Anybody 'facelifted' a pre-facelift E39?

[R_T]

I have a pre-facelift (2000) E39 Tourer and I want to upgrade the headlamps to the later 'Angel Eye' Xenons. Seem to be plenty for sale on eBay. I would need to get a technician to fit them, as I am useless at anything under the bonnet! Any idea on price and the best product? Also tempted to change the grille and rear lamp clusters to match the facelift model.

[Fox-]

It's not particularly difficult but please make sure you buy genuine Hella front and rear lights as the fakes on Ebay are woeful.

The genuine Hella conversion kits come with everything you need - you need a bracket for the front headlights from memory.

Also don't forget that to complete the facelift you'll need to change the front bumper for the later style with round fogs and also colour-code the rubbing strips if its an SE. Not doing this leads to the awkward 'facelifted obviously prefacelift' look.

[R_T]

Fox- said:

Not doing this leads to the awkward 'facelifted obviously prefacelift' look.

Very good point!

[4rephill]

R_T said:

I have a pre-facelift (2000) E39 Tourer and I want to upgrade the headlamps to the later 'Angel Eye' Xenons.

Before you go spending money on the Xenon headlights, it might be worth checking with whoever does your MOT if they will except your current headlight leveling system as passable with Xenons as it's a bit of a grey area at the moment.


The wording of the new regulation for HID headlights is (From: http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/MOT%20Inspec... ):

"Vehicles equipped with High Intensity Discharge (HID) or LED dipped beam headlamps may be fitted with headlamp washers and a suspension or headlamp self levelling system.
Where such systems are fitted, they must work; however, it is accepted that it may not be possible to readily determine the functioning of self levelling systems. In such cases, the benefit of the doubt must be given.


The reason for it being a grey area is because the regulation is quite badly worded and open to interpretation.

Some people are convinced that their initial "automatic" level adjustment when they turn on their halogen headlights should cover what is required, but a proper xenon leveling system constantly adjusts the beam height as the car drives along as it's an "active" system. This means that (in theory at least), the headlight beam should always be pointing down, away from the sightline of on coming cars.

The initial level adjustment system on halogens headlights is a "passive" system that does not constantly adjust the height, it merely operates on start up so you know the motors work for your pre-set height adjustment. With this system, the headlight beam goes up and down with the car resulting in dazzling on coming cars.

As the regulation is written, it does not actually specifically state that the system must be an "active" system that constantly adjusts the height of the beam as the car is driven (even though as I see it, this is what the regulation is mean't to mean).

Some are also banking on this part of the regulation:

"...however, it is accepted that it may not be possible to readily determine the functioning of self levelling systems. In such cases, the benefit of the doubt must be given."

as a way around the issue, but to Me, this merely implies that the tester will not be able to move the vehicle up and down enough to check the leveling ability of the system (which also says to Me that leveling systems need to be "active" and not "passive").

If MOT testers are happy that the initial level adjustment system covers what is required under the new regulation then there are going to be a lot of happy owners of aftermarket HID systems.

However, if testers decide that the initial leveling system does not cover the regulation correctly, then there's going to be a lot of upset car owners who cars will fail the MOT and halogen headlight units will be worth their weight in gold come MOT time!


I suspect that eventually, after some confusion there will be an update to the regulation to say something along the lines of:

"Any headlight leveling system that is not designed to to constantly adjust the headlight beam height as the car is driven will not be deemed as acceptable to comply with the HID regulations".

[Fox-]

4rephill said:

Before you go spending money on the Xenon headlights, it might be worth checking with whoever does your MOT if they will except your current headlight leveling system as passable with Xenons as it's a bit of a grey area at the moment.

It's only a grey area amongst those who have not read the MOT manual, which is very clear on the subject.

4rephill said:

The wording of the new regulation for HID headlights is (From: http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/MOT%20Inspec... ):

"Vehicles equipped with High Intensity Discharge (HID) or LED dipped beam headlamps may be fitted with headlamp washers and a suspension or headlamp self levelling system.
Where such systems are fitted, they must work; however, it is accepted that it may not be possible to readily determine the functioning of self levelling systems. In such cases, the benefit of the doubt must be given.


The reason for it being a grey area is because the regulation is quite badly worded and open to interpretation.

All this means it that if these systems are fitted, they must work - the same as many other parts of the MOT test manual. The use of the word 'may' is intentional. It says 'may' not 'are' or 'must be'.

Look under the fail criteria - auto levelling or headlight washers not present is not a fail condition. VOSA say the car should fail if:

'A headlamp levelling or cleaning device inoperative or otherwise obviously defective.'

Which suggests that if its there, it's gotta work. Which is a problem for those of us with E39's with defective front headlight washers, though I've almost fixed mine

Edited by Fox- on Monday 2nd January 16:03