Brights don't work after AE and LED corner install??

[Cadeez]

Last night I finished the installation of all my lighting, the final touches are Xenon fogs, LED sides/corners and Orion V2 Angel Eyes...and it looks absolutely AWESOME!!! The light output in that thing is unreal, however now my brights don't work. WTF? Anyone ever come across this?

Also, how can I get my DRL's to not run during the day, or to not run at all would be fine too? The AE's look awesome, but less awesome with the DRL's on. Someone said this is something that the dealer can turn off?

[kayger12]

Yes, the dealer can turn your DRLs off.

Do you have bi-xenon headlights?

[Cadeez]

No I don't, the brights are just standard lights.

[danewilson77]

I don't know about the brights...but I would check my wiring again....though you should have messed with it.

As Keith said.....turning off DRL's ran me about 85 bux at indy....

[Mtnman]

How did you wire in the angel eyes and fogs? fogs are wired to shut off when brights come on. Thats the only thing i can think of that you changed that has any connection to the high beams. But i need to know how you wired the Ae's before we can rule that part out. and also if you had to change anything for the fog lights.

[kayger12]

Bumped this over to Mechanical/Troubleshooting

[Cadeez]

How did you wire in the angel eyes and fogs? fogs are wired to shut off when brights come on. Thats the only thing i can think of that you changed that has any connection to the high beams. But i need to know how you wired the Ae's before we can rule that part out. and also if you had to change anything for the fog lights.

I wired the AE's per the below link, always on. I followed it perfectly and everything works except the brights. When I click them on the fogs go off, the projectors stay on but flicker almost like to a deffierent setting, but no brights. The Xenon fogs were plug and play, hung the ballast in the area behind the light and hooked up the m/f connectors, can't see how they would interfere in the brights.

http://www.fastm.com/m3/angeleyes_orionv2.html

[Mtnman]

Do you have bixenon headlights, or halogen? All running lights/flash to pass lights are halogen, but what are your regular headlights? Also, can you take a picture with headlights on normally, then after you push the stalk forward to power the brights?
And, have you tried the brights without the fogs on? Just trying to rule things out.

[Cadeez]

No, the headlights are HID/Xenon, but the brights are standard halogen. I'll take a pic when I get home tonight of the headlights, from inside the car or of the lights themselves? Not sure if that's a dumb question but... Not sure if i've tried it without the fogs turned on, I will try that as well.

On/off the subject, do you know anything about LED's? I installed LED corners & sides, both work perfect and look awesome, but when I turn my car on the side markers flash ~4-6 times, both sides...which I think is odd. This never happened with the OEM's.

[Mtnman]

Cadeez,
I am slightly confused. If you have a 2004, the you either have Bi-xenons, or you have halogens. Just xenons (xenon outer bulb that uses the halogen inside bulb as its brights) were used before 04, not during. If you have bixenons, than the xenon (outter) bulb is both low and high beam, and acts like a shutter opening when switched to high beam. Does that make sense? Pls Advise. and i would refer pic from outside the car that shows the light coming from the bulbs. So, maybe dont stand directly in front of the car, but somewhere off to the side that we can still see the light difference. If that doesnt work, then do it from inside against a wall showing the light pattern that is cast.

D

[Cadeez]

498
497

David,
Yes I think it does make sense, perhaps it is me that is confused. By bi-xenons I thought you meant both low/high beams looked like "projector" lenses, which they don't. Only the outer/low beam does, the high beam looks like a standard headlight like what I had on my '04 Grand Cherokee. All I can tell you is before I did any lighting upgrades, the Xenon/HID/outer headlights and fog lights when off when I clicked the stalk forward for the brights. The only thing on then was the standard "yellow-ish" colored inside high beams, which were very bright. I've attached before and after pics, maybe this will help?

[Mtnman]

wow. Edit, i see them.....hang on.... yup, you should have bixenons...but if the outer xenons shut off when you switched to high beams, something was wrong originally. you have bixenons, which should mean the outer bulbs stay lit when the high beams come on. unless, they are not factory headlights. Who are teh manufacturers of your headlights? it should say on the light itself, and also on the lens cover, although covers can be changed.

[Cadeez]

Thanks man, I'll take a look when I get home and let you know. Do yours look like mine do? Currently the inner lights, what I thought were were the brights, are only working as DRL's...

[Mtnman]

yeah, mine look like yours. yeah, take some pics and lets see what up. Also, look for light manufacturer on the headlights themselves.

[Cadeez]

Okay...I think you're right, I think I do have Bi-Xenon headlights, they just didn't seem as bright as "brights" should be. Not only that, but I am absolutely positive that when I tested the brights when I bought the car that the center beams were the brights. Now their only function is DRL's?? Is that true? Seems like a waste of a light for just DRL's... Here are some pics, I couldn't really get a clean shot of the headlight cause I was kind of in a hurry, but they appear to be OEM.

508
507
506
505

[Cadeez]

Okay...I think you're right, I think I do have Bi-Xenon headlights, they just didn't seem as bright as "brights" should be. Not only that, but I am absolutely positive that when I tested the brights when I bought the car that the center beams were the brights. Now their only function is DRL's?? Is that true? Seems like a waste of a light for just DRL's... Here are some pics, I couldn't really get a clean shot of the headlight cause I was kind of in a hurry, but they appear to be OEM.

508507506505

Oh FYI pic 0874 is standard headlight, 0875 is clicked forward for brights, 0870 is headlight switch @ 12 o'clock showing the DRL's.

[Mtnman]

The inside bulb is also the "flash to pass" and lights up when you pull the stalk towards you in the drive seat. You have have ZKW lights, and therefore the dreaded burnt bowl issue with them. Look on the lens, facing the car it would be the bottom right corner of the driver side lens. Does it say zkw or AL or neither? Look up ZKW or burnt bowl on this forum and you will see what we i am talking about if you dont already know.

[Cadeez]

Okay, I'll check it out on my lunch. Doesn't sound like having the ZKW's is a good thing...

Off topic slightly, where did you get your BMW Performance intake and how much was it? Any sound, power or economy benifits? Worth the $$ IYO?

[danewilson77]

Okay, I'll check it out on my lunch. Doesn't sound like having the ZKW's is a good thing...

Off topic slightly, where did you get your BMW Performance intake and how much was it? Any sound, power or economy benifits? Worth the $$ IYO?

8Hp dyno proven gain. Can't speak to the sound.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

Still on sale.

http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330i-M54_3.0L/Engine/Intake/ES35341/

[Cadeez]

Rock n roll, $285 is a pretty good deal for that thing, BMW Performance has it listed for like $600+ I think.

[danewilson77]

Rock n roll, $285 is a pretty good deal for that thing, BMW Performance has it listed for like $600+ I think.

Yeah....the normal price was over $1k...

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[Cadeez]

The inside bulb is also the "flash to pass" and lights up when you pull the stalk towards you in the drive seat. You have have ZKW lights, and therefore the dreaded burnt bowl issue with them. Look on the lens, facing the car it would be the bottom right corner of the driver side lens. Does it say zkw or AL or neither? Look up ZKW or burnt bowl on this forum and you will see what we i am talking about if you dont already know.

Yep they are ZKW's. Actually now the lenses are Depo because I just replaced the nasty old pitted ones tonight.

[Mtnman]

Sounds like your problem has to do with zkw lights, and the reflector bowls that burn/melt and stop reflecting light as well as they should. If you look behind your light, and pull back the rubber bowl that protects the rear of the housing from water, you can see into the assembly. If you see brown/black plastic, this is your problem. I had the same problem, and replaced my lights.