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For BMW drivers, the car's low and high beams are not just a useful feature, they are a legal necessity to make driving in the dark and in severe weather safe. It can, therefore, be very troubling for BMW owners when their headlight low and high beams begin to malfunction. Below we explore common causes for BMW headlight malfunctioning and how to solve the problem.
Broken headlight bulb
Different headlight types and different headlight bulbs have different life spans, so if one of your bulbs is broken it will most likely have blown or burnt out as Xenon HID bulbs also known as Gas Discharge bulbs have certain working hours for every different brand and model.
The same life span feature applies to halogen bulbs as well.
The most common Xenon bulb used for BMW cars are 35W D1S and D2S type as mostly bimmers are factory fitted only with projector headlamps.
For BMW halogen headlight the most popular light bulb is H7 477 2 PIN type and it is used only in the halogen / reflector type headlamp units.
Any brand bulbs for example Philips, GE, Osram, Neolux, Narva, Hella etc. could be fitted just make sure you are buying correct fitting (socket) bulbs.
Faulty xenon light control unit
Another the most common xenon headlamp issue causing the low or high beam malfunction is faulty ballast also known as xenon light control unit.
Usually it is some kind of square or rectangular shape small box attached onto the side or either bottom of the headlight housing.
To identify faulty ballast you need to try new HID bulb or change sides from working side, if lights don't work after replacing lamp - it means that control unit is to blame.
The most common failure sympthom of this part is that bi-xenon lights keep blinking and flickering, shutting down later turning on after re-turing on / off lights manually or lights stop to work suddenly out of no where, then it is big indication to check this part at the first possible opportunity, because diagnostics trouble codes (DTC) won't show if gas discharge HID bulb or ballast has failed - it always show just generic error code (fault) that headlights have malfunction.
The most popular xenon ballast brands BMW cars are using: Hella, Valeo, Mitsubishi Electric and Automotive Lighting AL (Bosch).
Damaged power or bulb connector plug
Another thing to consider checking is xenon control unit's power or either bulb cable. It is also common that some wires get damaged by time, especially if you fixing a car after an accident it should be on your priority list to check all the cables and harness to make sure there is no damage at all.
Blown fuse
If two of your headlights have stopped working at the same time, it is much more likely that a fuse has blown than both the bulbs. If a bulb has been attached to the car with the wrong wattage or too much current is in the headlight circuit, the fuse will blow to protect the wiring from damage.
Poor light quality
If your headlights are still emitting light but not at their usual strength, it may be that your car is experiencing headlight fogging. Headlight fogging is caused when polycarbonate is exposed to ultraviolet light and exhaust emissions, as a chemical reaction occurs which causes the headlights to fog up. With headlight fogging, the light released from the headlight is hard to see even when both the high and low beams are switched on.
The most common BMW warning messages
CC-ID 120 Dipped Beam left failure
CC-ID 121 Dipped Beam right failure
Dipped beam
Left Dipped beam failure
Right Dipped beam failure
Right low beam lamp
Right low beam lamp malfunction
Left low beam lamp
Right low beam lamp malfunction
Left low beam beam malfunction
Right low beam beam malfunction
Left high beam malfunction
Right high beam malfunction
Dipped beam left failure
Dipped beam right failure
High beam headlight left failure
High beam headlight right failure
Left Low Beam Malfunction
Right Low Beam Malfunction
Abblendlicht links defekt
Abblendlicht rechts defekt
Fernlicht rechts defekt
Fernlicht links defekt
Feu de croisement gauche defectueux
Feu de croisement droit defectueux
BMW diagnostic trouble codes DTC:
800F2E Low beam headlight, left, faulty or reignition for XENON failed
800F2F Low beam headlight, right, faulty or reignition for XENON failed
800F2E Right low-beam headlight faulty or re-ignition for xenon failed
800F2F Right low-beam headlight faulty or re-ignition for xenon failed
800F28 High beam headlight, left, faulty Permanent
800F29 High beam headlight, right, faulty Permanent
A list of xenon ballasts part numbers used for BMW cars:
If you take your car into a garage, having any of the above problems fixed can be quite costly as checking or removing headlight unit usually requires front bumber and other covers removal. Thankfully, BMW owners now can purchase replacement xenon headlights, HID bulbs and xenon headlight control units online and fix the car themselves with ease, recommendations how to find faulty part from our guide and ofcourse the most imporant thing for a much lower cost. Rather than purchasing replacement bulbs directly from a BMW dealer shop, buying xenon and LED bulbs from a third party, such as Xenons4u, is a cost-effective alternative that doesn't compromise on bulb, xenon control unit or igniter (bulb holder) quality.
If your BMW headlights are malfunctioning, don't wait to get into a serious accident, contact Xenons4u today. We supply a wide selection of bulbs and headlight parts and can offer you expert guidance to ensure you purchase the right product for your car.
This entry was posted in BMW on July 27, 2019 by Xenons4U.
