HELP! - AL HID low beam doesnt wanna work

[Hermes]

OK, so after I put my lights back together/in my car now my drivers side low beam doesn't wanna work. I thought maybe the bulb burned out (i dunno, its 6 years old) so i picked up one from the stealership. I pulled out the old bulb and replaced it, didn't change anything, light was still out. I took the original bulb from the drivers side and the ignitor from the drivers side, switched them with the ones from the passenger side that were working and the issue was the same - drivers side doesn't work, passenger does. Put the new bulb back in its package since I know the bulb inst the issue. Now i know its not the bulb or ignitor so my next thing to look at the wiring. Took out the wires from the drivers side headlight housing and blew the dust out with compressed air, put them back in and when I looked at the bulb it was lit. Turned off my car, waited a little while impressed at myself with having fixed it but now I gotta go return the new bulb. Was gonna drive back to the parts dept when I decided to test it one more time, it won't light up again. HELP please...

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/frenching/IMG_1644.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/frenching/IMG_1645.jpg

[Whitexi]

My cousins E46 did this, it would work at random times. I found a smashed xenon light assembly and transferred the Ballast and the ignitor, small black box over to the good one. It has been fine since.

[Hermes]

which parts are you talking about? I switched 9 & 11 to the other side and they work there, its the driver's side that doesnt wanna work

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/m/s/312.png

[danewilson77]

I had the same issue...kind of...on my ride a while back. I could get the drivers side to work.....but not the pass side.

Then....we got the bulb seated properly (i think) and it worked.

Not a lot of help here JP, sorry...

I would do(and have done) exactly what you're doing.

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[Hermes]

thanks dw, i'll go try to see if maybe thats all it is.

yeah i just wanted to see if i could figure it out myself before picking your brains. you gotta get the logical reasons out of the way first. just so confused...

[danewilson77]

thanks dw, i'll go try to see if maybe thats all it is.

yeah i just wanted to see if i could figure it out myself before picking your brains. you gotta get the logical reasons out of the way first. just so confused...

And that was after buying a new ballast/ignitor.

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[Whitexi]

http://realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/l/e/307.png


This is for the sedan one I did but number 15 is the ballast and 16 is the ignitor. I wasn't sure what was wrong on the car so just swapped out both. The ignitor is a small black box inside the headlight assembly.

Ebay link to show example of said parts

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574947307&toolid=10001&campid=5336776893&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Febaymotors%2F02-05-BMW-325i-330i-325Ci-330Ci-M3-Xenon-Bulb-Ballast-Control-Unit-HID-igniter-%2F400245744543%3Fpt%3DMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Acce ssories%26hash%3Ditem5d3081639f

You did just have the headlights apart, maybe a connector came loose?

[Hermes]

maybe... dont really wanna have to take the whole thing apart again, but i guess i should check. dont wanna buy new ones. those are either 16 or 17 on mine, i'm thinking 16

16 CONTROL UNIT XENON LIGHT AL 63127176068 $449.90
17 Electronics box ALC uncoded 63127189312 $147.35

[danewilson77]

16...

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[Whitexi]

16...

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There Ballast and ignitor are two separate parts for the E46's. For the sedan at least but I would think the same for the coupes. To change the ignitor I had to take apart the entire headlight.

[Hermes]

i was just thinking, i removed those two parts before i baked my lights so maybe there's just some dust in there, i dunno... still working on it

EDIT: just made sure bulb is seated right, took off #16 & 17, blew dust out of them. reinstalled, still not working. will try switching with the passenger side. this is a pain...

[Hermes]

so i switched the ballasts, still have passenger working, drivers not. gonna bake them again and see if there is a wire loose somewhere in the housing... getting very annoyed right now

[C Withers Media]

Hey this is going to sound really trite, but have you checked the fuse.

[Hermes]

Hey this is going to sound really trite, but have you checked the fuse.

actually no, hmmmmm... which one would it be?

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/E46FuseDiagram-1.jpg


well i just rebaked my lamps and am trying to see if there is a loose connection somewhere. I also emailed Umnitza to see if they have any ideas for me. i'm giving up for tonight and will figure this out tomorrow

[C Withers Media]

Number 32....light Module.

[danewilson77]

Number 32....light Module.

I always assumed that was for GM-5? Maybe not. Check it out JP.

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[az3579]

Hey this is going to sound really trite, but have you checked the fuse.

Nail on the head; that's what I was thinking. If it's not the fuse, it has to be the wiring, unless your LSZ for whatever reason decided to deny operation to that light. Highly unlikely.

Sent from my Droid Charge.

[Hermes]

i'm gonna feel so stupid if thats all it was...

[az3579]

i'm gonna feel so stupid if thats all it was...

You shouldn't feel stupid if that's what it turns out to be, because you would have found the problem. :)

[Hermes]

Thanks BP, what I meant is that why didn't I think of that earlier...

[az3579]

Thanks BP, what I meant is that why didn't I think of that earlier...

You mean why I didn't think to check for permissions to a share before I had a user submit paperwork and reset passwords to a share she had trouble accessing? Oh wait, different issue. :)

Or not. We're only human! Don't beat yourself up about it. lol

[Hermes]

Hahaha... Yeah exactly. I'm at work now in the other car, will figure this out later when I get home

[Hermes]

Umnitza's response to my email (no help) :

It's possible some of the wiring is pinched somewhere with the reinstall. Disassembly of lights is a major liability and it would be difficult for us to give you tips due to that liability - the lights are relatively expensive replacements :(

üm

[telijah]

I really doubt the fuse for the Light Module would be it. If the fuse was blown, the entire light module would be out, and I would guess all lights would be out at that point.

[danewilson77]

I really doubt the fuse for the Light Module would be it. If the fuse was blown, the entire light module would be out, and I would guess all lights would be out at that point.

+1

[Hermes]

newest update... ok its gotta be the wiring/plug that feeds the lamp. i plugged in the whole left lamp in passenger side / right lamp in drivers side and its still an issue only on the left. see pic.

also, the fuse is still good, no problem there

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/frenching/IMG_1646.jpg

[danewilson77]

newest update... ok its gotta be the wiring/plug that feeds the lamp. i plugged in the whole left lamp in passenger side / right lamp in drivers side and its still an issue only on the left. see pic.

also, the fuse is still good, no problem there

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/frenching/IMG_1646.jpg

Word. Thanks for update.

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[pleasecorrupt]

Jp, plugs are probably the same between our xenons, if you want, I can drive my car over and we can try to isolate the problem by eliminating parts we know are working.

[C Withers Media]

did you check the individual headlamp fuses in the engine bay or drivers side well, I cant remember.

[Hermes]

thanks nelson, i gotta run to el cajon in a few but i just picked up a can of electronic contact cleaner, hopefully that solves it. if not i'm gonna call you when i get back

casey - are you saying there are fuses other than in the glove compartment fuse box? (my e32 had them in the engine bay but i didnt see anything there) i checked the ones in there and they looked fine

[C Withers Media]

I would have to check on a car and my wife has my car today, but I am pretty sure that the e46 has individual fuses for headlamps as a safety feature in line before the main fuse.

If one headlight goes out no big deal, if both go out problem while driving.

I just think you are attacking the problem backwards. When the power goes out in my house, I dont replace all of the light switches first and then check the breaker.

[Hermes]

I get what you're saying Casey, I didn't even put up that first post until I did a few little things to see if I could find the problem. Now im just really getting annoyed with it.

Nelson, do you have a multimeter? I can't find mine anywhere...

[C Withers Media]

Bring your car over and I can take a look if you want. I know a little bit about HIDs and installation on lighting.

[danewilson77]

Bring your car over and I can take a look if you want. I know a little bit about HIDs and installation on lighting.

That's what I'm talking about. How do you refuse that? From Pswirley?

Answer: you don't.

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[Marcus-SanDiego]

I know a little bit about HIDs and installation on lighting.

That's an understatement. JP, take Casey up on this (assuming you need an assist).

[Hermes]

I called and talked to him... I think we figured out what might be the culprit. On my way home now to see

As he said on the phone "it's like you're slaughtering a cow while standing in line to order a burger"

[Hermes]

weird schieße is going on here... there is some life coming back but not really, still having issues...

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/frenching/78b6900d.jpg

[Hermes]

ok, so Nelson and I tried for a while unsuccessfully to fix the light and this is what we come up with. if you plug everything in and turn it on like normal the light still won't work. then, if you unplug the DRL and HID wire/plug from the passenger side, then plug just the DRL back in and wait a few seconds the driver's side will light up. You can then plug the other HID back in and both are on. I'm guessing there is a short somewhere in the system. We tried using electronic contact cleaner on the ground behind the turn signal and the plug but that didn't solve it. until I can manage to figure it out I'll have a hilarious startup routine whenever its dark out.

[C Withers Media]

Remember earlier when I suggested it could be a power supply issue. The symptoms you just explained are consistent with that.

[Hermes]

yeah, i'll have to come by and see if we can figure it out. at least for now i can turn on both my lights

[blablac]

Any relays for the headlights ?

Maybe the LCM ?

[Hermes]

I dunno, its prob a bad ground wire from the HID. Tom, thanks for letting me borrow the battery charger, i'll drop it back off to you later today. I'll text you

[blablac]

Thx got the charger - did you figure it out ?

[Hermes]

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/frenching/P1000444.jpg

no thank you for letting me borrow it. i'm gonna try to run a new ground wire to the HID. its the grey plug on the leftmost of the three in the bottom. the yellow wire is the lead and the brown one you dont see is the ground. the plate is right behind the turn signal. i'll deal with it this weekend.

[C Withers Media]

There will be 3 wires yellow low, white hi, brown ground.

"It's already in motion. You can't stop it now." - Sent using Tapatalk

[Hermes]

There will be 3 wires yellow low, white hi, brown ground.

maybe on some, but doesn't look like the bixenons came that way... either way, the brown is the one i'm gonna need to work on

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/frenching/f1630224.jpg

[toddness]

Did you ever get a resolution to this? I have swapped/replaced bulb and ballast and fuse - no luck no high/low beams on driver side.

[Hermes]

Yeah, it turned out to be a bad ground. All I had to do was unplug my battery for 5 minutes and it cleared up.

My buddy was working on it for me for a separate issue and I asked him to check it out. When he plugged the battery in to try to figure out the issue it no longer existed.

Edit: with both Casey and Nelson's help we couldn't figure out the reason. Only because Nick happened to disconnect the battery to do other work did it clear up the issue. I felt so stupid for not trying that, but I guess I just assumed it was something more than just a bad ground

[toddness]

Thank you - unfortunately no workie for me.

I think I've narrowed it down though to shoddy work by the body shop when replacing my pork chops, fender liners, etc in my nose refresh. The lead for the outside air temperature has plenty of tension now and is likely involved. They are going to love me in the morning. This is supposed to be a top notch reputable shop. Someone cut corners, on a few items (this, a lack fender liner rivets, and they broke the fender trim pieces, all of which are supposedly going to be addressed, though its now been almost 2 months?

[toddness]

Took the car to the dealer, the auto leveling had thrown a code (while at the body shop), and shut down the light. Code reset and inspection and all is fine. Still trying to get the body shop to accept responsibility, as this occurred while they were repairing the car.

So I guess I chubbed that up. I did not actually disconnect the battery, I disconnected the terminal in the engine bay - I assume this is not the same thing. I want to believe the code would have cleared if I had actually disconnected the battery....

[Hermes]

Glad to hear you got it worked out