I'm really having issues with my lights at the moment and the Haynes manual has been of no help at all so maybe someone here might have a clue.

My lights have gone from fully working to V: main beam R: main beam and absolutley nothing when I should have full beam, nor does the light light up in the cabin. One of my side lights works, the other the bulb has gone. The side light is on when V and R are selected. Unhooked both sidelights which has made a hell of a difference in brightness to the beam so I can actually see at night. Until then this hadn't been a problem as if I go out at night, its convoy either with the other D*lly, the allegro or the marina so I just go at the back.

Then on holiday last week someone kicked my offside headlamp and smashed the glass and case (thats where I think I broke my sidelight) but the reflector, main bulb and its clip were all fine. It was at this point I also found out that my break lights were not working and so got towed home

Got some spares and put the headlamp back together and checked the other to make sure they were both the same, which they are. So at least now I have two working main beams.

Checked out all the lights: full beam still a no, everything else is fine except the brake lights. The bulbs are fine, as far as I can tell the wiring and fuses are fine, stripped and cleaned the switch (which was the problem last time) and still not working.

I assumed the two are related, but in all likelyhood they probably aren't!

Oh dear, seem to have rambled a bit! So in short:

- Lights used to work fine
- Now only does main beam on V and R (not going near the wiring to make it happen!!)
- No full beam (light does not go on on the dash either)
- No brake lights

anyone got any ideas??

In order for the lights to work properly all the earths have to be clean, the electrical circuit is completed trhrough the body. The route on the headlights goes through the headlight shell, through the light bar to the chassis so lots of opportunity for high resistance joints. The earth connections must be nice and clean. Bulbs with incandescent filaments are very sensitive to voltage drop. The reduction in light output is staggering. Your car will be running at 13.4 volts or so when running. If the voltage delivered to the headlights is 12.5 volts the light produced by the bulb is only 83% of their rated output. At 11.5 volts it is down to 67% of rated output.

Voltage drop is the enemy.....

It is not unknown for the main switch to get grubby internally and fail to work.

One of the classics for no brake lights is the connector under the bonnet hinge hanging loose.

You need to start testing at the connectors to the bulbs whether they are live.
Then work back from there.

artyclarty,
it's more usual to refer to 'main' and 'full' beam as being the same, with 'dipped' beam being what should be illuminated when the lever is pushed away from you in both V & R positions.

It sounds to me as though your light switch may have failed, a check that the appropriate terminal goes live when the switch is operated would be a good starting point in tracing where the problem lies.
A cheap multimeter or circuit tester is all that's needed for this job.

< http://www.flickr.com/photos/30132857@N06/3624638437/ >

There are 4 wires into each headlamp shell, with the brown one being the earth, red is to the parking/side light, green is dipped beam and yellow is main beam.
Unlike some of the earlier cars, the lights are not earthed through the headlamp shell or light bar, but at that connection on the bulkhead next to where the driver's demister passes through it.

The brake lights are on a separate circuit from the headlamps, sharing the same fuse as the hazard lights and interior light ( if there is one of those).

ken

When I had a problem with losing my dashboard light, it turned out that I was also losing my brake lights. Just when I was about to phone the RAC on my way home from work one night, having blown a succession of increasingly highly-rated fuses, I noticed that the front sidelights were also not working. A quick furtle around with the wiring revealed that the insulation on the wire inside the headlamp shell was burnt out and the lights were shorting out on the shell, blowing the fuse instantly. Might be worth checking if you're missing your brake lights and dash light.

Us electricians love people who do this.

I know, but to be fair to me the previous owner had "fixed" it by wrapping the blown fuse in tinfoil and putting it back in. That didn't start a fire so I was pretty sure I wouldn't start one with a 15 amp fuse. And I was by the roadside on a dark night after work and just needed to get home ... but yes, it's not a thing I'd usually do.

As do mechanics...





...who have to clear up the mess once the bodgers have had their fun.

The one I hate most is when a headlamp shell has been changed and instead of the individual terminals being released from the connector block then refitted, the block has been destroyed or the wires cut and joined with crimps.

ken

@ RT,
" The brake lights are on a separate circuit from the headlamps, sharing the same fuse as the hazard lights and interior light ( if there is one of those). ", so perhaps you had more than one fault going on, or the wiring was not as it should be.

RT: I've done plenty of "get me home" "fixes" (that generally stayed that way for a while ) so I was mainly throwing stones in my lovely glasshouse!!

Ken: I've done plenty of "get me home" "fixes" (that generally stayed that way for a while ) Sorry Ken.

Louise,
oops, put my foot in it yet again, as I interpreted your comment as 'making more work for the sparky or mechanic who actually knew what they were doing'...

ken

p.s. ( Did I hear something on the radio yesterday about BMW not wanting their garage staff to be known as 'mechanics' in future?
Can't remember what the new term would be, but probably the same idea as 'logistics technician' instead of 'wagon driver'. )

I meant that Ken, but quickly realised it was a bit rich coming from me!