Cluster Brightness

[e30mpower]

Originally Posted by TECN1K

I messaged e30mpower, found a thread where he had the same issue - cluster brightness is still very, very dim with no adjustment (on the high cluster information display) at night/headlights ON. Headlights off - Full, normal brightness.

A while back, I replaced the headlight switch - and it fixed the problem.. for about a week.

It's back again, and after my 3rd headlight switch - still have the problem. One common trait we both shared here was we watched the cluster glitch out. Once in a while, when started, the info display would display german. "gurt anlegen" then english "fasten seat belt"

When the headlight switch is unplugged - full brightness all around.


I'm leaning towards a faulty LCM - is it worth trying a used one? I'm concerned with mismatched vin/mileage affecting my Tamper Dot.

Any advice?

It's NOT the LCM, with all due respect to everyone who has offered their input on this thread. From what I can tell, TECN1K and I both went from non-HIDs to HIDs with corona rings. I'm not going to pretend to understand the LCM's software, but I do know that it will detect over-or-under current situations and adapt accordingly.

I'm trying to think like the car. The ppl who designed and wrote the software for the LCM never intended aftermarket HID or corona ring upgrades, the LCM is seeing excess current being drawn and is adjusting interior ambient light levels to compensate. This makes sense in my head.

That's why I quit caring a couple of years ago, after spending nearly a grand trying to get it diagnosed. The best anyone could come up with was "It just wasn't designed for it."

[e30mpower]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

Did we go over this but if you un-tap your angel eyes does that affect operation at all?

I'm only theorizing because you converted to xenon's from halogens, something is funky

You are exactly right. Converting from halogen to Xenon without the (no longer available) $3k+ kit and the dealer replacing the LCM and/or recoding it is what causes these issues. It would be interesting, however, to pull an LCM from a Xenon-equipped E53 or E39 just to see. But I'm not about to spend money on it.

EDIT: So I propose anyone from the Charlotte metro (like TECHN1K and I), let's meet up and try each other's LCMs. Let me play with yours, and you can play with mine. Haaa. But seriously, I will code on or off whatever you want through INPA.

[TECN1K]

I wonder if the LCM on my E39 would work to test - It's got factory Xenons... hmmm

[e30mpower]

Originally Posted by TECN1K

I wonder if the LCM on my E39 would work to test - It's got factory Xenons... hmmm

Wait for a more knowledgable board member to chime in, or have the dealer do it. It's not impossible to get that tamper dot to go away, but it is a PITA. Halogen to Xenon -- it's worth it if interior lighting isn't important to you, and you can tolerate the constant onslaught of people high-beaming you since you don't have auto-leveling.

[TECN1K]

Tons of guys have swapped HIDs in place of their halogens - I'm surprised this thread isn't filled with "yeah it's happened to me too" replies.

Unless people just haven't noticed?

[e30mpower]

I've been a member for 7 years now, and can't really recall anyone ever attempting aftermarket HIDs + corona rings in an original-Halogen X. I only get on here sporadically though, so I may be mistaken. The fact that the dimmer problem has happened to both of us though speaks volumes. Either our rings are wired wrong (as mine were originally), or the HID ballasts are confusing the f*ck out of the LCM. I'm going with the latter.

[TECN1K]

I have PA Soft, (and the whole INPA, Edibas, Rhinegold package) - I wonder if I just code my LCM for Xenons.

[e30mpower]

Originally Posted by TECN1K

I have PA Soft, (and the whole INPA, Edibas, Rhinegold package) - I wonder if I just code my LCM for Xenons.

Tried it. Didn't work. That was the first thing I did IIRC.

[e30mpower]

I'm not against you, TECN1K, so please don't get the wrong idea. I'm just going to kick myself in the ass if you figure this out after all the money I've put out having it looked at by supposedly the best BMW techs in the area. I will do whatever I can to help us both, because it's fricking annoying as shit.

[TECN1K]

Of course it wouldn't be as simple as that.


What gets me - is that I can get it working for a day or two, by disconnecting the headlight switch and reconnecting (a few times). Got it working Saturday, quit working when I went to start it last night.

Still looking for the pinout from the headlight switch harness..