Apologies if anyone's posted about this before, but I've spent hours searching and haven't found any info on this:

I noticed my 2006 R53's passenger side xenon light's beam cutoff aimed at the ground the other night. High beam was too. It was dark so I couldn't really see to diagnose the problem then, but when I got home from the road trip I checked it out more thoroughly. Nothing hit the car, and externally everything looks perfect; I simply turned on the headlights and noticed one wasn't right.

Everything is fine with the low- and high-beam operation, but the entire internal assembly is loose. I popped the covers off the backside of the assembly (high beam bulb cover, low beam bulb/ignitor cover, and the other round access cover) and looked inside as best I could, but I can't figure out what's wrong. The entire internal low- and high-beam assembly is just loose within the headlight housing - I can reach inside through the access holes and move the entire internal assembly around freely. Obviously the auto-leveling function isn't operational, but the bigger problem is that the light isn't aimed right, and it bounces around when the car goes over bumps.

Before I spend $550 buying an entire replacement headlamp assembly from Way Motor Works, I'm hoping someone may have had this happen to them and know how to pull apart the headlamp assembly to fix it. Since the internal light assembly is moving around on more than one axis, I'm doubting my initial speculation that the problem is simply the auto-leveling motor's linkage (or whatever it uses to level the headlights) has come loose. The light assembly moves as if two of three mounting points have come loose, so without pulling the headlamp apart I'm at a loss for what could have happened.

I sure appreciate any help you guys can provide!

 

There is a thread where someone was having the same issue with one headlight dipping down. Here is the thread and things to look for.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post3807238


If you end up needing a headlight housing, like something is internally broken and cannot be fixed we carry them.

Thanks

 

Thanks for the info. I'm glad to see there's another good source for a replacement headlamp.

I can't see how the light assembly could have broken on its own! I wish it was easier to get inside the headlamp housing. I come from the Jeep world where everything is real simple to take apart, repair, and modify....so this sealed headlamp assembly is a frustrating reality-check for me.

And as if this wasn't annoying enough, now I've found that one of my Mini's fog lights goes out after a couple minutes of illumination. These fancy-schmancy xenon lights are going to be the end of me! Does the fog light need a replacement bulb, ballast, or something else? *sigh*

 

the common issue with your problem is the auto leveling motor failing. when your car starts the headlights start off pointed at the ground, but the motors in junction with the sensor on the control arm, raise up and level. when you turn off the car the headlights lower down all the way.

IF the leveler is bad. you can manually adjust the headlight to where you want it with a flat head screw driver. match it to the other headlight when the car is on.

IF the other headlight leveling bothers you just manually adjust it and unplug the sensor on the driverside control arm.

_B

 

Well, that doesn't seem to be the case here - the entire light assembly flops around on multiple planes; it's not just loose up-and-down or pointed at the ground. It's literally like it's just sitting loose inside the headlamp housing, unattached to anything.

 

remove the headlight from the car, you have 2 different options to open it which are BOTH very very easy.

1) place headlight on a towel on a cookie sheet in a GAS stove set at 225 degrees for 8-10 minutes. checking every 3 minutes.

separate the lens with a pick or small flat head screw driver. take your time.

2) use a heat gun to heat up around the back of the lens at 500* or less. (most low settings on head guns).

separate.

I have done over 100 pairs of headlights as I run a small retrofitting business. Its scary to try at first but very simple to do once you do it. if you are too afraid you can send the headlight to me to pull apart and fix. it is probably a small plastic piece that broke, or popped off.

-B

 

Wow, thanks for the great advice!
What's the right method for gluing it back together? What sort of glue seems to work?

 

the glue is called Butyl. usually to put them back together you reheat the glue and press them together and you are fine. IF they have condensation issues, you can buy the butyl from my sponsor's page or nissan dealers carry it. its a glue that is reusable with heat.

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...roducts_id=792

-B

 

Another option, of course, is if there are any decent aftermarket headlamp sets. I haven't come across any that seem to be good quality, but I haven't actually searched much. Are there any recommended aftermarket headlights out there?

 

no aftermarket headlight will work well with your car. they do not have auto levelers, and are not made for dot approved xenon parts. or "hid" lightbulbs.

Best thing you can do is purchase a new OEM set, the hella ones on ebay are 800$ for a pair.

-B

 

You are welcome.

Yea, the joey mod or for people creating there own special factory headlight mod. We have butyl tape in this form . If you need it a little thicker you can roll it.

Butyl Tape


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/83190153321/ES197324/



Find out it something is just disconnected or un-snapped like in the linked thread. If you need to take it apart search the joey mod threads.

If you end up that you want a whole new housing let me know.

Thanks

 

Thanks again for all the great advice. When I return home this weekend I'll pull the headlamp apart and see what I can figure out. If I need new parts for this or another project, I know who to come to!

 

I finally had some free time yesterday so I removed the bad headlamp and investigated further. Two of the three ball-&-socket joints that hold the headlight assembly inside the headlamp had popped loose for some reason. I was able to reattach one of them with a hook tool from one of the access holes in the back of the housing, but the other one that was loose was the one on the motor arm. I was too afraid of breaking it because these ball-&-socket joints take quite a bit of force to pop back together.

I went ahead and opened up the headlamp as if I was doing the Joey mod. I used a heat gun (not an oven or hair dryer) to soften the glue. It was a pain in the neck to get everything lined back up and glued back together, but it worked. I just don't understand why Mini had to design such complex and unserviceable headlamp units - this experience has given me a new appreciation for the old-school 7" round H4 headlights. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that the ball-&-socket joints don't pop loose again.

Thanks again for all the advice!

 

I'm glad it all worked out

If u ever have it happen again use the heat gun lightly on the ball sockets. The plastic heats up and they pop on and off super super easy.

-B