I ordered some new bulbs (Osram Night Breaker Lasers D1S) for my 2009 JCW Clubman as the original bulbs are getting old and a little dimmer. When checking out the innards of the headlight assemblies, I noticed that the passenger side (right) headlight projector flops around quite a bit as the outer side of the mounting bracket for the projector (white plastic part) inside is broken. I doubt that it can be glued back together, and doubt that that part is available separately, so will probably order a new headlight ($$$). Anybody run into this? Would you get the headlight assembly with the xenon module included (MINI brand ones only seem to come this way), or a cheaper aftermarket one like Hella or AL brand (the OEM one in there now is AL brand anyway) and swap theold xenon module into the new headlight assembly? Maybe at 10 years old, the module is on borrowed time anyway is on borrowed time anyway. Looks like the part number is 63-12-7-270-026 by realoem although I can't find the part number stamped on the light itself while still in place. The lenses are in good shape and still nice and clear so no reason to restore or replace driver side (left) one.
Contact member eminiparrs with your VIN and what you need and he will get you the exact OEM part at a decent discount. I would go with a new light assembly.
Not on the headlight but my clubby has had a number of plastic parts in the engine bay start to break and need replacing so it's not surprising. Unless you wanted to switch to the blacked out units.
Auto makers love plastic. Trouble is after an amount of time it becomes so brittle that things do break. The auto makers don't care as long as you are out of warranty. I like the metal stuff used in the good old days.
The white plastic looks like Delrin but it’s probably something more brittle and less durable. Am looking forward to seeing how the Osram night breaker lasers compare to the 10 year old OEM Philips ones in there now. I’ve seen various specs quoted, with lumens of 3200 and 3500, and colour temps of 4200, 4350, 4500, and 4750K listed on different sites, and Osram doesn’t give any official numbers at this time.
I had that happen to my OEM headlight and was able to fix it with some epoxy - formed a blob of it, stuck my big old hand in there and made it work. I’ll see if I can find the photo.....
I ordered an AL brand housing that’ll be here by Friday for under $500 with free shipping. Same manufacturer and model as what’s In there now. The bulbs should get here tomorrow.
Replaced the right headlight today and aimed it. It was an easy swap. New Osram Xenarc Night Breaker Laser D1S bulbs, too. I was going to swap my old headlight's xenon control module into the new headlight assembly, but low and behold the headlight part has been superceded and now only takes a module with an oval gasket instead of the old one with the square gasket. Any searches for the original headlight 63122754794 (right bi-xenon with white lens) brings up the newer part 63127270026, so you really can't get the old style one anymore anyway. I had to order a new module for another $200+, but they gave me free overnight shipping. I guess I can use the old module in the left headlight if that one ever fails. The new Osram bulbs are brighter (by at least 1/2 stop by light meter measuring the hot spot up close and about 5 feet away, and slightly bluer. There's a very faint blue coating on the bulb and I estimate the color is definitely slightly more than 4200K but also less than 5000K. Probably about 4500K. That's good in my book. While I had the old headlight out, I could see what was wrong with my right foglight which was loose in its mount and I was able to snap it back in securely. The original owner or his lackeys must have been heavy handed with replacing bulbs somewhere along the way for the headlight projector mount to break and the foglight to be partially out of its mount.
1/2 Stop? Are you into photography? My 02 R53 needs some new head lights. I have wondered if I could convert it to Xeon headlights.
I still use my Gossen Luna Pro F meter occasionally (yesterday, for instance). I used Canon manual focus film SLRs and a Fuji GS645S until I moved to digital in 2011. BTW the part that broke inside the old headlight is the arm of the mount that goes over laterally to the horizontal adjustment mechanism.