[Littlebear]

Hello BMW Experts!

While trying to put LED bulbs in my 2017 LCI halogen headlights, struggling with those little tin H7 LCI clips, I broke this piece off & found it inside the headlight housing. I think it is the up/down adjuster, and the bowls pivot up & down inside the housing now.
Any options pls, or do I have to buy another BMW halogen headlight assembly?

TIA! Murf

[Littlebear]

So far:

No Depo or other aftermarket for LCI.
No used LCI halogen take-offs because no aftermarket units.
BMW LED swap-ins to a halogen car aren't being done.
Opening the headlight & trying to fix the broken plastic adjuster looks difficult & questionable.

Murf

[IK6SPEED]

Originally Posted by Littlebear

So far:

No Depo or other aftermarket for LCI.
No used LCI halogen take-offs because no aftermarket units.
BMW LED swap-ins to a halogen car aren't being done.
Opening the headlight & trying to fix the broken plastic adjuster looks difficult & questionable.

Murf

Salvage yards or eBay.

[Littlebear]

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

Salvage yards or eBay.

Hi IK,

Since there are no upgrade replacements, there is little in the 'used but good' market. The junk yards & ebay want more for used & old than what a new Hella unit costs.
But then I'll have "Hella" written on one light, & "BMW" on the other light!

Murf

PS: Let me take this opportunity to trash BMW for these halogen headlights.
My last BMW with good headlights was an E30. Four nice round reflectors, each which could be aimed independently.
My E46 had pretty good reflector bowls, but I couldn't believe they adjusted both the hi & low beams on each side together, not independently.
Now on the F30, BMW uses thin bowls like the old Dodge Intrepid, which had some of the worst lights of the day. Then they put those "running lites" into the bottom portion of the hi beam bowl, and with the LCI they did it to the bottom portion of the low beam too.
And don't get me started on those LCI crappy little tin retainer clips for the bulbs....
I don't mind BMW trying to get us to spend on an upgrade, but I do mind getting the worst lights in the industry on their cars.

Murf

[IAmATeaf]

Might it be possible to glue it back in place? Might have to take the headlight out but if the forces on it run along the white bit rather than at 90 degrees it might hold.

[Onizukachan]

That’s what I’d do. Reinforce with tissue and cyano as a composite patch surrounding/over the break. Plenty strong that way.

[Littlebear]

Originally Posted by Onizukachan

That’s what I’d do. Reinforce with tissue and cyano as a composite patch surrounding/over the break. Plenty strong that way.

Yea, baking the light open & then gluing the rod is tempting. I'm not a glue expert, but the light goes through temps of over 100f to -35f, so it had better be a good glue! Baking the light open might also be difficult.
Thanks folks, but I'm leaning toward the Hella unit for ~$291. I'll have a new unit, and just have to pop it in, as opposed to working on the light for some undetermined time.

Murf

[Littlebear]

Hello BMW Experts!

After a better look, I don't have to bake the headlight open in order to glue this part back on. It broke fairly flush off the back of the low-beam bowl. I should be able glue the white "T" part to the bowl (below the silver protrusion), which then fits over the little black ball on the rod which comes from the back of the housing.
But I need a glue recommendation. Cyano, as said above, or my favorite, "Super Mend" two part epoxy?

TIA! Murf

[IAmATeaf]

That is a potato picture, can’t make anything out, did you look at it before posting?

[Littlebear]

Originally Posted by IAmATeaf

That is a potato picture, can’t make anything out, did you look at it before posting?

Of course I did.
I thought my excellent verbal description would make up for my camera's lack of close focus...?

Murf

[IAmATeaf]

I can’t even make out where the broken bit would need to be stuck to.

[Littlebear]

Originally Posted by IAmATeaf

I can’t even make out where the broken bit would need to be stuck to.

Yeah, but that's not really important now. It's plastic to plastic.
Do you have a glue preference for this job?

Murf