DIY: Yellow BMW High Beam Housings - e36/46/39 - REVmatch

**MPD47** · #1 11-25-2008, 02:38 AM

Ok, to preface this, I love the way yellow highs look especially on e34's and e30's. However I cannot stand fully yellow laminX headlights on e39's, I personally just don't think it looks good. Anyway I got a little bored tonight so I pulled the e39 headlights out and got to work. You need to remove them from the car (which I'm not going to cover here), and get them onto a table/bench/whatever and start taking them apart (this write up can also be used for e36/e46). There are a series of plastic clips around the headlight housing, stick a small flat blade screw driver underneath them and pry GENTLY upwards while pulling forward on the glass lens. It will come loose, be careful not to lose the rubber gasket that fits on the lens. Also please be aware if you have angle eyes they are wired into the front section of the lens you are removing, you need to reach in and carefully disconnect them before separating the two halves completely. (pictured below)

Next up you need to clean the high beam reflector. I used a diluted bit of 3M Brake clean and then very very lightly went over the reflector with a touch of FINE steel wool. Then mask of the high beam reflector and get ready to paint.

I prefer 3M painters tape (I'm a bit of a 3M product whore), tape off the housing really well, you definitely do not want over-spray on the low or the other reflector parts. Also remember to put some behind the housing where the bulb mounts to keep paint off of the electrical connections etc.

Apply several light coats of translucent yellow spray paint (I got mine in the toys/models department at "Michael's craft store") till desired color.

As they say in most of the horrible factory manual's, installation is the reverse of removal:

More photos in the car with light output tomorrow.

**MPD47** · #2 11-25-2008, 03:10 AM

One more before going to sleep, new photos during the day and tomorrow evening.

Please excuse how dirty the car is, it's winter in WNY after all and even washing it once a week it still looks like crap more often than not.

**MPD47** · #3 11-25-2008, 06:34 PM

Two more pics, first one is high beams off, second is closer up and high beams on. I desperately need 3k bulbs for the highs (currently just regular old "super white" H7's) and 6k's for the fogs.

Oh yeah, winter wheels on as well now.

NickyBlack · #4 11-25-2008, 07:04 PM

Mike looks good. You put on the Nokians on the new wheels??

**MPD47** · #5 11-25-2008, 07:06 PM

I need to get some, rocking Pirelli drift tires right now, they blow. The nokians I had were 15's and definitely will not fit.

NickyBlack · #6 11-25-2008, 10:13 PM

I stumbled across this and thought of this thread

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/b...-here-she.html

Think i can do this on my E60 too?

**MPD47** · #7 11-28-2008, 12:50 AM

NB, I honestly have no idea what the e60 housings look like so I couldn't tell ya.

Scratch that, after some ebay searching...

I believe those tabs will release the housing (along with a couple more on the side and bottom). Then yes, you should be able to.

Also I cleaned the second light with paper towel rather than a light bit of steel wool and it worked much better for scuffing and quality IMO.

**MOFO** · #8 11-30-2008, 09:18 PM

JDM YO!

joe91985 · #9 03-02-2009, 01:18 PM

anyone have a picture of this on a e36 m3, black body. Need a pic to see if I wanna go about it.

WinningBlue8 · #10 03-04-2009, 08:20 PM

howbout a yellow e36... you can print it and color it with a pencil, or photochop it haha. its on my computer somwhere, ill look for it after lost

WinningBlue8 · #11 03-05-2009, 12:33 AM

here it is... i like the foglights on this one too, are yours the same or less see through ish.

joe91985 · #12 03-06-2009, 10:58 AM

Mine are the bosch fogs so they are more of a flat front, glass lens and has the light dispersment(sp?) in the glass lens They were listed as the OEM stuff so I bought it through my parts supplier. Look perfect. Thanks for the pic, tough to say about black still but I will print it too and color it.