Tail lights illuminated all the time?

[TX135i]

OK, I searched but didn't find this question. Today I left my car running and in park as I ran to grab a newspaper. On the way out, I noticed that the tail lights appeared to be illuminated. (I leave the light switch in 'auto' mode all the time, and it was a bright, sunny morning.) So, I got home and checked various combinations of lights on and off but in no scenario with the car running and in park did the tail lights go out. Brake lights worked as they should, so it's just the tail lights in question. Is that normal? Do the tail lights 'go out' during daylight hours when the tranny is shifted into Drive? I have a 2012 135i BTW...

[Lester]

You left your car running and in park while you went to grab a newspaper? Did you also put the parking brake on? This can get you a ticket in some jurisdictions.

[Dackelone]

When your headlight switch is left in "auto" your lights will come on when its dark outside. They will also come on when your wipers are on, and also when you pass thru a tunnel or parking garage. Sometimes once they come on... if its cloudy... the lights will stay on - even though its fairly sunny outside.

IF your headlights come on... so do your tail lights! That is what I think happened. Something triggered your headlights to come on, and hence your tail lights also were on. Did you leave your car engine running?

Btw... when ever the headlights come on on the "auto" position... there is a tiny green led that comes on as well on the headlight switch/dial.

[TX135i]

I neglected to say that the wife was in the car too. The parking brake was not on though.

[TX135i]

Dackel, that was my first thought. I walked around and looked at the headlights, and they weren't on, just the angel eyes only. When I got home, I checked it again out in the open (not in the garage) and it is bright and sunny (and hot) in Florida today. Still no headlights but those tail light 'tubes' were illuminated. maybe I'll ask the wife to drive away (kind of a risk) and see if they go off.

So I just pulled into the garage, the auto lights came on as usual. I turned the switch to off, so the headlights go out, but the tailights stayed on. Turned the car off, tail lights go out.

[Joaco135]

If you have selected your DRL's (angel eyes) to be operational then the rear lights (light tubes) will also be on. If you de-select your DRL's to be on then the rear lights will be off. Hope this help.

[TX135i]

Ahhhh....thanks Joaco135. I may have done that when I was playing with the gadgets after I first got the car. I'll check on that.

[CincyOne]

It's the DRL's (daytime running lights). The angel eyes and the taillights are a part of this. You can turn off the DRL's if you wish, but visability is the reason for them.

[TX135i]

Yep, that's what it was. So help me out, this BMW thing is new to me....So you can only have the angel eyes on via the DRL selection, and if you do that, that means the tail lights are on too, correct? There's no way for angel eyes with no tail lights?

It just seems like I see BMWs all the time with angel eyes on but I don't recall seeing tail lights on during the day. My wife's Acura, her previous Lexus, and even my old Honda Civic had DRLs that come on up front but no tail lights.

[rps]

If you select DRL, then the AE's and LED tail lights are on by default. If you deselect DRL's then they are off. When the headlights are on because of ambient light or your wipers are on, the AE's are also on along with the tail lights.

[Top Gon]

its only part of the tail light that's illuminated. its part of the daytime running lights like others said. if your headlights are on. another set of tailights will come on too.

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by TX135i

Yep, that's what it was. So help me out, this BMW thing is new to me....So you can only have the angel eyes on via the DRL selection, and if you do that, that means the tail lights are on too, correct? There's no way for angel eyes with no tail lights?

It just seems like I see BMWs all the time with angel eyes on but I don't recall seeing tail lights on during the day. My wife's Acura, her previous Lexus, and even my old Honda Civic had DRLs that come on up front but no tail lights.

Older BMWs only used to use the angel eyes or headlights for DRL (depending on country regulations and specific model), but since about the 2008 model year, new BMWs use both the headlights/angel eyes and tailights for DRL.

[Golden3ye]

I dont know why you would want them off, they look pretty bad ass to me

[Section147]

If you have selected your DRL's (angel eyes) to be operational then the rear lights (light tubes) will also be on. If you de-select your DRL's to be on then the rear lights will be off.

It's the DRL's (daytime running lights). The angel eyes and the taillights are a part of this.

If you select DRL, then the AE's and LED tail lights are on by default. If you deselect DRL's then they are off.

Its only part of the tail light that's illuminated. its part of the daytime running lights like others said.

Older BMWs only used to use the angel eyes or headlights for DRL (depending on country regulations and specific model), but since about the 2008 model year, new BMWs use
both the headlights/angel eyes and tailights for DRL.

Not so with my 135. DRLs are "on" via the dash/computer selection (non-iDrive), but no part of the tails are illuminated. I have LUX AE's installed...not sure if
that has anything to do with it.

[sochermit]

Originally Posted by Section147

If you have selected your DRL's (angel eyes) to be operational then the rear lights (light tubes) will also be on. If you de-select your DRL's to be on then the rear lights will be off.

It's the DRL's (daytime running lights). The angel eyes and the taillights are a part of this.

If you select DRL, then the AE's and LED tail lights are on by default. If you deselect DRL's then they are off.

Its only part of the tail light that's illuminated. its part of the daytime running lights like others said.

Older BMWs only used to use the angel eyes or headlights for DRL (depending on country regulations and specific model), but since about the 2008 model year, new BMWs use
both the headlights/angel eyes and tailights for DRL.

Not so with my 135. DRLs are "on" via the dash/computer selection, but no part of the tails are illuminated. I have LUX AE's installed...not sure if that has any-
thing to do with it.

I had to check mine. My angel lights and the eye brow string of lights are on but no rear lights.

Is this a selection, without iDrive, using the paddle and selection to control.

[Mistahhwong]

Wait, I don't get this. Even when my light switch is in the completely off position, the tail lights are still on. Even in broad daylight. This is confusing...

[TX135i]

Not so with my 135. DRLs are "on" via the dash/computer selection (non-iDrive), but no part of the tails are illuminated. I have LUX AE's installed...not sure if
that has anything to do with it.[/QUOTE]

My dash also shows DRLs as "on", and I don't have iDrive either. I would just like to be able to turn the tail lights off. Sounds like some of you have the same setup as me but others do not. Strange.

[Golden3ye]

you guys just want to be able to turn off all lights at night to evade the cops!

In my young and reckless years I blew past a cop taking radar on the HW at night I just blasted up to the next off ramp with the lights off and eased the hand brake to make a stealthy exit

[Section147]

Originally Posted by TX135i

Sounds like some of you have the same setup as me but others do not. Strange.

Strange indeed. I was thinking that it might be something specific to the Canadian/Euro market then saw you were in Florida.

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by ConcreteJungle110

Wait, I don't get this. Even when my light switch is in the completely off position, the tail lights are still on. Even in broad daylight. This is confusing...

If your car is a Canadian one or coded as such, the DRLs can't be switched off and the taillights will be on.

[AW128i]

Earlier 1-series cars (U.S.) only used the front lights (AEs for HID lights and high beams for halogen lights). At some point, BMW started using the tail lights as DRLs, too. Not just the 1-series, either, this was pretty much across the board. Perhaps now they reverted back to the front-only lights as DRLs. All I know is that my car only uses the front lights as DRLs. I also know that you can code the car to remove the rear lights when the DRLs are on.

[Golden3ye]

My 2012 135i with out iDrive, but DRL turned on via dash controlls.

Light selector on AUTO.
AE are ON
Tail lights are OFF

When the selector is on the parking light switch
AE are ON
Tail lights are ON


I would like my tails to be on as well when the switch is on AUTO, any clue on how to accomplish that?