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Thread: Front turn signal marker light refurbishment

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    13
    My Cars
    1987 E23 735i

    Front turn signal marker light refurbishment

    Hi all -

    Of course isn't it just the most innocuous things that end up causing an entire night of work? Today I had a front turn signal go out in my 735, and when I went to replace it I found the turn signal totally losing its silvering. So, in spite of me trying to spend zero effort and sell my car, I couldn't leave well enough alone and ended up refurbishing the lights tonight. It's really pretty easy! Here's a little brief how-to with some pictures I took during the process. I won't go into excruciating detail, if you're taking things like this apart I figure you've been here before to at least change a headlamp.

    1) Remove lens, bulb

    2) Remove two 8mm screws holding turn signal into body

    3) With moderate but insistent pressure pull on wire jacketing from the front of the car to un-seat the grommet in the engine bay, and disconnect the wire harness

    4) Gasp and be horrified at how gross everything is! (Bonus internet points if this causes you to finish your first beer)

    5) Clean off the old housings, via whatever method you prefer (i used simple green, an ultrasonic cleaner, and a brush under some hot tap water and it all came right off!) I un-seated the rubber connector from the back of the lamp to facilitate drying, note that it's keyed for when you reinstall it. My old gaskets were totally dry-rotten, so they went in the trash.

    5b) DRY THE PARTS. They must be bone dry for the paint to adhere. If you're impatient use your air compressor and a blow gun.

    6) Shove some paper towels or masking tape in the electrical socket so you don't cover the pins in primer like I did. (and if you do, acetone on a q-tip will clean it off afterward)

    7) Prime the parts! Super duper prime them or the paint will come right off. Read the directions for how long things should dry before you paint

    8) Spray with Chrome spray paint (Dupli-color is the brand I had, it works okay!). My novice technique didn't get them amazing - but it's turn signals. Shiny enough to be visible is the goal here. Don't over-do it, too thick of a coat will orange peel. Go back for a second coat if you're unsure...

    9) If they're in good shape, re-attach old gaskets with some weatherstripping adhesive or replace with some foam tape. (Mine came from Home Depot at some point in my life) I trimmed down what I had to the width of the OE gasketing. It's not perfect...but it has a chance instead of the powdered old gasket I removed! It's also hidden inside the trim so only the most OCD will notice.

    10) Assembly is the reverse of removal! Getting the wires back in the correct place is a little fiddly but not hard. Once they're fed, I screwed down the lamp before re-seating the rubber grommet on the engine bay side. To re-seat the grommet I simply pulled the rubber bit through the hole, mine was still plenty supple to allow for that manipulation. Reconnect the connector and test your bulbs before putting the lenses back on.

    11) Finish second beer, and rejoice.

    A couple more tech tips:


    • If your bulb connectors are corroded, soak the corner of a paper towel with lemon juice and shove it in the socket. Let the terminals marinate in the juice a bit and the citric acid will clean them shiny like new!
    • Use NICKEL-BASE BULBS. Don't get the brass base ones, you'll be encouraging that afore-mentioned corrosion. Osram 7528 is the right bulb (P21/5W)



    Happy motoring all!

    IMG_20181210_200443.jpgIMG_20181210_202932.jpgIMG_20181210_214220.jpgIMG_20181210_223731.jpgIMG_20181210_223843.jpg
    Last edited by isparafucile; 12-11-2018 at 03:25 AM. Reason: Formatting

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Tangent Oregon
    Posts
    450
    My Cars
    79' 320i 84' 733i

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    TX
    Posts
    4,487
    My Cars
    1983/84/85 745i
    Badass! Thanks



    Maybe a mod will see this and put it in the DIY/FYI section!
    I make E23 parts.
    09/1983 745i (stolen spring '13 around Houston, TX Achatgruen on nutria buffalo. 8481080)
    10/1984 745i
    11/1984 745i
    11/1984 735i (10:1-265/6)
    Ford, MB, and GM round out the pack.



  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    465
    My Cars
    E21/early e23/e34
    Agree, nice job.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Posts
    140
    My Cars
    1981 Euro 732i
    Badass! Thanks for sharing.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Posts
    935
    My Cars
    87 535i/84 €735i/8
    Those of us with Euro cars should post pics of the 'special' job of adding running lights the federalization techs did...
    Mine look like ass, a 5w bulb holder screwed into the flat part of the housing, with a small square of broken reflector screwed in behind it!
    --Jay3->Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc
    84 €735i manual, 88 528e/i
    Motronic 1 and 1.3 wiring
    Transmission & Diff gearing sheet

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