RHD to LHD Headlights

[parera]

Hi everyone !

I just bought a beautiful z3. with m52 engine ( 2.0 ), The thing is the car is RHD, And since I live in France, I need the headlights to light up the other side of the road, and not the car coming in front of me !

As you know, a pair of headlights is pretty expensive unfortunately, but the only difference between the RHD and LHD headlights is the lens, So I was thinking about taking the headlights apart, removing the lens and adapt a LHD lens from another bmw ( worth the try ), e36 and e39 lens looks pretty similar but would need some cutting and i think they are made of glass

On my bmw z3, the lens is made of some kind of plastic, Do you know what other Bmw have that kind of lens ?

Thanks for your help !

[BMWBergy]

I just bought a beautiful z3. with m52 engine ( 2.0 ), The thing is the car is RHD, And since I live in France, I need the headlights to light up the other side of the road, and not the car coming in front of me !

As you know, a pair of headlights is pretty expensive unfortunately, but the only difference between the RHD and LHD headlights is the lens, So I was thinking about taking the headlights apart, removing the lens and adapt a LHD lens from another bmw ( worth the try ), e36 and e39 lens looks pretty similar but would need some cutting and i think they are made of glass

On my bmw z3, the lens is made of some kind of plastic, Do you know what other Bmw have that kind of lens ?

I don't know what you mean by 'lens,' but I think you are referring to the wrong thing. Your last sentence makes me think that you are talking about the exterior clear plastic cover. If so, yes, it is plastic, but NO, it does NOTHING in terms of beam-forming or projection down the road.

If you are talking about the inner, round-ish fresnel lenses (one each for high and low beam within each headlight), then there are two types - plastic (identifiable by their outer chromey trim ring) or glass (no trim ring). Those play more of a role in beam projection, and they are easily swapped out.

The other component that you have to worry about are the reflective 'bowls' that reside behind those inner lenses. They reflect the light from the bulbs, and direct it (the light) to the correct side of the road.

Your best bet is to simply buy used LHD headlights, or do some sort of HID conversion using LHD-spec projectors. For ideas, and to see the all of the headlight components I've described, see they HID conversion thread linked in my signature.

[BimmerBreaker]

You cant just swap the projector bowls over (which is what you would need to do) because the highs and lows are one piece

Just buy proper headlights

[BMWBergy]

You cant just swap the projector bowls over (which is what you would need to do) because the highs and lows are one piece

Just buy proper headlights

He should be able to swap his RHD reflective parts out for LHD reflective parts - since each assembly is one piece, it's a one-for-one swap in each housing. However, this means that he will have to source at least used LHD Z3 headlights.

Parera - you are going to have to buy LHD Z3 headlights for almost any approach you take. If you gut your RHD units, then eventually sell the car back to someone who will return it to the UK, they'll need the RHD lights - not having them could be a show-stopper for a sale.

If you modify your RHD housings for LHD projectors, your high-beam bowls will still be aligned to the wrong side of the road (left), even though your low-beam projectors would be oriented to the right. To solve that problem, go with bi-xenon projectors and disconnect your high beam halogens - use your high-beam input to trigger the solenoid/activate the high-beam setting of the projector; it will be more than sufficient.

If you want to swap the reflector part out, you will need two complete LHD headlights. Might as well find ones that have the mounting tabs intact (or verify that they are at least repairable) and just swap out the entire headlight units rather than gut everything from two different headlight assemblies.

[parera]

Thanks for your answers ! I'm sorry I don't have the correct vocabulary, I wouldn't even know how to call this in French in fact !

I was of course referring to the inner part with the chrome ring around it , not the outer plastic cover .

I thought only this would make the difference between the two, because when you compare the patterns on rhd and lhd inner lenses, they are exact opposite, but I hadn't thought about the chrome part !

Thanks again for your help ! I will check out your HID retrofit

[deni2s]

Are you sure LHD and RHD lenses are different? I know I swapped inner chrome part and passed MOT just fine with that...

[parera]

Yes totally sure,

LHD

IMG_4929.jpg

RHD :

IMG_6125.jpg

[BimmerBreaker]

The reflector bowl is the differentiating part, the lenses dont control light output pattern in any major way. All that picture proves is a difference between a pre-facelift lens with no chrome ring (but aftermarket angel eye) and a facelift with a chrome ring. To reiterate again: those lenses are not what matters. The lens does not control light output, the reflector bowl does.

He should be able to swap his RHD reflective parts out for LHD reflective parts - since each assembly is one piece, it's a one-for-one swap in each housing. However, this means that he will have to source at least used LHD Z3 headlights.

That was really my point, that he needed the complete reflector bowl assembly and to get that hes gonna need a full light so why "swap" anything to begin with
Also was pretty sure high beams were undifferentiated lhd/rhd...?

[parera]

thanks for your answer,

I'm not telling you are wrong at all, I was just answering deni2s question, and even if the lenses don't change anything, they are differents, for sure,

Here is a Facelift LHD, with chrome ring :

9295.jpg

And then again, the RHD facelift, with chrome ring !
6519-02df3883397ee675a3d43f50f857c43f.jpg

[umnitza]

You can order a LHD retrofit projector from us, you can open your lights, install the projector, and get LHD approved lighting on the road.
In fact, if you were doing it, you could do a dual projector for your setup to make sure both lights are LHD, like this:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUlJsQIgVvb

[tommymiladinov]

Hello!
I have similar problem. My headlights are LHD, but the headlight holding tabs are broken of the left one, so it's loose. I am thinking about buying a RHD leadlight and just using the plastic body and the front lens - and transplanting everything else from inside the LHD old one. Is that possible? Because buying LHD headlight is 3-4 times more expensive, and all I need is the plastic body.

[MarketMaster]

honestly, sky is about to do another retrofit bracket run. Buy them with LHD projectors. You will not only be able to see more, but will look great too.

https://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...5cd34c1boqxgyv

Here is a comparison:

[deni2s]

Hello!
I have similar problem. My headlights are LHD, but the headlight holding tabs are broken of the left one, so it's loose. I am thinking about buying a RHD leadlight and just using the plastic body and the front lens - and transplanting everything else from inside the LHD old one. Is that possible? Because buying LHD headlight is 3-4 times more expensive, and all I need is the plastic body.

Yes, pretty easy.