E90 ZKW projector bowl retrofit- My progression...

[Sockethead]

I finally got e90 lights for both sides. '07 & '09. Going to start after the holidays...

[Johnmadd]

I finally got e90 lights for both sides. '07 & '09. Going to start after the holidays...

You'll enjoy being able to see at night now.

[Sockethead]

You'll enjoy being able to see at night now.

Yea, I don't even drive it at night anymore....

[Torxuvin]

Yea, I don't even drive it at night anymore....

Lucky. I feel like it's always either night or raining...

[brettbimmer]

Hey Jon/All - One retrofit installed and looks good. High beams work, low beams work, but no auto-level at startup (either side - one old, one new). All four plugs are securely in the rear of the light, and everything inside the housing looks to be snug & secure. Anyone have any ideas? I can't believe that the auto-leveling sensor on the control arm would've taken this time to die on me...though stranger things have happened. Any ideas? Also, everything that I did for this retrofit I did from the back side without having to remove the front of the housing, so I never had any of the internal wiring/leveling sockets apart.

[Mr Paul]

When I did this retrofit a few months ago, I did the passenger side first and then the driver's side. After I got the passenger side done I checked the functionality and I had no hi-beam on the new headlight. I rechecked my work and couldn't find any problems. But once I got the driver's side completed, BOTH high beams functioned as they should. I don't have any explanation as to why this could be because I reused the highbeam solenoid from my old headlights in the new ones. Perhaps when you complete the other side your auto-level functionality will return.

Hey Jon/All - One retrofit installed and looks good. High beams work, low beams work, but no auto-level at startup (either side - one old, one new). All four plugs are securely in the rear of the light, and everything inside the housing looks to be snug & secure. Anyone have any ideas? I can't believe that the auto-leveling sensor on the control arm would've taken this time to die on me...though stranger things have happened. Any ideas? Also, everything that I did for this retrofit I did from the back side without having to remove the front of the housing, so I never had any of the internal wiring/leveling sockets apart.

[brettbimmer]

When I did this retrofit a few months ago, I did the passenger side first and then the driver's side. After I got the passenger side done I checked the functionality and I had no hi-beam on the new headlight. I rechecked my work and couldn't find any problems. But once I got the driver's side completed, BOTH high beams functioned as they should. I don't have any explanation as to why this could be because I reused the highbeam solenoid from my old headlights in the new ones. Perhaps when you complete the other side your auto-level functionality will return.

Thank you for that information. Perhaps that is the issue here. I did not swap the solenoids from the brunt bowls as I didn't think we needed to (and hi-low beams are currently functioning fine for each). Guess I should try the other side modification first and see if it works with both lights running E90 solenoids & see if auto-leveling returns.

[JupiterBMW]

Thank you for that information. Perhaps that is the issue here. I did not swap the solenoids from the brunt bowls as I didn't think we needed to (and hi-low beams are currently functioning fine for each). Guess I should try the other side modification first and see if it works with both lights running E90 solenoids & see if auto-leveling returns.

Hwy Brett. I already PMed you back, but I just had another thought. Being that you did everything from the back, possible that something is physically binding up the light inside?? An easy thing to check I would think.

[brettbimmer]

Hwy Brett. I already PMed you back, but I just had another thought. Being that you did everything from the back, possible that something is physically binding up the light inside?? An easy thing to check I would think.

Thanks for the help Jon. How did you know that this is where the flux capacitor has been hiding all along? Well, I wish it was something that simple, but I don't think that anything could've been wedged inside as I was very, very careful to be sure that I didn't leave any tools or other parts behind. I even used compressed air to blow out any residual dirt/plastic grindings (from the two tiny alignment tabs on the back of the lens housing), and wiped down what I could with mircofiber.

One item that did give me cause for concern was that the base of the solenoid on the driver's side light came very, very close to the plastic tab inside the housing assembly - used to hold the wiring out of the way - but I did my best to modify the tab and be sure it wouldn't interfere. This was more of an issue on the driver's side light (which I swapped last), so I doubt that this is the cause here, as it should've moved freely when I had the new light in the passenger side and old one in the driver's side. Nonetheless, thanks for the help and ideas. Provided I have time tomorrow, I plan to investigate further, making sure that all of the components on the suspension parts are intact and operational as they should be. I will keep you posted.

[JupiterBMW]