BMW E30 - LED instrument lights flicker with rheostat switch

Work fine wired straight to power, but flicker and come on and off when run through the dimmable rheostat switch. Switching back to 5w bulbs may be the only cure.

F10/F11/G07: Front Fog-Lamp / Spot-Lamp Fault fix... the bulb or not the bulb?

 If you get 'Front Foglight Failure' coming up then it's likely a bulb has blown, but I believe it is a common problem on the F10 showing this error but both front fog lamps are still working, or a light not working but the bulb is not blown. It should be an easy fix.

REPLACING THE BULB / CHECKING FAULT:

1. Using an 8mm hex-socket remove four of the screws holding the front side of the corresponding wheel-arch liner - two from the bottom edge and the other two that run up the outer edge of the wheel-arch. This should be enough to peel the arch-liner back and see the back of the fog-light.

2. Remove the wiring-connector by pressing the clip and sliding it upwards.

3. Remove the bulb-holder in the back of the fog-lamp by giving it a quarter-turn anti-clockwise and it should pull out easily.

If the bulb is blown then it can be removed from the plastic holder and replaced.

IF IT'S NOT THE BULB:

The worst case scenario is a fault with the lighting module or wiring to it, see this post - https://www.beemerlab.org/2019/04/f10-halogen-headlight-module-issues.html, but it is far more likely to just be a loose wiring-connector behind the bumper.

Firstly, the wiring-connector to the fog-lamp itself connects from above, so it is possible moisture can fid its way in and corrode the terminals, which can be easily cleaned up with some emery-cloth and a small screwdriver/awl. It is also feasible that road dirt / debris can drop into the plug as it is removed, making it not seat correctly when it is replaced, so rule these out first.

Secondly, there is another wiring connector higher up in the front bumper behind the bottom of the headlight unit. It is hard to spot, as wires seem to run to the fog-lamps from both sides of the car and also link to the headlights, so it will appear as if the wiring to the fogs are intact, when this plug becoming loose or not properly connected will stop the fog-lamp working and throw the error, but not affect the headlights. This can be caused when a headlight has been removed for bulb-replacement or work on the front of the car, so if this work has been done to the car recently then be sure to check this plug. 

BMW FRM Lamp ID Codes List [Fxx Series, E92]

List of some FRM codes for vehicle lighting, used when coding / reprogramming FRM module. I will add more ID codes / alterations as I find out.

0x00 High Beam, Left or E92/3 Cornering Light
0x01 High Beam, Right or E92/3 Cornering Light
0x02 Low Beam, Left
0x03 Low Beam, Right
0x04 Parking Light, Left
0x05 Parking Light, Right
0x06 Fog Light, Left, Front
0x07 Fog Light, Right, Front
0x08 Turn Signal, Left, Front
0x09 Turn Signal, Right, Front
0x0A Turn Signal, Left, Rear
0x0B Turn Signal, Right, Rear
0x0C Unassigned 1
0x0D Lighting WBL Button?
0x0E Brake Light, Left
0x0F Brake Light, Right
0x10 Brake Light, Center
0x11 Taillight/Brake Light, Left 1 or E92/3 Daytime Running Light
0x12 Taillight/Brake Light, Right 1 or E92/3 Daytime Running Light
0x13 Taillight/Brake Light, Left 2
0x14 Taillight/Brake Light, Right 2
0x15 Licence Plate Lighting
0x16 Interior Lighting
0x17 Fog Light, Left, Rear
0x18 Fog Light, Right, Rear
0x19 Reverse Light, Left
0x1A Reverse Light, Right
0x1B Brake Force Display, Left
0x1C Brake Force Display, Right
0x1D Clamp 58g
0x1E LED Driving Lights Control
0x1F LED Front Field Illumination
0xFF Unknown Lamp

See this post for more information about the FRM module and how to program it - http://www.beemerlab.org/2019/04/f10-halogen-headlight-module-issues.html

E60 Driver's Door: No power to windows, mirrors, remote-lock, etc. - Door Module fuse.

Symptoms:

• Driver's window switch-panel doesn't operate or illuminate buttons.
• Remote door-lock doesn't operate, but all doors operate when key is turned.
• Driver's door courtesy light does not illuminate.
• Mirror control and other door switches do not operate or illuminate.
• Speaker still works.

Cause:

FUSE 10 - 30A - [Driver's Seat Adjustment] It's the first green fuse from the left in the glove compartment fuse-box.

The fuse is labelled Driver's Seat Adjustment, but is really just power from Terminal 30, which also supplies the Driver's Door Module. This module is located inside the driver's door and metes out power to the different door components so that all operations are communicated back to the CAS [Comfort Access System]. This means that when the fuse to the door module blows, power is lost to the window, mirror, etc. switch panel, the remote door lock, basically everything except the speaker. This causes a lot of confusion as to the root of the problem, as it would be very hard to guess that the fuse for the driver's seat adjustment motors would also power a hidden module in the door that controls everything. Oh well, that's modern cars. 

There is a lot of conflicting information on forums about this. It appears that most people have the symptoms described above and not one reply mentions this fuse! Owner's have even shelled out for new door modules which have had no effect and perhaps their lack of further contribution to the thread suggest the same sheepish frustration I felt when I found the fuse. Quite a few people have foxed indy auto-electricians with this problem, who have probably been testing wires, as I did, while not knowing about the fuse.

I eventually discovered the fuse by tracing the wiring diagrams on bmw-planet.com. This is a brilliant place to access the TIS wiring-diagrams and navigate them easily. I have condensed the layout of the door module wiring in the pic below.

E60: Blocked Washer-Pump - Quick Fix.

No water from windscreen washer-jets? Chances are it's a blockage in the pump filter. This is not a difficult job, rather a very easy one, so avoid unnecessary cost and fix it quickly yourself.

Check Fuse: 
Fuse 18 is the corresponding fuse. If the washer pump is dead and making no noise then this is the first thing to check. If it is still making a whining noise, then you have a blocked pump-filter.

** The headlamp washer system only functions when the headlights / sidelights are turned on. **

FIX:

Windscreen Washer System:

** The washer bottle is located just in front of the N/S (passenger) wheel-arch liner. The filler-neck is just behind the N/S headlamp and you can see the hose go down into the bodywork and rise up to where the tank is. The tank CANNOT be accessed from above, even when the headlamp is removed. It is much easier to peel the arch-liner back and work from inside the wheel-arch. **

** Obviously water will spill out of the washer bottle so just allow it to drain. **

1. Remove the 3 screws from the N/S/F plastic wheel-arch liner circled in the photo so that it can be peeled back out of the arch rim, one on the near edge, one along the bottom and one by the brake air-duct. It helps to turn the wheel full-lock one way or the other to give more room.

2. Gently pull the washer-jet hose connector off the spout on the side of the windscreen washer-pump. [It's the smaller grey one, furthest away in photo].

3. Reach in and grip the windscreen washer-pump, then gently turn it from side to side while lifting it upwards until the spout on the pump is free of the tank [it may need tilting towards the wheel to get out].

4. Unplug the wire-connector from the pump by depressing the clip on either side and sliding it upwards. The pump can now be removed from inspection if necessary. [Alternatively, leave the wiring connected and place the pump somewhere out of the way].

5. Gently prise the rubber base the pump sits in upwards out of it's collar in the tank, being careful not to detach the plastic-filter from below it and have it drop into the tank.

6. Remove the white plastic filter from the rubber piece and give it a good clean. [It's usually congealed screen-wash clogging it as in the photo, rather than detritus].

7. Refit the plastic filter to the bottom of the rubber base and carefully lower it vertically back into the tank.

8. Refit the pump as a reversal of steps 4 to 1.

Sticky residue wrapped right around the filter-gauze
had stopped flow into the pump completely.

Headlamp Washer System:
The process is the same for the larger headlamp washer pump, though the hose-connector at the bottom in the second photo is sturdier and needs the clip pushing up from undernath to slide the hose off.

Headlamp washer has a much bigger filter, I guess to get more
water into the bigger pump and higher pressure spray.

E87 LCI: 1er Warning-light woes + dodgy pad-sensor. [How to reset.]

My boss Mike has been dying to get back on the Beemer wagon, so has surreptitiously gifted himself by getting his wife an E87 LCI 118d M-sport as a present. It was time to reset the service lights, which can be done using the 'trip reset' button on the clocks, like other modern BMWs, though with no iDrive the procedure is slightly different.

HOW TO RESET SERVICE DURATIONS:

1. Turn ignition on without depressing the clutch. [Key phase 2 on push-button models].
2. Hold the trip-reset [odometer] button on the clocks until a yellow triangle with ! appears.
3. Single presses of the trip-reset button will now cycle through the service menu options [service, oil, brake-pads etc.]. Stop at the one you want to reset.
4. Hold the BC button on the end of the left indicator-stalk until a clock appears next to the menu-icon on the dash. When the clock stops counting the service duration for that option is reset.

• A red icon is a service duration warning. An orange icon means it is overdue / there is a fault.
• A red/orange icon of the car in the air with a stand under it means there is a fault and it needs to go in to BMW [or get a scanner on it].
• If the handbrake light stays lit up after you release the handbrake then this means there is a fault in the brake system. If you know the discs/pads to be OK and the brakes are fine, then you have a dodgy pad-wear sensor.

PAD-WEAR SESNOR ERROR: [HANDBRAKE-LIGHT]

After resetting the brake-pad service indicator we noticed the mileage count had not reset. The icon in the service menu recommending the car be taken to a dealership [the car icon with a stand underneath] and interestingly, the handbrake light was staying on even with the handbrake released. After a bit of forum scanning it turns out the light staying on means there is a fault in the braking system or one is about to develop. This is common when pads / discs have been changed and 9-out-of-10 times it means a pad-wear sensor has been disturbed and thrown up a fault. If you know the brakes are working as they should then the warning message can be cleared with a scanner and probably wont return. If it does then a pad-wear sensor has failed [scanner will likely confirm this] and will need replacing. You can do both of them for about £10 and it's a really easy job - wheel off, 2 bolts and a push-fit - but if you're truly skint I believe there is a technique online somewhere to just twist some wires together and bypass them.

http://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23763

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=698040

E60: Replacing headlight-washer caps / hinges!

Despite how it looks, you can't replace them with the bumper on. This is best done while the whole front bumper is off the car, but thesis the quick and dirty method, of course.

1. Lift each cap out of the bumper on the hinge and remove them by depressing the clips at the back and sliding the lugs out of the hinge.

2. Remove the screw holding each corner of the bumper to the wing using a 10mm wrench.

3. Pop the corner out of the wing and bend it out enough to reach behind the headlight-washer cap.

4. Remove the hinge / lever by bending one side out and unhooking it from the outer lugs, the other side should then come away easily.

5. Remove the spring by squeezing the coils towards each other and unhooking them from the inner lugs.

6. Fit the new spring as a reverse of removal.

7. Lift the spring up forwards and fit the new hinge / lever as a reverse of removal, then release the spring ensuring it is tight against the flat-bar on the hinge.

8. Refit each corner of the bumper.

9. Lift the hinges / levers out of the bumper and fit the caps.

E60: First Fault - Parking-Light Bulb

Got a lovely polyphonic chime last Sunday, one week exactly after buying the car. The iDrive showed a failure on the front o/s parking-light (sidelight), the angel-eyes basically. Seemed a bit weird that the bulb would fail so suddenly so I wiggled the wire connector with no joy. The standard headlight model E60s (non-LCI) use normal 501 capless bulbs for the angel-eyes and are just an easy swap. With the optional xenon headlights though, as mine features, the bulb swap is not so simple.

The part you need, above, is a very rare fitment bulb peened in to a ridiculous holder / lens. These are bought from BMW for £25 +VAT, but when I rang up from work to get same-day delivery they said it would need ordering specially and takes 2-3 days anyway, so I reverted back to eBay, where I got the part, BOSCH/Hella, so is OEM and only cost £23.99 with NextDay delivery included. I also got a feedback so that was a no-brained really, online part prices seem to be killing motor-factors lately.

The bulb and holder location is near impossible to work out without knowing what you're looking for, as it is one bulb powering both angel-eye rings, unlike the non-xenon headlights which have one small bulb for each ring. The single xenon angel-eye bulb is located at the inner-side of the headlight unit, behind the smaller round plastic-cap. Getting to it without removing the headlight is all but impossible, unless you have the most double-jointed hands ever, so just pop the headlight out. An official service-guide recommends dropping the front bumper to get the headlight out freely, but this is not essential and will quadruple the length of the job! With a bit of wiggling the headlight can be worked out without damaging the grille or wing.

Process: (For Xenon-headlight equipped cars)

1. Remove the round plastic-cap from the inner-side of the headlight back by gently pressing it anti-clockwise with a screwdriver a short turn and carefully extracting it through the gap.

2. Remove the two bolts holding the top of the headlight in place using a T35 Torx socket. The bolts are located on the headlight bracket on either corner.

3. Remove the two screws holding the bottom of the headlight using an 8mm socket with a long extension-bar. The screws are found just behind the lower corners of the headlight-back, right at the bottom. Dropping these into the lower-tray is annoying, so it's best to use a magnet-on-a-stick to retrieve them rather than extracting them in the socket.

4. Wiggle the headlight unit free from its mount and work it forward out of huge body. Start by moving out the outer-side a small amount and then begin to work the inner-corner away from the centre-grille. The outer-side should then pop out.

5. Remove the main wiring-connector from the headlight unit by sliding the sides of the clip down on either side until it ejects the wiring-connector plug, which should then pull out easily. If it doesn't, the sides of the clip need to go down further.

6. Remove the smaller wiring-connector from below the main connector-plug by pressing the clips in either side and pulling it back.

7. The parking-light bulb/holder is located in the small round aperture, which the cap is already off, right at the bottom - the holder is gold/orange in colour. Using two-fingers rotate the bulb-holder anti-clockwise 1/8-turn, or carefully use a screwdriver. The holder should now easily pull back out of its mount.

8. Use the wires to the bulb-holder to rotate it and pull it out of the headlight unit, wired-end first past the other bulb-holder.

9. Pull the wire-connector out of the old bulb-holder, plug in the new one reverse the process to refit.

E21: Front indicators - a common problem?

Is your front corner-indicator not working, but the bulb and fuse are fine?

Mine wasn't and it turned out to be the metal live-clip that sits against the bottom of the bulb. Not the best of designs, connection is lost to the bulb if the clip is bent back slightly, causing the indicator to fail intermittently [denoted by faster clicking of the turning-signal]. The clip having a little corrosion or crud on it is also enough to stop the bulb getting a signal.

A quick clean up with emery-cloth and a slight bend forwards so it sits tight on the bulb was enough to get mine working solidly again. This could be a common problem, especially in the UK and Europe where grime gets pushed everywhere in an E21, so if your fuse and bulb appear fine, but the indicator won't work, you can bet it's the live-clip.

PROCESS:

1. Dis-connect the corner indicator wiring by sliding apart the plastic-clip located behind the headlamp under the bonnet and push it through the hole to the outside of the wing.

2. Remove the two crosshead screws holding the corner-indicator lens and lift the lens off.

3. Remove the two crosshead screws holding the indicator-housing to the wing. The housing should now slide forwards and clear the wing.

4. Use nose-pliers to remove the metal live-clip from where it sits in the plastic-housing.

5. Bend the prong [denoted by the arrow] in towards the other prong, bringing the flat-edge down.

6. Clean up the face of the prong and the metal-contact on the bulb with emery-cloth.

7. Replace the live-clip to the plastic-housing and reverse Steps 1-3 to re-fit.

E21 Retrofit Angel Eyes! [Single headlight models 315, 316, 318]

I fitted CCFL [cold-cathode fluorescent tube] angel-eye rings to my E39 5-series a while back and it was pretty straight-forward, so I thought I'd have a go at a real retrofit and stick some in the E21... because all Beemers should have angel-eyes right? I know it's not a stance thing, but it is a style thing nonetheless and you don't see many E21s with angel-eyes. Twin headlight models share lamps with the E30, so the aftermarket world is your oyster, but there are no kits available for the single headlight E21 so I bought the bits separately. I bought two 145mm CCFL-rings and inverter-ballasts from car-mod-shop-ltd on eBay, which worked out about the same price as a kit @ £10 for each ring and £5 for each ballast. 

The difference of course between retro and modern cars is the headlights nowadays are usually multiple lamps fitted into a cluster, which can be easily popped open and clipped back together, making it easy to fit the CCFL-rings inside them. Classic cars, say pre 1990, tend to have separate single lamps that have fully sealed lenses and cracking these babies open without busting the glass is what gave me the most trouble on this job, so bear this is mind before undertaking it yourself and be careful, it's not something I would want to do again anytime soon! 

1. Headlight Stripping:

Exploded headlight diagram on RealOEM.com to reference parts and construct: [http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1712&mospid=47166&btnr=63_0023&hg=63&fg=05]

1a. Remove the front grilles and headlights - see this guide if you need help doing that - [http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3344522564318790310#editor/target=post;postID=2422546919882957928]

1b. Free the spring-clip arms from the wiring-connector and rotate them back, then pull off the wiring-connector / covering-cap and remove the bulb / sidelight-bulb + holder.

1c. Remove the tensioning spring from the headlight chassis.

1d. Use a flat screwdriver to carefully pop the legs of the adjusting-screws out of their collars on the front of the headlight chassis.

1e. Carefully tilt the rear chassis away from the lens against the plastic mounting-clip, being careful not to snap it, until the chassis is clear of the spring-clip/lens and can be rotated a quarter-turn and removed from its mount.

1f. If the headlight has one, gently prize off the thin metal cowl from around the rim of the lens. [One of mine had it, one didn't.]

2. Opening the Lens:

2a. Leave the glass lens in a very low-heat oven for 10-15 minutes to soften the sealant between the glass and reflector.

2b. Score away as much of the sealant from around the rim of the glass as possible using a square-cut razor-blade and pick it out using a small flat screwdriver.

2c. Gently push a small flat screwdriver into the gap between the glass and the metal rim. Gently rotate the screwdriver to carefully prize the metal rim away from the glass and completely crack the seal, repeating around the entire circumference of the lens.

**Make sure you take time to pick away as much sealant as possible and can see or hear it crack away from the edge when prizing with the screwdriver before trying to lift the lens - it won't take much to crack the glass!**

2d. Place the end of the screwdriver beneath the edge of the glass and gently prize it up out of the metal lens. This will likely need doing in a few different spots before the glass becomes free enough to lift out of the lens.

3. Angel-Eye Fitting:

3a. Clean the lens and inside surface of the glass.

3b. Locate a suitable position for the CCFL angel-eye ring just inside the bowl of the lens. The larger 145mm rings I'm using have a flat section along the top that meets the bonnet shut-line on E46 etc. and I thought it would make too big a gap in my round lenses, so I mounted mine with the flat spot offset 45  degrees inwards on either side, giving it a sort of badboy-bonnet look, or that's the idea anyway.

3c. Push the socket and wires from the CCFL ring trough the sidelight hole in the lens [the socket may need one of the lugs cutting off the side to fit through], locate a suitable position for the two wires in the lens with the shortest path from the ring and attach them along the flat plastic side of the ring and to each other using clear-tape.

3d. Attach the CCFL angel-eye ring just inside the bowl of the lens using clear-sealant or the sticking-pads supplied with most CCFL-rings.

4. Resealing and Fitting:

4a. Apply clear-sealant [I just used multi-purpose silicone stuff] around the metal rim of the lens and replace the glass. If you haven't marked the position of the glass, the two hooks that fasten the spring-clip down is the top of the lens.

4b. Gently prize the edge of the metal rim back toward the glass and run another bead of sealant around the outside of the rim and leave it to set.

4c. Replace the headlight bulb and holder.

4d. Drill a hole of about 8-9mm in the covering cap, just to the right of the curved contact from the original sidelight. Pop the socket and wires from the CCFL-ring through the hole and replace the covering-cap.

4e. Use a bit more sealant on the hole where the CCFL-ring wires come through the cap.

4f. Replace the metal cowl [if it has one] and prize it back tight around the edge of the glass and lens.

4g. Reassemble the remaining headlight chassis by first inserting the plastic-lug and rotating the chassis back into place. Then drop it flat enough against the lens to easily get the spring back into place and stretch the chassis back until you can pop the ends of the adjusting-screws back into their collars.

4h. Refit the headlights and grilles to the car.

5. Wiring Up:

5a. Find a suitable place to mount the CCFL-ballast where there is plenty of room for the wires to reach and affix it with the provided sticking-pads. [If you're only running a single headlight it's worth heavily insulating the unused CCFL socket and tape it out of the way - they carry a high current and can short out very easily, I've burnt out a few inverters before just by them contacting the body for a second or two!]

5b. Chop the lower of the 4 wires on the headlight wiring-connector. This is the one that sticks out further away from the other 3 terminals on the connector and should be Gy/Wt for O/S and Yl/Bk for N/S on European single-headlight model E21s.

5c. Connect the cut wire to the terminal on the CCFL-ballast's red wire using solder or crimp-connectors and insulate with heat-shrink ideally, or tape.

5d. Connect the black wire from the CCFL-ballast to the headlight earth-wire - the brown wire on both sides. You could do this by soldering or with a multi-crimp connector, but I found the easiest way was to bend the metal terminal of the black wire 90 degrees and slide it into the brown wire socket on the headlight connector. The connector then holds the wire tight when it's pushed into place. A bit slapdash, but it does the trick!

5e. Plug the wiring connector back into the headlight and connect up the CCFL-ring to the inverter-ballast.

Enjoy your new angle eyes!

E39: Windscreen Washer-Jet System Problems

Replacing / Unblocking the Pump - How to Guide: http://www.planet5.co.cc/2011/10/replacing-unclogging-washer-jet-pump.html

I've had a couple of minor faults with the windscreen/headlamp washer jet and they look like they could be common to most E39 models.

1. Disconnected/Broken Nozzle Hose:

Fault Finding: One washer-nozzle is not working at all / only emitting a tiny amount of water, while the other remains functional.

The hoses for the windscreen-washer run up the offside bonnet-hinge and along the back of the bonnet to reach the nozzels. Due to the constrictive nature of the plastic crimp-clips used to hold them in place, the hoses can be stressed while the bonnet is repeatedly opened and shut. This will most likely cause the plastic-connector to become unplugged from the nozzle [as with my car] so it's just a case of snapping the two connectors back together. The hoses could also be caused to split, so if the connectors are still in place then operate the system and check for leaks along the hose. You will probably need a replacement hose if it is split, unless it is near enough to the nozzle to chop off the split section and reseat it. If there is no leak then it is likely that the hose has been crimped shut, so check each plastic crimp-clip attaching it to the bodywork and adjust it so there's no restriction.

If you suspect you have this problem then check it over as soon as possible as there will be water/screenwash pouring down the back of the engine every time you use the washer system!!

2. Blocked / Faulty In-Tank Pump:

Fault finding: Both wash-jets are not emitting water, or emitting a small amount of water then stopping. No sound can be heard from the washer-jet pump, or the pump is very loud and appears to be struggling to get water through.

If there is no sound from the washers then, if the fuse hasn't blown, its likely the pump is dead and needs replacing. If the pump appears to be struggling but not pumping water then first unclip the hose at the join located under the bonnet, half way down the lip of the driver's wing and try the washers. If water isn't getting this far then a blocked hose/nozzle can be ruled out and the pump will need removing and replacing to unblock.

E39: Condensation + Water in the Headlights

Water getting into the headlight units seems to be a pretty common problem on most 90s BMWs, with the E39 5 Series clearly being one of the worst affected - I've seen scores of people with this problem online, ranging from patches of condensation like mine to full blown fish tanks in the lower half of the lens and it would appear that no matter how serious the leak it's still a right pain to get shut of. Unless money is no object don't even consider a replacement, they start at £120 currently and go up from there.

I only began to notice condensation in my n/s light until after fitting the angel-eye rings, so assuming I'd not reassembled it correctly I removed the unit, blew away the droplets with a hair-dryer and reset the seal, as have countless others, to no avail. As the condensation spread over the whole face of the lens I began to scour message-boards looking for a successful fix and believe I've found a technique that does indeed work...

*** If your headlight unit has been damaged in a shunt, the lens is cracked, has a stone chip through it or if the rubber-seal has perished enough to no longer fill the gap then I'm afraid there's no pretty way to fix this problem and you'll have to replace the unit or it'll fail an MOT.

Dismantling the Headlamp unit :

1. Remove the 5 wiring-loom sockets from the back of each headlight.

2. Remove the 4 screws holding the light-cluster in place, located on the slam-panel and down the back of the cluster, using an 8mm wrench.

3. Pull the light-cluster forward from the inner side until the lug on the outer corner can be slid out and the cluster removed.

4. Slide off the strip of body-coloured trim and rubber seal from the bottom of the headlight.

Reverse the process to re-fit.

Drying the Lens :

Use pliers to slide off the 2 metals-clips on each of the round glass inner-lenses. The glass discs should then be easily removable [trickier with angel-eye rings glued to them], to get some air flow through to the outer-lens and, if you have any, mop away any moisture on the main area of the lens with a cloth.

The best way to dry the unit is to place the front section of the headlamp in a warm, arid place and just leave it for a day or two. As time is usually of the essence though, the most popular method is the good old hair-dryer. Condensation on the main lens area is easy to blow away from the rear, but the corner-indicator is in a separate pod where little air gets to it, so heat the outside of the corner-lens for a few minutes, then let it [and the hair-dryer] cool for a few minutes and evaporate and repeat the process until the drops are gone.

Refreshing the Seal :

1. Gently prize the rubber-seal from its recess around the rim of the rear section of the headlight.

2. Wash the seal using cold water, dry it completely and coat it entirely with a thin layer of petroleum-jelly [Vaseline].

3. Carefully press the seal back into its recess facing the opposite way it came out. [The original outer-facing edge should still be visible by the slim indent made by the lip on the front-section.] * Avoid stretching or compressing the seal while pushing it into the groove as this makes it difficult to get the right length to fit and you may need to rearrange it quite a bit to reach.

Sealing around the Corner-Indicator lens :

** If refreshing the seal does not work or the condensation is concentrated around the corner-indicator lens then there may be a minor break in the solid-seal here, so the only solution is to get messy with sealant.

I'd recommend a clear-drying, silicone-based multi-purpose sealant, although any old bathroom sealant will work and it's not too visible anyway with the light back in. Apply sealant into the gap of about 3mm that runs around the rim of the corner-indicator lens and press it right down into the seal with a screwdriver, this should give a nice, tight seal and show up any leak areas where blobs of sealant can be seen inside the lens. Apply more sealant on top and smooth round the entire edge with a finger. Be sure to wipe as much wet sealant from the light as possible, as well as rubbing away any leftover sealant from the lens after it has dried.