Location of headlight buzzer/dinger/chime?

[profeign]

Heyo,

My buzzer burned out or got disconnected or something and I would like to resurrect it because it really would be nice to use the full functionality of my computer (like trip distance etc) as well as setting the MMPH alarm and knowing when the lights are on etc. It hasn't been any kind of problem from a practical standpoint, but I would like to get it running again.

I found the P/N and it's going to cost more than $60 for a retail BMW part to replace the freakin' thing (!). But I found another page where a guy modified his by running another ground fault sensing circuit to one of the other of the four inputs on the stock buzzer that makes a higher pitched (1500Hz) buzz that will tell him when his oil pump isn't working.

So assuming my modulator for the standard tone is what burned out in the buzzer, and not the piezo speaker or whatever it is that makes the noise proper, I can just pull it out and connect +12 and 0V to another frequency input since from the page about the oil pump thing showed that it's a self-modulating buzzer. Failing that I can stick in some generic 12V buzzer for $5 instead of the $60 for the BMW part...

Anybody got a shop manual that can tell me where to find it? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! -proFeign

[peks]

its under the dash left side in the panel right above the pedals kind of right next to the hood latch lever. pull the panel off and youll see it

[Steve525]

There was a thread on replacing the speaker before. I did it successfully as did several others. No need to buy a new unit! Just prise open the unit and solder in a new speaker.

[rps1072]

Check first. My gong was just unplugged.

[Incantation]

this doesn't really make sense

what he means is you can find it behind the left kickpanel where the speaker is. you have to undo a nut at the pivot point of the hood-opening latch, and there are four pins in the panel itself that you have to turn 90 degrees with a flat head screwdriver.

it will be easiest to pry it off working it from the bottom; be careful you don't pull it too far because the little subwoofer is attached to the panel and you might tear the wires

[uscharalph]

Heyo,

My buzzer burned out or got disconnected or something and I would like to resurrect it because it really would be nice to use the full functionality of my computer (like trip distance etc) as well as setting the MMPH alarm and knowing when the lights are on etc. It hasn't been any kind of problem from a practical standpoint, but I would like to get it running again.

I found the P/N and it's going to cost more than $60 for a retail BMW part to replace the freakin' thing (!). But I found another page where a guy modified his by running another ground fault sensing circuit to one of the other of the four inputs on the stock buzzer that makes a higher pitched (1500Hz) buzz that will tell him when his oil pump isn't working.

So assuming my modulator for the standard tone is what burned out in the buzzer, and not the piezo speaker or whatever it is that makes the noise proper, I can just pull it out and connect +12 and 0V to another frequency input since from the page about the oil pump thing showed that it's a self-modulating buzzer. Failing that I can stick in some generic 12V buzzer for $5 instead of the $60 for the BMW part...

Anybody got a shop manual that can tell me where to find it? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! -proFeign
Get a used one.

[profeign]

Thanks for all the advice. I should have time to do it tomorrow. Hopefully it's just unplugged. For the record there is no way I'm spending $60 on a new BMW part for this. I'll get a radio shack 12V self-modulating buzzer if it comes to that. First I'll check the wires with a multimeter etc and hopefully it's not shot. Otherwise where might I find a used one? There aren't any pick and pull places anywhere around here...

Thanks for all the advice!

[profeign]

Thanks for all the help guys but I didn't have much luck figuring out which part I was supposed to remove so I waited and now I'm asking:

The part with the speaker grille on it has a similar unmounting procedure as you guys suggested but it would require removing the lever for the hood release. I'm not sure if that's a problem of if it was just left out of the procedure you recommended... That piece is brown plastic (tan interior) and the other, more likely candidate is the black piece under the steering wheel. That one has mounting "screws" between the pedals but removing them still leaves the kickpanel fixed (or so it seems) right underneath the steering wheel. There are two philips screws there but removing them didn't seem to release the panel. I could pull harder but I thought I'd ask first. It was freezing cold when I was working on it and it was on a steep hill so I decided I would put it off until I was pretty sure what the procedure was. :)

Anyway, any help, as usual, is appreciated.

Question 2: Is there an easy way to aim the headlight up/down? On all my old cars there were two or three or four screws to do this but I don't want to start messing with those either without some advice. I'm thinking a half turn will move the focus up about 5-10 degrees, which is what I'm looking for.

Thanks! :)

[Incantation]

re: q#1 .. yea there is a little nut in the lever, you have to under it and the lever for the hood release will slip off.. it fits on a gear type thing.. u'll know what i mean when you try it. once that's off it will free up the top end of the piece you have to remove

q#2 there is a headlight aiming guide on www.bmwe34.net

[profeign]

re: q#1 .. yea there is a little nut in the lever, you have to under it and the lever for the hood release will slip off.. it fits on a gear type thing.. u'll know what i mean when you try it. once that's off it will free up the top end of the piece you have to remove

q#2 there is a headlight aiming guide on www.bmwe34.net

Thanks, will check out both. I thought someone would have mentioned removing the handle before if that was the right thing to do.

The reason I think the black thing looks like where it might be is there is a small grille that unsnaps up under that that looks like the grille for a chime...

So it is definitely the panel with the speaker behind it?

Thanks

PS I searched this forum for headlight aim and nothing useful came up... thanks for the link..
:D