Help! '85 628csi Euro Headlights and Signals

[jjparkz]

Hey everyone! Happy e24 owner here... '85 628csi Euro.


So I've been going through my checklist of things to get her riding properly again and I'm sorta stuck on the headlights... Can't seem to find ANY info on 628csi lights and replacement options. Anyone have insight?


I believe they're currently fitted with the factory Hella bulbs, but I'm not understanding the OE setup at all. Please forgive my lack of electrical knowledge; I have zero experience with this.


Currently one headlight low beam out and am looking for a cheap replacement for the time being... I can't tell if these are sealed beams or the bulbs are replaceable within the housing and am deathly afraid to pull them apart before finding out any info I can. Here's what the face of each light reads:


Inner - Hella E1 310110480 Lamp ID: 14464R8 (H1 HL*5605*A according to Hella's catalog)
Outer - Hella E1 303126082 Lamp ID: 34419R8/R7 (I'd like to say these are the same as euro e30 Hella's, but can't find any additional info)


I have concerns that sifting through 635csi headlight info may lead me in the wrong direction and decided to concentrate on finding the correct info for the 628.


Also, my turn signals and hazards are acting funny and I have a feeling it may be tied together with my dead headlight issue (I've read about many strange electrical stories about these cars). When signaling left, the flasher relay continuously buzzes and both front and rear blinkers stay on, solid (no blinking). When signaling right, flasher relay clicks once; front and rear turn signal lights stay on, solid (no flashing). When hitting the hazards, all four corners stay on, solid (no flashing). I've swapped the flasher relay under the steering column with a three-pronged unit I purchased from Rockauto listed as the replacement unit for an '85 635csi, as they did not have the 628csi listed. The new flasher relay solves nothing. Just clicks once upon signaling right or left, no constant buzzing, nor do any of the lights come on at all.


Any help is very much appreciated!

[rlkrlk]

Well, Googling the p/n led me to....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HELLA-Twi...p2047675.l2557

... I had a failure wherein the left turn signal actuated my high beams. The fix was to replace the turn signal switch. YMMV.

Edit: the outer lamp pn led me to https://baraholka.onliner.by/viewtopic.php?t=7360365

The metal housing below the plug indicates (to me) these are not sealed beams.

Cheers,

Ray

[BMW Performance]

[jjparkz]

Well, Googling the p/n led me to....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HELLA-Twi...p2047675.l2557

... I had a failure wherein the left turn signal actuated my high beams. The fix was to replace the turn signal switch. YMMV.

Edit: the outer lamp pn led me to https://baraholka.onliner.by/viewtopic.php?t=7360365

The metal housing below the plug indicates (to me) these are not sealed beams.

Cheers,

Ray

Much thanks! I think I'm gonna attempt to test a few things, utilizing the wiring schematics first, then swap turn signal switch if I'm at a dead end...
Gonna also see if I can pop open those headlamps while I'm at it. From more digging, I've read H1's will replace all 4 euro housings, but also that outers should be dual filament?! sounds like I'm missing something... wouldn't that be an h4 for dual filament?

[jjparkz]

Thanks for this! ...Reading these electrical diagrams is all quite foreign to me, so looks like I'll need to spend some time on figuring this out.

[Bert Poliakoff]

try replacing or borrowing a hazard light switch. On the early cars all of the lighting routes through there. IIRC correctly, some one here said, a while ago, the later cars have similar circuitry

[jjparkz]

Thanks for the help, guys!

Finally got everything straightened out about a week ago, but haven't had time to report back... Could've just left the thread dead, but I hate stumbling across a thread with a similar issue and resolution was added and as mentioned, it was extremely hard for me to find any info on this specific year/model 6er. Maybe this will be useful for someone in the future?

First thing... I replaced the flasher since my old one was acting strange. After reflecting on things I haven't checked, it dawned on me that the connections may be wrong so I looked up both flasher units (which were marked differently due to one being an American replacement and the other being Euro), and seems the wiring positions were reversed from one another. Easy fix; pulled the wires out of the female socket and rearranged them to accept the American flasher wiring positions. Still can't believe I caught this! lol

I replaced the full lighting system with all new bulbs and everything was fine. Below is what I concluded:

'85 628CSi Euro

headlight low beam (outer lamp) - H1
headlight low beam (second filament/bulb in outer lamp) - 3893 12v 4w
headlight high beam (inner lamp) - H1
brake lights (top, outer) - 12v 21w 32cp (P21w or 7506)
rear driving lights (bottom, outer) - 5007 12v 5w 4cp
rear fog lights (top, inner) - 12v 21w 32cp (P21w or 7506)
reverse lights (bottom, inner) - 12v 21w 32cp (P21w or 7506)
turn signals (all corners) - 12v 21w 32cp (P21w or 7506)
license plate lights - 6418

While everything was off, I wire brushed the rust off the headlight housings, taped off the lights and adjusters, hit it with rust corrosion black spray paint. Tried to remove the lamps from the housing, but ended up breaking a small piece of the first plastic clip I tried carefully pulling apart. Cleaned, taped up the chrome trim, and repainted my heavily faded grills.

Cheers!