Carwash gone wild!

[alexandre]

I bought my clears used from the UK about a year ago. UK acid rain eats into the sealant that BMW uses on the trunk lights - see my signature, you'll see the difference between trunk and sides... All UK E46s have that issue.

The weather's been hovering around -15F lately, and my car was disgusting and needed a wash. I went to the touchless today, and upon pulling into the driveway at home, I saw this:

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I freaked out because these are $60 a piece, and pretty rare in the US. I checked the other side and it was half off and ready to give out any day. I pulled it out and saved it, and proceeded to drive back to the carwash to see where I might have lost it. It wasn't on any of the streets I had taken, so I figured it was in the bay. Problem is, the manager was gone and had locked the keys in his office!

The attendant ended up giving me a free wash, and told me to drive further when the machine said STOP - it wouldn't start until I backed up to the proper positioning. So here I was, in a carwash, running around looking for my lights. I found the parts and proceeded to wash the car. Then, when I was in the drying cycle, my mirror covers went flying!!! I had to get out of the car with huge fans blowing air everywhere. What a mess.

But it wasn't done. As I removed the old assemblies, there was ice and soap everywhere, the bulbs were frozen in the sockets, all this in -15F weather remember. I ended up reinstalling my amber trunk lights as a temporary fix.

I'm now left with this to fix:

11942

And this:

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/25/dutahy3a.jpg

Moral of the story... Don't wash your car when it's -15F or your lights will fly everywhere.

[QC_ZHP]

Ouch. I used to work at an automatic car wash so I tend to stay away from them for these reasons. But I don't live where its -15F.

[johnrando]

Oh man, that's crazy! Glad you found the parts.

http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc481/johnrando/ct_zps17017112.jpg (http://s1214.photobucket.com/user/johnrando/media/ct_zps17017112.jpg.html)

If you can't tell, the name of this album is…..

Found All The Parts.

[ELCID86]

Yikes. Glad you found the part (and survived the ordeal!)

[Johnmadd]

Wow, that's wild man.

[Avetiso]

Holy.. If you need new bulb holders, I should have some. Yours for shipping.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[Rovert]

Hahahahahhahahahahaha

http://static.squarespace.com/static/5143771ae4b04eaef3677f95/51466adde4b057e4bb70adb6/5146700ee4b00ba8e4bf5b94/1363570703839/Comic-Sketch-ShitHitFan.png

All I have to say is....LOL.

http://images.sodahead.com/profiles/0/0/1/6/2/4/1/4/9/good-job-77212610392.jpeg

Or should I say Mirror cap? LOL

[generalvp]

I doubt it was the car wash's fault. They are a high pressure wash system so if anything on your car isn't secure, it'll fly off.

[Hornung418]

Took mine to get washed today too. It's only 12° here. That's pretty wild. That everything came off like that.

Sent from my GS3.

[Rovert]

Alex is a weathered young man who has gone through many journeys with his 330. His humour through all the stuff that has gone wrong has put a certain personality into his car. I'm sure when I visit him next time I'll shut the door and it'll fall off. LOL. It will be professionally photographed and posted online for all to see how little their problems are compared to his 330. LOL

[alexandre]

I doubt it was the car wash's fault. They are a high pressure wash system so if anything on your car isn't secure, it'll fly off.

I know, I know. It just accelerated the process!


Holy.. If you need new bulb holders, I should have some. Yours for shipping.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

Thanks man, but they're all good after a rinse in distilled water!

[az3579]

Alex,
I highly recommend you reseal those with bath silicone. This is what I used when I first received my lights. I took them apart, cleaned them out very well (and VERY carefully; the reflective coating comes off easy if you're not careful) and resealed with bath silicone. That shit isn't ever going to leak or fall off. EVER.

[alexandre]

Alex,
I highly recommend you reseal those with bath silicone. This is what I used when I first received my lights. I took them apart, cleaned them out very well (and VERY carefully; the reflective coating comes off easy if you're not careful) and resealed with bath silicone. That shit isn't ever going to leak or fall off. EVER.

The coating is trashed, the pressure jets removed it. I'll buy some chrome paint and respray them, and seal them that way. How are yours holding up?


iP4S + TT2

[Avetiso]

Alex,
I highly recommend you reseal those with bath silicone. This is what I used when I first received my lights. I took them apart, cleaned them out very well (and VERY carefully; the reflective coating comes off easy if you're not careful) and resealed with bath silicone. That shit isn't ever going to leak or fall off. EVER.

Can the outer lenses be opened this way?

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[az3579]

Dario,
I didn't attempt the outer tail lights (the one with brake, turn, and running lights) as mine were in great shape.

Alex,
The seal is holding up very well. There is no additional dirt in the housing since I put it back together.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

[alexandre]

Can the outer lenses be opened this way?

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

Dario, just to follow up on this, I just resealed my trunk lights and broke the amber lens in the process (I used the housing from my amber trunk lights as the one from my clears was too faded). The adhesive is very strong. I think if you bake them for a couple minutes you might be able to take them apart to clean them... But I'd do everything to avoid doing it. Maybe try out the process on the spare ambers off your parts car or something!

I'm done with the clown look now.

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[Rovert]

You forgot to share your post surgery/pre glamour shot picture. :ducking

[alexandre]

You forgot to share your post surgery/pre glamour shot picture. :ducking

In my project thread :)