Headlight dead - new bulb does not fix

[MalcolmV8]

Passenger's side headlight went out. They look like some sort of high voltage HID bulbs. I swapped driver & pass bulbs and pass side is still out so it's not the bulb. It also doesn't move. When you first turn on the ignition the bulbs sort of calibrate their range of motion and you can see them move. Pass side doesn't move. Are there any other controllers or driver boxes I can swap out before just buying a whole new headlight assembly?
The halos and flash to pass light still work. Just the main HID one is dead.

There is also a persistent icon on the dash. Picture attached.

Thanks
Malcolm

[fast1eddy]

There's a control box on the back of the headlight that can get moisture in there and corrode. Replace that abs you should be good.

[fast1eddy]

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=63_1006

Use realoem to find the part number of what you need and grab one from eBay.

[MalcolmV8]

Originally Posted by fast1eddy

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=63_1006

Use realoem to find the part number of what you need and grab one from eBay.

Is it # 14 on that link you sent? dang $450. I'll see if I can locate it on the car. Are they specific side to side? maybe I can swap it over too the other side and validate that's what's really failed.

Oh I see.... $31.50 on ebay lol.

If it's inside the headlight assembly I can see moisture been an issue. I see one of those metal spring latches that holds the back cover on doesn't work anymore because the plastic tab that it connects into is broke. Bummer.

[fast1eddy]

Yes part 14. I'm not sure what year your car is so use your vin to find the exact part number. It attaches to the back of the headlight. Headlight needs to come out to get at it. Not a difficult job. Search for a diy.

[MalcolmV8]

Originally Posted by fast1eddy

Yes part 14. I'm not sure what year your car is so use your vin to find the exact part number. It attaches to the back of the headlight. Headlight needs to come out to get at it. Not a difficult job. Search for a diy.

I was reading up on that some more and I think that's just the ballast to make the light bulb light up right? but my headlight motor won't move either. Does this control that too? or I'm wondering if I have more going on here.

[fast1eddy]

Controls the movement of the light too. Had one go out on me. Changed it out and fixed the problem.

[MalcolmV8]

Originally Posted by fast1eddy

Controls the movement of the light too. Had one go out on me. Changed it out and fixed the problem.

Awesome replacement should be here in a few days. I'll get it swapped in and see what happens.

[MalcolmV8]

OK so the replacement module at the bottom makes the bulb come on again but the motor still doesn't move. After tearing everything apart and swapping parts with the driver's side I figured out there's an additional control board inside the light called the "Lear SMC II" and it's all corroded and destroyed too.

I see you can buy replacements which is great. However the source of my water leak appears to be the back cover on the headlight. It has those two metal spring wires you pull over real hard to snap onto the back cover. Well the inner one (closest to the fender) is broken off. The plastic that held it just snapped off. So back end of that cover hangs open I'm sure.

I'm wondering if anyone's dealt with that and has an idea as to how to fix that?

Thanks
Malcolm

[gjm120]

Originally Posted by MalcolmV8

OK so the replacement module at the bottom makes the bulb come on again but the motor still doesn't move. After tearing everything apart and swapping parts with the driver's side I figured out there's an additional control board inside the light called the "Lear SMC II" and it's all corroded and destroyed too.

I see you can buy replacements which is great. However the source of my water leak appears to be the back cover on the headlight. It has those two metal spring wires you pull over real hard to snap onto the back cover. Well the inner one (closest to the fender) is broken off. The plastic that held it just snapped off. So back end of that cover hangs open I'm sure.

I'm wondering if anyone's dealt with that and has an idea as to how to fix that?

Thanks
Malcolm

Probably not too likely, but if there was a persistent short, after so many time the offending circuit is basically made inoperable. Look up 'short circuit counter'. It happened on a friends E90.

He had someone else fix it, but I got curious enough to dig into my car's short circuit counter with I think it was Toolset32 and found it.

[MalcolmV8]

Originally Posted by gjm120

Probably not too likely, but if there was a persistent short, after so many time the offending circuit is basically made inoperable. Look up 'short circuit counter'. It happened on a friends E90.

He had someone else fix it, but I got curious enough to dig into my car's short circuit counter with I think it was Toolset32 and found it.

I googled it, what a pain that short circuit counter deal is. I'm glad I do not have any short circuit codes at this time.

[MalcolmV8]

Well I got that module pulled out today. Definitely moisture has been getting in there. I've attached a couple pics.

After I got that module swapped out the light was working but not the motor that turns the bulb left and right. So I took things apart again and found that ALC circuit that's used for the headlight motor. As you can see in pic it was corroded and destroyed too so I got one on order from ebay.

Next was making sure that headlight is sealing up again. So I drilled a new hole in the headlight plastic up top where the prior clip had broken out. Pic shows hole to the right of original hole. I ended up having to drill another hole to the left of the original hole to reduce spring tension. I also had to reshape the spring with some pliers to it wasn't pulling with such brute force or it would have broken out of the plastic again like it did originally.

So that's sealed up, headlight bulb is back on. Just waiting on the ALC circuit board now. So making some progress.

Thanks to everyone for the help. It's very much appreciated.

Malcolm

[MalcolmV8]

Just an update for anyone searching old threads. I got the replacement ALC circuit board in and it fixed the headlight motor that turns the bulb left and right. I was able to clear the code for it as well and now the dash looks normal and we no longer have to drive around with that head light symbol covering up the time & temperature.

Thanks
Malcolm

[jdt10768]

fun, been there done that - only good thing is that you can buy the parts cheap on Amazon. You really have to tear into it to get to the headlights

[MalcolmV8]

Originally Posted by jdt10768

fun, been there done that - only good thing is that you can buy the parts cheap on Amazon. You really have to tear into it to get to the headlights

Yeah I had to get the wheel off and liner out for access. I found the parts cheap on amazon/ebay and just waited a couple weeks. The one circuit board alone was $471 from BMW.

[1N4ttro]

I have this very thing. I transferred bulb and ballast from driver side and passenger does not work. I purchased a control unit from ebay and it did not work on passenger side. Any chance the FWM is to blame?

[MalcolmV8]

Originally Posted by 1N4ttro

I have this very thing. I transferred bulb and ballast from driver side and passenger does not work. I purchased a control unit from ebay and it did not work on passenger side. Any chance the FWM is to blame?

Hopefully someone who knows more about BMWs than me can chime in. What I posted above and repaired above is about the extent of my knowledge on the subject. Not even sure what the FWM is?

[1N4ttro]

Thanks for your response, I was hoping you had done something not on this post that could try. FWM: Foot Well Module which controls lots of different systems in our cars. I am past the FWM 10yr recall.

[MalcolmV8]

Ah yes of course, I see codes from the foot well module all the time. In fact I have more codes now for boost leak and other stuff lol

[aresfiend]

Originally Posted by 1N4ttro

I have this very thing. I transferred bulb and ballast from driver side and passenger does not work. I purchased a control unit from ebay and it did not work on passenger side. Any chance the FWM is to blame?

Dealt with this yesterday. Short circuit count issues, resolved with Toolset32.