'85 E24 low beam issues

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Rechinu
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'85 E24 low beam issues

Post by Rechinu »

I need some help please.
Just got my first E24 two days ago and I just noticed that the right side (sealed light) doesn't work when switching the lights on. The side markers and left side work as they should. When I switch on the high beams all four light up as they should. I even checked that the fog lights turn off when using the high beam so everything else works fine. I cleaned the contact and checked the voltage (got 12V when switching on the low beams).

Are there two filaments inside the sealed beam and one of them is blown? Or there's a grounding issue and I should test for that - I need help with this too.

Thank you!
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Ralph in Socal
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Re: '85 E24 low beam issues

Post by Ralph in Socal »

Rechinu wrote: Fri Aug 28, 2020 5:28 pm Are there two filaments inside the sealed beam and one of them is blown?
That’s likely your issue.

Ralph
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Rechinu
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Re: '85 E24 low beam issues

Post by Rechinu »

Thank you, I'll try sourcing the light insert in Europe. I guess my next step would be to convert the lights to European so they can take standard H4s.
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Ralph in Socal
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Re: '85 E24 low beam issues

Post by Ralph in Socal »

I would do that upgrade to H1/H4 lights. They were fairly priced before but it appears prices have climbed.

However, I know I wouldn’t buy a new sealed beam. Good luck

Ralph
There is a very fine line between "Hobby" and Mental Illness.

85 635csi Zinno Auto
84 528i Euro
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81 528i Kastanien 5-speed
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Rechinu
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Re: '85 E24 low beam issues

Post by Rechinu »

Thank you, Ralph
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Jlc
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Re: '85 E24 low beam issues

Post by Jlc »

Ralph in Socal wrote: Sat Aug 29, 2020 12:11 am I would do that upgrade to H1/H4 lights. They were fairly priced before but it appears prices have climbed.

However, I know I wouldn’t buy a new sealed beam. Good luck

Ralph
Question: I just bought an 85 and it still has the original sealed beam headlights (or at least the current owner did not replace them in over 25 years). I plan to upgrade to Hellas but want to be sure I get the right ones - 5 3/4 H4 for high low and H1 for hi? Is the actual assembly different or just the bulb?
Thanks
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86_6series
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Re: '85 E24 low beam issues

Post by 86_6series »

Your question is a little confusing.

When you say "assembly", do you mean the "headlamp bucket"?

When you say "bulb" do you mean "beam"?
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Re: '85 E24 low beam issues

Post by Jlc »

Sorry. To clarify:

By assembly I meant the actual headlight assembly (Glass and reflector), not the buckets in the car that holds them, and the H1/H4 bulb that goes in them. Essentially, is the glass design different on an H1 vs H4 headlight assembly so they are not interchangeable, or is the physical glass the same and only use a different bulb in an H4 from the H1 headlight assembly.

The reason I ask is a set of hi/lows is about $40 cheaper than the highs alone.
Thanks.
Last edited by Jlc on Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ralph in Socal
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Re: '85 E24 low beam issues

Post by Ralph in Socal »

Ideally you would replace all 4 which would be as you describe of H4 for Hi/Low and H1 for the inner High Beam

The metal holding frames and chrome retaining trim rings fit the Hella H1 and H4 perfectly.

The wire harness plugs directly into the H4 bulb but the H1 requires short pigtails to connect to the harness connector. Usually the pigtails are included but you can make them yourself

The big difference is that sealed beams are a one-piece bulb with housing and light source integrated and “sealed” together.

The Hella lights are multi piece units. Each light has the housing/reflector, light source (bulb), and a rubber seal to keep the internals clean. The light source can be upgraded to higher wattage but be careful of overheating the existing wiring with higher amperage draw.

Good luck with the upgrade. Used to be much cheaper but still well worth it

Ralph
There is a very fine line between "Hobby" and Mental Illness.

85 635csi Zinno Auto
84 528i Euro
83 635 Euro Arktik
81 528i Kastanien 5-speed
88 528e Bronzit (Granpa Car)
86 535i Auto (For Sale)
81 633 csi (retired)
KINGJOHN808
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Re: '85 E24 low beam issues

Post by KINGJOHN808 »

Are the H4 just plug and play? I just bought a set of Hella units that came with H4 bulbs (55/60 watt) to replace my sealed beam Sylvania (35 watt). Do I need to add relays or just plug these in like normal? Will there be any issues with the additional wattage using the existing switch and wiring? Thanks in advance.
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