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<E34> Headlight removal

On Aug 9th, [email protected] wrote about removing headlights:

Can anyone tell me the proper way to remove the headlights from a 1990 525
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Baronl (it is appropriate to put your real name on a post to the digest),

Here are some instructions for E34 grill removal, which is required to remove
the headlights, that was posted to the list a month or two ago...

To remove the painted section of the front end, which is required to be done 
before you can remove the headlight grilles, is amazingly simple once you know
how do it.  Open the hood so that it is forward on the rollers, but hot tilted
up.  Immediately behind the top of the kidney grilles are two rubber "bump"
stops and one screw.  Remove these.  The rubber pieces slide out toward the
front, while the screw is just that a screw.  Now here is the tricky part, and
it's a lot easier to understand when your looking at the car instead of trying
to describe it, but I'll try anyway.

Now open the hood all of the way.  Looking straight down at the grilled area, 
on the outside of each headlight assembly (and to the inside of the blinker
assembly, (and again on the "flat" area between the car's front metal work and
the front lights, there is a small opening.  In this opening, insert a fairly
long-bladed flat screwdriver and locate the grille tab.  By carefully depressing
the tab, while at the same time applying gentle pressure (I used a cloth covered
flat screwdriver blade to not scratch the paint) simultaneously pry out the end
of the painted front cover where it end next to the front fenders.  You may wish
to take a good flashlight and look down the opening before doing this to get an
idea of what your targeting to push on.

If you do this right, you will feel the front panel sort of "pop" away from its
holder.  Once you have release the panel on both sides.  Then there are two 
remaining tabs to depress to get the front cover out.

These are located at the bottom of the center kidney grilles, immediately behind
them.  Using two screwdrivers, it is possible to depress these both at the same
time.  Carefully lift the panel up and out or you will risk scratching the paint
on the bumper cover.  Once this front cover is off, the attaching screws for the
grilles are in plain view.

Once you get the grills off, the headlights will be in plain view.  They are
mounted in their plastic holders with 3 metal pins.  These pins pop in and out
of the plastic holder with moderate to heavy pressure.  Try to pop one out at a
time.  Disconnect the light connection once you have the headlight lens out,
being careful not to touch the bulb with your hands.

Assembly is the reverse...  Good luck!

Regards,
Pete
90 5er
[email protected]

PS  If this doesn't work, I have another way to get to the headlights that a
body guy showed me.  It is a little more involved and requires removal of the
front bumper (which surprisingly isn't all that hard).  Let me know how it turns
out.

- ------- FORWARD, Original message follows -------
From: [email protected]
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 1996 23:16:51 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Removing headlights

Can anyone tell me the proper way to remove the headlights from a 1990 525

Thanks
- ------- FORWARD, End of original message -------