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Can you show me on this pic where the headlight adjusters are?

196K views 159 replies 51 participants last post by  Victorio1985 
#1 ·
Can someone just show me where on this pic of my 2002 E39 the headlight adjustments are?

I've read many threads and am confused about "servo adjusters", "replacing adjusters", "auto leveling adjusters", etc. Mine doesn't seem to be fancy automatic stuff ... the lights are just set way way way too low.

I can replace a headlight bulb ... but I need a bit of help identifying where the up/down headlight adjuster screws are.

Can you kindly circle the adjusters for me in this picture below of the left and right headlight assembly?

 

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#54 ·
ok gotta quick question.....

i recently bought the metal adjusters and swaped them out and right drivers side is fine, my passenger side was a bit low, so i started to adjust the inner knob and the beam started to go up but then just fell and now it won't go back up? any clue as what happened?
 
#55 ·
Just a thought....but when I replaced mine w/ the aluminum ones the aluminum socket ball that goes into the plastic piece on the headlight was loose compared to the OEM plastic socket ball. If you adjusted it even a little bit the alum. adjuster popped out of the plastic piece and the entire chrome trim that holds the projector and has the high beam reflector just hung there because there was no support from the adjuters.

I had to use some alum tape and make some thin shims so the ball didnt pop out of the plastic socket. Thats probably what happened to yours.
 
#67 · (Edited)
A friend just called asking about the aluminum headlight adjusters for his 1998 E39 ... I can't find 'em.

Am I right that, for my USA 2002 E39 525i, I can get (per side):
- $500 Hella OEM headlights
- $275 Aftermarket DEPO/DJAuto headlights
- $165 Aluminum adjusters (both sides, must open sealed lights)
- $85 Plastic adjusters (each side, must open sealed lights)

But, for his USA 1998 E39 528i, the choices seem to be different (per side):
- $500 Hella OEM headlights
- $275 Aftermarket DEPO/DJAuto headlights
- Aluminum adjusters are not available ???
- $12 Plastic adjusters (per side, do not need to open sealed lights???)

Is this a correct assessment of the best choices available to fix broken headlights?


REFERENCES: (0) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12)
 

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#68 ·
The reason there are no aluminum parts for the old lights is you can get adjusters for the 97-2000 lights by BMW part number 63120027924. Pound that number into the search box on the EAC site if you need adjusters for the old lights.

no one is going to pay for CNC machined parts when they can get plastic for 8 dollars a light.

The reason our aluminum parts are so popular is because it's either buy those and fix them yourself or buy a set of new Hella angel eyes or some aftermarket crap headlights.

The aluminum adjusters for the 2001+ lights are in stock on our site at the moment. If you do not see an add to cart button- here's an idea- call or email us!

We get these in lots of 10 or 20 sets. They go quickly and then we have to wait for the next batch. We will always have more in the near future though.
 
#69 ·
also for you guys experiencing problems with the adjusters popping out, just wrap the ball end in a layer of tape to make it slightly bigger. You most likely were rough on the ball socket removing the old ball and now it's loose. There is no need to prop up the retainer like that. On the 03 lights that cannot be opened I snap the retainers out as it is the only way to get the old balls out since you can't open the lights. none of those guys have adjusters popping out of socket.

That retainer does not really do anything once the ball is seated fully, it is the friction of the ball itself that holds it in place.
 
#71 ·
EAC Mark...

On the 03 lights that cannot be opened I snap the retainers out as it is the only way to get the old balls out since you can't open the lights. none of those guys have adjusters popping out of socket.

That retainer does not really do anything once the ball is seated fully, it is the friction of the ball itself that holds it in place.
mark, I have a 2003 540iT M-Sport. I believe my driver side adjuster is broken. From your quote above, it sounds like my headlights cannot be opened up using the oven method, is that correct? How do I fix the adjusters then?
 
#72 ·
For the record, there's a really nice headlight polishing thread here.

The DIY shows how to remove the headlights better than in this thread.

And, it contains stunning before and after pictures ...

 
#73 · (Edited)
Speaking of adjusting headlights, Ă…gent99 and I teamed up to come up with the following suggested headlight-aiming procedure for the E39 Hellas:

(0) Find a wall at least 4' high abutting about 35' of level drivable ground
(1) Keep handy a flashlight and one, or better yet, two 6mm allen wrenches (remember, it's dark)
(2) Inflate tires properly, tank 1/2 full, typical driver in seat.​
(3) At night, park just close enough to the wall to fit in between as you string the tape.
(4) Mark a 10' horizontal line with tape on the wall at the headlight midpoint; the result should look something like this:
----------------------------------------
(5) At each headlight centerpoint, mark a vertical line with tape on the wall to make a plus sign (one for each headlight center point); the result should now look something like this:
--+---------------------------------+--
(6) Back the vehicle until the headlights are 25 feet from the wall and perpendicular to the wall.
(7) Switch the low beam on (both high & low adjust together for each headlight).
(8) Chant "Lateral adjusters handle lateral movement; medial adjusters perform vertical movement", three or four times (or until at least the lateral:lateral part sinks in).
(9) With the 6mm allen wrench, adjust both headlight's inside (medial) adjusters such that the brightest area is about 2" below the horizontal reference tape.
(10) Then, with the 6mm allen wrench, adjust each headlight's outside (lateral) adjusters such that the bright spot is also about 2" to the right of the vertical reference tape (i.e., the plus sign) for each side respectively.
(11) As a doublecheck, switch on the high beams (the respective alignment should remain the same).
(12) The result should look something like this:
--+----------------------------------+--
-----*----------------------------------*

The asterisks above denote the final positions of the brightest points of your headlights after adjustments (ignore the hyphens with the asterisks...they were necessary for proper placement of the asterisks)

 

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#74 ·
I did some research into the old posts (back to 2008) and it seems like the procedure listed above is still a bit wrong and needs to be honed.

So I opened a thread to clarify which of the three below is correct:
- One adjuster for vertical, one for horizontal
- Both adjusters do vertical, there is no horizontal (as stated in the diagram below)
- The adjusters are actually DIAGONAL (one is mostly vertical, the other is mostly horizontal)

Here is the thread opened to resolve that issue.

 
#75 · (Edited)
While I'm still on this focus, I want to propose an adjustment procedure ASSUMING that DIAGONAL motion (with MOSTLY-directions) is what is actually occurring.

This proposal ASSUMES the answer to this question is "diagonal":
(1) Inflate tires properly, tank 1/2 full, typical driver in seat.
(2) Find a wall at least 4' high abutting about 35' of level drivable ground
(3) Obtain two 6mm allen wrenches (each headlight's two adjusters must be turned simultaneously an equal number of turns in the same direction)
(4) Find a small self-standing or clipping light to see under the hood.
(5) On a dark night, park just close enough to the wall to fit your body in between as you string the tape along the wall.
(6) Mark a 10' horizontal line with tape on the wall at the headlight midpoint; the result should look something like this:
----------------------------------------
(7) At each headlight centerpoint, mark a vertical line with tape on the wall to make a plus sign (one for each headlight center point); the result should now look something like this:
--+---------------------------------+--
(8) Back the vehicle until the headlights are 25 feet from the wall and perpendicular to the wall.
(9) Switch the low beam on (both high & low adjust together for each headlight).
(10) Wait about 1 minute as the Xenons do a calibration run which takes about 30 seconds to complete.
(11) Cover one headlight with an opaque blanket or towel so that only one light is being aimed.
(12) Chant "Lateral:lateral, Medial:vertical", three or four times (or until at least the lateral:lateral part sinks in). This is because the lateral (outside) adjuster MOSTLY moves the headlight laterally (i.e., side to side); in actuality, it moves the headlight aim diagonally, but mostly horizontally. Likewise, the medial (inside) adjuster MOSTLY moves the headlight vertically (i.e., up and down); in actuality, it moves the headlight aim diagonally, but mostly vertically.
(13) Using both 6mm allen wrenches in place on one headlight, twist both adjusters an equal number of turns in the same direction such that the brightest area moves diagonally to about 2" below the horizontal reference tape and to 2" to the right of the vertical reference tape (i.e., the plus sign) for each side respectively (the spec is 2.1 inches/52mm +/- 1.3 inches/33mm).
(14) As a doublecheck, switch on the high beams (the respective alignment should remain the same).

The result should look something like this:
--+----------------------------------+--
-----*----------------------------------*

PS: It's confusing to me how BOTH adjusters work in tandem diagonally; but that's what the BMW E39 headlight aiming instructions seem to indicate.
 

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#76 ·
The original question was 'where are the adjusters' and the answer is "inside", so here's a pic from this thread which shows broken adjusters in situ from a rectangular hole cut in the headlights with a soldering iron.


BTW, here are the pertinent headlight threads I've gathered for the bestlinks:
- Broken headlight adjusters (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15)
- How to buy new headlight adjusters (E39 prior to 9/2000) (E39 after 9/2000)
- How to make your own headlight adjusters (1) (2)
- Headlight aiming DIYs (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
- Headlight replacement H7 bulbs (1)
- Headlight plastic polishing & refinishing DIY (1) (2) (3)

 

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#77 · (Edited)
Finally, I got the courage to tackle this job.

The only tools required were an 8mm socket wrench and a T10 Torx and a flathead screwdriver:
- I removed the four builbs (high beam, low beam, side light, angel eye)
- I removed the four 8mm screws holding the headlight in place
- I pulled the headlight assembly out forward
- I removed the two tiny T10 Torx screws holding the back in place
- I baked the headlight assembly in the California sun for an hour
- I removed a bottom and a top molding (don't know what they are called)
- Slowly, with a screwdriver, I pulled the front clear plastic off

Out fell three parts:
- a white inch-square section of one of the adjusters
- a round pipe for the angel eye (I think)
- a reflector for the outside bulb

It appears at least one headlight adjuster is broken so I'm left with:
- Sending both headlights out to EAC for repair
- Buying the $160 aluminum headlight adjuster set from EAC
- Fabricating my own headlight adjusters (after buying the necessary tools)
- Purchasing whole new headlights (what options do I have)?

 

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#78 ·
if you can spare the money get the alu adjusters and never worry about them again; if not try to make your own;

if money is really no object then replace yours with a new set of xenon ae hellas =)

im surprised the heat from the sun was enough to properly loosen the glue..
 
#80 ·
50% of my task was inadvertently made easier by doing a 45min car ride immediately prior to removing the headlights. The heat from the engine bay had really loosened the glue. I did the 2nd headlight the following day without the drive and found the task much harder.
 
#84 ·
I'm kind of stuck at this point.

The DIYs say to remove the black plastic bezel holding the AE rings, but, in my case, that black bezel and angel eye rings all came out with the clear plastic. So, I'm stuck at the very next step.


Now I'm staring at the front and back of the headlight assembly,and I can't for the life of me figure out the next step.

I think I need to remove the post where a self-adjusting motor might go, but, it doesn't twist out.


Is that post removal the next step? If so, how does it come out?
If not, what's the next step as I still haven't accessed the adjusters themselves?
 

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#85 · (Edited)
As I recall doing my adjusters, they reflector assembly is held in place by the two adjustable posts (that you are replacing) and one permanent post, which in your case is probably the self adj motor. The ball sockets are pretty stout. I remember having to give the reflector assembly a pretty good tug to pop the ball socket loose. The old white adjuster plactic crumbled into crumbs.

Also, I found this: http://www.odometergears.com/subpages/E39_Headlight_FAQ.pdf

.
 
#86 ·
http://www.odometergears.com/subpages/E39_Headlight_FAQ.pdf

That's the same DIY I've been following but it's very wrong when it comes to the non-Xenon halogen H7's.

For one thing, the bezel didn't come out the way he said it would; for another there is no ballast; for another there are no 'three screws' to remove the self-adjusting motor (since there is no self-adjusting motor), etc.

So, this particular step is DIFFERENT from that DIY unfortunately. And, I'm hung up, for hours, staring at the thing.

Main question is what to do next.

NOBODY says to somehow unscrew or unpop the inch-and-a-half round black back plate off which "seems" like the right thing to do; everyone says quizzically to "pop the ball" but I can't even SEE the ball socket.

My main question can probably only be answered by someone who has done it already.

WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP and do I access that ball-socket from the front or the back?
 
#87 ·
If you dont have a self adjusting motor the only thing left holding the reflectors on is one ball socket, or maybe two if both adjusters arent broken. I would think there is a way to see behind the reflector. They do go in tight. Also, you may get a view from the back side if you lift the rubber boots off. If one adjuster is still good, back the adjustment screw out completely. That will free that particular one at least. The reflector is only suspended by the two adjusters and stationary ball socket. Sorry I cant be of more help. I did these on mine last year sometime.
 
#88 ·
The reflector is only suspended by the two adjusters and stationary ball socket.
There is a dearth of instructions for removing the ball-and-socket for the leveling feature (which I don't have but I still have the ball and socket).

This thread (chock full of pictures) says to use brute force from the front (not the back)!

But, of course, this is a DIFFERENT year and model E39 than mine (which is the problem with most of these DIYs). :(

 

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#89 ·
You might have tried this already, but on page 6 of the odometergears DIY/FAQ there are instructions regarding the ball on the end of the adjuster motor and that you need to push and slide it to the right to remove. I know you don't have the xenons with the motor, but I am wondering if the ball and socket set up is similar. I am also assuming the little piece of plastic with the 3 flanges on your non motor section is not a plastic nut that can be unscrewed.

Mark@EACTuning seems to be very knowledgeable on these light repairs. He does repairs (for a fee) if you send in your lights. He even figured out a way to repair the ones that are sealed with the epoxy that will not open. Maybe send him a PM and see if he can offer some advice. I would think he must have run into a set of these lights before. Mark I hope you don't mind me volunteering you.
 
#91 ·
Bluebee, you should be able to view what's going on from the front (behind the reflector). There's not much room, but I suspect it still features a ball in socket that needs to be separated similar to those with a motor. I managed to do this very quickly from the front (mine does have a motor though).

As an aside, I do not have self-levelers, but there is a dial inside the cabin that can be used to adjust the beam height (3 settings).
 
#92 ·
I suspect it still features a ball in socket that needs to be separated similar to those with a motor
Yes, there is still a ball-and-socket as shown in this Hella headlight autopsy thread.

In that thread, Mark at EACTuning (an expert on this) says the non-motor permanent-stalk filament halogens are the hardest of all to separate the stalk from the socket.

This is because there are no degrees of freedom; and the ultrasonically welded flimsy plastic cap holding the stalk permanently in place breaks off in precisely three places (ask me how I know).

 
#93 ·
As if anybody needs more proof then the following posts to show that the sun IS INDEED VERY STRONG IN CALIFORNIA. (Cause I am sure you weren't smoking anything!)

While lying on the ground, in the hot California sun, I pondered my surroundings, which I found surreal from that perspective, as if the BMW was out to eat me.


Luckily, it was almost as if there was a tall thin alien being standing over me, protecting me from the maws of the BMW, looking quizzically with one huge alien eye, at what I was doing to my bimmer! :)


I stowed the headlight in the trunk, picked up my now-framed painting, and headed home to ponder what was wrong with my headlights.
:lmao: :lmao:

Oh God, Donna. You are so serious all the time. But when you let yourself go and let you humor show, you make me laugh with no ability to stop!

Thank you for the good laugh! :thumbup::thumbup:

Sincerely,
DanWiz
 
#94 · (Edited)
you make me laugh
It was the sun that made me do it ... whiling away the time ... the Kalifornia sun incessantly beating down ... while I lay there under my bimmer... contemplating my meager options ... and fuming that I was wasting my time in that parking lot ... (methinks my fuming melted the headlamp into submission!) :)

For the record, in this thread posted just today, are some nice pictures of broken BMW headlight adjusters (and the $80AUS Ebay aluminum replacements):
- Tips on opening headlight

And this unique thread shows broken BMW E39 headlight adjusters in situ:
- Headlamp Surgery - complete with gruesome pics

PS: See also:
- What is the plastic in the OEM Hella and aftermarket DJAuto & Depo BMW E39 headlights?
-
What is the PRACTICAL difference of post-facelift halogen Hellas vs non-filament HIDs

All pics reproduced below are from those other threads, just in case they disappear over time.
 

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#95 · (Edited)
There are so many nuggets that I'll try to consolidate what we've learned in the past few days in subsequent posts.

For one thing, we've dropped the price of the aluminum headlight adjusters down from $160 + shipping to $102 USD including shipping from England in these two threads:

We've also tentatively determined that the adjusters can most likely be molded for a per part cost of about $5, after discussing this with the plastic companies for hours today.

We've determined the original Hella OEM plastic is PBT, and we've pensively concluded the entire set of adjusters can be (apparently relatively easily) fabricated for about $5 parts costs, which includes an entire set of Delrin and/or HDPE rejects (just in case).

We've concluded the pragmatic differences between halogens and HID, and covered the practical differences between the Hella, DJAuto, and Depo headlights.

We've outlined exactly how to adjust headlights once you've fixed them.

And a whole bunch more.

It's all in the following threads:



Note, the cost for these two bars (enough to fabricate 8 adjusters) was under six dollars at Tap Plastics!
- Black, 3/4" thick, 1 1/4"x7 1/2" long, Seaboard UV Stable HDPE, $16/square foot (cost was $1 + tax)
- White, 1/2" thick, 7/8"x10 1/2" long, Delrin, $57/square foot (cost was $4.50 + tax)
 
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