rickster1957

Hi, all I have E60 with halo lights. Left parking (halo) is out. Can I replace only the 2825 bulb, or do I have to replace the bulb/ socket assembly?

habbyguy

It's not too difficult, but does require removing the headlight(s).

(I used some cheap eBay LED bulbs which are a HUGE improvement). I coudln't find another video that actually showed the process (the descriptions I read sounded a lot scarier than reality). ;-)

rickster1957

Thanks Habbyguy!
but my actual question was- can I replace only the bulb, or does the new bulb come already in the socket assembly ?
it looks like a press in bulb, just pushed into the removable socket assembly to me…… haven’t taken mine apart yet.

twh

When you buy that bulb it comes already installed in that thing which appears to be an holder.

You will need to be real careful getting that bulb out, some internal wires will be moved and those wires are infamous for cracking and/of flaking off insulation. Have some RTV or household silicone on hand in case you need to apply some on some wires.

You really will need to remove the headlight form the car to do this job. It isn't that hard.

twh

I don't know if the bulb comes out or not, not sure I tried...this is the one my car used (not sure why Amazon preview isn't showing):

rickster1957

Ok, thanks guys! I’ll prolly pull it apart tonight after work. Was thinking of switching to amber halos, any thoughts?

habbyguy

FWIW, I don't think those bulbs are replaceable "as just a bulb"... pretty sure you have to replace the whole thing.

The halos are already "amber" (though it's funny how the auto-adjustment in my camera phone "corrected" that to make them look pretty close to white).

donpb

You unplug the connector, twist and bulb w/ housing comes out. No need to remove the headlight assy. Use the circular headlight assy cover panel to access.

ZeroDfx

I seem to recall the socket on one side twists left, and the other side twists right to remove; I had a hard time with mine until I realized I was turning it the wrong way.

habbyguy

I've read where some have managed to do so, but I can't imagine how. It was fairly fiddly swapping out the bulbs with the headlights sitting on a bench. I don't have overly huge hands, but really don't think I could contort them to the position to reach "around the corner" to get to the bulbs, much less get them installed accurately doing it blind.

Or maybe different models of E60/61/6x have better access to the area behind the removable circular cover?