[Kerr]

Has anyone done it, or have a guide for it?

Do need to remove the front bumper and take the headlight completely out, or can you get access by removing the inner wheel lining?

Why can't they just make it easy?

[magic77]

I suspect its the same as on the E90 therefore its remove the wheel arch liner and get in that way.

Depending on your wheel setup you can even do it without taking the wheels off the car, Just jack it up to give you a bit of space.

[Kerr]

That's my new ones in.

What a pain to change a light bulb.

I thought it was a legal requirement in some countries to carry a spare bulb to change at road side?

You ain't going to manage that with a bmw.

Did the first side by taking off the wheel.

There is about 10 screws all the way around and under the inner wing.

There was a plastic casing on the rear if the headlamp housing that requires torx fitment drivers.

Just a clip holding the bulb in.

My wheel bolts were stupidly over tightened and I sheered my locking wheel socket trying to get the other wheel off.

With 19" wheels and sport suspension you can jack the car up for enough space to get in.

Doing the job for the first time and doing everything pretty well the job still took about 1hr 45mins.

I hate to think what BMW charge for the job.

I opted just to go for the Halfords D1S bulb. Currently reduced to £55 for £90 each and they kook as good as the ones that were in before.

They are made in Germany by GE.

[xenon]

If you think the BMW is hard (and it is) try a new Audi A6. The dealer charges > £400 for a bulb swap because half the front end has to come off. On my e92 there was an inspection hatch in the wheelarch liner so you didn't have to remove the whole liner, but it was still a PITA. Fortunately a good-quality D1S bulb should last for many years. The chavvy Chinese 8000k brigade deserve all the grief they get

[Kerr]

The police can fine you for not having a working headlight.

It should be a requirement to make the job simple.

It isn't even simple to buy a D1S bulb either as most of the good motor factors don't keep them.

There is a 3 year guarantee with these bulbs. I hope they don't ever go again.

[Kerr]

I don't have the inspection hatch.

I seen that on a video with an E90. My car hasn't got it.

The lining splits in two at the top of the wheel and half was removed.

[magic77]

Yep I would put wheel on full lock so it sticks out at the front to give you clearance behind the wheel, jack the car up to give you space and you should be able to remove the lower liner and get to the headlight unit. Its how I did it

[e92liv]

Totally agree - PITA job, I removed the wheel and a load of bolts to remove the wheel arch liner to get access to the rear of the headlight unit

But it was well and truly worth the half hour per side to replace the awful oem xenon bulbs with the Osram CBI'S