Can headlight joint sleeve be replaced with normal bushing?

[pembroke]

Hello everyone,
I noticed my e30 318is had a loose lamp. When I opened it, I found that a plastic item (63121386616) is broken, doesn't hold the screw and causing a lamp swaying. Somebody advised me that I could replace that joint sleeve with regular bushing Unfortunately, after I finally managed to fasten the lamp, it occured that the light beam is a way too low. I have to push the bottom of the spotlight more up. However, I cannot addjust it because the screw is already at maximum extension. I can only take it back, which make situation worse. How it is possible? Is this the original joint-sleeve longer? Both looks similar. It had to work somehow before, the lights were good. Please give me some tips.

[martauto]

Welcome to the zone mate !!
Have a word with Jon at Cotswold on here , he`s the best with parts .

Mart.

[Cotswoldbmw]

Hello, yes you can use the other headlamp clip but it wont solve your problem I dont think.

Without knowing exactly what model and year car we are talking about I would guess the auto adj mech is broken, they are fluid filled and all the fluid has leaked out meaning
the headlamp is at its lowest position and wont adj up.

Have a look at the white plastic pipes and see if there is fluid in them.

Regards

Jon

[Brianmoooore]

I would guess the auto adj mech is broken, they are fluid filled and all the fluid has leaked out meaning
the headlamp is at its lowest position and wont adj up.

IF this is the problem, then it is true that the aim of the lights defaults to a position that is too low when the system fails, but the center steel rods of the cylinders are threaded and can be screwed out of the cylinders a few turns to raise the aim back into the range of the fine adjustment of the plastic knurled sleeve around the cylinder body.
I've also come across E30 headlamp aim raised by the addition of a few washers under the lower fixing screw holding the headlamp assembly in place, but this was to compensate for bad crash damage repairs.

[pembroke]

Hello, yes you can use the other headlamp clip but it wont solve your problem I dont think.

Without knowing exactly what model and year car we are talking about I would guess the auto adj mech is broken, they are fluid filled and all the fluid has leaked out meaning
the headlamp is at its lowest position and wont adj up.

Have a look at the white plastic pipes and see if there is fluid in them.

Regards

Jon

Hi thanks for the reply
Definitely there is no fluid at all in the system, and it hasn't been there in years. That is why I am wondering, how is it possible that the lamp was well positioned with original connector ( checked on the MOT), and now I could not do that.
Besides, Is not it a manual setting of screw with a rotatble sleeve the same that hydraulic is? The difference is just you need to do that manually, but both system works same way?

P.S My car is 10/1989 born e30 318is, AD03430.

[Cotswoldbmw]

Hello

The adjustment on the thread is just for fine tuning it did not have the full adjustment the hyd unit does.

You can completely remove the hyd adjuster and fit manual adjuster, you will heve to remove the dial in th e car as well or the car will still fail MOT.

Jon

[Brianmoooore]

There are two manual adjusters built into the (defunct) hydraulic cylinders. The steel rod that goes forwards to the headlamp rim from the cylinder is threaded and has ample range to aim the light correctly. This adjustment cannot easily be made with the light assembled, so its position has to be guessed, then final adjustment done on the beam setter (garage wall) using the other adjuster, the knurled plastic ring around the body of the hydraulic cylinder, which has only a limited range of adjustment.
Try to aim the lights close to the highest allowable, to put the sharp beam cut off of E30 lights as far forwards on the road as possible.