Design by egil · Original design · CC-BY-4.0 · Source details. Indexed via 3DCarParts. Source text and images remain credited to their creators; no modified design files supplied.
Designer source image. It may show an installed part, prototype or render; it is not an Orphaned Parts production sample.
Headlamp Adjuster
Headlamp Adjuster design listed for 1996–2000 BMW 5 Series. Listed category: lighting. Verify dimensions, fitment and material suitability before printing.
- Make
- BMW
- Model
- 5 Series
- Year range
- 1996–2000
- Submodel
- Not supplied
- Engine
- Not supplied
Source approval status: pending. Source flags do not certify fit, material suitability or safety for your vehicle.
License conditions, files, application and fit are reviewed before work is accepted.
Description
BMWs own solution is to supply new lamps as complete units, price probably approaching $1000.
To fix, you need to take the headlamp units apart, which is actually quite easy. There are various instructions on the net, The two manual adjusters simply fully unscrew to release. The third adjuster, connected to a motor, is released by turning the exposed 5mm plastic nut 90 degrees (not all variants have this feature). One word of warning: Do not touch the reflectors, they are very easily destroyed by attempts of cleaning.
You need one of each of these per side. They will work for the early halogen units, but may need modification for "angel eyes", and I have no idea about Xenon. Note also that the shape is different from the originals. I believe these may be slightly better - the originals were limited by what you could do with casting.
For best strength you should ideally print them laying down, but then some support is needed.
They will print fine standing up, but then they will not be as strong. The diameter and shape of the top ball is quite critical to get a suitably tight fit. Use a really healthy shell thickness and good infill, for strength.
ABS and ASA are probably good choices for material. PLA is easy, but is not as heat resistant and may degrade over time, and be a bit too brittle. PETG may also work. Probably Nylon would be good too.
Source description, under the recorded CC-BY-4.0 license.
Print instructions
- Layer height: 0.2mm
- Infill: 70%
- Supports: As needed
Settings from the source; not independently tested by Orphaned Parts.
Print price estimates
Planning prices for one print, not a final quote. Defaults use a size allowance inferred from the part name, not a measured or sliced model. Filament suitability must be confirmed.
| Filament | USD / print | Application notes |
|---|---|---|
| PLA | $28.50 | Indoor prototypes; not a default material for hot vehicle interiors. |
| PETG | $29.00 | General-purpose candidate; heat and creep need review. |
| ASA | $32.50 | Candidate for UV exposure; verify temperature and geometry. |
| ABS | $31.50 | Enclosed printing; review application and dimensions. |
| TPU | $37.50 | Flexible designs only; not a substitute for rigid materials. |
| Nylon | $37.50 | Moisture, tolerances and application require review. |
| PA-CF | $42.50 | Filled nylon; abrasive filament and fit need review. |
Pricing assumptions and exclusions
USD: ($6 setup + $3 finishing + filament weight × assumed spool cost × 1.25 waste allowance + print hours × $2.50 × material time factor) ÷ 0.65. Rounded up to the next $0.50.
Assumed spool costs per kg: PLA $25, PETG $30, ASA $40, ABS $30, TPU $45, Nylon $65, PA-CF $95. Time factors: PLA/PETG 1.0, ASA/ABS 1.2, TPU 1.6, Nylon 1.4, PA-CF 1.5. These are proposed shop rates, not measured production costs.
Design work, test fitting, hardware, shipping and tax are additional where needed. Multi-file sets may need several prints. Use actual sliced weight and time when available. Final pricing is confirmed in writing.
All available source data
- Id
- a629d73e-5b03-41ac-b47a-7c0e0891350b
- Part Name
- Headlamp Adjuster
- Slug
- headlamp-adjuster
- Category
- lighting
- Cswp Approval Status
- pending
- Download Status
- approved
- Make
- BMW
- Model
- 5 Series
- Year
- 1996
- Year End
- 2000
- Submodel
- Not supplied
- Engine
- Not supplied
- Created At
- 2026-05-04T07:33:17.548953+00:00
- Origin
- aggregated
- Source
- thingiverse
- Source Url
- https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2165746
- Source Creator Url
- https://www.thingiverse.com/egil
- Cc License Code
- CC-BY-4.0
- Cc License Url
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- For Sale
- No
- Fulfillment Mode
- platform
- Manual Price Cents
- Not supplied
- Image Url
- https://r2-upload.3dcarparts.workers.dev/file/parts/a629d73e-5b03-41ac-b47a-7c0e0891350b/images/headlamp-adjuster-1_1777879998583_muzr3b.jpg
- Author
- egil
- Estimated Price Cents
- Not supplied
- HasMultipleModelFiles
- No
- ModelFileCount
- 0
- Download Count
- 0
- Detail Url
- https://3dcarparts.org/library/1996-2000/BMW/5%20Series/headlamp-adjuster
Source price fields and sale flags are metadata, not our selling prices. Their currency was not specified in the catalog. File counts do not mean files were downloaded or tested. No manufacturer savings or discontinued status is inferred.