Water in headlight: bulb & adaptive malfunction - Ballast or FWM?

[spxxx]

So, just picked up a 135i and took it to a drive through carwash... I know, bad idea.

Halfway through the wash, I get the adaptive headlight malfunction light... Ten minutes later my xenon bulb goes out on that same side (AE still works).... I check and one of the clips was undone on the cover so I left the cover open over night and today for it to dry but the bulb is still out and I'm getting the AHL error.

All headlight fuses are intact (any others I should check?)

I swapped a new bulb and no luck, bought a replacement ballast (xenon control module) on eBay to see if that fixes it (it was only $50)

Is it usually the ballast or the footwell module that goes out when water gets in there?

[spxxx]

Help?

[one30five]

JUST had this problem bro! Let me tell you where I am at

2 weeks ago I installed LUX V5 angel eyes. great, all swell. then I nailed a shitty pothole and blew one of the HID bulbs. At the same time I got an adaptive headlight trouble light on dash.

the colo9r selector switch on the V5s had gotten in the way of the mechanism that moves the adaptive lense. Fine, no problem. I adjusted some shit and put it back together. I started noticing some condensation inside the headlights. after a check I realized I had pinched the LUX V5 wire (to color selector switch) bewteen the back of the assembly and the cover. FML.

unfortunately before I noticed that problem I had hit the car wash. that night my other HID blew. I got OEM bulbs and they wouldn't work. Checked the fuses and they were good. checked all my wiring. and even installed OE angel eyes. still, the bulbs wouldn't work. I even unplugged the battery for 30 min and let everything reset. no dice. still no headlights.

so I pulled off the front clip (necessary to get to the MODULES) I pulled the entire headlight assemblies out and took the module off the bottom. the modules smelled like fried electronics. and my driver side module literally dripped water. (remember that car wash)

so I ordered new modules and I expect to have them Wednesday or Thursday. im almost positive its the modules. it really cant be anything else as ive checked everything off the list. I even took the new HID bulbs and installed them in my 335xi to make sure they weren't faulty.

on a side note, my under tray has been missing due to something on the road smashing a hole in it and ultimately dragging it off. I've been dragging my feet on replacing it, and now I regret it.

the modules on these headlights are on the under side of the assembly and facing the ground. there is a gasket, but I highly doubt its 100% impervious to car wash blasting pressurized water under the car. although, in my case I think the problem was two fold
1.) the headlight assembly rear covers were not 100% sealed due to pinch wires
2.) missing under tray allowed too much water near those lights.
3.) once water is inside the assembly it can trickly all the way down to the board that the module plugs into. the board is exposed on the inside of the assembly.

I will have my front clip off again to install the new modules. I will take some pics and follow up.

good luck

[one30five]

Also - what do you mean footwell module? and ballast? the D1s bulb in the headlight has a ballast on it. (that's the big square metal thing)

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by one30five

Also - what do you mean footwell module? and ballast? the D1s bulb in the headlight has a ballast on it. (that's the big square metal thing)

When I refer to ballast I mean control module (located below headlight) - not the small d1s bulb ballast you're referring to

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by one30five

JUST had this problem bro! Let me tell you where I am at

2 weeks ago I installed LUX V5 angel eyes. great, all swell. then I nailed a shitty pothole and blew one of the HID bulbs. At the same time I got an adaptive headlight trouble light on dash.

the colo9r selector switch on the V5s had gotten in the way of the mechanism that moves the adaptive lense. Fine, no problem. I adjusted some shit and put it back together. I started noticing some condensation inside the headlights. after a check I realized I had pinched the LUX V5 wire (to color selector switch) bewteen the back of the assembly and the cover. FML.

unfortunately before I noticed that problem I had hit the car wash. that night my other HID blew. I got OEM bulbs and they wouldn't work. Checked the fuses and they were good. checked all my wiring. and even installed OE angel eyes. still, the bulbs wouldn't work. I even unplugged the battery for 30 min and let everything reset. no dice. still no headlights.

so I pulled off the front clip (necessary to get to the MODULES) I pulled the entire headlight assemblies out and took the module off the bottom. the modules smelled like fried electronics. and my driver side module literally dripped water. (remember that car wash)

so I ordered new modules and I expect to have them Wednesday or Thursday. im almost positive its the modules. it really cant be anything else as ive checked everything off the list. I even took the new HID bulbs and installed them in my 335xi to make sure they weren't faulty.

on a side note, my under tray has been missing due to something on the road smashing a hole in it and ultimately dragging it off. I've been dragging my feet on replacing it, and now I regret it.

the modules on these headlights are on the under side of the assembly and facing the ground. there is a gasket, but I highly doubt its 100% impervious to car wash blasting pressurized water under the car. although, in my case I think the problem was two fold
1.) the headlight assembly rear covers were not 100% sealed due to pinch wires
2.) missing under tray allowed too much water near those lights.
3.) once water is inside the assembly it can trickly all the way down to the board that the module plugs into. the board is exposed on the inside of the assembly.

I will have my front clip off again to install the new modules. I will take some pics and follow up.

good luck

Thanks for the lengthy overview... My new module comes today, my adaptive headlight malfunction light is off now (they're turning with the car) I'm just getting the low beam error and a dead bulb. I swapped bulbs and no luck.

Installing the new module today or tomorrow and hoping for the best!!

[Miko226]

check the cables that connect to the light housing itself.. mine dry rotted and when i went in to put the new bulb in the rubber casing on the wires cracked off and created a short in the system that had to be reset and resealed the wires

[spxxx]

Well WTF... I left the back of the casing open and I guess it has dried out because it started working again. I'm running the lights all day to keep the heat up and hopefully dry the rest out. Quite happy but I just found a crack & leak in my rim... Wah Wah.