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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum
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Decision For Headlight
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03-25-2021, 10:46 AM | #1 |
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Decision For Headlight
Hi everyone! The headlights on my 2007 335i has seen better days and the yellow haze gotta go. The headlights are in perfect working conditions but I'm at a impasse on how to go about the headlights. I have the pre-LCI xenon headlight w/ adaptive h'lamp and my options I'm thinking of is this;
1) Use some headlight restore kit or wet sand it down till the haze is gone. (Super cheap option) 2) New headlight lens. I'm leaning to this option a little more just cause ill be able to customize the headlight (New rings, LED Brow, Demon eye, ECT.) to however I wish once I crack it open for the new lens. Once open I plan on using bavgruppe design products to replace the OEM lighting. Only issue is that I have no idea what the part number is or where to buy just the headlight cover. (If anyone has any idea where to get them, please let me know! It would help me out greatly!) I searched eBay and contacted a seller who said its compatible with my pre-LCI headlights but wanted to get another's opinion. I'm always skeptical about eBay.. Here's the link to the seller. https://www.ebay.com/itm/402567845225?ul_noapp=true 3) Save up and buy a custom headlight from a local bavgruppe design distributer called bayoptiks. They have retrofit pre-LCI headlights but at the price of your first born. I like the headlights but I feel I'm capable of putting together the headlights myself if I can find the cover to save some money. Heres's the link to the retro fit headlights from bayoptiks. https://bayoptiks.com/collections/e9...13045159264309 4) Maybe 2nd cheapest option is to code the car and switch to halogen but I'm fairly new to coding and probably need to do some research. IMO I like xenon lights more then the halogen so rather stick with xenon lights. Let me know your opinions and if theirs any other options I should look into! Thanks! |
03-25-2021, 10:53 AM | #2 |
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If it's just haze without heavy pitting, it can easily be restored to like new. Pitting can, too, just takes more time/effort. I don't believe OEM lenses are available, so I'd be weary of any aftermarket replacements as far as fitment and possible leaks. As for customizing them, that's up to you and how much DIY effort you're willing to put in and/or pay for.
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YnnoJ42018.50 |
03-25-2021, 11:23 AM | #3 |
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Thanks Emilime for the heads up on the aftermarket headlight covers! Needed that confirmation. It would suck to spend 80$ on the covers just to have water pour into my perfectly good working headlights due to poor fitment and now I have to buy new xenon's.. Tons of red flags with some of these eBay dealers too.. Asked about the fitment for my car and instead got a 12% coupon for the covers and no reply..
Once the cover is clear again, probably buy the bavgruppe products over time instead of the 2,500$-4k$ lump sum. I enjoy doing DIY's and I like to hear other members opinion/experiences so I can get the best bang for my buck. Thanks for the feedback Emilime |
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03-25-2021, 12:23 PM | #4 |
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No worries. But, just for the record, I don't know if the aftermarket lenses are a good fit, or not. I'd just be weary of them and would rather clean up the originals because those I know will fit.
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03-26-2021, 12:36 PM | #5 |
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Make sure you put some sort of ceramic coating or clear coat on the headlights after polishing. They have a UV resistant coating from the factory and once polished they get hazy/yellowed much quicker than they originally did.
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03-27-2021, 10:19 PM | #6 |
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I built my headlights with bavgruppe hardware. Not too difficult of a job. For the lenses, you can get the china aftermarket lenses or you can get oem AL replacements from bimmerjakes. Bavgruppe carries the bimmerjakes lenses. If you have an e90, it will be a little more difficult to open the lights since they are permasealed v.ersus butyl sealed on my pre-lci e92/e93 headlights.
I would just take your time on the build and it will come out great. My list in my headlight build: New AL Lenses PPF ZKW-R Clear lens swap Cutoff flap removal Full Carbon Fiber Housing Carbon Fiber Eyebrow Bavgruppe DTM Flat bottom rings Profile Prism Demon eye + morimoto XBT controller painted gloss black shrouds + turn signal housing Osram CBB D1S GP Thunder H3 Cornering Lens Bulb LED turn signal with painted black housings
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03-28-2021, 12:06 PM | #7 |
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Removing the lenses on an e90 is very difficult, well you have to cut around the housing to be able to stick some sort of knife to break the seal. I did mine with some eBay dtm led lights. I suggest just polishing the lenses and applying some sort of clear coat
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03-29-2021, 01:33 PM | #8 | |
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03-29-2021, 01:35 PM | #9 | |
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03-29-2021, 03:00 PM | #10 | |
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For your permasealed headlights, it is a little harder. I have only opened one set of permasealed headlights but the process is somewhat similar. You can use an oven to heat up the seal but I prefer a heat gun so I can work on one section at a time. It takes a while to work on one section so by the time you finish one section, the other parts will be cooled so the oven is a waste in my opinion. You can purchase Morimoto Permatrator to soften the seal and make it easier to work with. After modding, use butyl to seal them back up. The other option is to cut off your lens from the housing. Since you are planning on getting new lenses, this may not be a bad option either. I definitely recommend you get the lenses from bimmerjakes. You never know the quality of the China lenses and if their UV coat will fail in a few years.
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03-29-2021, 03:01 PM | #11 |
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I can post some later tonight if I remember. If not, send me a PM.
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04-22-2021, 01:24 PM | #12 |
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Renegadenick - I see you're using ZKW-R clear lenses. I have newer LCI adaptive projectors so I'm using STI-R from theretrofitsource.com
Q1) Do you mind if I ask how much spacing did you need to get a good sharp cutoff? I went with ~0.206" Q2) Can you explain cut off flap removal please? not sure if you did surgery on your projector's cutoff or something else. I tried to cut on it not to change the profile but to remove the extra sheet metal and it really m$cked it up. I'll find a picture to show you one that isn't cut versus the one i cut. thanks Picture is from left side projector loose on a bar stool with 12V battery feeding the ballast. My test lab in the driveway at 11 pm. About 25 feet to the garage door. Last edited by BB_cuda; 04-22-2021 at 01:41 PM.. |
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04-23-2021, 12:31 AM | #14 | |
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Can you explain why it is trimmed and perhaps what did i screw up in my trial? thanks P.S. If you have a picture of what you mean by trimmed tab, this would be wonderful. I'm talking about the shield that goes across the projector beam and is painted black (sort of sheet metal material). Last edited by BB_cuda; 04-23-2021 at 12:38 AM.. |
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04-23-2021, 01:43 AM | #15 |
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So the picture here is just off google, and I believe is a VW, but the design is the same. The circled part is the "tab" that needs trimmed. It's not the main shield.
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04-23-2021, 03:31 AM | #16 | |
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Attached is a photo I took from another thread. It shows the "RV" flap I cut off.
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04-23-2021, 03:35 AM | #17 | ||
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04-23-2021, 03:40 AM | #18 |
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Sorry for the late response. Here are some pictures if you still need it.
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04-25-2021, 08:22 AM | #19 |
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I iterated 3x to find good focal length. I do have nice cutoff but would like to see a more even distribution and not a hot spot. You guys use the ZKR and it has different height so the spacing is different than what I need for STi-R. My OE lens and STi are real close in height. I was told this is what is important.
STI is smaller diameter so I designed an adapter that holds smaller lens and out spaces 5.47 mm ~0.216”. I put in little key ways as LCI lens holder has 3 holding fingers. |
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04-25-2021, 05:05 PM | #20 |
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I'm interested in something just a bit different. I do NOT want the round halo's with the flat bottom. I am seeking out the hex halos that you see on the more modern bimmers. If any of you guy know how to get that going, please chime in. Otherwise, I will just stick with my OEM's on my 09' E92.
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04-25-2021, 06:23 PM | #21 | |
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04-25-2021, 06:24 PM | #22 | |
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