[buckybadger]

Hi guys,

I've noticed a slight offset of some extra space between the right headlight side and the front bumper (where it meets) as compared to the left light/bumper, this is when looking from the front. As in, looks like the there's slight extra space between the headlight and the front bumper when looking carefully. Can this ever happen on our BMWs? I thought the front bumper was made so that it can be placed EXACTLY where you would expect it to be. Can there be a slight mis-alignment? Let me know if this is normal/expected? or are the bumpers supposed to have equal space between this area on both sides? The circled area in the picture is what I'm talking about... I think it would be great if E90 2009 owners can check their car's front-bumper and comment as well...

[methodtim]

Just eyeballed mine. The gaps look even on both sides.

[bmw-hoya]

Funny, someone as OCD as I am!

I was concerned about the same thing, only the gap was on the other side of the headlight. Actually, the gap may have resulted from a little ding I got on one corner of my front bumper.

In any case, I definitely have more of a gap on one side than the other, but haven't seen any problems as a result. I was particularly worried about water getting in there, but it's been many months and many inches of rain since I noticed the gap - no problems. If you see condensation start to build up in your headlights, you might have a problem ... otherwise, relax! I think any water that gets in behind the bumper, such as through the grills etc, vents down at the bottom, because I'll see a drop or two after I wash the car. I'm sure BMW expects water to get in all over that area, because of the grills. If you look at the engine bay, it's very well sealed off.

[johnnydad]

Mine were absolutely spot on. Somebody reversed into my front guard. Now the driver's side is 2-3mm lower at that point (well in being fixed now). Some paint was grazed due to the nature of the incident, but I can easily see how a parking knock could upset alignment and not be very apparent otherwise.

[6speedGaren]

Looks fine to me.

[asdflkijd]

yup, there is a noticeable gap between... its normal

[buckybadger]

Originally Posted by asdflkijd

yup, there is a noticeable gap between... its normal

I agree but in my car, the gap between the bumper and the right light is slightly more than that on the left.. is this normal? It's not noticeable and you have to compare the two sides carefully to say for sure.. anyone noticed this in their cars? Especially the 2009 models?

[methodtim]

Originally Posted by deznium

I agree but in my car, the gap between the bumper and the right light is slightly more than that on the left.. is this normal? It's not noticeable and you have to compare the two sides carefully to say for sure.. anyone noticed this in their cars? Especially the 2009 models?

I have a 2009. Both sides are evenly gapped.

[buckybadger]

Originally Posted by methodtim

I have a 2009. Both sides are evenly gapped.

Thanks..
Do you think that the front bumper can get mis-aligned probably because of some slack where the bumper is attached/screwed to the car? Or maybe I just need to compare the sides carefully again

[blue2fire]

You probably are worrying too much, the gaps will not be millimeter perfect but that is a trait that i expect mass produced cars to be afflicted with.

[buckybadger]

I'm going to show it to my dealer. I'm assuming the fix is covered under warranty (if the dealer is willing to align it)..

[methodtim]

Originally Posted by deznium

Thanks..
Do you think that the front bumper can get mis-aligned probably because of some slack where the bumper is attached/screwed to the car? Or maybe I just need to compare the sides carefully again

Any body joint can be misaligned. I've had misaligned panels in other cars (and even a misaligned hood, which was super annoying). The problem (for OCD peeps like you and me) is that manufacturers have tolerances that allow for a certain crookedness. I don't know how severe the problem is on your end or if it surpasses BMW's manufacturing tolerances. You may want to give BMWNA a call and see what they have to say. I'm pretty sure if you take it into the dealership, they'll tell you everything is ok. They're going to do anything to avoid the hassle.

[buckybadger]

Originally Posted by methodtim

Any body joint can be misaligned. I've had misaligned panels in other cars (and even a misaligned hood, which was super annoying). The problem (for OCD peeps like you and me) is that manufacturers have tolerances that allow for a certain crookedness. I don't know how severe the problem is on your end or if it surpasses BMW's manufacturing tolerances. You may want to give BMWNA a call and see what they have to say. I'm pretty sure if you take it into the dealership, they'll tell you everything is ok. They're going to do anything to avoid the hassle.

Thanks for the heads up. I think my dealer will most likely be willing to fix it. I know they're very customer oriented and have a great reputation amongst all the dealers in my area, plus I have decent evidence to convince them to fix it. I can actually see a clip of the headlight not completely attached to the bumper inside (from front), so that's a clean sign that it needs to be attached back and aligned properly. Lets see what happens, will keep you guys posted.. I can't believe that this is in a new car, hardly 2 months old!

[MikeMidd]

My 2008 has a misalignment. The easiest way to describe it is to say that the right side of the bumper and the right headlight are slightly further forward than those on the left side, so the gap between the hood and the headlight and bumper is slightly larger. It's the sort of thing that I think no one would ever notice, but that I do. I've just accepted that it is what it is. It has been that way since day one.

[buckybadger]

Originally Posted by MikeMidd

My 2008 has a misalignment. The easiest way to describe it is to say that the right side of the bumper and the right headlight are slightly further forward than those on the left side, so the gap between the hood and the headlight and bumper is slightly larger. It's the sort of thing that I think no one would ever notice, but that I do. I've just accepted that it is what it is. It has been that way since day one.

Thanks for the description.. according to my BMW service adviser, this is pretty normal in lot of BMWs. It's probably due to slight manufacturing defects of few millimeters here and there. Just to make sure, I walked to the lot where the brand new BMW 2009s were parked with my service adviser and had a look at the gap/bumper area on both the headlights. There were few BMWs which had that little gap and there were few which didn't have it as well but I'm sure they'll have some other kind of defect if you look close enough. I've accepted that fact that due to large volumes of production, these can happen.. Every car will have some manufacturing defects here and there, so it's normal...

Call me crazy, but I'm a little nit picky..