Xenon Headlight Ballast Replacement

Materials Required
- Floor Jack
- Tire Iron
- 8MM Socket
- Ratchet
- T-20 Screwdriver
Overview
This DIY guide will show you how to remove and replace your BMW's headlight ballast.
NOTE
It is highly recommended to replace both headlight ballasts at the same time. Only replacing one can result in the adjacent side's old ballast shorting out.

Disconnect Battery
Disconnect the vehicle's battery to ensure safety while conducting this job.

Raise Vehicle
Raise vehicle by using a floor jack on the side jack points. Use of jack stands is highly recommended.

Remove Wheel
Remove the vehicle's wheel being extremely careful not to put any part of your body underneath the car.

Remove Front Fender Liner Screws
Remove the front fender liner cover that protects the headlight bulbs by loosening the retention screws (white arrows). If your fender liner doesn't have the cover, remove all of the 8MM fender liner screws and the one 10MM nut that holds the liner in place.

Remove Fender Liner
With all retention screws removed, pull the fender liner from the vehicle.

Remove Headlight Ballast Screws
Remove the four T-25 screws holding the ballast in place.

NOTE
Unplug the first connector by pressing the two black retention clips together (white arrows) and pulling the connector from the ballast.

Unplug Connector 2
Unplug the second connector by carefully and firmly wiggling it back and forth until it disconnects from the ballast. There is no retention clip so it can just be pulled off.
NOTE
Over time the plastic from the headlight ballast can melt to the connector resulting in difficulty removing it. If it's melted together, use a flathead screwdriver to carefully pry it off.

Connect New Headlight Ballast
Connect the new headlight ballast to the headlight assembly. Ensure the bottom connector is routed so the cables go towards the front of the vehicle (white arrow).
NOTE
Do not reinstall the ballast screws yet. It's best to leave the ballast hanging in place and test it before putting everything back together, in case it doesn't work when you test it.
NOTE
As stated before, it is highly recommended to replace both headlight ballasts at the same time. If only one is replaced, it's very likely the other one will short out.

Reconnect Battery
Re-connect the battery to test the new headlight bulbs.

Test New Ballast
Test the new headlight ballast by inserting the key into the ignition and turning the headlight knob to the on position. Ensure no error codes pop on the dashboard. If headlight doesn't light up, check the bulb and troubleshoot further.

Reinstall Ballast Screws
Now that the headlight ballast(s) is confirmed to work, reinstall the four ballast screws that hold it into place.

Re-Installation
Now that the new headlight ballast(s) are verified to work, re-install the fender liner, and wheel the same way it was removed.
Repair Complete
Good job replacing your headlight ballast(s)! Keep an eye out for any flickering or error codes that may point to deeper issues.

