled to my opinion, and do not believe previous posters (unless my 2001 lights have a different internal config)

    This is, by far, the most nightmarish DIY I have tried to date. If they don't bake open, you will fail.
    You need to be a surgeon with very specific tools for this to even have a 1% chance of working.
    There is no way to access the torx bolt holding the high beam ball socket. The angel eye wires do not move to the side.
    Quote Originally Posted by jamesdc4 View Post
    OTF,

    "I find your lack of faith disturbing."
    Look. No one said it was easy, but just because you have difficulty in successfully completing a procedure doesn't mean it's impossible. It just means you lack the skills to do it. Sharing your opinion is fine and perhaps will be a warning for those who are faint of heart to not try doing this themselves.
    Quote Originally Posted by Madtown View Post
    .....Just did this last weekend with no issues as my drivers side was a epoxy sealed version. I did the passenger side without baking also as I rather NOT BAKE the lens if I didn't have to. Took me about 3 hours total.
    Reality check for balance.

    OTF,

    I'm adding your thread from the E39 main subforum here to hopefully help others decide whether or not they want to try tackling this DIY themselves. Rather than claiming it's impossible because you ran into issues, maybe it's better for you to grade your experience with the DIY on a scale from 1-10.

    My 10 hour Headlight Adjuster Rollercoaster Ride of Emotions...
    Last edited by jamesdc4; 04-02-2012 at 11:02 AM.

  2. #52
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    I replied to another thread today in which I think the OP was using Ben's DIY from thread. Perhaps people will find the suggestions helpful.

    http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...21&postcount=7

    Regards
    RDL

  3. #53
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    I just did one of my lights,, took like two and a half hours,,,

    GREAT Thread DIY, Yes


  4. #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by jp5Touring View Post
    I just did one of my lights,, took like two and a half hours,,,

    GREAT Thread DIY, Yes
    Yup. I think mine was about 2.5 hrs as well. I am not looking forward to doing the other lamp ha ha ive just been driving around with one good headlamp

  5. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by fullthrottle540 View Post
    Yup. I think mine was about 2.5 hrs as well. I am not looking forward to doing the other lamp ha ha ive just been driving around with one good headlamp
    My Girlfriend smacked another car. Guess what headlight was Smashed..


  6. #56
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    High beam adjuster installation suggestion...

    The angel eye fiber optic end can be pushed out of its mounting to get it out of the way and make room for the high beam adjuster replacement. The fiber end is held in place with 3 little daggers of sheet metal, rolled into little 'U' channel shapes, that are simply pressed into 3 holes in the plastic frame. Put the flat blade of a screwdriver near each of the 3 points of the triangle and working around the 3 points, tap the handle of the screwdriver with pliers or something else convenient. The assembly will pop out (well in) and can be moved aside to give very good access to the high beam adjuster. When finished, re-position the 3 pointed daggers into their respective holes and with some manner of hooked shaped tool pull them back into their holes. (allen wrench clamped in vise grips is what I used)

    I had a relatively new headlight assembly (quartz) that I cannibalized for the adjusters to fix my HID assembly last night. Now I'm on lens polishing duty. I ordered some of the replacement adjusters from the guy in Latvia (I think) for other headlights (3 E39's in the house, 2 have broken adjusters). 4 sets, less than $70, hopefully they are decent!

    RDL, thank you for 'inventing' this method! Works great, I wouldn't even try and crack an oven-able lens!

    Now if we could only talk BMW/Hella into selling a kit of lens and adjusters then we could cut/remove the old lens and not spend 2 nights sanding and polishing.

    Any recommendations for clear adhesive protective plastic to cover the lens after cleaning/sanding/polishing?

    Hugh

  7. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by HughV View Post
    ... stuff deleted ...
    RDL, thank you for 'inventing' this method! Works great, I wouldn't even try and crack an oven-able lens!
    ... stuff deleted ...
    Any recommendations for clear adhesive protective plastic to cover the lens after cleaning/sanding/polishing?
    Hugh
    Thanks for the thanks, but I can't accept.
    BenPRunkle who wrote the first post in this thread deserves all the credit. I'd heard of vendors offering a "secret method" cut free repair, but Ben did a great job of working out how to do this keyhole surgery and posting it for us all.

    Everyone with the later style epoxy bonded headlights owes him a debt of gratitude. And probably the earlier, separable type too. Several people who separated the assy for repair had sealing problems afterward. While more tedious and frustrating than the bake technique, it seems to me to be a superior method.

    EDIT This product is recommended by JimLev for headlight protections
    http://www.autosportcatalog.com/inde...d=332&addcar=1

    Regards
    RDL
    Last edited by rdl; 10-31-2012 at 01:24 PM.

  8. #58
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    High beam adjuster installation suggestion...

    Hi RDL,

    OK, mea culpa for not giving credit correctly! Didn't excavate the history well while in the throes of the repair and post-repair, um, glow. Thanks for pointing out BenPRunkle, the original inventor of this R&R method.

    The suggestion to make the adjuster replacement pretty much as easy on the high beam side as the low beam side by temporarily popping out the fiber end assembly, thereby addressing the frustrations noted in previous comments about the high beam side. But that's all ground covered.... (OK, I'm fishing for a 'pretty good idea, Hugh'!)

    Thanks for the pointer to the headlight protection. I'll check that out to protect all that tedious polishing.

    Still waiting for the adjuster pieces from a former Soviet block country (Latvia, I think). I'll report on them when I get them. (hopefully not removed from wrecked cars in the junkyard!)

    Hugh

  9. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by HughV View Post
    Hi RDL,

    OK, mea culpa for not giving credit correctly! Didn't excavate the history well while in the throes of the repair and post-repair, um, glow. Thanks for pointing out BenPRunkle, the original inventor of this R&R method.

    The suggestion to make the adjuster replacement pretty much as easy on the high beam side as the low beam side by temporarily popping out the fiber end assembly, thereby addressing the frustrations noted in previous comments about the high beam side. But that's all ground covered.... (OK, I'm fishing for a 'pretty good idea, Hugh'!)

    Thanks for the pointer to the headlight protection. I'll check that out to protect all that tedious polishing.

    Still waiting for the adjuster pieces from a former Soviet block country (Latvia, I think). I'll report on them when I get them. (hopefully not removed from wrecked cars in the junkyard!)

    Hugh
    Yeah, Ben does deserve the credit. I wasn't trying to be difficult, just wanted credit to go to Ben who earned & deserved it. Understandable to overlook a detail in the "post repair glow" having saved hundreds of $$$. I don't want to scare anyone off this method, it does work. And isn't really that difficult either. But it sure does require persistence, doesn't it?

    Congratulations on the fibre optic solution you found on the high beam side. It is ingeneous. I didn't have the nerve to try anything like that. I concentrated entirely on disturbing the fibre cables as little as possible.

    The headlight protection is JimLev's recommendation. To be clear, not mine ROTFLOL. He's always been a prolific & reliable source of advice and a stickler for getting things right so I passed it on. I put 3M protective film (vendor's name forgotten) on mine about 18 months ago after polishing - and still crystal clear. Jim's recommendation uses 3M film too, so I'm confident it will maintain clarity & given Jim's recommendation, it will fit the headlights nicely.

    I think your adjusters will be just fine. I bought from a Latvian source too. The pieces I got were definitely not recycled from an old car.

  10. #60
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    Just did this today using this DIY for reference and it certainly is possible (with a lot Of patience). The learning curve is the same as with any other DIY. The first headlight took about 2.5 hours (which seems to be the average). The second light took me 35 minutes.

    I ran into an issue when I attempted to use a ratchet with a t-15 torx socket to reach the screw that secures the high beam adjuster holder. You MUST have a t-15 torx screwdriver to in order to reach the screw through the tiny opening around the AE fiber optic disk. I had to run to pepboys in the middle of it all to buy one.

    I have one suggestion regarding the removal of the end with broken ball in the holder. Rather than messing with it and trying to remove it in one piece, I took a small pair of needle nose pliers and crushed it into small pieces that were easy to remove. The plastic is so brittle, I found this to be a much simpler and manageable route.

    And thank you for the DIY!!!

  11. #61
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    Thanks Ben, spent 2hours trying to heat gun my lights apart then found they were epoxied. Found your solution and having nice small hands and a new torx screwdriver 2 hours later headlights brilliant

  12. #62
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    Awesome DIY, looking forward to do this on my headlights when i return home.


    01 E39 525i - 172850km
    02 E53 4.6is - 148000km
    03 E46 M3 - 42853 Miles
    09 Pajero - 149000km( the traveller)

  13. #63
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    Just successfully replaced the adjusters on my driver's side 'glued' 2003 Hella. I used $10/light adjusters from ebay, which seem to be of decent quality.

    After removing the ballast, bulbs, bulb boots, motor, etc, I removed the low beam side adjuster and its socket. Then I removed the high-beam side adjuster, which was a huge pain. I had to sand down the handle of my nice T15 torx screwdriver to allow it to reach in far enough to get to the screw.

    Installing the new high-beam side adjuster was the only really bad part. After a while, i realized that I was trying to install it the wrong way. I looked at some pictures, determined the proper orientation, and then was able to get it threaded onto the meal screw. I snapped it into its socket before installing it, so after it was just a matter of rotating the socket and screwing it back in through the AE light socket. Once this was in, I put the low-beam side adjuster in place, screwed its socket in, and snapped them together (as suggested in this thread). Installed the motor, and to my pleasant surprise,the light assembly was rock solid. Great success! If anyone in the Boston area needs theirs done, let me know!
    Last edited by cwise12; 12-29-2012 at 01:30 PM.


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  14. #64
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    Can someone tell me if there is a place besides ebay where i can buy these adjusters? I'm in Houston(Richmond area) at the moment and i leave to africa in 2 days. Need these adjusters ASAP!!!


    01 E39 525i - 172850km
    02 E53 4.6is - 148000km
    03 E46 M3 - 42853 Miles
    09 Pajero - 149000km( the traveller)

  15. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pekelicious View Post
    Can someone tell me if there is a place besides ebay where i can buy these adjusters? I'm in Houston(Richmond area) at the moment and i leave to africa in 2 days. Need these adjusters ASAP!!!
    I'm pretty sure that BMW doesn't actually make them (for facelift lights), seeing as they're considered a non-replaceable part (much like how BMW doesn't sell VANOS seals). I've only seen them for sale from aftermarket soruces such as eBay. That's where I bought mine, and it worked out great.


    03 540i/6 M-Sport (#166 out of 1,265)
    01 540i/6
    01 525iAT
    01 530i
    M62/TU crank holder tool, fan clutch tools, and rear ball joint removal press available for New England members who need them!

  16. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by cwise12 View Post
    I'm pretty sure that BMW doesn't actually make them (for facelift lights), seeing as they're considered a non-replaceable part (much like how BMW doesn't sell VANOS seals). I've only seen them for sale from aftermarket soruces such as eBay. That's where I bought mine, and it worked out great.
    Thx for the info m8, I've searched ebay and now they are selling it for $80 each


    01 E39 525i - 172850km
    02 E53 4.6is - 148000km
    03 E46 M3 - 42853 Miles
    09 Pajero - 149000km( the traveller)

  17. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pekelicious View Post
    Thx for the info m8, I've searched ebay and now they are selling it for $80 each
    There is a huge range of prices. An ebay search for "bmw e39 headlight adjuster" turned up these listings for me, among others.

    item # 270894106377 $9.89, free shipping from MI, USA
    item # 110980497023 $10, free shipping from Latvia
    item # 220898542606 $18, shipping $2 from US

    One headlight each, so double for both sides. These are listings are for the angel eye style lights. Adjusters for the earlier style lights can be found for similar prices.

    Regards
    RDL

  18. #68
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    Anyone have ant experience with these:
    Check out this item I found on eBay: http://pages.ebay.com/motors/link/?n...d=220891921306

    I've seen the odometer gears brand. Very expensive. Also there are cheaper options but I assume those don't last. This seller says you can bend them but you can't break them.

  19. #69
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    Quote Originally Posted by BM109R View Post
    Anyone have ant experience with these:
    Check out this item I found on eBay: http://pages.ebay.com/motors/link/?n...d=220891921306

    I've seen the odometer gears brand. Very expensive. Also there are cheaper options but I assume those don't last. This seller says you can bend them but you can't break them.
    I ordered 6 of these on ebay for $10 each and found them to be of good quality and i have no doubt that they will last me another 10+ years

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/270894106377...84.m1439.l2649

    I just finished repairing two sets. I baked open two pre epoxy housings and did two other post Aug 2002 housings via the "ship in a bottle" method. Both turned out fine. Many thanks to those who have gone before me and took the time to post. Some thoughts: Sears sells a long thin t15 torx as a stand alone tool. Before you remove the housing take time to mark your garage wall with tape on the horizontal projection lines so you get the alignment somewhat close when your done.

    John e.

  20. #70
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    Need to do this myself. Have found the plastic ones on eBay but does anyone have any experience with the aluminum ones on eBay that ship from the UK? Item here:http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-E39-Ange...item3a7fc35e5c

    It mentions these are slightly different in shape than the originals but that they work the same way. Also says something about holes needing to be tapped. Anyone familiar or have experience with these? About half the price compared to the EAC ones. Thx.

  21. #71
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    I purchased Odometer Gears adjusters for $40. at partsgeek. Was the cheapest for there brand.. Very nice quality and lifetime guarantee


  22. #72
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    Anyone got this DIY in pdf format? The pics went bye bye
    2003 BMW 540i [Sterling Gray / Gray]
    [Msport] [Mods from A-Z] [Two-Tone Interior]

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  23. #73
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dking078 View Post
    Anyone got this DIY in pdf format? The pics went bye bye
    There is a pdf of Ben's procedure attached to post #30, page 2 of this thread.
    Also, I took the liberty of making a few suggestions on Ben's method in post #52 that some found helpful.

    Regards
    RDL

  24. #74
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    Managed to get each light done in 30 minutes using all the info here. Magnetizing the T15 torx driver really helped to hold the screws.

    If anyone in the SF Bay Area needs help with theirs, they can stop by my workshop in Half Moon Bay and i'll change em out for you.
    Last edited by Aryana; 10-09-2013 at 12:49 AM.
    2003 DINAN 5 | M54B30 | Titanium Gray Metallic | Stage 3 Engine Software | High Flow Throttle Body | Cold Air Intake | Free Flow Exhaust | Performance Automatic Transmission Software | Front Strut Brace | OE 18x9 BBS RS745 Style 42 on 265/35-18 MY BUILD THREAD: [Click]


  25. #75
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    Man I love this method.

    I have the bake open models but did this as it is so much cleaner. It is super fast so long as you have the orientation sorted.

    +1 on:
    - Clipping the adjusters closest to the high beam together then installing the "low beam" adjuster and then the "low beam" pedestal mount then mounting the "high beam" pedestal then the automatic leveller and finally clipping in the "low beam" pedestal mount to the adjuster.
    - I left the torx screws in on all of the pedestal mounts and didn't come close to loosing one.
    - I didn't need to move the fibre optics but did on one and was no biggie.
    - Gave them a good vacuum out before closing up.
    - My torx screws for the pedestal mounts were T10 not T15 and deffo needed a long reach (100mm shank min)

    Thanks again for the great DIY.
    I can't understand why BMW chose to make these out of Medium Density Flower!?


    IMG-20131116-00300.jpg

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