2006 X4 (E53) Xenon Low Beam Headlamp Outage

[wayback]

My left low beam headlamp has experienced multiple problems in the last 90 days.

In early June the controller was replaced. By mid-July, the Xenon bulb color turned purple so I replaced the Xenon bulb.

Now, almost 90 days after the controller was replaced, the low beam lamp has failed again. Both were placed by a local BMW repair shop. Not sure if i trust them or not.

So, I took my car to the BMW dealer to get a fresh opinion on what's going on thinking they could easily diagnose the problem (what a mistake)..anyway:

1) the dealer has said there is power going into the headlamp assembly and they are recommending removal of the bumper and replacing the headlamp to see if that fixes the problem ($2500 parts + labor).

2) the dealer has also said to confirm if the controller is working or not, they have to remove the bumper; they also told me to replace the igniter they have to remove the bumper.

Question: Do they really need to remove the bumper to validate what's going on and to validate if the controller is or is not working.

Any other suggestions on where the problem could be: a) faulty controller b) bad xenon bulb c) bad igniter/ballast or d) the entire headlamp assembly needs to be replaced.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by wayback

My left low beam headlamp has experienced multiple problems in the last 90 days.

In early June the controller was replaced. By mid-July, the Xenon bulb color turned purple so I replaced the Xenon bulb.

Now, almost 90 days after the controller was replaced, the low beam lamp has failed again. Both were placed by a local BMW repair shop. Not sure if i trust them or not.

So, I took my car to the BMW dealer to get a fresh opinion on what's going on thinking they could easily diagnose the problem (what a mistake)..anyway:

1) the dealer has said there is power going into the headlamp assembly and they are recommending removal of the bumper and replacing the headlamp to see if that fixes the problem ($2500 parts + labor).

2) the dealer has also said to confirm if the controller is working or not, they have to remove the bumper; they also told me to replace the igniter they have to remove the bumper.

Question: Do they really need to remove the bumper to validate what's going on and to validate if the controller is or is not working.

Any other suggestions on where the problem could be: a) faulty controller b) bad xenon bulb c) bad igniter/ballast or d) the entire headlamp assembly needs to be replaced.

You have a face lifted X so yes the bumper cover needs to come off.

[crystalworks]

It's going to be tough because you don't sound like a DIY'er... so you're going to have to pick a shop and trust them unfortunately. I'm not familiar with the LCM and how much diagnosis it gives in DIS/INPA/etc but many of the modules on the car will actually give you a fault code for which component has failed.

As posted above, bumper has to come off.

[g300d]

What motor do you have on your X?

Although removing the bumper cover is not that hard, there are a couple of things you can do to diagnose without removing it.

First thing I would do is swap igniters and bulbs side to side.

I asked which motor because I've done the above without pulling the bumper cover, on my facelift 3.0. Not sure if it can be done on a V8.

If the problem doesnt move, than I would swap over the ballasts, which will require pulling the bumper cover.

I doubt (and hope) you dont have to replace a whole headlamp assy.

[Clockwork]

worst part is you cant even get a good used headlamp as the headlights are coded to the vehicle apparently. and that vehicle only. stupid feature for swapping parts.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by Clockwork

worst part is you cant even get a good used headlamp as the headlights are coded to the vehicle apparently. and that vehicle only. stupid feature for swapping parts.

Great idea by a BMW engineer to keep you coming back to a dealer for service. That's why this will be my last BMW. Gonna get a car/truck/SUV that doesn't need to have a new battery coded.

[crystalworks]

Originally Posted by upallnight

Great idea by a BMW engineer to keep you coming back to a dealer for service. That's why this will be my last BMW. Gonna get a car/truck/SUV that doesn't need to have a new battery coded.

Meh, it's not that bad. I've swapped headlights that need coding before without issue... worst case you have to pay an indy $50 to code the swap. If you are swapping same for same you rarely have to code it.

BMW's aren't for everyone that's for sure... I rarely recommend them to people who aren't DIY'ers (does not apply to you). But they drive better than anything else I've driver... including much more expensive vehicles.

I do understand people's frustration with them at times though... they like to try and nickel and dime you after they are out of the warranty period. I've accepted it though (had 10+ bimmers) for the way the car drives/handles/feels and even smells. I've found each chassis has it's own particular smells.