[jdstrickland]

My neighbor has a 535 (I think it is the F10). He rear ended somebody and killed a headlight. The problem is, the headlight assembly he has has round connector pins, but the replacement part he is finding has flat pins -- round pins vs. spade pins, for lack of a better description. NOT the shape of the connector with rounded or square corners, the actual pins are a different shape. I believe he has zenon with leveling and turning around corners.

My question is, are the pins different to prevent the wrong headlight assembly from being used?

What would be the better forum to go to?

 

[TerraPhantm]

Could be a facelift vs pre-facelift thing?

 

[BaliDawg]

I would get the VIN and look up the part number on realoem.com, or maybe stop by the dealer parts department.

 

[kd7iwp]

You could try 5series.net or bimmerfest.com to get more 5-series specific help.

 

[jdstrickland]

Could be a facelift vs pre-facelift thing?

The 5 Series 535 has a facelift or not? The headlamp fits, he said, but the connector is wrong.

My question is if anybody knows why the connector pins change...

 

[TerraPhantm]

The 5 Series 535 has a facelift or not? The headlamp fits, he said, but the connector is wrong.

My question is if anybody knows why the connector pins change...

Yes there was a facelift. Pretty much every BMW since the 90s has had a facelift mid production.

 

[jdstrickland]

Yes there was a facelift. Pretty much every BMW since the 90s has had a facelift mid production.

Okay, but the shape of the connector pins would not be the red line in the sand where one headlamp can be used but another cannot. The issue I'm trying to understand is, why are the pins inside of the connector a different shape?

 

[BaliDawg]

Okay, but the shape of the connector pins would not be the red line in the sand where one headlamp can be used but another cannot. The issue I'm trying to understand is, why are the pins inside of the connector a different shape?

I don’t think you’re getting the point here. The headlights likely changed between pre- and post- facelift, and hence different connectors. Get the VIN and look them up on realoem.

 

[jdstrickland]

I don’t think you’re getting the point here. The headlights likely changed between pre- and post- facelift, and hence different connectors. Get the VIN and look them up on realoem.

I'm clearly not getting it, the shape of the headlamps would prevent them from being used, without regard to the shape of the pins inside of the connector. Pre- and post-facelift would not play a role here. Pre- and post-facelift are certainly an issue, but my question is not related to that. Assume, for the sake of conversation that the car has some level of lamp, pre-facelift. Would the shape of the connector pins prevent the incorrect type of headlamp (also pre-facelift) from being used?

If you don't know, then don't answer. I'm trying to stop the guessing by asking people that might have an experience that I have not come across yet. It occurs to me that more than one kind of headlamp can be used in the car, and they could change the shape of the pins to prevent one type of lamp from being installed in a car that does not have the LCM that supports it. I don't know that to be true, it's the question that I'm asking.

 

[TobyB]

Yes there was a facelift. Pretty much every BMW since the 60s has had a facelift mid production.

Fixed that for ya, Terra. Altho, the E21 facelift was pretty subtle....

heh

t

ps, a connector change is a pretty big change in the BMW werlt- I can't explain it either, but traditionally, the connectors didn't change other than populating or not populating the pins...