wstr75
01-04-2017, 04:44 PM
Need help with re-assembling my passenger side Xenon light assembly on 330Ci convertible ZHP.
Light flickered a few times, briefly showed a dashboard message and then was out. I pulled out the entire passenger side lighting and at the wiring to the ignitor found one wire completely broken and two wires missing insulation. The brown wire also had a break in its insulation. I soldered the broken wire and thoroughly applied shrink tubing to all of the affected wires.
Here's my problem and still with looking at lots of videos, I still can't get the darn assembly to "snap back together". The Xenon bulb is properly seated. Check. The round plastic piece is placed over the xenon/reflector flange and turned to its locked in place position. Check. The ignitor is positioned with the four lugs properly positioned in the four large holes with the sloping cam ramps that the lugs run underneath to lock the ignitor in position. NO CHECK at the this point. I can't get the ignitor assembly to seat and then to lock in place. I've taken it all apart and done it on the bench without the bulb and it all snaps together beautifully. I've even tried to put it all together on the bench with bulb, too, but without the reflector flange's added thickness, it tells me nothing.
Methinks it is the two lugs sticking out of the bulb that are not properly getting into either the plastic ring slot or the ignitor slot further underneath where they (the bulb lugs) are to ultimately be positioned. That knowledge has not yet benefitted me with a means to get the darn ignitor to seat and easily turn into position. Do I dare use a dielectric grease to enable the assembly parts to have a bit of slip? Do I dare strong arm (actually barely can get fingers into the tight space) the ignitor with a tool to push directly down onto its outside flat back surface? I did not see anyone doing anything like that in the videos. The assembly in the videos just seemed to gently go into place.
What is the secret to getting the ignitor seated onto the bulb/retainer ring assembly and gently turned into its proper position? I thank you in advance for any knowledge my fellow ZHP Mafia members can share to aid this now humbled amateur mechanic.
Light flickered a few times, briefly showed a dashboard message and then was out. I pulled out the entire passenger side lighting and at the wiring to the ignitor found one wire completely broken and two wires missing insulation. The brown wire also had a break in its insulation. I soldered the broken wire and thoroughly applied shrink tubing to all of the affected wires.
Here's my problem and still with looking at lots of videos, I still can't get the darn assembly to "snap back together". The Xenon bulb is properly seated. Check. The round plastic piece is placed over the xenon/reflector flange and turned to its locked in place position. Check. The ignitor is positioned with the four lugs properly positioned in the four large holes with the sloping cam ramps that the lugs run underneath to lock the ignitor in position. NO CHECK at the this point. I can't get the ignitor assembly to seat and then to lock in place. I've taken it all apart and done it on the bench without the bulb and it all snaps together beautifully. I've even tried to put it all together on the bench with bulb, too, but without the reflector flange's added thickness, it tells me nothing.
Methinks it is the two lugs sticking out of the bulb that are not properly getting into either the plastic ring slot or the ignitor slot further underneath where they (the bulb lugs) are to ultimately be positioned. That knowledge has not yet benefitted me with a means to get the darn ignitor to seat and easily turn into position. Do I dare use a dielectric grease to enable the assembly parts to have a bit of slip? Do I dare strong arm (actually barely can get fingers into the tight space) the ignitor with a tool to push directly down onto its outside flat back surface? I did not see anyone doing anything like that in the videos. The assembly in the videos just seemed to gently go into place.
What is the secret to getting the ignitor seated onto the bulb/retainer ring assembly and gently turned into its proper position? I thank you in advance for any knowledge my fellow ZHP Mafia members can share to aid this now humbled amateur mechanic.