How to replace the H7 high beam bulbs?

VoyagerDude · 11-19-2006, 05:44 PM

DLRs (in flashing mode) and Fogs:

obLu · 11-19-2006, 06:56 PM

That was such a pain in the ass I cringe at the thought of my DRL bulb going out now so I turn them off when it's not overcast.

VoyagerDude · 11-19-2006, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obLu

That was such a pain in the ass I cringe at the thought of my DRL bulb going out now so I turn them off when it's not overcast.

yes major PITA

Geoff · 10-28-2007, 10:16 PM

so I had a lot of free time today and decided to give this DRL bulb change a try. I had been putting it off for months after reading all the posts here about how much of PITA it is to perform if you have the Xenons which I do. You guys were absolutely right

I was able to get the passenger side High Beam bulb off by pushing it up as one of the posts here suggested (great advice, thanks!). Then I thought, hm this isn't so bad. Then I move on to the driver side... The damn bulb will not come out even if I try pushing up. I don't even remember how many times I accidentally pulled off the black stalk attachment and then subsequently spent 30 mins each time just to get it attached back onto the bulb. For some reason my driver side is a lot harder to get off. I couldn't figure it out. I even got desperate and ran back into the house to get my digital camera to take some pictures so I could try to see what the hell was going on. In the end, it started getting dark and I wasn't able to change the bulb on the driver side.

If anyone has anymore suggestions on how the hell to get that piece of crap bulb out, it will be extremely welcomed.

I have attached an image of the bulb compartment and you can see why it's so damn hard to get out. There's a clip like device at the top, and two on the bottom near the sides. Why did BMW make it so damn hard just to change a light bulb...

NoSole · 06-30-2008, 01:18 PM

Reviving the thread yet again.

I had a list of mods I wanted to complete this weekend, and only finished 2 of them. While I was changing the AEs I wanted to change these bulbs too, but ran into the same frustration as everyone else here. To add to the headache, my car is so low I can't get a jack underneath, so I had to do a two jack system just to get it up... PITA! Once up, it's annoying to have to take the wheel and liner off to get back there. Had I known about the "pry up" tactic to release the bulb, I might have been able to swap bulbs, but as it was I just gave up. I might give it another shot this week, but if I can't make any headway in the first 15 min, I'm gonna wait til I can get easier access. I don't have the patience to take the wheels and liner off again after the frustration I experienced on Saturday. Bleh!

Batmobile · 07-13-2008, 10:51 AM

I dont get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am very frustrated with these stupid high beams! I have halogen projectors, and one bulb burnt so I had to remove all the liner to replace it, and a week later I notice my high beam bulb is off! I dont have the patience to remove all the liner again and I am unable to change it from the top.

I dont understand why it is soooo hard, all my other cars were so simple to change, would buy bulb, get back home, open hood, and boom! done!

Anyways...

Hope we can figure out an easier way!

raj55 · 05-07-2009, 02:12 PM

I did not know that a similar earlier thread existed for the H7 bulb change (yes I had searched for it!). I had started a new thread on it a few weeks ago and finally found out the way to change it the hard way and wrote a little summary. I am posting a link to that here so that it will probably help others. There seems to be two sorts of H7 bulb holder/bracket in BMW 3 series, one with a clip (easier sort) and the other where the H7 actually wedges in the bracket and can only be dislodged by pushing the connector upwards (and in some stuck cases by jiggling it sideways). I'll post the link here any way.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250374

Hercnhawk · 10-13-2012, 05:20 PM

I spent all morning trying to research how to change this bulb before I finally came across this thread. I tried pushing up on the clip but the clip would eventually come off the contacts with the bulb still securely fastened. With the clip off, I took a flat tip screw driver and gently pushed up on the metal tab at the 12 o’clock position and the bulb fell right out without even having to pull. I then reached in with a pair of needle nose pliers and picked it up.

BmerMeUp · 12-16-2012, 08:57 PM

Jesus, Mary and Joseph - what the Christ were those Engineers thinking?! "Take Your Kids To Work Day" Indeed!!

"OK KIDS, TODAY WE'RE GOING TO DESIGN A BMW HHHHEEADLIIIIGHT SYSTEM FOR OUR E9x CHASSIS!! Doesn't that sound exciting?!"
Good christ, what a train wreck that High Beam (H7) is!!

So, thanks to your collective posts and pics, and several of my own (pics, so I could see down the light socket where my head wouldn't fit) and about 4 hours of patience trying to figure it out - I finally managed to change the two H7's in my E91. W. T. H. I felt like I needed a friggin laparascope and a team of assistants to operate on that damn thing!! What a reeeedonkulous setup.

WHAT WORKED FOR ME - for the benefit of anyone else stumbling across this thread:

DRIVER'S SIDE:

I struggled for a couple hours in vain trying to do it through the wheel well. No dice.
I ended up removing the air filter and replacing it with my UPSIDE DOWN HEAD, thereby placing my right eyeball about 1" from the H7 opening. I had to go in "just right" or my head wouldn't fit...!
I held a screwdriver in one hand (wrapped around and up through the wheel well) and a light in the other and finally defeated $8 million of uninspired German Research and Development. (Pics as attached).
I used a variation of the "PUSH UP FIRST" technique previously described. I slid a FLAT long-shank screwdriver along the bottom of the black retarded tab/handle gizmo to guide me in, and manoeuvered it to the bottom of the lip of the H7 metal bulb base.
From there I frigged around until I was able to lift the bulb enough to allow it to clear the two lower (4-o'clock and 7-o'clock) retaining tabs, fortunately without busting the lamp enclosure, which it felt like I was going to do.
Once those two minimal tabs let go, the blub can be easily fingered out of the hole by hand.
REPLACING it was a bit of a pain in the arse as well. I used the upside-down-head technique again and guided the TOP TAB (12-o'clock) into position by hand then used the screwdriver to press the H7 metal base to snap it into the 4 and 7-o'clock retaining springs.

PASSENGER SIDE was FAR easier, mostly because I now knew how it worked. This time I did the same thing, but blind. I guided the screwdriver to the metal base by feel and EVER SO GENTLY crow-bar style pumped the screwdriver handle like I was jacking up a very small car until the two bottom retaining springs finally gave up. REPLACING it, I was somehow able to firmly grab the black-tab-handle thing with LONG needle nose pliers and gently press the bulb directly back into place. Looking directly into the housing from the bumper side will help you guide the bulb back into place of course.

WATERTIGHT COVER:
Yes, this is ALSO a total train wreck, as they have successfully developed a plastic VAULT sufficiently resilient so as to protect against both water AND small arms fire. As shown in the pics (XENON BULB STYLE ENCLOSURE), there are 4 tabs at the corners. I defeated them again with a flat screwdriver by gently popping the two I could reach on the bottom, then speaking firmly and using my words to eventually convince the top two to un-hinge themselves. Replacing it requires only a firm press and quick double-check you got them all (or 3 out of 4 anyway - the 4th one is of course buried out of sight. Of course.)

Hopefully the pics help. I refused to give up, but good god it was looking like a pretty good option after a few hours of trying.

EDIT: Sorry I gave props to Hercnhawk... I think GEOFF posted it first...

teaston · 12-21-2012, 01:28 PM

Oh balls, i just fitted oem xenons to my e90, and now i want to change the halogen bulbs!

Wish i'd known this before i fitted the lights into the car!!

The method for removing the headlights is also ridiculous! Having to remove the very fiddly bumper is a real PITA! In e46's you just opened the bonnet, un-bolted the headlights and took them out!

I might just leave the yellow halogens!

2SMOOOV · 02-03-2013, 10:18 AM

My 2009 e90 does not look like this. And I do have halogen lights.
I just want to unhook myhighbeam lights because they stay on as running lights
And I don't want them on.
Please advise.
Thanks

BklynTico506 · 02-21-2013, 05:48 PM

Umm... I was going to change my high beams as I changed my AEs this weekend... After looking at this post... NAH. Wayy too much work, especially for the sidewalk. Times like these I wish I had a garage.

Grimes_MG · 10-21-2013, 02:45 PM

So, this is probably the stupidest question for this post, but, I need to replace the DRL on my 2009 E93 (see pic). I can see that they are "yellow" so I don't think they are Xeons (correct?). Does this thread address this year's model b/c I see that the original poster has a 2006.

Also, how do I determine exactly what replacement bulb I need?

Finally, I'm a bit unnerved that everyone says this is such a pain to do. I remember replacing my wife's VW New Beetle headlights which was kind of a pain b/c you had to learn to turn the entire lighting housing as you pushed it in or pulled it out. Then there's our Tahoe on the other side of the spectum. Talk about simple! Grab the two (2) easily accessible pins and pull. Done. The engineers over a BMW must work hand-n-glove with the accountants to make it so you almost have to take it into the repair shop to get them replaced. Jack your car to replace headlights, WTF?

jsweiss · 02-22-2014, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obLu

...
Now, to get the bulbs out ... it's tricky but don't worry that you'll mess it up. The only way you can run into trouble is if you just pull the plastic plug stick straight out. Don't do that!

Instead, get your fingers underneath the stick and push/pry upward. You'll feel some resistance, and hear some metal on metal scraping noises. Totally normal, don't worry that you're breaking anything. And then suddenly the H7 is going to pop out. Now that the bulb is free, you can pull the stick plug straight out. Might still get caught up on some wires, but it'll pull out very easily.
....

Thank you so much for that response Oblu. It really helped me out tonight ! Like nyc3r mentioned, I could not find an DIY instructions for the H7 bulb.

For everyone else...

I have a 2006 330xi and both bulbs on the passenger side were out... the Xenon low beam and H7 hi beam. Neglecting to pay the BMW dealer $370, I bought the bulbs online for approximately $130 combined and decided to do this myself today. I put aside 1 hour for the job. What an under estimate that was !

After watching various YouTube videos, I set to task. My first mistake was not borrowing a friends heated garage. It is like 25 degrees F outside today, but I only though this job was going to take 15 minutes to 1 hour.

Some painful things I learned

1. You can not replace these bulbs from under the hood, looking down
2. Getting around a sharply turned wheel, just doesn't work. The car had to be jacked up and the wheel came off.
3. That small wheel well access panel did not give me enough room. I removed the entire wheel well cover.
4. That damned spring loaded retainer holding in the low beam can be a bear. It did not help following the advice of some Asian guy named James Yuan on YouTube. He does not know the difference between left and right and screwed me up for a while. If anyone is curious, push the spring down/inward against the bulb unit and simultaneously push OUTWARD towards the turn signal bulb to release the spring.
5. After getting the low beam bulb removed, I looked for a way to remove the H7. I was stumped and was very nervous about breaking something as the space was so small. I searched and searched the Internet with no luck on help until finding this post.

Finally, after freezing cold, bloodied knuckles, sore knees, and 4 hours later, my job was done.

If there is a next time, it will certainly be easier now that I have been through this. However, I really want to avoid a next time. I have been driving with my lights off day and night. I figure I would rather pay the price of police tickets that face this project again.

BMW really screwed this one up. All of this work to replace an f'ing bulb.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/images...es/mad0259.gif

WapArtist · 04-12-2014, 12:05 PM

Guys, I cannot believe this. I am a way above average mechanic and I just can't believe this. Incredibly pissed off in Atlanta.

mweisdorfer · 04-14-2014, 09:04 PM

The best h7 bulb is a Phillips Diamond Vision hands down. It is the only bulb out there that is 5000k without having to go to LED.
These bulbs are 55w just like OEM but eat brighter and really a white light to be honest.

You twist and pull to get the old ones out. They are held in there by tabs.

WapArtist · 04-21-2014, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

The best h7 bulb is a Phillips Diamond Vision hands down. It is the only bulb out there that is 5000k without having to go to LED.
These bulbs are 55w just like OEM but eat brighter and really a white light to be honest.

You twist and pull to get the old ones out. They are held in there by tabs.

Thank you for this. Going reattempt this weekend now that I have the drl bulbs and do both at once. Many people even experts are saying to simply pull out hard but it appears a twist would work like you say

bergerstahl · 08-13-2014, 01:51 PM

Sorry for reviving a semi-old thread, but wanted to express my appreciation for such helpful thread and pictures.

Recently one of my drl died, and had to replace it, but couldn't believe how hard this was going to be, specially since i had to work on pure "feel & touch".

Got the zxe h7 from sylvania, and couldn't be happier.

b-drizzle · 10-25-2016, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obLu

Yeah, I got mine out.

On the passenger side, if you're able to pop the plastic moisture cover off the assembly without having to pull the liner, then you can easily do it from the top. I wasn't able to, I had to use the access hatch. Driver's side is a different story, but once you get the feel for how they come out and go in it'd be possible to do it just from the access hatch.

I pulled the liners because it's easy and I wanted all the room I could get.

Now, to get the bulbs out ... it's tricky but don't worry that you'll mess it up. The only way you can run into trouble is if you just pull the plastic plug stick straight out. Don't do that!

Instead, get your fingers underneath the stick and push/pry upward. You'll feel some resistance, and hear some metal on metal scraping noises. Totally normal, don't worry that you're breaking anything. And then suddenly the H7 is going to pop out. Now that the bulb is free, you can pull the stick plug straight out. Might still get caught up on some wires, but it'll pull out very easily.

Do NOT pull the plug until the bulb has released!

If you do, it'll suck trying to blindly get it seated on the bulb again. Took me almost an hour.

Now, to put the new one in, make sure the tab on the H7 bulb is pointing up. Put it back on the stick plug and press the bulb in at a downward angle. Once you see it pressed forward as far as it'll go from the front (looking at the actual headlight housing) press the stick down and the bulb will lock back in place. Mine didn't lock in as tight as the oem bulbs but they're in there solid.

Sorry, it sounds like it's really difficult but I didn't take pictures. If I did, you'd see how easy it actually is.

The biggest mistake is just trying to pull on the stick plug. This won't work, you've got to pry upwards to release the bulb first.

Very good advice right here. Thank you.

I struggled and I realized my mistake after 3-4 tries to get the new bulb back in. Instead of tap pointing up, i had it pointing down, and instead of pressing on downward angle, i was going on a upward.

I just did one side, figure I save the other side (drivers) for thanksgiving weekend when I put my winter wheels on.

Cheers!

dima420 · 02-19-2017, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sho

I changed my flasher to yellow bulbs. It was not easy, and took me nearly an hour. You can access the high bean/flasher from the engine bay. For US driver side, you need to remove the air box.
When you want to pull the light out from the hosing, you want to lift the black piece up a little then pull it out. Now, you will have the light bulb and the piece come out together. To put it back on is very difficult. First, you want to be sure the H7's base is point up (the little piece of matel pointer is up) and put the new bulb on the black piece. Then you want to slide the bulb in angle down a little. When you see the bulb in housing, you want to push the black piece down. And you will hear the matel click locking sound. You are done. It is not easy, and I would not want to do it again.

That worked on my 2006 e90 330xi. Thanks man!
U couldn't even touch the bulb it sit so dip, but I had a feeling that this black plastic part should be used to get the bulb out and back in.

=C= · 04-07-2017, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hercnhawk

I spent all morning trying to research how to change this bulb before I finally came across this thread. I tried pushing up on the clip but the clip would eventually come off the contacts with the bulb still securely fastened. With the clip off, I took a flat tip screw driver and gently pushed up on the metal tab at the 12 o’clock position and the bulb fell right out without even having to pull. I then reached in with a pair of needle nose pliers and picked it up.

How did u install the bulb back? I cannot get it to clip in or get it to hold in place?

Beaming325 · 05-10-2019, 04:32 AM

Resurrecting an old thread but it might be helpful for someone as I've just struggled with changing the high beam bulb, and for my brain (which was yearning to fire up the gas axe before sense persuaded me to remove the wheel liner) the explanation I've found are hard to follow.

The top of the wire clip is around a sort of hook.

The trick is to push the top of the wire clip forward and outwards (I.e. towards the indicator) , hold it outwards and then fold it down.

Removing the mud guard is actually totally unnecessary but makes it a lot easier to see if you still don't understand it!

11-19-2006, 05:44 PM	#45
VoyagerDude Second Lieutenant 8 Rep 207 Posts Drives: 07 E90 335i Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Calgary, AB iTrader: (0)	DLRs (in flashing mode) and Fogs: Attached Images __________________ 2007 BMW 335i E90 (got it Oct 27, 2006) manual, sp.graph, limon dakota, sport, premium, navi, bluetooth, alarm, stoneguard, 18" winter m5 reps w/Dunlop 3D 2005 Ducati 749S
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11-19-2006, 06:56 PM	#46
obLu Major 50 Rep 1,159 Posts Drives: 330i 6MT ZSP Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Kirkland, WA, USA iTrader: (1)	That was such a pain in the ass I cringe at the thought of my DRL bulb going out now so I turn them off when it's not overcast.
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10-28-2007, 10:16 PM	#48
Geoff Private First Class 3 Rep 130 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Sedan Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alameda, CA iTrader: (0)	so I had a lot of free time today and decided to give this DRL bulb change a try. I had been putting it off for months after reading all the posts here about how much of PITA it is to perform if you have the Xenons which I do. You guys were absolutely right I was able to get the passenger side High Beam bulb off by pushing it up as one of the posts here suggested (great advice, thanks!). Then I thought, hm this isn't so bad. Then I move on to the driver side... The damn bulb will not come out even if I try pushing up. I don't even remember how many times I accidentally pulled off the black stalk attachment and then subsequently spent 30 mins each time just to get it attached back onto the bulb. For some reason my driver side is a lot harder to get off. I couldn't figure it out. I even got desperate and ran back into the house to get my digital camera to take some pictures so I could try to see what the hell was going on. In the end, it started getting dark and I wasn't able to change the bulb on the driver side. If anyone has anymore suggestions on how the hell to get that piece of crap bulb out, it will be extremely welcomed. I have attached an image of the bulb compartment and you can see why it's so damn hard to get out. There's a clip like device at the top, and two on the bottom near the sides. Why did BMW make it so damn hard just to change a light bulb... Attached Images __________________ 2007 328i Sedan \| Jet Black \| Black Dakota \| Aluminum Trim \| Steptronic \| Premium \| Sport \| Comfort Access \| Xenon \| Logic 7 \| Clear Bra \| Alarm \| Chrome Tips \| Black Lines \| PIAA 6500K Angel Eyes \| Nokya 7000K DRLs
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06-30-2008, 01:18 PM	#49
NoSole Bearquin by nature 16 Rep 280 Posts Drives: E90 N54 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: LA iTrader: (3)	Reviving the thread yet again. I had a list of mods I wanted to complete this weekend, and only finished 2 of them. While I was changing the AEs I wanted to change these bulbs too, but ran into the same frustration as everyone else here. To add to the headache, my car is so low I can't get a jack underneath, so I had to do a two jack system just to get it up... PITA! Once up, it's annoying to have to take the wheel and liner off to get back there. Had I known about the "pry up" tactic to release the bulb, I might have been able to swap bulbs, but as it was I just gave up. I might give it another shot this week, but if I can't make any headway in the first 15 min, I'm gonna wait til I can get easier access. I don't have the patience to take the wheels and liner off again after the frustration I experienced on Saturday. Bleh!
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07-13-2008, 10:51 AM	#50
Batmobile First Lieutenant 51 Rep 383 Posts Drives: F30 335i m performance edition Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Montreal iTrader: (0)	I dont get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am very frustrated with these stupid high beams! I have halogen projectors, and one bulb burnt so I had to remove all the liner to replace it, and a week later I notice my high beam bulb is off! I dont have the patience to remove all the liner again and I am unable to change it from the top. I dont understand why it is soooo hard, all my other cars were so simple to change, would buy bulb, get back home, open hood, and boom! done! Anyways... Hope we can figure out an easier way!
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05-07-2009, 02:12 PM	#51
raj55 First Lieutenant 28 Rep 303 Posts Drives: E91 2009, 320i Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: SWEDEN iTrader: (0)	I did not know that a similar earlier thread existed for the H7 bulb change (yes I had searched for it!). I had started a new thread on it a few weeks ago and finally found out the way to change it the hard way and wrote a little summary. I am posting a link to that here so that it will probably help others. There seems to be two sorts of H7 bulb holder/bracket in BMW 3 series, one with a clip (easier sort) and the other where the H7 actually wedges in the bracket and can only be dislodged by pushing the connector upwards (and in some stuck cases by jiggling it sideways). I'll post the link here any way. http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250374
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10-13-2012, 05:20 PM	#52
Hercnhawk Enlisted Member 0 Rep 32 Posts Drives: 2014 M235i Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Roseville, CA iTrader: (2)	I spent all morning trying to research how to change this bulb before I finally came across this thread. I tried pushing up on the clip but the clip would eventually come off the contacts with the bulb still securely fastened. With the clip off, I took a flat tip screw driver and gently pushed up on the metal tab at the 12 o’clock position and the bulb fell right out without even having to pull. I then reached in with a pair of needle nose pliers and picked it up.
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12-16-2012, 08:57 PM	#53
BmerMeUp Lieutenant 32 Rep 447 Posts Drives: Cinderella: 2008 E91 328xi Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Ontario iTrader: (0)	Jesus, Mary and Joseph - what the Christ were those Engineers thinking?! "Take Your Kids To Work Day" Indeed!! "OK KIDS, TODAY WE'RE GOING TO DESIGN A BMW HHHHEEADLIIIIGHT SYSTEM FOR OUR E9x CHASSIS!! Doesn't that sound exciting?!" Good christ, what a train wreck that High Beam (H7) is!! So, thanks to your collective posts and pics, and several of my own (pics, so I could see down the light socket where my head wouldn't fit) and about 4 hours of patience trying to figure it out - I finally managed to change the two H7's in my E91. W. T. H. I felt like I needed a friggin laparascope and a team of assistants to operate on that damn thing!! What a reeeedonkulous setup. WHAT WORKED FOR ME - for the benefit of anyone else stumbling across this thread: DRIVER'S SIDE: I struggled for a couple hours in vain trying to do it through the wheel well. No dice. I ended up removing the air filter and replacing it with my UPSIDE DOWN HEAD, thereby placing my right eyeball about 1" from the H7 opening. I had to go in "just right" or my head wouldn't fit...! I held a screwdriver in one hand (wrapped around and up through the wheel well) and a light in the other and finally defeated $8 million of uninspired German Research and Development. (Pics as attached). I used a variation of the "PUSH UP FIRST" technique previously described. I slid a FLAT long-shank screwdriver along the bottom of the black retarded tab/handle gizmo to guide me in, and manoeuvered it to the bottom of the lip of the H7 metal bulb base. From there I frigged around until I was able to lift the bulb enough to allow it to clear the two lower (4-o'clock and 7-o'clock) retaining tabs, fortunately without busting the lamp enclosure, which it felt like I was going to do. Once those two minimal tabs let go, the blub can be easily fingered out of the hole by hand. REPLACING it was a bit of a pain in the arse as well. I used the upside-down-head technique again and guided the TOP TAB (12-o'clock) into position by hand then used the screwdriver to press the H7 metal base to snap it into the 4 and 7-o'clock retaining springs. PASSENGER SIDE was FAR easier, mostly because I now knew how it worked. This time I did the same thing, but blind. I guided the screwdriver to the metal base by feel and EVER SO GENTLY crow-bar style pumped the screwdriver handle like I was jacking up a very small car until the two bottom retaining springs finally gave up. REPLACING it, I was somehow able to firmly grab the black-tab-handle thing with LONG needle nose pliers and gently press the bulb directly back into place. Looking directly into the housing from the bumper side will help you guide the bulb back into place of course. WATERTIGHT COVER: Yes, this is ALSO a total train wreck, as they have successfully developed a plastic VAULT sufficiently resilient so as to protect against both water AND small arms fire. As shown in the pics (XENON BULB STYLE ENCLOSURE), there are 4 tabs at the corners. I defeated them again with a flat screwdriver by gently popping the two I could reach on the bottom, then speaking firmly and using my words to eventually convince the top two to un-hinge themselves. Replacing it requires only a firm press and quick double-check you got them all (or 3 out of 4 anyway - the 4th one is of course buried out of sight. Of course.) Hopefully the pics help. I refused to give up, but good god it was looking like a pretty good option after a few hours of trying. EDIT: Sorry I gave props to Hercnhawk... I think GEOFF posted it first... Attached Images Last edited by BmerMeUp; 12-16-2012 at 09:03 PM..
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12-21-2012, 01:28 PM	#54
teaston Banned 10995 Rep 32,881 Posts Drives: X3 M40d Join Date: May 2012 Location: The High Seas iTrader: (1)	Oh balls, i just fitted oem xenons to my e90, and now i want to change the halogen bulbs! Wish i'd known this before i fitted the lights into the car!! The method for removing the headlights is also ridiculous! Having to remove the very fiddly bumper is a real PITA! In e46's you just opened the bonnet, un-bolted the headlights and took them out! I might just leave the yellow halogens!
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02-03-2013, 10:18 AM	#55
2SMOOOV Registered 0 Rep 4 Posts Drives: 2009 BMW 328i Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: So. Cal iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 BMW 328i [0.00]	My 2009 e90 does not look like this. And I do have halogen lights. I just want to unhook myhighbeam lights because they stay on as running lights And I don't want them on. Please advise. Thanks __________________ 2SMOOOV
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02-21-2013, 05:48 PM	#56
BklynTico506 Pura Vida 13 Rep 297 Posts Drives: Monaco Blau '08 E90 Xi Join Date: May 2012 Location: NY/PA iTrader: (0)	Umm... I was going to change my high beams as I changed my AEs this weekend... After looking at this post... NAH. Wayy too much work, especially for the sidewalk. Times like these I wish I had a garage.
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10-21-2013, 02:45 PM	#57
Grimes_MG New Member 1 Rep 11 Posts Drives: 2009 E93 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Napa, CA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 BMW 328i Conve ... [0.00]	2006 E93 Daytime Running Light (DRL) Bulb Swap So, this is probably the stupidest question for this post, but, I need to replace the DRL on my 2009 E93 (see pic). I can see that they are "yellow" so I don't think they are Xeons (correct?). Does this thread address this year's model b/c I see that the original poster has a 2006. Also, how do I determine exactly what replacement bulb I need? Finally, I'm a bit unnerved that everyone says this is such a pain to do. I remember replacing my wife's VW New Beetle headlights which was kind of a pain b/c you had to learn to turn the entire lighting housing as you pushed it in or pulled it out. Then there's our Tahoe on the other side of the spectum. Talk about simple! Grab the two (2) easily accessible pins and pull. Done. The engineers over a BMW must work hand-n-glove with the accountants to make it so you almost have to take it into the repair shop to get them replaced. Jack your car to replace headlights, WTF? Attached Images Last edited by Grimes_MG; 10-21-2013 at 02:49 PM.. Reason: picture too large
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04-12-2014, 12:05 PM	#59
WapArtist Private First Class 10 Rep 130 Posts Drives: 2008 328i Sedan Sports Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Atlanta iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 328i Sports Sedan [0.00]	Guys, I cannot believe this. I am a way above average mechanic and I just can't believe this. Incredibly pissed off in Atlanta. __________________ 2008 E90 328i Sport Sedan 335 189 wheels/Eibach Pro-Kit/H&R 10&12mm/K&N/Charcoal delete/LED Past:2012 R56 MINI S/1992 E34 525i/1989 E30 325ic
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04-14-2014, 09:04 PM	#60
mweisdorfer Major General 1903 Rep 6,968 Posts Drives: 2007 Black/Black 335i e90 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Holly, MI iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 BMW E90 335i [0.00] 2008 bmw x5 [0.00]	Best H7 Bulb The best h7 bulb is a Phillips Diamond Vision hands down. It is the only bulb out there that is 5000k without having to go to LED. These bulbs are 55w just like OEM but eat brighter and really a white light to be honest. You twist and pull to get the old ones out. They are held in there by tabs.
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08-13-2014, 01:51 PM	#62
bergerstahl Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: 2009 328i Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	Sorry for reviving a semi-old thread, but wanted to express my appreciation for such helpful thread and pictures. Recently one of my drl died, and had to replace it, but couldn't believe how hard this was going to be, specially since i had to work on pure "feel & touch". Got the zxe h7 from sylvania, and couldn't be happier.
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05-10-2019, 04:32 AM	#66
Beaming325 New Member 4 Rep 24 Posts Drives: BMW 325i e90 Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Resurrecting an old thread but it might be helpful for someone as I've just struggled with changing the high beam bulb, and for my brain (which was yearning to fire up the gas axe before sense persuaded me to remove the wheel liner) the explanation I've found are hard to follow. The top of the wire clip is around a sort of hook. The trick is to push the top of the wire clip forward and outwards (I.e. towards the indicator) , hold it outwards and then fold it down. Removing the mud guard is actually totally unnecessary but makes it a lot easier to see if you still don't understand it!
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