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Thread: so, uh, are my headlight ballasts dead or very dead

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
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    so, uh, are my headlight ballasts dead or very dead

    Driving at night is getting interesting, it really seems like my xenons are facing pretty far down these days...or is this normal?




    IMG_20180513_201703.jpg







    The right xenon is visibly pointing higher up than the left, hence the uneven light line





    IMG_20180513_201841.jpg



    Also what it looks like in pitch dark



    IMG_20180509_220807.jpg




    I vaguely remember there being an adjuster mechanism in the headlights which breaks over time, but i don't remember if you need to bake off the lenses to change it...which is a problem because these are late model headlights and you cannot bake the lens off. oops.
    Last edited by joekitch; 05-22-2018 at 11:00 PM.
    Looking for an e39 Touring black carpet set, including the rear cargo cubbies and side sections!
    ALSO looking for 540i 6speed manual transmission sets (2001+ pedals with switches, driveshaft, gearbox), for the 6speed swap! Probably not for a while....

    GN92489
    540i msport touring; jet black on grey
    Progress Thread (general)
    Progress thread (touring specific)


  2. #2
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    Stop starting threads, start reading threads, only a few billion broken adjuster threads on here for craps sakes....
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  3. #3
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    pull out the lights, take them inside, wash well first, then disassemble. Little fingers help
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    Last edited by StephenVA; 05-23-2018 at 08:45 PM.
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  4. #4
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    ho ho! very nice, i didn't realize there was a ship-in-a-bottle solution

    however i did some more troubleshooting and some facts
    1) the headlights still do their little "dip" thing on startup, so the adjusters probably still have some control
    2) wiggling the low beam plug wiggles the projector, but only a little, in line with videos i've seen of people demonstrating non-broken adjusters
    problem is i tried adjusting them this morning but the beam didn't seem to be responding to tightening or loosening the adjusters, although they were pointing at a garage wall only two feet away so the adjustment might have been too subtle to see. i'll point them down the road tonight and adjust that way
    Looking for an e39 Touring black carpet set, including the rear cargo cubbies and side sections!
    ALSO looking for 540i 6speed manual transmission sets (2001+ pedals with switches, driveshaft, gearbox), for the 6speed swap! Probably not for a while....

    GN92489
    540i msport touring; jet black on grey
    Progress Thread (general)
    Progress thread (touring specific)


  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Two things.
    The left headlight (in a USA car) is supposed to point down & to the right a little to avoid having the headlight beam shine in the eyes of oncoming cars.
    If you are asking if you have broken headlight adjusters (very common problem in our cars) open the hood & carefully move the headlights by holding the connector that goes directly in back of the headlight (each one) & see if you can move it up & down. If the adjusters are broken, it should be easy to slide it/them up & down.
    No need to be rough with it, if it/they are broken, they will slide up & down very easily.

    BTW, the ballast's job is to provide very high power to the Xenon bulbs. The headlight adjusters are what keep the headlights pointing correctly.
    Last edited by sealbeach740; 05-23-2018 at 09:00 PM.
    <== Steptronic Sealbeach740
    2000 740i sport: 74k Green/Tan chrome MPars, clear corners, quad brake lights, AIC hi-beams, Hoen fogs, 16x9 screen, MKIV, TFT LCD screen in back, license plate backup camera with "on demand" switch, iPod audio/video (CDC/iPod audio switching, iPod video on 16x9 screen), Basslink, gauge rings, ///M pedals, switched steptronic +/- shifting mode, E46 paddle shifter steering wheel, Dinan engine & tranny software upgrade, DDEs controlled via Euro fog light switch, painted calipers with "BMW" lettering, windows up/sunroof close via remote.

    2003 540i sport: 81k, Sterling grey/grey, MKIV Nav, PDC & CWP - Added license plate backup camera with "on demand" switch, paddle shift steering wheel, windows up/sunroof close via remote, Akebono's, painted calipers with "BMW" lettering, quad brake lights, iPod audio via AUX mode/video via 16x9 screen, BMW TV tuner, ///M pedals & gauge rings.

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by sealbeach740 View Post
    Two things.
    The left headlight (in a USA car) is supposed to point down & to the right a little to avoid having the headlight beam shine in the eyes of oncoming cars.
    If you are asking if you have broken headlight adjusters (very common problem in our cars) open the hood & carefully move the headlights by holding the connector that goes directly in back of the headlight (each one) & see if you can move it up & down. If the adjusters are broken, it should be easy to slide it/them up & down.
    No need to be rough with it, if it/they are broken, they will slide up & down very easily.

    BTW, the ballast's job is to provide very high power to the Xenon bulbs. The headlight adjusters are what keep the headlights pointing correctly.
    yeah, uneven i expected but it seems like it's more uneven than it used to be, or possibly my memory is going.
    i realized my nomenclature mistake one second after posting, so i guess this thread will confused people forever
    the "wiggle test" gives pretty solid evidence for the adjusters NOT being broken
    Looking for an e39 Touring black carpet set, including the rear cargo cubbies and side sections!
    ALSO looking for 540i 6speed manual transmission sets (2001+ pedals with switches, driveshaft, gearbox), for the 6speed swap! Probably not for a while....

    GN92489
    540i msport touring; jet black on grey
    Progress Thread (general)
    Progress thread (touring specific)


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