Headlight Restoration on the INSIDE

[tripod06]

Okay so i don't know if this is the room to post this in, but i am wanting to know if anyone else is or has experienced oxidation within the headlamps?

if you have or know of any ways to help restore them, i would really appreciate it!

thank you!

[danewilson77]

I bought the kit at autozone....

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1504126

[Mtnman]

You can buy new lenses. Restoration kits only last so long. New lenses are $60 i think. Pretty sure Turner has then, and DDM tuning i think. Or Umnitza.

[danewilson77]

Cheapest I found (and ended up buying) was at bimmian 90bux....though I think Khoa has these.

YUP...........$72.00 at http://www.khoalty.com/bmw-e46/lighting-15/headlight-lens-replacement-%28oem%29)

[Mtnman]

Khoa has them? Sweet. Use him! Hey dane, that link isnt working!

[danewilson77]

Thanks MM...........

http://www.khoalty.com/bmw-e46/lighting-15/headlight-lens-replacement-%28oem%29

[az3579]

+1 on the replacement. It just isn't worth the hassle of trying to fix what's already "damaged" (pitted, etc.).
Then, get lamin-x to protect the new lenses.

[tripod06]

this is all great stuff! i'm loving it! thanks guys! oh also, would you recommend that when i do the lense swap (since it seems to be the better idea) should i do the angel eye kit too? if so, what kit do you recommend?

[Mtnman]

yes. Might as well while you're in there. There are sooo many different types, styles, colors, brightness, etc. Hard to say. A lot of memebers have them, so look at sigs, or ask around the site for pics. Here are mine. They came standard on the depo lights i got, so i would imagine a ccfl, cheapest ones they have are similar to mine. I wanted an old school 5 series look. yellow/orange, and dim, not bright. A lot of guys have thinner, brighter ones, bluer ones, etc. i know dane has different ones than me. im sure hell show his off too and give you the styles. You can get this stuff from Khoalty.com too, and support the site. (win-win)

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/angel_eyes.jpg

[tripod06]

i like those but i dont know if anyone has seen any of the newer ones like on the new 3 series or new new 5 series? they are super white and really nice! i would like something like that. any recommendations for aftermarket kits?

[ZSP-Mafia]

I got my OEM amber AE's from Khoa. You can get the same kit in white.

http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t355/jamesfogarty05/a315e8f8.jpg

http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t355/jamesfogarty05/12a1d0a6.jpg

[Mtnman]

Yeah, they have the new super white, super bright ones out there.

[pyreguy]

These came from jclevi or whatever. The PO did it. I love the way they look.
http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae342/pyreguy/ZHP/DSC00006.jpg

[tripod06]

These came from jclevi or whatever. The PO did it. I love the way they look.
http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae342/pyreguy/ZHP/DSC00006.jpg

that is exactly what i am looking for right there! love that look so much!

[az3579]

i like those but i dont know if anyone has seen any of the newer ones like on the new 3 series or new new 5 series? they are super white and really nice! i would like something like that. any recommendations for aftermarket kits?

Absolutely. Weisslicht, Umnitza, etc. Check Khoalty as well.
They would look absolutely amazing on Orient...

[pyreguy]

My car looks sinister during the day with those as my DRLs

[danewilson77]

Yeah...imho....thats the only way to go. Get the DRL's deleted.

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Imola%20Bimmer/DSC03189sz1200.jpg

[pyreguy]

Yup


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[Mtnman]

Gotta turn off the drls so u can roll angel eyes and fog lights...

[danewilson77]

No foglight posing here.

[Mtnman]

i almost always roll with angel eyes, and fogs lit. it is the perfect combo for dusk and dawn. ill post again. sweeeeeeeeet.
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/angel_eyes.jpg

[az3579]

I also roll with my fog lights on and only angel eyes.
What problem you have with that, Daney? :p

[danewilson77]

I also roll with my fog lights on and only angel eyes.
What problem you have with that, Daney? :p

Naaa....its all good. No problem here at all. It just pisses me off.

[az3579]

Naaa....its all good. No problem here at all. It just pisses me off.

It used to tick me off too because 99% of the time, you don't need the fog lights. But then I realized, I can't change the world, and also realized that the yellow fogs reeeeeeally grew on me.

[danewilson77]

I may do the yellow....and really...its just the assholes that come up behind me when I am having a peaceful drive in the morning....

[Mtnman]

Id rather have some fogs behind me than a guy in a suburban or jacked up truck whose lights always seem like they are on bright because they never aimed them down for the lift......
Jus sayin.... i like my fogs, and they are aimed right so they dont point directly into the cab in front of me.

[pyreguy]

Naaa....its all good. No problem here at all. It just pisses me off.

This made me LOL at my desk at work! :rofl


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[Rovert]

Jus sayin.... i like my fogs, and they are aimed right so they dont point directly into the cab in front of me.

The rule is 25 feet away from a wall on a flat surface, aim your fog lights so that the cutoff or hotspot is 2.5" from the ground. :) When in adverse conditions you want your fogs to light up the immediate area in front of the vehicle so you can at least drive at 30MPH in dense fog. I've been in conditions where Xenon headlights were just too powerful for the fog so only fogs were used. But that's a rare instance in Vancouver. I use them as driving lights when it's dark or stormy. It just makes people move out of my way with Angel eyes to boot...LOL

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/9071/img0098hd7.jpg

[tripod06]

Love those angel eyes too haha

[az3579]

Trevor,
I'm sure all of us with ZKWs don't ever have the problem of the Xenons being too powerful. :rofl

[Rovert]

LOL. Well played! That's why I have an LED flashlight in my car just in case. :D Maybe I need one more light and some duct tape.

I think our glovebox flashlight reflects what ZKWs do over time.

[tripod06]

question: if i decide to go with the lens replacements, is it that hard to DIY? i watched a video on YouTube about how to do it but of course seeing it being done and actually doing it is one thing. the guy makes removing the clamps and all really easy. last time i removed a lens from the headlight assembly, i had to bake in oven for a couple mins to warm up the plastic. are these headlights different (meaning easier)?

[danewilson77]

Very easy diy in fact......30 minutes tops.

You have coupe or sedan. I can't see your details....

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[Marcus-SanDiego]

Very easy diy in fact......30 minutes tops.

You have coupe or sedan. I can't see your details....

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Sedan.

[danewilson77]

Sedan.

OK...he's gtg then....

[tripod06]

okay cool. that most likely will be one of my first mods/upgrades/TLC things after a couple little things.

[KHOALTY]

question: if i decide to go with the lens replacements, is it that hard to DIY? i watched a video on YouTube about how to do it but of course seeing it being done and actually doing it is one thing. the guy makes removing the clamps and all really easy. last time i removed a lens from the headlight assembly, i had to bake in oven for a couple mins to warm up the plastic. are these headlights different (meaning easier)?

epic video that makes it look super easy to do because it is (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRcsD2UZkhE&feature=player_embedded)

some cars (not yours) have sealed headlights, so you have to either bake them in the oven (like facelift coupes) or pry at them for hours and hours and then reglue them, but your headlights are simply held together with clips and a rubber seal, very easy to open them up and swap lens and do angel eyes all in one shot, really the hardest part about the whole thing is getting your corner light out :)

[danewilson77]

The actual hardest part on these cars is removing the lower trim a ghey ass heaglight washer nozzle...if I may add my $0.02.

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