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Re: E36 Headlights - The housings & lights in U.S. & Europe

NewtMan@domain.elided writes:
>
>...
>the PLASTIC lens covers on the U.S. E36's get pitted, chipped and otherwise
>worn out after only a few years -- and if you want a nice smooth clean shiny
>plastic surface again, you'll have to replace the WHOLE PLASTIC ASSEMBLY.  
>... My questions ... are the following:   
>
>1) Do the glass covers on the Euro-E36 headlights chip, get pitted and
>otherwise Sandblasted just like the U.S. plastic ones??  Or are they less
>suceptible to this type of wear?
>

Yes, over the long term, the glass covers do abrade - enough so that
they disturb the low beams.  After 90.000 km (55.000 miles), the glass
covers on my '93 318i were getting there and I reckon I would have
wanted to replace them at around 150.000 km (90.000 miles).  Your
mileage may vary.  To give you some idea of the debris the car had
seen, there were around 200 stone chips on the hood and nose and the
fog lights were completely frosted (though still uncracked).

>2) And even if they do wear out, isn't it true that with the Euro-E36, you
>CAN replace JUST THE GLASS covers [at drastically reduced cost] without
>having to replace the whole assembly?
>

Yes.  I am pretty sure you just need to change the cover and some
plastic film that acts as a vapor barrier.

I had sent an e-mail to the fellow who started this discussion,
offering to ask about the glass covers - their compatibility,
availability and pricing - as my local dealer knows both the U.S. and
European headlight systems quite well.  As Ken Partymiller has
remarked "... US legal headlight covers must have the 3 DOT mandated
alignment nipples on their front surface", which the European
headlight covers do not have.  Nevertheless, if there is interest, I
am still willing to ask my dealer.  If anyone is interested, just drop
me a line.

- -John
'96 318is

- -- 
John Firestone, Alfred Wegener Institut   jfiresto@domain.elided
 fuer Polar- und Meeresforschung             +49 (471) 4831 363
Postfach 120161, D-27515 Bremerhaven          ..  ...  .... 149 (fax)
GERMANY