[scalik]

Hello everyone,

I am very new to the forum and this is my very first post.

I was able to change my D1S xenon bulbs by removing the headlight, the bracket, the front bumper and the rest of the staff.

Now I want to put everything back together however I am unable to align the headlight and the headlight bracket at the correct position. Everytime I tighten the two T30 torx head bolts and place the headlights, a gap always occurs between the fender and the headlight. Also the bumper. does not sit correctly.

I can not put the bracket in the exact same position it was previously. I also can' t use the dirt marks...etc as I have cleaned up everyting stupidly.

There are like almost infinite adjustment for the perfect fit.

There should be a correct way to align the headlight and the bracket but I could not figure out.

I feel extremely helpless and any assistance is highly appreciated.

Thanks to everyone in advance.

[Hoody007]

Photos would be helpful. For the gap between the headlight & fender, it’s the back T30 which controls that. My method is to align that gap, tighten the screw down, and then focus on the rest of the fitment.

Do you have the lower metal stabilizer bars? Optional, but those help with alignment too - they support the bottom of the assembly.

[scalik]

Dear Hoody007,
Thank you very much for your reply. Let me explain the pain.
I have no issues with the back T30. The bracket has a little notch that sits perfectly in the slot and the bracket does not move right or left which is ok.
( Marked orange arrow in the pictures )

Then the side T30, you can still tighten and untighten and make the fender-headlight alignment which is ok too. ( Again can be seen in the picture. )

However there is another T30 right under the headlight and it can not be tightened on the car. It is unreachable.

So the headlight bracket and the headlight must be assembled outside the car.

I tried to mount the bracket first to the car and then the headlight to the bracket but the T30 under the headlight in unreachable. The only way to reach and tighten, is to remove the crash bar in front.

I actually have not seen any metal stabilizer bars.

I was never able to adjust the bracket and the headlight perfectly outside the car. As you will see; in one picture there is a very small gap between the bracket and the headlight, in the other picture the gap is bigger.

[lowrydr310]

I've had the front bumpers, headlights, and brackets removed and reinstalled on two different E90s, swapping the headlights between the two cars, and I know exactly what you're talking about with the alignment issues.

Align to the fender as best as you can. If you see any issues try to figure out how much more adjustment you need, then remove the bracket and adjust the headlight to bracket mounting screws again. On my 330 I ended up using some washers to get one headlight aligned properly. I even needed some washers for the bumper to get everything aligned with consistent gaps.

It takes some trial and error and patience, but it can be done.

[scalik]

Dear lowrydr310,
Thank you very much for your reply and sharing my frustration. I never thought of aligning the fender first and removing back the bracket and tighten the screws.
Will follow your advise Sunday morning and will let you know.
A simple task should not be this complicated
All the best.

[Serf27]

Install the light on the bracket with the bolts loose and install both on the car.
Try to align the corner near the fender and tighten that bolt.
Remove the bolt and bracket and then use your judgement to tighten the other bolt on the light.
You’ll have to mess around with it, hopefully you get it first try!

Too late for this advice as I see the holes in the bracket for the light are all grazed. But next time, you can usually see an imprint on the bracket on where the bolt was. You just tighten the bolt where it lines up with its print and it’s good to go.

Once you get it where you want, use a sharpie to draw around the bolt so it marks on the bracket where it goes. Next time you remove it, you’ll know exactly where the bolt was.

[scalik]

Dear Serf27,
Thank you very much for your very informative reply. Today, I shut down the lights in the garage and in total darkness, with a powerful led light, I was fortunate enough to see sone old imprints of the bolts. I will exactly do the same as you have described. First start with the fender alignment and then keep aligning and tightening the rest.
I also realized that if I remove the horn, I think I will be able the tighten the Torx bolt which is right under the headlight and the bracket. But I am not sure about this.
Today, I also ordered brand new Torx bolts from BMW with new red threadlockers on them.

Sunday will be tough and tiring but I think I will manage.

Hope to post new pictures with headlight and the bumper on.

Thank you very much again for your support.

You guys rock.