open headlights

[dpbayly]

As someone has already mentioned post October 2002 BMW started using a glue that cant be heated so instead you need to be more drastic,

I came up against this when I split my 2003 pre facelift lights to fit SMD rings.

Here they are split



I cut the front off and when it came to sticking them back together I bonded them in places every 3 inches or so and then used a silicon sealant all the way round to seal them right up, done this way I can always re-split them easily if I ever need to get back inside.

Once sealed up and fitted back to the car if you popped my bonnet/hood and looked you cant tell at all that I've been there.

Back together and fitted back to the car:

[cuban_bmwx5]

Originally Posted by dpbayly

As someone has already mentioned post October 2002 BMW started using a glue that cant be heated so instead you need to be more drastic,

I came up against this when I split my 2003 pre facelift lights to fit SMD rings.

Here they are split



I cut the front off and when it came to sticking them back together I bonded them in places every 3 inches or so and then used a silicon sealant all the way round to seal them right up, done this way I can always re-split them easily if I ever need to get back inside.

Once sealed up and fitted back to the car if you popped my bonnet/hood and looked you cant tell at all that I've been there.

Back together and fitted back to the car:

ihave the same smd angel eyes they look great but for some reason when i have my music loud the rings flash with the bass

[dpbayly]

That's a strange one, I have an aftermarket 12" sub in the boot and my rings don't flash, maybe you have a bad earth somewhere

[Ricky Bobby]

Guys don't follow mrbmwx5's instructions. If you put your headlight in for a half hour at 400 degrees I guarantee your headlight will be melted.

Multiple baking sessions would be needed, I would do 235 at 30 mins, do some prying, and pop back in and repeat.

X5SND opened his facelift lights and it was NOT an easy process, but is doable with a lot of baking, patience and small picking and prying tools.

[cuban_bmwx5]

Originally Posted by dpbayly

That's a strange one, I have an aftermarket 12" sub in the boot and my rings don't flash, maybe you have a bad earth somewhere

yeah i have a 12 inch kicker sub and when i put the music loud it flashes with the bass i really wanna get that fixed but yeah could be a connection somewhere

[cuban_bmwx5]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

Guys don't follow mrbmwx5's instructions. If you put your headlight in for a half hour at 400 degrees I guarantee your headlight will be melted.

Multiple baking sessions would be needed, I would do 235 at 30 mins, do some prying, and pop back in and repeat.

X5SND opened his facelift lights and it was NOT an easy process, but is doable with a lot of baking, patience and small picking and prying tools.

do you think a heat gun would work or just better off baking them?

[Ricky Bobby]

Heat gun won't do shit, you'll end up with a mangled mess. A heat gun would work ok on headlights that are bakeable, since you don't need much heat to loosen. But not on permaseal.

You need focused heat around the entire headlight area, which is basically why you need to do it slow and low, 235 and 30 mins would be my start, take it out, do some prying to loosen a bit. Then throw it back in for another 15-20, etc.

I've not seen someone on the forums get a pre facelift permaseal headlight opened yet, everyone resorted to cutting them open. If you do, please post pics of the process. I'm lazy, and I'd rather spend an extra 200 on new housings from eBay then kill myself prying open stock lights.

[cuban_bmwx5]

yeah on ebay headlights are like $400 bucks this guy that is selling me the headlight with ballast for $165 shipped and if i go there to pick it up he said he would give me it for cheaper

[cuban_bmwx5]

so you think maybe im better off looking for headlight that are 02 and under