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Derek Thurston View Drop Down
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Points: 17 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-June-2004 at 23:01
A couple of useful ( ? ) tips for removing the lamp units in one lump, remove the bottom front grille screw bracket ( you only need to loosen the holding screw ) Remove the horn as well, this will give you a bit more room to jiggle it out! Assemble in reverse order, thats a laugh! Good luck, Delboy!
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johne View Drop Down
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Points: 30 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-June-2004 at 09:07

Derek,

thanks - I did remove the grill bracket (but not the horn - I'll give that a try next) - Does yours have the wash / wipe system attached to the light assembly?

I spent a good half hour 'jiggling' but the wiper assembly seems to make the whole thing just too big to get out!!

Is there a step by step guide for getting at the lights & wash/wipe system anywhere?

cheers
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Dan Stevens View Drop Down
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Points: 36 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-June-2004 at 16:54
Getting the complete unit out in one go requires a lot of fiddly manouevering. You don't have to do any more than remove that bracket, although it may seem like it.
When you come to dismantle the lights, you will probably find that everything has corroded quite badly - the worst parts will be the backs of the lights themselves, and the adjusters. Getting the lamps free of the adjusters is quite difficult, and sometimes it's much easier to force (and break) the plastic socket that takes the ball end of the screw-thread adjuster. They clip into the lamp body. You can get them for pennies from a dealer, and replacing all of them is much easier, and quicker, than trying to save the originals.
If you're really keen, strip the metal frames with an acid-based rust remover (try Swarfega's Metal Cleaner or similar) and paint them with spary-on Smoothrite, over a zinc-paint base. As you can tell, I have done all of this on my car....
As for the wash-wipe, try the relay behind the off side indicator housing. It's a common cause of failed washwipe systems.
Cheer
Dan
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johne View Drop Down
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Points: 30 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-June-2004 at 18:17

Dan - cheers

obviously more 'jiggling' afoot!!

I know the lights are in a bad way - although they work fine the bulb holders seem to just be resting / pushed onto the badly corroded reflectors - they don't seem attached in any way any more!

Hoping that a set of highline lights / wipers will become available at just the right time for £20 !! wishful thinking I know

anyway - that'll have to wait - its off to get the inner wings sorted out next week.
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johne View Drop Down
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Points: 30 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-June-2004 at 21:48

would you believe it - 5 minutes of jiggling and both units are now out.... now what?!

the glass reflector units are all shot - but the buckets / wiper motors etc. all seem pretty clean.

Can I simply get more modern replacement glass / bulb holder units (ellipsoid?) and bolt straight on to the existing mounts / wiper assemblies using original chrome surrounds - which are perfect? how much £££?

advice from anyone who has replaced the lights would be appreciated 

 
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Dan Stevens View Drop Down
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Points: 36 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-June-2004 at 09:53
Cheapest way of doing it is to use s/h lights. Either try someone who's breaking a 6 (try ebay - there's a couple on there) or get yourself to a breakers yard and find yourself an E30/E21 3 series or an E28 5 series. Some of them share the headlamps with the 6, but take your old units with you, because although they may look the same, the fixings etc are sometimes in a different place.
Dan
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Horsetan View Drop Down
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Points: 6381 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-June-2004 at 16:10
Originally posted by johne johne wrote:

...Hoping that a set of highline lights / wipers will become available at just the right time for £20 !! wishful thinking I know



Not at £20, they won't. Expect £100 or over for a good working set.

Edited by Horsetan

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Horsetan View Drop Down
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Points: 6381 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-June-2004 at 16:12
Originally posted by johne johne wrote:

...Can I simply get more modern replacement glass / bulb holder units (ellipsoid?) and bolt straight on to the existing mounts / wiper assemblies using original chrome surrounds - which are perfect? how much £££?



The short answer is "No" if you're thinking about putting ellipsoid "inserts" in. They will not mate with the old metal mounting frames.

You can re-use the chrome surrounds on a full ellipsoid set - that's what I did on mine.

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johne View Drop Down
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Points: 30 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25-June-2004 at 18:38

me again!

anyone got any idea where I can get a pair of outer (dipped beam) headlight reflectors from - I've tried everywhere I can think of but can't find a matched pair anywhere. Can only find 1 bosch and 1 hella.

Dan - 3 / 5 series mountings are different! - but I might have to revert to them - and drill out my light mountings to match the fixing locations on the 3/5 version of the lights.
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Horsetan View Drop Down
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Points: 6381 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-June-2004 at 12:58
Anyone needing the nearside "Highline" headlight set might be interested in THIS

Edited by Horsetan

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Dan Stevens View Drop Down
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Points: 36 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-June-2004 at 13:02
Some 3 and 5 Series mountings are different, some are the same - that's the headlamps themselves, not the associated brackets and adjusters. I managed to replace three of my 6's lights with ones from E21/E30 3 and E28 5 Series - you just have to find the right ones! Believe me, it can be done.
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Points: 30 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-June-2004 at 13:15

i spoke with Hella direct (01295 272233) who have given me a couple of their local distributors to deal with. Although (outer) reflectors aren't available here, and BMW can't tell me when they will order any more, Hellas agents can order direct from Germany with a 2-3 wk delivery.

In the meantime Fritz's Bits have found me a set of lights and a wiper motor - so I think I'm sorted - apart from mounting / adjusting the new lights with all the little plastic bits!
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