Headlight adjustment - then snap

Was adjusting my lo- beam this weekend and heard something internally snap, like cheap plastic. I'm betting it's the adjusting mechanism. The plastic fantastic is not just corvette anymore... it spread to every car. Needless to say I was scared to adjust the other side and left it alone. SO, now what. new headlight housing I bet. ?

Yep. A common occurrence. It's well covered here, Just do a search like, "headlight adjusters" in the above Best Links sticky.

^My aggrevation level was to high to use the search button.

We alll understand your frustrations but you really need to learn to search for the information you are seeking. This is a common problem and is repairable. The DIY is on the forum. Seek and you shall find.

The E39 OEM headlight adjuster parts are made of plastic, and are notorious for breaking after some time within their high temperature vibrating environment. They become brittle and are easily broken. This damage results in :

1. headlight beam no longer adjustable
2. headlamp beams point too far downward
3. rattling/chatters while driving on uneven roads

Use our aluminum replacement parts to repair the headlamps and prevent the same thing from ever happening again!
These adjusters will only work in the face lifted lights from 9/2000.

http://www.eaceuroparts.com/catalog/product/467

After searching my but off I cannot find a good DIY with pics. But I found some you tube vids. Seems like there is 2 options. A- cut a access window or B- take the whole light apart. I'm not even sure... Looks like I can get plastic replacments from Autohaus for like $8/side. I'm not spending 180 bux on a old car. If the factory plastics lasted 10yrs, I only plan on getting 4-5 out of this car at 30k/yr. So what is the proper way for replacing the adjusters on Xenons?

Originally Posted by FLE39

After searching my but off I cannot find a good DIY with pics. But I found some you tube vids. Seems like there is 2 options. A- cut a access window or B- take the whole light apart. I'm not even sure... Looks like I can get plastic replacments from Autohaus for like $8/side. I'm not spending 180 bux on a old car. If the factory plastics lasted 10yrs, I only plan on getting 4-5 out of this car at 30k/yr. So what is the proper way for replacing the adjusters on Xenons?

Make sure those plastic adjusters are for the face lift cars and not for the earlier lights which use diff adjusters. The plastic ones are def cheaper than the aluminum, but $8 seem way too cheap even for them.

I think sometime in 2002 hella changed the glue that holds the headlights together to something that can not be opened with heat. So chances are with your car being a 2003 you will not be able to open yours with a heat gun or by baking them in the over for 10min (no I am not joking that is the procedure). You can either cut an access hole or houdini them. The Houdini method allows you to change the adjusters without opening the lights. Some people say its easy others say it take a while and patience. I think there also may be some board mmebers who offer this service for a fee and I believe EAC do as well. I would urge you not to cut up the lights for the sake of the next owner, but it is of course up to you.

And do a search in the best links thread there re two pdf documents at the beginning of the earlier headlight threads that have really good DIYs. Searching through the best links thread should also give you a couple of others good write ups.

Update. Bought two sets of adjusters for the 200-2003 Xenon headlights from Ebay. did plenty of searching, the pic looks like the right ones. They've sold over 240 sets. $20 to the door. I found a write up on another forum about jimmying them from the back. no need to take the whole light apart, or cut windows in it. Just need a long T15 driver and some patience. I plan on going that route. So hopefully i can fix them both, w/out hacking them up for $20. I just need 4-5yrs. Plastic should be fine.

You may have found these links already. If not, a method to replace the adjusters without separating the light assy or cutting holes.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1622291
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...21&postcount=7

Originally Posted by FLE39

Update. Bought two sets of adjusters for the 200-2003 Xenon headlights from Ebay. did plenty of searching, the pic looks like the right ones. They've sold over 240 sets. $20 to the door. I found a write up on another forum about jimmying them from the back. no need to take the whole light apart, or cut windows in it. Just need a long T15 driver and some patience. I plan on going that route. So hopefully i can fix them both, w/out hacking them up for $20. I just need 4-5yrs. Plastic should be fine.

What ebay vendor did you use? Mine are busted on the drivers side and I need to replace.

windowregshop. Just search them up. white adjusters on a green background. Litterally the only vendor selling the later ones.