E39 Headlights

[Charles200 0]

The headlights on the e39 I have just got are so covered in what looks like mould or water damage I cannot believe the car even passed a WOF.

Is it easy to remove the plastic covers over the front of the lamps to clean them and if so what do I clean them with? It is so bad you cannot even see through them - it looks disgusting.

I'm almost considering new headlights entirely! What are my options here?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[Docile 64]

have taken apart my head lights on my e38 to clean the 'cataracs' yellowing. they are attached on by 4 clips IIRC. 2 top 2 bottom. and sealed with rubber gasket.

i used fine grit paint rubbing compound on it and a lot of elbow grease. turned out good. put it al lback together and has been a year now and no leaks or signs of cataracs coming back.

just dont snap the clips. use a flat head screw driver and a towel so you dont scratch or crack the glass when you take it off and take a picture of the headlight before you taken it off ( for putting back on reference)

[hotwire 352]

What year is the car? Pre facelift >2000, the lights are easily dismantled (lens simply clips on/off) Facelift cars require heating to soften the sealer to separate.

If they are as bad as what you say then probably replacement is the best option

[Charles200 0]

Cheers for the replies. Think its a pre facelift (2001 528i) so I will try cleaning them. If the result is no good I will buy new lights.

Any recommendations on products to clean with?

[shaneg 0]

I just used autosol and a cloth.. Worked fine

[RustyItalian 11]

Replacement lenses for the facelift angeleye headlights are not available seperate. You can buy them for the pre-facelift.

One of my facelift headlights (date coded 2003) was so badly weathered that I had to wetsand with 1200 and polish up. Note that the lenses have a special protective coating on them that can be easily damaged. I had to sand the coating off the entire lens to get an even finish. My other headlight has been recently replaced (date code 2009) and there is no way the bare polished plastic can be restored to the shine that one has unfortunately.

[elmarco 56]

Yep - you need to be very careful with polycarbonate lenses.

The coating is normally a hard coat to stop scratching from car wash brushes etc and it also acts as UV protection - but it is only on the outside surface. Once it gets damaged, the only way is down unfortunately - it will peel off. Without the coating, the PC will eventually turn yellow as a reaction to the UV, and scratch easily. To add insult to injury, if you have been using cheap headlamp bulbs that are not low UV (especially HID burners or retrofit kits), then you are increasing the chances of this happening with UV from the inside as well as the outside (daylight).

The other thing to remember about PC is that it is very sensitive to some chemicals. Contact with certain chemicals (like alcohols or acetone from memory) will result in stress cracks (crazing) or at worst your lens will melt before your eyes. Remove and polish them at your peril.

[Charles200 0]

Yep - you need to be very careful with polycarbonate lenses.

The coating is normally a hard coat to stop scratching from car wash brushes etc and it also acts as UV protection - but it is only on the outside surface. ............

Alright ... you've scared me now. I managed to pull the lights out and get the lenses off tonight. Didn't attempt to clean them. Now not sure what to do, think I might take them to a plastic repair place tomorrow and see if they can repair.

The other option I am looking at is completely new lenses which brent offered me.

[Charles200 0]

Had the lenses professionally repaired, and they also recoat the UV protective layer. Cost $100, but I'm happy, they came up damn near new looking.

Now they are back in and clean, I am noticing the condensation building up in them, heaps on a hot day . Does anyone know how to prevent this condensation in the lights?

[Allanw 1071]

Where did you get them done?

Do you know if they can do them still attached to the housing, for the facelift lights?

[Charles200 0]

Where did you get them done?

Do you know if they can do them still attached to the housing, for the facelift lights?

clearlight.co.nz, they are a mobile service so pretty sure they can. they were pretty good to deal with. I already had my lenses removed and they just came over and picked them up from me and took them away. Real easy!

[jochen 4]

. Does anyone know how to prevent this condensation in the lights?

Make sure the vent and drain tubes are clear.

Make sure the water seal is good

And thoroughly dry the lamps inside with a hair dryer

[M5V8 337]

+1 hairdryer on low heat works a treat!

[Charles200 0]

cheers guys will give that a go!

[GerryAttrick 1]

+1 hairdryer on low heat works a treat!

But it WILL come back...I speak from experience. I pulled mine apart in the end and put clear silicone around just about every joint - sorted one of them but the other still gets condensation but not as bad. This is a known fault with the E39 headlights and from my trucking around the net there is no guarantee that a new replacement will be any better.

It does not matter whether the drain holes are clear or not or which way up you put the rubber drain elbows. Even if everything is right there are some lights that get condensation no matter what. Now I live with it and have a quick dry out just before WOF time.

I can get the headlights out in under 10 minutes now but watch the "hockey stick" trim under the light you can break the end off easilyif you do not remove them carefully...don't ask how I know this.