Low beam malfunction question

[deadspoogi]

So I have the infamous low beam malfunction on my left headlight ... now my question is

I'm out of warranty and not trying to spend an arm and a leg but my headlight actually works from time to time and someone told me I just need the module swapped out on the left headlight ..... can someone give me more details on that? Some have told me I need to do a new headlight and module but how would I know which one ? I'm just worried I'll go to an Indy and they'll try to pull a fast one and say I need both when I only need one swapped out

[Qsilver7]

No car model/model year info...or type of headlight info? LCI, pre-LCI headlights? Adaptive Xenon or LED headlights? The only info I see shown/given is that you drive a Lexus and you have a headlight issue.

Help us help you better, remember to give us some details about the car as well as the issue.

[dsocold]

i had a pre lci adaptive led and i got the same error luckily warranty replaced the headlight and module

[deadspoogi]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

No car model/model year info...or type of headlight info? LCI, pre-LCI headlights? Adaptive Xenon or LED headlights? The only info I see shown/given is that you drive a Lexus and you have a headlight issue.

Help us help you better, remember to give us some details about the car as well as the issue.

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

No car model/model year info...or type of headlight info? LCI, pre-LCI headlights? Adaptive Xenon or LED headlights? The only info I see shown/given is that you drive a Lexus and you have a headlight issue.

Help us help you better, remember to give us some details about the car as well as the issue.

Sorry guys !


I have a 2015 bmw 640 x drive gran coupe and this is the LCI model with The LED adaptive headlights . Also the m sport model . Please help fellas

[gjohnsen]

Mine is going in for repair tomorrow. Both the main module and the complete headlight is scheduled to be replaced. It started with intermittent failures with switch in auto mode. Has now progressed to failures with headlight switch in On position also.

As i understood from the tech, they will change the module "just in case" but that the complete headlight needs to be replaced anyway..

[Bigjule1111]

How common Is this failure?

[Qsilver7]

There's not that many parts to the adaptive LED headlights. As you mentioned, there's the LED main light module (#1 in diagram) & the headlight control module (#4 in diagram).

How do you have your headlights set? Do you use the automatic setting exclusively? Or do you manually turn your headlights on? If you use the auto setting...when you get the warning...what happens if you change from auto mode to the manual headlight position? Does the headlight comeback on?

Just throwing ideas out...because without proper diagnostic equipment...you might be able to pin down if you just need a new headlight due to failed LEDs...or if the functions of the adaptive headlights can be manipulated when changing from auto to manual or manual to auto...that might indicate that a control module is wonky. In that case (the latter) diagnostic equipment might be able to replicate or indicate that one of the modules is bad. Thus you could just replace the module. But if the LED is a goner...you might be able to find an LED headlight (sans the modules) and reuse your old modules.

{LED Headlight}

[bimmer12]

Just to add my observation from when I experienced this on my 650, although this doesn't seem all that uncommon based on my search at the time.

- Left lowbeam malfunction, only if the light was on under "auto," but not if manually turned on
- Only when turning left
- Comes back on after flicking high beams on/off (until next left turn with light on under "auto"), or restarting the car
- Up to this point, based on the above observations, I was certain that this was caused by the adaptive light. In fact, there are posts from multiple people that say coding the adaptive lights off solves the issue. However after a couple of months (I had not coded adaptive off), the above rules no longer seemed to apply with 100% certainty in my case, i.e. more random occurrences. I can't confirm if this was a separate issue that developed, or the original problem had somehow deteriorated.

Not sure how many of these apply to you, but for me, the LED module was replaced, didn't make a lick of difference, and eventually had to replace the entire headlight assembly, which did solve the issue.

[Junnnn]

Originally Posted by dsocold

i had a pre lci adaptive led and i got the same error luckily warranty replaced the headlight and module

I met the same issue... The infamous low beam malfunction took place in my car. I bought one used left headlight and installed it four months ago. But, unfortunately, it has been dead again. Thus, I decided to purchase a brand new headlight. I just wanna know whether the malfunction happens again in the past two or three years after you replaced both module and headlight.

[dsocold]

Originally Posted by Junnnn

I met the same issue... The infamous low beam malfunction took place in my car. I bought one used left headlight and installed it four months ago. But, unfortunately, it has been dead again. Thus, I decided to purchase a brand new headlight. I just wanna know whether the malfunction happens again in the past two or three years after you replaced both module and headlight.

I hope not. I bet design changes may help avoid that since on my new headlights I can not even locate the low beam adjustment dial it is not in the same section as the old ones so it is clearly redesigned.

[biostar]

Hi fellas,

I have the "dipped beam left failure" warning when i switch on the headlights (either in "auto" or "main beam on" mode). Did not turn on the adaptive headlight button. Checked the headlights while standing in front of the car, the left seems slightly dimmer than the right. I'm wondering if changing just the adaptive headlight module will do the trick? Cos buying a replacement headlight assembly is very costly.

[Junnnn]

Originally Posted by dsocold

I hope not. I bet design changes may help avoid that since on my new headlights I can not even locate the low beam adjustment dial it is not in the same section as the old ones so it is clearly redesigned.

May I ask what year your f06 is? And when did you replace the left headlight? (Any pics?) I hope to collect more information, so that no throwing good money after bad anymore. thx!

[Boss330]

This seems to be a very common issue on the adaptive LED headlight on the left hand side. I recently changed mine for the same reasons.

My understanding is that it usually is the outward of the two dipped beam light that fails (or in other words the left one of the two light sources).

Unfortunately the failure usually is in the headlight itself, not the modules. If you observe the left headlight when turning on the dipped beam you will notice that the most outward light dips and moves to the left hand side of the car. Ie the mechanism for this particular light is more frequently in motion as well as making a larger movement than the other three lights.
My understanding is that the issue is related to this particular quirk with the left light source in the left headlight. Since we also never hear about there being an issue on the right headlight (on cars in countries where we drive on the right side anyway) I think that backs up my theory.

On my car the left light source in the left headlight would sometimes light up but then oncoming traffic would flash at me since my dipped beam dazzled them. That was because the mechanism that dipped and moved the light source had failed. My broken headlight had no movement of the far left light source. The new one has.

So my belief is that this issue is caused by a mechanical failure in the internal mechanism that adjusts the LED beams.

Either get a new headlight or find someone who can open it and replace the mechanism inside. I wouldn't advice buying a used headlight as they seem bound to fail eventually.

[biostar]

Thanks for your inputs @Boss330
I have a better understanding of the adaptive headlight mechanism.

[Jeagolf]

I have a 2013 650i convertible with the M package. (Not a M6) I also get a Left Low Beam malfunction warning, or left high beam malfunction warning. My issue is very intermittent. Some nights I will get no warnings and the left light works fine. Some nights it will work off and on the whole drive. Last but not least, some nights it will not work at all. When I get the alert the actual light itself is out. I have watched it cycle in my driveway the other night. I would like to troubleshoot some more before I start shotgun troubleshooting and tossing money at the problem.

[dsocold]

Originally Posted by Junnnn

May I ask what year your f06 is? And when did you replace the left headlight? (Any pics?) I hope to collect more information, so that no throwing good money after bad anymore. thx!

2015 car w adaptive led I have to check the service receipt it was replaced by bmw sometime in 2018 maybe early 2019. I then replaced the passenger one after a car backed into it slightly cracking lens. Now they are the same will take photos if you want but it has so much plastic covering nearly all angles

[Oscarsanchez]

Originally Posted by biostar

Hi fellas,

I have the "dipped beam left failure" warning when i switch on the headlights (either in "auto" or "main beam on" mode). Did not turn on the adaptive headlight button. Checked the headlights while standing in front of the car, the left seems slightly dimmer than the right. I'm wondering if changing just the adaptive headlight module will do the trick? Cos buying a replacement headlight assembly is very costly.

Hola , necesito ayuda urgente . Tengo este mismo problema de avería luz de cruce y me gustaría saber si cambiando el módulo y cual de ello se solucionaría. Dejo mi contacto por si me podéis ayudar 628 082 032

[Oscarsanchez]

Hola necesito ayuda y es que tengo el mismo problema de avería luz de cruce izq.
Me gustaría saber como se soluciona el problema