Last weekend was a busy one on the BMW DIY front. I replaced the front sway bar end links on my E46 M3 at a DIY/block party hosted by RevTech Performance. I also installed a brand new set of OE European Hella headlights for my E39 M5.
I had noticed the worn end links during a previous DIY when I had the M3 on a lift. One of the rubber gaskets was visibly cracked and the others looked worn so it was time to replace them. With access to a lift this isn’t a particularly hard or expensive replacement, and I knew the drill from doing the replacement on my former E36 M3. I purchased Lemforder replacement end links, an OE supplier but less expensive than BMW-branded parts.
The only small complication with this repair is the need for a very skinny wrench to hold the inside bolt down while replacing. FCP Euro told me this wrench size was 17mm. They were right on the originals, but the replacement Lemforders needed an 18mm! One of those strange BMW inconsistencies that pop up. Fortunately Josh from RevTech generously shared his full set and also gave the car a quick inspection for subframe cracks while in the air – all clear.
Some BMW readers may remember I did a headlight retrofit back in 2018. Part of the reason I went that route was the ridiculous price of new E39 HID headlights. I was pleased with how the retrofit came out and it gave me more modern projectors. But the European E39 M5 headlights came with white corner lenses, rather than amber, which I always thought would look great on my Lemans blue car.
Recently there was a group buy organized by the owner of M Power Motorsports, who goes by the handle @MAbdul. He was chopping $500 of the usual cost. That, plus the real possibility that soon these headlights would no longer be available at all, made me decide to purchase a set. They came complete with all bulbs but I replaced them because I wanted the best possible light since I was actually going backwards HID technology-wise. Also I’m a bit of a bulb snob. I put on protective Lamin-X clear film on the headlights to keep them looking minty fresh.
For the HID low beam I went with the Phillips X-Tremevision Gen2 bulb. I usually buy Osram but The RetroFit Source did a face-off of the leading bulbs and the Phillips was the brightest. A well-timed 25 percent off email from Power Bulbs took a bite out of the cost. For the high beam H7s I went back to an old source, the lighting guru Daniel Stern. He used to sell the best H7 on the market but it was discontinued. But he’s found a replacement – easier just to quote him:
Exact replacement for the Osram 64217, which was discontinued several years ago. After a great deal of work, I have secured new availability of first-quality, German-made 65w – 2100 lumen H7 bulbs. They are in stock and now shipping! Send me an email to buy them.
Danielsternlighting.com
Surprisingly the humble turn signals were the most complicated swap. Seemed silly to me to buy headlights with clear corners and then put amber bulbs behind them, creating what is known as the “egg yolk” effect. I wanted to swap out for chrome/blue bulbs that flashed amber, as I had for my U.S. headlights. But the Euro Hellas came with a different socket and different bulb type. This picture will help clarify:
After some searching I found the correct bulbs. But I’ll have to deal with one more Euro-centric difference. With the Euro headlights the front bulbs do not function as parking brake lights, only as turn signals. Not a huge deal but it would have been nice of seller to give a heads up. Also, non-functioning parking lights are grounds for failing the annual safety inspection here in Virginia.
There is a way to edit the car’s coding and make the lights work again. I’m going to have to learn up on some software to make that happen. It’s harder on the older BMWs – for my wife’s 2016 X5 there was a phone app. When I get that done it will make good grist for another post.
It’s always something with these cars. As I’ve said they are not transportation they are full-on hobbies. While the M3 was on the lift for the sway bar end links Josh of RevTech helped me discover a small oil leak coming from something called the constant pressure valve. Turns out it’s a well-known issue and some enthusiast has designed a rubber o-ring that lasts longer than BMW’s. The BMW cottage aftermarket industry strikes again!
Enjoy your Fourth of July!
Cool post. Always fun to read.
What is the suspension on the m3? I see the pic when showing the top of the end links and noticed the aftermarket shocks in green. Curious how they have been and your plan for them going forward.