Exterior Bulb Warning Light Won't Reset

box_man · 04-30-2013, 07:52 PM

So my Exterior bulb warning Light keeps coming on, sometimes it will go away as soon as I start driving, but then if I shut the car off and back on it will come back on again, and I will get the little warning triangle next to the odometer. It all Started about a month ago, checked the lights and none of them were out. Then about a week later the LED strip in the left tail light went out, so I replaced both tail lights with Brand New Black Line Tail lights and have had this problem ever since. The Tail light work fine by the way, LED strips light up, blinkers and stop light work. Just wondering if anyone has had this issue after installing the LCI Black Line Tail Lights? Or if anyone has any ideas on how to reset the warning lamp? My car is an 09 135i, thanks for the help in advance.

box_man · 05-02-2013, 04:23 PM

Bump, no ones had this issue?

Dackelone · 05-02-2013, 04:28 PM

You have a bulb about to burn out. Do you have iDrive? I think it tells you which bulb in the menu. I don't have iDrive on mine. So when that time comes... I will just replace ALL my light bulbs! hhaha.

Btw... if one of your LED tubes was out... the BC would not tell you. Those LED lights are not monitored.

box_man · 05-02-2013, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dackelone

You have a bulb about to burn out. Do you have iDrive? I think it tells you which bulb in the menu. I don't have iDrive on mine. So when that time comes... I will just replace ALL my light bulbs! hhaha.

Btw... if one of your LED tubes was out... the BC would not tell you. Those LED lights are not monitored.

Good to know, I thought they were monitored. I was just worried that it might have been the new tail lights causing the warning light. No iDrive in my car, so I guess I will just have to start the bulb replacing process haha, Thanks for the help.

Dackelone · 05-02-2013, 04:47 PM

So you just replaced your tail lights?

Adam135 · 05-02-2013, 07:26 PM

Pull the error code and see what bulb it is. Hold the button down on the stalk to get the ID #. I wouldn't bother replacing bulbs that work. I had this same issue and it ended up being a problem in the headlight enclosure - they had to replace the entire assembly. Look up my previous threads for more info. Good luck!!

Edit: since you just installed new tail lights I'd re-seat the connections and bulbs.

box_man · 05-02-2013, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dackelone

So you just replaced your tail lights?

Yeah I replaced them about a month ago, the left side led bar went out so I went with the LCI Black Lines.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam135

Pull the error code and see what bulb it is. Hold the button down on the stalk to get the ID #. I wouldn't bother replacing bulbs that work. I had this same issue and it ended up being a problem in the headlight enclosure - they had to replace the entire assembly. Look up my previous threads for more info. Good luck!!

Edit: since you just installed new tail lights I'd re-seat the connections and bulbs.

I have already re-seated connections and bulbs, I will try getting the codes and see what comes up. Thanks

phakyu · 09-26-2013, 08:40 AM

yea i got the similar problem, left light burned out and replaced with blackline, but warning still comes on, but then it will go away after i start driving. don't really know wat the problem is...

delta-9-ginseng · 09-27-2013, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam135

Pull the error code and see what bulb it is. Hold the button down on the stalk to get the ID #. I wouldn't bother replacing bulbs that work. I had this same issue and it ended up being a problem in the headlight enclosure - they had to replace the entire assembly. Look up my previous threads for more info. Good luck!!

Edit: since you just installed new tail lights I'd re-seat the connections and bulbs.

Weird as I had my entire headlight assembly replaced as well, didn't know it was a common problem. They replaced the whole headlight.

Billup · 09-27-2013, 12:53 PM

Will the codes be turned off on their own once a properly working bulb is reinstalled or will it need to be taken in to have the codes and little ! triangle removed?

box_man · 09-27-2013, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phakyu

yea i got the similar problem, left light burned out and replaced with blackline, but warning still comes on, but then it will go away after i start driving. don't really know wat the problem is...

Use the stalk to check the Code for what light is causing the issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by delta-9-ginseng

Weird as I had my entire headlight assembly replaced as well, didn't know it was a common problem. They replaced the whole headlight.

Yeah, I haven't gone in to get it checked out because im afraid that will be the issue. I've been living with the warning light for a while now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billup

Will the codes be turned off on their own once a properly working bulb is reinstalled or will it need to be taken in to have the codes and little ! triangle removed?

It should reset on its own once the bulb is replaced, unless in my case or in some others where a certain code came on and the whole headlight assembly needs to be replaced.

Adam135 · 09-27-2013, 04:43 PM

Did you ever pull the error code? It takes 5 seconds. Did you check your license plate lights and reverse lights?

box_man · 09-27-2013, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam135

Did you ever pull the error code? It takes 5 seconds. Did you check your license plate lights and reverse lights?

Yeah it's CC ID 381 which is supposedly the right turn signal on the fender. The light is working perfectly. I have also checked all other lights and everything seems to be working.

Adam135 · 09-27-2013, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by box_man

Yeah it's CC ID 381 which is supposedly the right turn signal on the fender. The light is working perfectly. I have also checked all other lights and everything seems to be working.

Does the error come and go or you get the error code every time you drive the car?

box_man · 09-27-2013, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam135

Does the error come and go or you get the error code every time you drive the car?

Every time I start the car and every time I turn it off. The triangle does go away sometimes though. I guess I should try and replace the bulb and see what happens.

HollywoodSquare · 10-14-2017, 01:11 PM

FWIW--- Maybe I'm the only stupid one, but since so many mystery problems in this post - check this out.

I was having same issue - bulb warning comes on, replaced right rear running light, then (just to be sure it wasn't some usage imbalance thing with different brand bulbs) replaced left running light. No matter what I tried, warning remains lit.

THEN - I noticed that from the outside of my 128i I can see one more bulb than I count on the bulb chassis. Outside: 5 bulbs. Bulb chassis: 4 bulbs.
There is a 5th bulb that is mounted and wired separately from the rest of them, and it's accessed from the second, smaller opening that is exposed when you remove the trunk lining cover inside the trunk.

On my 128i, that bulb was bad. Replaced it - alert cancelled itself. All is well.

Good luck.

04-30-2013, 07:52 PM	#1
box_man Hustler 21 Rep 129 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: LA iTrader: (1)	Exterior Bulb Warning Light Won't Reset So my Exterior bulb warning Light keeps coming on, sometimes it will go away as soon as I start driving, but then if I shut the car off and back on it will come back on again, and I will get the little warning triangle next to the odometer. It all Started about a month ago, checked the lights and none of them were out. Then about a week later the LED strip in the left tail light went out, so I replaced both tail lights with Brand New Black Line Tail lights and have had this problem ever since. The Tail light work fine by the way, LED strips light up, blinkers and stop light work. Just wondering if anyone has had this issue after installing the LCI Black Line Tail Lights? Or if anyone has any ideas on how to reset the warning lamp? My car is an 09 135i, thanks for the help in advance.
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05-02-2013, 04:23 PM	#2
box_man Hustler 21 Rep 129 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: LA iTrader: (1)	Bump, no ones had this issue?
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05-02-2013, 04:28 PM	#3
Dackelone European Editor 10532 Rep 22,992 Posts Drives: N54 e82 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bayern, Germany iTrader: (1)	You have a bulb about to burn out. Do you have iDrive? I think it tells you which bulb in the menu. I don't have iDrive on mine. So when that time comes... I will just replace ALL my light bulbs! hhaha. Btw... if one of your LED tubes was out... the BC would not tell you. Those LED lights are not monitored. __________________ Dackel's European Delivery Museum Guide
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05-02-2013, 04:47 PM	#5
Dackelone European Editor 10532 Rep 22,992 Posts Drives: N54 e82 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bayern, Germany iTrader: (1)	So you just replaced your tail lights? __________________ Dackel's European Delivery Museum Guide
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05-02-2013, 07:26 PM	#6
Adam135 Captain 72 Rep 961 Posts Drives: 2014 435i Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: USA iTrader: (2)	Pull the error code and see what bulb it is. Hold the button down on the stalk to get the ID #. I wouldn't bother replacing bulbs that work. I had this same issue and it ended up being a problem in the headlight enclosure - they had to replace the entire assembly. Look up my previous threads for more info. Good luck!! Edit: since you just installed new tail lights I'd re-seat the connections and bulbs.
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09-26-2013, 08:40 AM	#8
phakyu New Member 2 Rep 10 Posts Drives: bmw 135i M-Sport Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Canada-AB-Calgary iTrader: (0)	yea i got the similar problem, left light burned out and replaced with blackline, but warning still comes on, but then it will go away after i start driving. don't really know wat the problem is... __________________ BMW // 135i // M-Sport // Black on Black CF Kidney Grill / CF Trunk Lip / BMS 4-LED AE H8 upgrade / Apex ARC-8 / Hankook RS3 AR Design catless DP / Berk Technology cat-back / JB4 G5 / BMS drop-in filter
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09-27-2013, 12:53 PM	#10
Billup Banned 472 Rep 928 Posts Drives: Your mum crazy. Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Baconopolos Island iTrader: (0)	Will the codes be turned off on their own once a properly working bulb is reinstalled or will it need to be taken in to have the codes and little ! triangle removed?
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09-27-2013, 04:43 PM	#12
Adam135 Captain 72 Rep 961 Posts Drives: 2014 435i Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: USA iTrader: (2)	Did you ever pull the error code? It takes 5 seconds. Did you check your license plate lights and reverse lights?
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10-14-2017, 01:11 PM	#16
HollywoodSquare New Member 2 Rep 7 Posts Drives: 128i Coupe Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Hollyweird iTrader: (0)	One Solution Found FWIW--- Maybe I'm the only stupid one, but since so many mystery problems in this post - check this out. I was having same issue - bulb warning comes on, replaced right rear running light, then (just to be sure it wasn't some usage imbalance thing with different brand bulbs) replaced left running light. No matter what I tried, warning remains lit. THEN - I noticed that from the outside of my 128i I can see one more bulb than I count on the bulb chassis. Outside: 5 bulbs. Bulb chassis: 4 bulbs. There is a 5th bulb that is mounted and wired separately from the rest of them, and it's accessed from the second, smaller opening that is exposed when you remove the trunk lining cover inside the trunk. On my 128i, that bulb was bad. Replaced it - alert cancelled itself. All is well. Good luck.
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