Amber removal
Contributors
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 9,986
Likes: 1
From: Zoo York
My Ride: Alpine White 2006 530Xi (SLD)
Good God, man, what is that thing on your lower front bumper?! 
I'm teasin' - the mod looks nice, but why didn't you do the orions and the eyebrow while you were there already? And since you've done this, do you experience any condensation in the headlights?
I'm teasin' - the mod looks nice, but why didn't you do the orions and the eyebrow while you were there already? And since you've done this, do you experience any condensation in the headlights?
Contributors
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 611
Likes: 0
From: Toms River NJ
My Ride: 2013 535i xDrive AW/Black M-kit
Members
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Huntington Beach, Ca
after a while of trying to heat the seal up between the clear lens cover and black housing it did nothing.( my friend sutck his in the oven and it did not work for him either ) The major problem was that the edge of the clear lens and seal is covered about 1/2 in. by the black plastic housing. I cut that lip that covered the rest of the clear plastic off carefully with my dremel tool to get access to the the edge of the clear lens and the actual seal you need to break apart. I did this from the corner where the amber is all the way to about the high beam area. There are also some screws you have to remove that connect the two housings together. Then I used a tool for removing trim form classic cars ( basically a curved forked ended wide flat head screwdriver ) I just started to put it up under the seal and push up on the clear plastic lightly, you can watch the seal seperate slowly. I worked my way around the top and bottom end to about the high beam. Then you can pull the two halves apart enough to give yourself some room to work. The amber lens is glued in on the lower part of the clear housing and on the clear reflector that covers the turn signal bulb. prying on it with a screwdriver a few times and it popped loose eaisily.
I then used a gasket sealer that I use on my old cars that I knew works great ( its called the right stuff ) and put a real thin bead of it on the exposed headlight seal and put the housing back together and installed the screws to hold it in place, I also put a clean bead of it on the outside where I cut the lip off from. the only thing that does not look factory is the bead of sealer when the hood is up and your looking close at the black part of the headlight housing
im sure I left out a few things but hopefully everybody gets the idea for now, I would be very intrested to hear how other people went about doing this.
oh, and the wheels are some old HRE's, im not sure the style. they are 20" 8x5 front and 8x10 rear.
Contributors
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 5,781
Likes: 2
From: CA
My Ride: BMW E60
Model Year: 2016
Oh nuts. If I had known that a screwdriver could pry it apart, I would have tried it with mine.
When I had it apart, it looked to me as if it's melted onto the clear housing, and I thought, "F that, not going to crack the whole housing try to get it off".
I guess this really should be attempted by someone who don't care if they break it, lol.
When I had it apart, it looked to me as if it's melted onto the clear housing, and I thought, "F that, not going to crack the whole housing try to get it off".
I guess this really should be attempted by someone who don't care if they break it, lol.
Contributors
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 611
Likes: 0
From: Toms River NJ
My Ride: 2013 535i xDrive AW/Black M-kit
well let me first say I do not recommend people do what I did to get the amber out. I kind of went into it with a I dont care if I break them attitude, I did it over a year ago and have had no problems or condensation. Im not the greatest at explaining things but I will try to do my best...
after a while of trying to heat the seal up between the clear lens cover and black housing it did nothing.( my friend sutck his in the oven and it did not work for him either ) The major problem was that the edge of the clear lens and seal is covered about 1/2 in. by the black plastic housing. I cut that lip that covered the rest of the clear plastic off carefully with my dremel tool to get access to the the edge of the clear lens and the actual seal you need to break apart. I did this from the corner where the amber is all the way to about the high beam area. There are also some screws you have to remove that connect the two housings together. Then I used a tool for removing trim form classic cars ( basically a curved forked ended wide flat head screwdriver ) I just started to put it up under the seal and push up on the clear plastic lightly, you can watch the seal seperate slowly. I worked my way around the top and bottom end to about the high beam. Then you can pull the two halves apart enough to give yourself some room to work. The amber lens is glued in on the lower part of the clear housing and on the clear reflector that covers the turn signal bulb. prying on it with a screwdriver a few times and it popped loose eaisily.
I then used a gasket sealer that I use on my old cars that I knew works great ( its called the right stuff ) and put a real thin bead of it on the exposed headlight seal and put the housing back together and installed the screws to hold it in place, I also put a clean bead of it on the outside where I cut the lip off from. the only thing that does not look factory is the bead of sealer when the hood is up and your looking close at the black part of the headlight housing
im sure I left out a few things but hopefully everybody gets the idea for now, I would be very intrested to hear how other people went about doing this.
oh, and the wheels are some old HRE's, im not sure the style. they are 20" 8x5 front and 8x10 rear.
after a while of trying to heat the seal up between the clear lens cover and black housing it did nothing.( my friend sutck his in the oven and it did not work for him either ) The major problem was that the edge of the clear lens and seal is covered about 1/2 in. by the black plastic housing. I cut that lip that covered the rest of the clear plastic off carefully with my dremel tool to get access to the the edge of the clear lens and the actual seal you need to break apart. I did this from the corner where the amber is all the way to about the high beam area. There are also some screws you have to remove that connect the two housings together. Then I used a tool for removing trim form classic cars ( basically a curved forked ended wide flat head screwdriver ) I just started to put it up under the seal and push up on the clear plastic lightly, you can watch the seal seperate slowly. I worked my way around the top and bottom end to about the high beam. Then you can pull the two halves apart enough to give yourself some room to work. The amber lens is glued in on the lower part of the clear housing and on the clear reflector that covers the turn signal bulb. prying on it with a screwdriver a few times and it popped loose eaisily.
I then used a gasket sealer that I use on my old cars that I knew works great ( its called the right stuff ) and put a real thin bead of it on the exposed headlight seal and put the housing back together and installed the screws to hold it in place, I also put a clean bead of it on the outside where I cut the lip off from. the only thing that does not look factory is the bead of sealer when the hood is up and your looking close at the black part of the headlight housing
im sure I left out a few things but hopefully everybody gets the idea for now, I would be very intrested to hear how other people went about doing this.
oh, and the wheels are some old HRE's, im not sure the style. they are 20" 8x5 front and 8x10 rear.
i really want to do this but im not sure i follow. can someone calrify? pics would be diesel. the whole clear front lense has to come off right? and how is it resealed?
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Queens NY
I've dome mine a last year. the pictures aren't that great but they are very bright. I also made the halo rings under the BMW emblem window blind acrylic rods which I heated in the over and wrap around a can
Contributors
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 611
Likes: 0
From: Toms River NJ
My Ride: 2013 535i xDrive AW/Black M-kit
Oh wow that's cool. How did u power them? Where's the led? Can u see the ring during the day?
Members
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Queens NY
I attached the front lights by passing the wires through the hood down to the hinges and back to the eye lids. The back lights to the license plate lights. The rings below the emblem is about an eight smaller then the emblem so the rings don?t show. I drilled two holes under each emblem and install two LED bulbs. The two bulbs are way brighter than one LED. The hard part was drilling the holes, it hurt more mentally. The rings are very bright in the night but not that bright in the day.
