2000 BMW 323i Signal light?

[demarpaint]

Probably a dumb question but the car is 3,000 miles away on a Navy Base. My son is not mechanically inclined and needs to replace a front signal light on his 2000 323i. I told him either the bulb comes out from under the hood, or the lense comes off. He said he saw no screws to remove the lens, and can't get his hand inside to remove the bulb. Since I am 3000 miles from the car, I can't offer much help.

Any BMW owners can tell me exactly how to remove this signal light bulb?

Thanks!
Frank D

 

[FowVay]

For the front turn signal there is a hole in the top seam of the fender that is near the lamp. You use a flat blade screw driver to insert into the hole and push down on a spring loaded clip which holds the entire signal lamp onto the corner of the car.

You can use a flashlight to inspect and locate the spring clip through the hole. Just push down on the clip and jiggle and wiggle the lamp a little bit to get it to come free.

 

[demarpaint]

Thanks, hard to visualize it sounds like a PIA to do. Does the bulb come out from under the hood once the clip is pushed down, or does it come out the front from outside? Meaning the whole light and housing comes out the front and you remove the bulb from the back? Then pop the assembly back in?

Sorry I'm having a hard time visualizing this, I've been in that car once!

Frank D

 

[FowVay]

The whole amber light slides out of the fender. The bulb socket is a typicl quarter turn socket. Once you slide the plastic amber housing out of the fender you can then remove the bulb. The wiring harness has enough extra length that it allows you to slide the amber lens out and work on it.

The hole that you stick the screwdriver into is part of the painted fender. Inside the hole you will see a alignment dowel and then below that is a flat, grey plastic flat piece. You push down on the flat, grey plastic piece. If you're very careful you can pry outward on the amber lens with a small screwdriver to help remove the lens while you're pushing down on the spring clip.

It's really a simple piece of cake. For the person doing it for the first time, the trick is locating the spring tab. I put a drop of yellow paint on mine once I had it removed to help me locate for future events. Fortunately I've had to replace the signal bulb only once in the past 9 years.

 

[demarpaint]

Hey Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never seen it by can picture it now. I'll pass the info along to my son!



Frank D