Opinion on New Coupe Headlights

[Haynix]

Hey Guys,

I'm tired of toiling with my broken coupe headlights. Looking for reco on new headlights. I have the adaptive AL coupe bi-xenons. Right now the best option i'm seeing are the Depo Projector46 headlights for $550 (or $680 with angel eyes).

http://www.khoalty.com/bmw-e46-depo-projector46-headlights.html

I do want angel eyes but the optional angel eyes on these depo lights look cheap. Anyone have experience with them?
I can't tell if the Depos have clear lenses and sharp cutoff but i'm assuming they do.

Thoughts?

[az3579]

I'm not sure about the angel eyes looking cheap as I haven't seen them in person on a facelift coupe, but I can tell you that Depo lights in general are cheap. Your OE lights are better. What's wrong with yours? What's broken?

Also, I don't think the Depo ones are adaptive, so you may lose that functionality.

[sillieidiot]

They suck. People end up giving me the DEPO and I retrofit something else for them in place.

What side do you need? I might have an OEM headlight for sale. I forgot which side is good though.

[KevinC]

Depo is PURE GARBAGE. Period. Always has been.

Strictly my opinion: angel eyes just look wrong on an E46 since they never came with them. YMMV.

Best option? Find another set of OEM AL's. Try one fo the BMW specialist yards, or Ebay.

[Haynix]

I'm not sure about the angel eyes looking cheap as I haven't seen them in person on a facelift coupe, but I can tell you that Depo lights in general are cheap. Your OE lights are better. What's wrong with yours? What's broken?

Also, I don't think the Depo ones are adaptive, so you may lose that functionality.

On driver side: the plastic gimbal is sheared so the projector is 50% physically disconnected from the internal assembly. So it droops and doesn't quite line up. I opened it up intending to JB weld it but i physically can't do it. I also wanted to install the clear projector lens on both headlights. i was able to install it on this one because i can access it due to the broken part. So this one is slightly crooked and has a clear projector lens.

On passenger side: tried to install the clear projector lens but was unable to disassemble it. in the process I turned the vertical adjuster too much and it disconnected. So this headlight is stuck in the furthest upward position with the hazy oem projector lens.

So frustrated, idk what to do. I hate to spend a bunch of money replacing them with OEM that puts me back at square 1.

I just need to be able to disassemble the entire headlight. Has anyone successfully disassembled the entire headlight before? Doesn't seem possible at this point without cutting.

At the end of the day I want clear projector lenses for that sharp cutoff and optionally angel eyes.


I have 2 other older threads if you want to see the history on them.
1st: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?20178-330Ci-Headlight-Loose-Dropping-Burnt-Bowls
2nd: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?20497-Help-Installing-Clear-Lens-on-Coupe-AL-Bi-Xenon

[sillieidiot]

You can disassemble the headlights. It's hard but is doable. I don't recommend it because it's even harder to put it back together to the point that you are cursing and just wanna give up. Ask me how I know lol if I wasn't paid to do that one and it wasn't for a friend. I would have destroyed it out of anger. lol

If you need a driver's side headlight I might have something for you.

[az3579]

If you have another car to drive, perhaps you can send your lights out and have a retrofit done, even if it is just for clear lens. But, at that point, is it even worth it, considering cost? Might as well get better projectors too at that point.

[Haynix]

You can disassemble the headlights. It's hard but is doable. I don't recommend it because it's even harder to put it back together to the point that you are cursing and just wanna give up. Ask me how I know lol if I wasn't paid to do that one and it wasn't for a friend. I would have destroyed it out of anger. lol

If you need a driver's side headlight I might have something for you.


Can you provide info on how? At this point my passenger headlight is fubar, i'm willing to try it.

I've removed 2 screws from the white vertical adjuster and i believe it's still anchored in by a screw in the back that is unreachable. That last screw anchor protrudes from the back of the headlight. All i can think of is to dremel off that screw on the back.

[sillieidiot]

Can you provide info on how? At this point my passenger headlight is fubar, i'm willing to try it.

I've removed 2 screws from the white vertical adjuster and i believe it's still anchored in by a screw in the back that is unreachable. That last screw anchor protrudes from the back of the headlight. All i can think of is to dremel off that screw on the back.

You have to use a small bit with a flexible extension to take it off. That's pretty much the only way. I guess you could dremel the back off. It wasn't an option for me lol I just took all the screws out. Putting it back in was just as hard. Make sure you adjust the cutoff before you put everything back in.

I thought your passenger light was fine? I mean I would just put everything back and just look for a used driver's side headlight. Just clean the stock lens up because they get all foggy and new bulbs and you should be fine.

[Haynix]

Final Update: I've managed to get the passenger headlight re-attached to the vertical adjuster so it's back to normal now. I've given up on installing the clear projector lenses, it's just too difficult to get out.

[az3579]

Final Update: I've managed to get the passenger headlight re-attached to the vertical adjuster so it's back to normal now. I've given up on installing the clear projector lenses, it's just too difficult to get out.


Glad you got it fixed!

[johnrando]

+1

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