Anonymous wrote:If the car has Xenon lighting, which some BMWs do, then it's more complicated. Sounds liek yours is a standard bulb. Go on Amazon Auto, choose the car make/model/year and it'll show bulbs that fit your car. This is how I get all our easily-replaced parts (bulbs, wiper blades) for our cars. If you want to save some $$, check RockAuto.com as sometimes they are cheaper.

Then find a video online on how to replace it.

+1 guy here - you can find YouTube videos showing you how to replace every light in every car. Most are easy and take 5 or 10 minutes. I would buy a new pair of headlights from autozone or Amazon. The only time I didn’t replace a bulb myself is when I had a car that required the removal of the grill to replace a parking light. A special tool was needed to remove the grill without breaking it and I didn’t want to buy one. Other than that I replace my bulbs.
Pro-tip: buy the two pack. Don’t replace one single bulb because you will have one bright and one dim bulb and later - within a year - the other bulb always burns out anyway so just buy the two pack and do them both at once.

I know for sure that one can do it by oneself, actually it is not very difficult (here's a detailed guidance how to fix flickering led headlights , for example). If I had extra money I would definitely apply to official dealership, BMW is not a cheap car and I think BMW owners suppose expenses like that Best of luck.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many DCUMers does it take to change a light bulb?

Zero. That's so low class.

Exactly.

The DCUM answer is to pay $136 in labor and parts, and then brag about what an amazing deal you got.


That's DCUM.

Hahahaha.. good one... they do it where you can't see it and then they brag they never do it.

YouTube is your friend, so easy.

If the car has Xenon lighting, which some BMWs do, then it's more complicated. Sounds liek yours is a standard bulb. Go on Amazon Auto, choose the car make/model/year and it'll show bulbs that fit your car. This is how I get all our easily-replaced parts (bulbs, wiper blades) for our cars. If you want to save some $$, check RockAuto.com as sometimes they are cheaper.

Then find a video online on how to replace it.

OP, the manual online for your car has instructions for changing headlight bulbs, so it isn't a dealer-only operation. Any competent repair person ought to be able to do it. As for DIY, you can look at the instructions and see if you're comfortable with it.

I disagree with the suggestion of getting upgraded bulbs. In my experience, whatever extra brightness they provide doesn't offset their much shorter lifetime.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many DCUMers does it take to change a light bulb?

Zero. That's so low class.

Exactly.

The DCUM answer is to pay $136 in labor and parts, and then brag about what an amazing deal you got.


That's DCUM.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you just talking about the bulb? OP, this is really easy.

On some cars, it's extremely difficult.

I’ve yet to see a car where changing out the bulb could be described as “extremely difficult”.

Two different GM vehicles I’ve owned required partial removal of body panels, bumpers and wheel well shrouds to access and change the headlight bulbs. Even after doing it a couple of times, it still took over an hour from start to finish for just one side. My mechanic charged me .5 hours of labor to do one and admitted that it took him longer but he felt guilty charging me more to just change the lightbulb.

I have a friend who is an engineer for an auto manufacturer and he admits that newer cars are designed this was so that people are forced to bring their cars to the dealer for what people used to be able to do for themselves. Same with the need for specialty tools to do certain repairs.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Don't think husband is willing or has time to do it by himself. We are wondering if we can have a service station do it.

My husband is thinking the BMW will use a better bulb and not using a BMW part will mean we have to replace again sooner. Any thoughts?

order the bulb on amazon and put it in yourself and then tell your husband if he doesn't have time to do something for you then to get off his high horse and pack his stuff.

What an ass he is.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:who doesn't have time to change a light bulb? I never understood these "such busy people"

put your phone down and go change a light bulb

We don't live anywhere near a car parts store. Would require driving to the burbs to buy the bulb then driving home and hoping we can manage to do it.

Do you live out in the middle of nowhere? Like 100 miles from a town or something?


Because if you live in DC, there's like a dozen places in the city that have those bulbs.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Don't think husband is willing or has time to do it by himself. We are wondering if we can have a service station do it.

My husband is thinking the BMW will use a better bulb and not using a BMW part will mean we have to replace again sooner. Any thoughts?

Go on tinder find a guy who is mechanic and bring the bulb on date. I am sure he will put it in for free and when done he can change the light bulb