Could the LUX H8 V3's caused this?

mattryan · 09-06-2011, 04:28 PM

I had my LUX H8 V3's installed a week ago, washed my car yesterday and then a couple hours later my passenger side headlight(lowbeam) malfunctioned and stopped working. I've since taken it into BMW and they've advised me that the headlight control unit as well as stepper motor have malfunctioned and need to be replaced. They've agreed to cover it under warranty this time so I'm debating whether or not to just remove the LUX kit from the vehicle in order to avoid a possible costly future repair bill of $1100.00. I've emailed BimmerEyes and they've advised they don't feel that the LUX kit could have anything to do with these issues and have agreed to refund them... I've also emailed LUX directly to see what their take is on these issues... The drivers side is working perfectly fine so I have no clue if the LUX kit could have caused these issues... I don't know much about cars, lighting or mechanics so any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

1-2MANY · 09-06-2011, 04:32 PM

could be that you did not put the cover on correctly and moisture got into the housing.

1speedbike · 09-06-2011, 04:33 PM

The lowbeam and the H8 (angel eye) bulbs are completely separate. They are wired separately and as long as the LUX bulb was operating using the stock wiring with stock voltage and wattage levels, I don't think it would have caused it. The only possible connection would be if you incorrectly put the headlight cap back on, and moisture got into the headlight and damaged the lowbeam. However, since the headlight control unit (only one is required for EACH headlight and it does not reside within the headlight cap) is malfunctioning, I don't think the LUX bulbs are to blame at all.

mattryan · 09-06-2011, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1-2MANY

could be that you did not put the cover on correctly and moisture got into the housing.

I didn't actually install them myself... I had a fellow 1addicts member who did some coding for me install them...

FJUNO78 · 09-06-2011, 08:29 PM

i know what I would do in this situation. it would involve me putting my lights back to stock, a trip to the dealer, and a bit of playing stupid

mattryan · 09-06-2011, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FJUNO78

i know what I would do in this situation. it would involve me putting my lights back to stock, a trip to the dealer, and a bit of playing stupid

it's kinda unnecessary as the dealer has already agreed to replace the headlight control unit as well as stepper motor under warranty... i'm just trying to figure out why this happened, if it had anything to do with the LUX LED's and if i should remove them...

LuxAngelEyes · 09-07-2011, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattryan

it's kinda unnecessary as the dealer has already agreed to replace the headlight control unit as well as stepper motor under warranty... i'm just trying to figure out why this happened, if it had anything to do with the LUX LED's and if i should remove them...

Hi Matt,
Thanks for talking through e-mail about this. Since the LUX H8's are still working, I think that it would lead to a problem caused by something other then the LUX. As was mentioned above, most likely the cover was not installed correctly and moisture got into the headlight and caused this issue.

HondaGoneRogue · 09-07-2011, 11:15 AM

It's crazy that the headlights are that critical of moisture (or that it's that easy to install the cover incorrectly). I have never been scared to replace a headlight until now.

RoundelM3 · 09-07-2011, 11:42 AM

Definitely not the Lux units causing the problem. Unless something was physically damaged during the install, there's no logical connection - particularly with regards to the stepper motor.

mattryan · 09-07-2011, 03:31 PM

Just got off the phone with BMW and they've advised me that seal was "pinched" which caused moisture to get into the headlight housing... However they've agreed to cover it under warranty this time but have also warned me that any future issues with either of my headlights will not be covered under warranty due to the LUX kit... I've asked them to ensure that the drivers side cover is sealed correctly and they have confirmed it is... The service manager has strongly recommended me to change the lights back and wants to charge me $160 for it! Can BMW deny a warranty claim because of the LUX lights? I guess I really have no way around it as they know I have them installed and they'll know whether or not I had them changed back by BMW... Pretty much this is a loose loose situation for me right now if anything goes wrong with the headlights it feels like...

BimmerEyes Inc. · 09-08-2011, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattryan

Just got off the phone with BMW and they've advised me that seal was "pinched" which caused moisture to get into the headlight housing... However they've agreed to cover it under warranty this time but have also warned me that any future issues with either of my headlights will not be covered under warranty due to the LUX kit... I've asked them to ensure that the drivers side cover is sealed correctly and they have confirmed it is... The service manager has strongly recommended me to change the lights back and wants to charge me $160 for it! Can BMW deny a warranty claim because of the LUX lights? I guess I really have no way around it as they know I have them installed and they'll know whether or not I had them changed back by BMW... Pretty much this is a loose loose situation for me right now if anything goes wrong with the headlights it feels like...

Matt,

The BMW dealer is taking a hard line on this without cause. I would refer them to the owner's manual where it shows BMW owners how to change the H8 bulb themselves, which of course involves removing the back cover.

Most BMW dealers will tell you that you can use any H8 bulb as long as it isn't greater than 35 watts (which is what the stock bulbs are). With the LUX bulbs only requiring 6 watts, they are actually less demanding of the electrical system than an OEM H8 bulb. Suggesting that you remove them is a questionable recommendation.

This clearly isn't the bulb that is the issue. It is the seal on the cover that caused the problem as diagnosed by your BMW dealer. They should know that a poor seal could happen to any BMW owner that changes the H8 bulbs themselves as per the owner's manual. Since BMW provides instructions in the owner's manual on how to remove the back cover and replace the H8 bulbs, they must feel that owner's can do this themselves and by doing so, the changing of H8 bulbs by the owner should not impact any warranty claims as a result, regardless of which H8 bulb is installed (provided it is 35 watts or less).

If you have any future issues with your headlights, you may want to consider taking your BMW to another BMW dealer that is more reasonable about any future warranty claims.

Regards,

Ross

mattryan · 09-08-2011, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BimmerEyes Inc.

Matt,

The BMW dealer is taking a hard line on this without cause. I would refer them to the owner's manual where it shows BMW owners how to change the H8 bulb themselves, which of course involves removing the back cover.

Most BMW dealers will tell you that you can use any H8 bulb as long as it isn't greater than 35 watts (which is what the stock bulbs are). With the LUX bulbs only requiring 6 watts, they are actually less demanding of the electrical system than an OEM H8 bulb. Suggesting that you remove them is a questionable recommendation.

This clearly isn't the bulb that is the issue. It is the seal on the cover that caused the problem as diagnosed by your BMW dealer. They should know that a poor seal could happen to any BMW owner that changes the H8 bulbs themselves as per the owner's manual. Since BMW provides instructions in the owner's manual on how to remove the back cover and replace the H8 bulbs, they must feel that owner's can do this themselves and by doing so, the changing of H8 bulbs by the owner should not impact any warranty claims as a result, regardless of which H8 bulb is installed (provided it is 35 watts or less).

If you have any future issues with your headlights, you may want to consider taking your BMW to another BMW dealer that is more reasonable about any future warranty claims.

Regards,

Ross

Good point Ross I never thought of that! You've been a tremendous help throughout this whole ordeal! I've actually just copy and pasted your entire post into my BlackBerry so I don't forget what to tell them just incase anything does go wrong! Lol. Thanks again!

dicker · 09-09-2011, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattryan

Just got off the phone with BMW and they've advised me that seal was "pinched" which caused moisture to get into the headlight housing... However they've agreed to cover it under warranty this time but have also warned me that any future issues with either of my headlights will not be covered under warranty due to the LUX kit... I've asked them to ensure that the drivers side cover is sealed correctly and they have confirmed it is... The service manager has strongly recommended me to change the lights back and wants to charge me $160 for it! Can BMW deny a warranty claim because of the LUX lights? I guess I really have no way around it as they know I have them installed and they'll know whether or not I had them changed back by BMW... Pretty much this is a loose loose situation for me right now if anything goes wrong with the headlights it feels like...

You're lucky the dealer is covering them, they can tell you to F right off because of the LUX kit. It may have not caused the problem directly, but installing them incorrectly (pinching the seal) caused the headlight failure. If you are going to modify the headlights and then you have an issue with them, make sure you go back to stock before bringing it in to them, otherwise 95% of the time you'll be up a creek with no paddle.

Edit: Nothing against the LUX kit or any other light products, I like them!

mattryan · 09-11-2011, 12:24 AM

UPDATE: I got my car back Thursday and the service manager advised me that everything was fixed re: my initial issue and ensured the cover's were replaced on both sides correctly and had a tight seal. Everything was great untill I decided to wash my car today... washed the car this morning, parked it in the garage for a couple hours, went out early afternoon and after I started driving for a couple minutes I was getting the adaptive headlight warning... drove for about 20 mins to Starbucks and when I came back out and started the car again it was gone so I didn't really think anything of it. Later in the afternoon as the valet was pulling my car up I noticed that the passenger side headlight was all fogged up! I've since sent an e-mail with the attached pictures to the service manager advising him of the moisture in the headlight unit and that it doesn't seem as though the initial issue was a case of the cover not being replaced correctly as it was done by BMW this time and there is moisture in the headlight unit once again. When he initially advised me that the cover was not replaced correctly and that's how moisture got into the headlight unit I asked him if it could possibly be because of a defective seal and he advised me absolutely not and he is sure that the cover was not replaced correctly. Well I mean it was done by a BMW tech this time and there's still moisture so... Anyways if it's not because of the cover being replaced correctly what else could cause this? What should I ask the dealer to do? Clearly it's not an issue with the LUX so can they tell me they're not covering it under warranty? I guess taking them out before I take it in is pointless?

The first two pictures were taken around 5:30pm and the third picture was taken around 12:30am

HISI808 · 09-11-2011, 01:04 AM

I would open your headlight covers and let it air dry ASAP. Water is condensing and pooling inside the bottom of your headlights right where the sensitive adaptive motor is located. Ask me how I know....

Once you get it dried out, throw a bunch of silica gel packets in your headlight which will absorb any excess moisture. I strung together 5 silica gel packets with dental floss and tied the loose ends to the bitch clip for easy retrieval.

It's been a year since I've done this and I have not had any more condensation problems in my headlights.

mattryan · 09-11-2011, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HISI808

I would open your headlight covers and let it air dry ASAP. Water is condensing and pooling inside the bottom of your headlights right where the sensitive adaptive motor is located. Ask me how I know....

Once you get it dried out, throw a bunch of silica gel packets in your headlight which will absorb any excess moisture. I strung together 5 silica gel packets with dental floss and tied the loose ends to the bitch clip for easy retrieval.

It's been a year since I've done this and I have not had any more condensation problems in my headlights.

Should I open it or just leave it untill tomorrow? I don't want to the risk the dealer saying oh well you tampered with it so we're not responsible... They made sure the cover was on correctly and made sure the seal was tight therefore they're now responsible as clearly that's not the case!

HISI808 · 09-11-2011, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattryan

Should I open it or just leave it untill tomorrow? I don't want to the risk the dealer saying oh well you tampered with it so we're not responsible... They made sure the cover was on correctly and made sure the seal was tight therefore they're now responsible as clearly that's not the case!

If you're taking it back to the dealer, I would just leave it for now and wait to see what they say.

After the dealer fixed my adaptive headlights, they said it's normal for some condensation to form in the headlights. I didn't like that answer so that is why I put some silica gel packets in my headlights.

mattryan · 09-11-2011, 06:32 PM

I read the manual and it said that some condensation can form in the inside of the headlight while the HID's are on and I looked on the driver's side and there was a tiny little bit but not the amount on the passenger's side

Satalite · 09-11-2011, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattryan

I read the manual and it said that some condensation can form in the inside of the headlight while the HID's are on and I looked on the driver's side and there was a tiny little bit but not the amount on the passenger's side

That much moisture is NOT normal. There must be another cause if the BMW tech DID in fact put it on correctly. Make sure your headlight doesn't have any fractures and maybe ask the guys at your dealer to take out the headlight and confirm so you don't get yourself in trouble with your "1" time warranty repair.

I can confirm that the passenger side headlight is a royal PITA because of the metal piping that obstructs the cover of the light...

FJUNO78 · 09-12-2011, 01:14 PM

just throwing this out there, how new is the car?

My car got condensation the first couple of times it rained. Told my dealer, and they said it was normal to happen in the beginning, but it should go away. They said keep an eye on it and to let them know. I was sure they were giving me the run around... but sure enough, it stopped, and has been bone dry ever since.

mattryan · 09-12-2011, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FJUNO78

just throwing this out there, how new is the car?

My car got condensation the first couple of times it rained. Told my dealer, and they said it was normal to happen in the beginning, but it should go away. They said keep an eye on it and to let them know. I was sure they were giving me the run around... but sure enough, it stopped, and has been bone dry ever since.

took delivery April 30 2011

xerox445 · 09-12-2011, 07:56 PM

Go over the faces of the lights again and make sure theres no pinholes. Thats alot of moisture...

09-06-2011, 04:28 PM	#1
mattryan Captain 86 Rep 638 Posts Drives: 2022 M240i xDrive Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Toronto, ON iTrader: (0)	Could the LUX H8 V3's caused this? I had my LUX H8 V3's installed a week ago, washed my car yesterday and then a couple hours later my passenger side headlight(lowbeam) malfunctioned and stopped working. I've since taken it into BMW and they've advised me that the headlight control unit as well as stepper motor have malfunctioned and need to be replaced. They've agreed to cover it under warranty this time so I'm debating whether or not to just remove the LUX kit from the vehicle in order to avoid a possible costly future repair bill of $1100.00. I've emailed BimmerEyes and they've advised they don't feel that the LUX kit could have anything to do with these issues and have agreed to refund them... I've also emailed LUX directly to see what their take is on these issues... The drivers side is working perfectly fine so I have no clue if the LUX kit could have caused these issues... I don't know much about cars, lighting or mechanics so any feedback would be greatly appreciated! __________________ Current: 2022 M240i xDrive Previous: 2018 440i xDrive, 2012 135i
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09-06-2011, 04:32 PM	#2
1-2MANY First Lieutenant 46 Rep 394 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Dallas TX iTrader: (3)	could be that you did not put the cover on correctly and moisture got into the housing.
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09-06-2011, 04:33 PM	#3
1speedbike Brigadier General 732 Rep 3,274 Posts Drives: 2022 X4 M40i, 2008 135i Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: MKE iTrader: (15)	The lowbeam and the H8 (angel eye) bulbs are completely separate. They are wired separately and as long as the LUX bulb was operating using the stock wiring with stock voltage and wattage levels, I don't think it would have caused it. The only possible connection would be if you incorrectly put the headlight cap back on, and moisture got into the headlight and damaged the lowbeam. However, since the headlight control unit (only one is required for EACH headlight and it does not reside within the headlight cap) is malfunctioning, I don't think the LUX bulbs are to blame at all. __________________ 2022 X4 M40i - 2008 135i - 2015 F700GS On Order - 2024 i4 M50 Scruffy's gonna die the way he lived... Mmhm.
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09-06-2011, 08:29 PM	#5
FJUNO78 Captain 15 Rep 885 Posts Drives: 25 to 2 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: staten island, NY iTrader: (0) Garage List 2010 135i [0.00] 2007 e92 328I [0.00]	i know what I would do in this situation. it would involve me putting my lights back to stock, a trip to the dealer, and a bit of playing stupid __________________ 2010 135i - Alpine White - Coral Red- Glacier Trim - Bluetooth - ///M Sport - Paddle Shifters
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09-07-2011, 11:15 AM	#8
HondaGoneRogue They like my Swag... 433 Rep 3,762 Posts Drives: 15 GSM 435i GC Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: South Dakota iTrader: (4) Garage List 2015 435i Gran Coupe [0.00]	It's crazy that the headlights are that critical of moisture (or that it's that easy to install the cover incorrectly). I have never been scared to replace a headlight until now. __________________ 2015 435i Gran Coupe - Current 2008 AW 135i - Sold
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09-07-2011, 11:42 AM	#9
RoundelM3 Major General 1835 Rep 6,990 Posts Drives: 15 F80 M3, 22 G01 X3 30i Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Clayton, NC iTrader: (2) Garage List 2022 BMW X3 [9.83] 2015 BMW M3 [6.50]	Definitely not the Lux units causing the problem. Unless something was physically damaged during the install, there's no logical connection - particularly with regards to the stepper motor. __________________ 2015 F80 ///M3 Sedan 7DCT Tanzanite, 2022 X3 sDrive30i 8AT Brooklyn Grey
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09-07-2011, 03:31 PM	#10
mattryan Captain 86 Rep 638 Posts Drives: 2022 M240i xDrive Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Toronto, ON iTrader: (0)	Just got off the phone with BMW and they've advised me that seal was "pinched" which caused moisture to get into the headlight housing... However they've agreed to cover it under warranty this time but have also warned me that any future issues with either of my headlights will not be covered under warranty due to the LUX kit... I've asked them to ensure that the drivers side cover is sealed correctly and they have confirmed it is... The service manager has strongly recommended me to change the lights back and wants to charge me $160 for it! Can BMW deny a warranty claim because of the LUX lights? I guess I really have no way around it as they know I have them installed and they'll know whether or not I had them changed back by BMW... Pretty much this is a loose loose situation for me right now if anything goes wrong with the headlights it feels like... __________________ Current: 2022 M240i xDrive Previous: 2018 440i xDrive, 2012 135i
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09-11-2011, 12:24 AM	#14
mattryan Captain 86 Rep 638 Posts Drives: 2022 M240i xDrive Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Toronto, ON iTrader: (0)	UPDATE: I got my car back Thursday and the service manager advised me that everything was fixed re: my initial issue and ensured the cover's were replaced on both sides correctly and had a tight seal. Everything was great untill I decided to wash my car today... washed the car this morning, parked it in the garage for a couple hours, went out early afternoon and after I started driving for a couple minutes I was getting the adaptive headlight warning... drove for about 20 mins to Starbucks and when I came back out and started the car again it was gone so I didn't really think anything of it. Later in the afternoon as the valet was pulling my car up I noticed that the passenger side headlight was all fogged up! I've since sent an e-mail with the attached pictures to the service manager advising him of the moisture in the headlight unit and that it doesn't seem as though the initial issue was a case of the cover not being replaced correctly as it was done by BMW this time and there is moisture in the headlight unit once again. When he initially advised me that the cover was not replaced correctly and that's how moisture got into the headlight unit I asked him if it could possibly be because of a defective seal and he advised me absolutely not and he is sure that the cover was not replaced correctly. Well I mean it was done by a BMW tech this time and there's still moisture so... Anyways if it's not because of the cover being replaced correctly what else could cause this? What should I ask the dealer to do? Clearly it's not an issue with the LUX so can they tell me they're not covering it under warranty? I guess taking them out before I take it in is pointless? The first two pictures were taken around 5:30pm and the third picture was taken around 12:30am Attached Images __________________ Current: 2022 M240i xDrive Previous: 2018 440i xDrive, 2012 135i
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09-11-2011, 01:04 AM	#15
HISI808 Second Lieutenant 11 Rep 239 Posts Drives: 2011 AW 128i M-Sport Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Hawaii iTrader: (4)	I would open your headlight covers and let it air dry ASAP. Water is condensing and pooling inside the bottom of your headlights right where the sensitive adaptive motor is located. Ask me how I know.... Once you get it dried out, throw a bunch of silica gel packets in your headlight which will absorb any excess moisture. I strung together 5 silica gel packets with dental floss and tied the loose ends to the bitch clip for easy retrieval. It's been a year since I've done this and I have not had any more condensation problems in my headlights. Last edited by HISI808; 09-11-2011 at 01:09 AM..
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09-11-2011, 06:32 PM	#18
mattryan Captain 86 Rep 638 Posts Drives: 2022 M240i xDrive Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Toronto, ON iTrader: (0)	I read the manual and it said that some condensation can form in the inside of the headlight while the HID's are on and I looked on the driver's side and there was a tiny little bit but not the amount on the passenger's side __________________ Current: 2022 M240i xDrive Previous: 2018 440i xDrive, 2012 135i
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09-12-2011, 01:14 PM	#20
FJUNO78 Captain 15 Rep 885 Posts Drives: 25 to 2 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: staten island, NY iTrader: (0) Garage List 2010 135i [0.00] 2007 e92 328I [0.00]	just throwing this out there, how new is the car? My car got condensation the first couple of times it rained. Told my dealer, and they said it was normal to happen in the beginning, but it should go away. They said keep an eye on it and to let them know. I was sure they were giving me the run around... but sure enough, it stopped, and has been bone dry ever since. __________________ 2010 135i - Alpine White - Coral Red- Glacier Trim - Bluetooth - ///M Sport - Paddle Shifters
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09-12-2011, 07:56 PM	#22
xerox445 Damenslip-Tropfer 23 Rep 543 Posts Drives: 2008 SGM 135i Join Date: May 2011 Location: LBI, NJ iTrader: (1)	Go over the faces of the lights again and make sure theres no pinholes. Thats alot of moisture...
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