Turboe

New member here, I just got a 2004 530i a couple weeks ago, once I get some time at home I will get pics and specifics entered. I am loving it. I had a E39 for the last several years.

Here is my question. This 530i looked brand new when I got it. Not a mark on it. In my first week of having it I drove down to FL and put quite a few bugs on the front leading edges. I took it into a car was and sprayed them off the front, but the next day I noticed water had gotten into what I would call the "eyebrow" (where the parking lights strip of LEDs are as a new guy pardon me if I used the wrong terminology) on the passenger side headlights. It has now been a couple more weeks and it has not left. It is contained just in that top eyebrow area and has not gotten down into the actual headlight area.

A local BMW Dealership service guy said that they are designed with some kind of vent tubes that should allow them to "breathe" and dry out. I dont know if my vent tube are blocked or something.

Two questions:

1) what did I do wrong to get it in there in the first place?

and

2) Is there anything that I can do to get the water out of there?

Thanks for any help you can give me. And I look forward to spending more time on here and learning more.

Howitzer

They should be air tight, no moisture at all. Replace unit. Remember rule #1: Dealers are idiots and a scam.

subarashi

+1.....there should not be moisture in the eyebrows. You sometimes see moisture within the headlight enclosure but this is usually condensation that evaporates within mins.

Unfortunately-the eyebrows are not a serviceable or replaceable unit. the entire headlight assmbly will need replacing....

Turboe

Did I do something wrong? It seems funny that they were fine for 4 years of someone else owning it, and within the first week I did something that caused this condition?

I am guessing that this entire headlight unit is one sealed unit right? I sure hope that it does not include all the guts and mechanical portions of the active headlights, etc? Because if it does I am sure I am not going to like to hear the pricetag. What am I looking at $$ wise on that part?

Turboe

Unfortunately it is only in that little eyebrow area not the main headlight area. I even drove with the lights on during the day a little bit the other day hoping the heat generated by the Xenon would cause them to evaporate as well. So I guess I am just screwed, but now I will be paranoid about washing the car with a hand power washer.

luigi524td

Welcome ...

It's not likely that you did anything to cause the headlamps to collect moisture. Sometimes it just happens when seals let go. If you just bought the car from a legitimate dealer they may give you some financial assistance to replace the defective headlight. You can sometimes find used units in good condition and they are a snap to remove and replace.

I'd go back to the seller and ask for some $$ assistance. At the same time check the forum for a used replacement part. Let us know if you have halogen or adaptive Xenon's.

Worse case, it's more cosmetic - as a short cut try to warm the area with a hair dryer ... you might be able to get some of it to evaporate. That may be temporary though - moisture is getting in somehow.

Howitzer

They are about 500-600 each.

skeeter

Just do the eye brow upgrade...Once you're in the eyebrow you can dry out the condensation! Also, you'll have a cool mod!

Turboe

Tell me more about the "eyebrow" upgrade. I am new on here, and new to the E60. I had been an E39 guy until I made the mistake of driving an E60 a month or so ago, it changed my life. I couldnt go back. Now I am a convert, and will need to get up to speed on everything E60 related.

Anyway is this upgrade you mentioned to make it look the bright orange eyebrow like I see on some newer E60's? When did that change happen from the factory? What is entailed in the upgrade (both from a time and money sandpoint)?

Also another dumb question from a nubie, I see people refering to lights as LCI or pre-LCI. What is LCI, and when did it become the standard?

Thanks,

EV4530

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