Headlight adjusters

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Acox99
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Location: Hurst green, east sussex

Post Wed Nov 28, 2012 8:13 pm

What's the easiest way to tell if you have hydraulic headlight adjusters. I've no knee panel and a mess of wiring, I can't see pipes, it's not an option on my spec sheet but it has headlight intensive wash wipe so thought there maybe a vague chance. What am I looking for.

If I don't have it. What's involved in fitting an e34 electric system?
1989 E30 325i cab - long term project!
FinalD
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Post Wed Nov 28, 2012 8:52 pm

My touring has them and has this on the under dash panel:

Image


There are also pipes from the back of this unit (pipes not wires) through the bulkhead and to each headlight.
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Brianmoooore
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Post Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:58 pm

A black plastic hydraulic cylinder replacing the manual adjuster knob behind each outer headlamp is the obvious givaway if the underdash panel is missing. The cylinders are about 30mm in diameter and 60mm long, but are very unlikely to be in working order, even if they are fitted.
The E34 electric adjusters are almost a direct replacement for the hydraulic cylinders if you disconnect them where they fit on the two legged mounting bracket (twist anticlockwise, like a BC lamp bulb).
Wiring is an ignition switched live and earth to each motor and the adjuster knob, and a single control wire connecting all three.
The adjuster is a potentiometer (variable resistor) and a couple of fixed resistors, which simply provides a reference voltage to each motor. You can adapt an E36 or E34 dashboard control to an E30 dash, or fit a standard rotary pot. to the existing E30 knob.
FinalD
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Post Thu Nov 29, 2012 10:01 am

I was tempted to fit the hydraulic system to the cab (the touring is a spares/donor car) but realised that the system would likely be duff by now and not all that good anyway. It does mean I have to use the manual adjusters on the cab. :(
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Acox99
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Post Thu Nov 29, 2012 11:05 am

It doesn't have them then, but food for thought in future about fitting an electric setup as it doesn't sound overly complicated.

If anyone had done a retro fit rather than a conversion could thèy do a write up?
1989 E30 325i cab - long term project!