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E85 Help needed, headlamp leveller motor coil fallen out?!

Wanted urgent help headlamp levelling E85

Urgent help needed chaps for the levelling headlamp unit. It got messed up when lamp being instwlled. Part number BMW E46 E39 E85 E86 Headlight Aim Stepper Motor 8372381 67168372381. It appears that one of the two coils has 'got lost'. I am attaching pictures as I don't know how the connector 'connects' exactly, as I only appear to have only the one coil with the hex metal surround, and the MOT guys when they took the rear headlamp cover off three their hands up in the air and clearly didn't have any idea either on what it should look like 'inside'.

Can anyone help? I need to get the car thru the MOT and it is the only thing at fault causing a 'fail'. I have until the end of next week to sort this. None of these units are available through the BMW network, and all others appear to be non original parts.

It may be a matter of taking this out of a damaged or spare headlamp unit it is within the headlamp and accessible from under the black box cover with the stainless spring clips - take off when replacing headlamp / sidelamp bulbs etc.

Many thanks and a Happy New Year for 2025!

Cheers

Scott
07973 186183
PS it is only the motor part which is the issue, the spindle and the turning part are all in place.
 
Woops, I posted them on the E85 'wanted' section. They are here:
 

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That piece is basically the vertical adjustment actuator. Those things don't just come apart on their own. I'm guessing whoever worked on your car pulled on this piece thinking it was a bulb holder and ended up breaking the unit. I couldn't tell if you were looking to salvage your motor or replace but I would just replace it.

As to how it all connects, it's bit tough going off your pictures since I can't tell if I'm looking at the same part shown different ways (assembled vs disassembled, or facing up vs down, etc.). But if the coils were intact, the black plastic piece is the outer cover. The flat piece would slide in to the other half that's presumably still on your car. And your wiring harness would connect to those 4 metal tangs.

PS - You mentioned a coil got 'lost' - did you fish that out?

Edit - just found this write up here, which you may find helpful. Scroll down to section that reads "REMOVAL OF MAIN BEAM CARRIER". There you should see how he removed the servo motor, its relative positioning, etc.
 
Also dug up some photos on the web.

Disassembled
image_45341_big.jpg

Assembled
image_45340_big.jpg

With Wires
E46 Vertical Aim Actuator.jpeg
 

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Dubbedown said:
That piece is basically the vertical adjustment actuator. Those things don't just come apart on their own. I'm guessing whoever worked on your car pulled on this piece thinking it was a bulb holder and ended up breakScreenshot_20250108_110701_DuckDuckGo.jpging the unit. I couldn't tell if you were looking to salvage your motor or replace but I would just replace it.

As to how it all connects, it's bit tough going off your pictures since I can't tell if I'm looking at the same part shown different ways (assembled vs disassembled, or facing up vs down, etc.). But if the coils were intact, the black plastic piece is the outer cover. The flat piece would slide in to the other half that's presumably still on your car. And your wiring harness would connect to those 4 metal tangs.

PS - You mentioned a coil got 'lost' - did you fish that out?

Edit - just found this write up here, which you may find helpful. Scroll down to section that reads "REMOVAL OF MAIN BEAM CARRIER". There you should see how he removed the servo motor, its relative positioning, etc.

You are so helpful, thanks so much. I had searched t'internet looking for the photos you've found but I failed, two pairs of eyes and all that! Your pictures have perfectly demonstrated that one of the coils has gone walkabout, even though the overall light cover was put back, the other coil must have dropped onto the ground unnoticed, the connector back to the coils surrounding the spindle was loose, and my MOT guy backed off and said it needed to be sorted out by an auto electrician!!

So the person who manages the techies who replace basic parts, namely lamps, batteries window blades, radios etc. has been really helpful, had a chat with his branch manager, and said they would cover the cost of parts labour and possibly the MOT retest if it takes longer than ten working days to get the part in and fitted.

I went to my local BMW dealer in Thames Ditton, and he found there was only *one* of the motor assemblies in the country!! I phoned the Colchester branch, which is about two hours away from me, and 100 miles, and they confirmed they had the part physically checked, and when I went to ask to get it sent out to me, he said they didn't do that. So I asked him to check further with his mailing person, and he said they only send letters, and to trade people with a specific registration, and however much I asked him in different ways, he checked and it wasn't going to happen. So although there are OEM ones available from Germany it appears, and Lithuania, non of them could give me a timescale that would work (possibly) with the MOT retest date. I also tried Autodoc, and found that upon payment the dates were not going to work, the same with another supplier whom I paid and I then rang up to check it was definitely coming PDQ, and he then said he had two showing in stock but couldn't find either, so he has now refunded me. The Ebay one I paid shown in the pic after checking it would be sent to arrive bey or before next Monday then came back and it seemed a palava and although he said there was an 'express' option when checking out, there wasn't, and I am always rolling the dice as it says 'pay the seller' then there was no screen to give delivery options, just confirmed the sale! After some backwarding and forwarding he had already confirmed delivery 3 - 5 days, then when the Tracking number eventually showed up, it showed the week on Monday to Friday - next week. Confused? I am, my head is still spinning, and it's not much fun with a short term memory incapacity head at the best of times, it looks like this part will at least be with me possibly Monday onwards. He wouldn't tell me where he had 'ordered' or held the part, as it became obvious he had no control over the part wrt shipping, and these didn't correlate with his own Ebay timescales. Hey ho, I will relax a bit now, and particularly with your help Dubbedown (what is your Christian name?!) and Mike, and also Ben and others I went to for advice whom I've met and bought from via the Z4 Forum. I am relaxed now knowing the costs will be met by the motor factor who unfortunately made this error in the first place.

I will report back on the part successful arrival time, the installation of the part, the MOT retest, and not least the settling of my bill by the lamp installar, who said they were covered for instances like this where they made a mistake / caused incidental loss / damage!
 

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No worries, glad I could be of help. Re the part, I would just order a used one off eBay. But it is odd that new ones aren’t in stock given it’s such a common part (found on both the E46 and E85/86). In the states, you can easily find an OEM (i.e. not BMW genuine) version:

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-headlight-control-unit-vemo-67168372381
 
All now sorted with MOT done. Halfords paid for the part and labour, Mr Clutch as ever helpful although fitting this part required removal of the headlamp, but did it all in super quick time. Thanks again for all help, car in good order. Also had the break fluid changed as a quick job for them. Another year of trouble free motoring, although comments have been I should so more mileage, only managed about 2,500 miles last year, and only one really good medium length journey to North Essex Cambridge borders for Boxing Day. Been working flat out doing buildings upgrades making them really toasty with insulating into bay windows, insulating underfloor and u/f wet systems, with an amazing technique not requiring several tons of screed, and far more responsive, as well as rebuilding rears of properties, taking a project from end to end with clients, with creative and pleasing results.

So even with this cold weather it has been roof down most days, well wrapped up and heated inside with fantastic heated seats which my younger daughter loves more than me if that is possible!
 
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