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Headlight problem....electrical not my strong point
Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 1:14 pm
by canada karl
The high beams are out on the headlights of my 530i. Where is the best place to start looking for the problem and the best method to track down the problem? Than CK
Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 2:34 pm
by RonDwyer
I would verify the ground connection first. Hook an electrical meter to the plug and check if you have power to the high beams. Brown is ground, you won't get current checking brown to ground. If there's no power at the headlight connector, the only other thing it could be is the high beam switch. Check the wire colors coming from the switch and check current there as well to rule out a broken lead between the switch and the headlights.
Thanks for the info Ron. Where is the high beam switch....
Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:45 pm
by canada karl
located? I owned a 1962 Mercedes Benz 190 gas for about 25 years. Swapped in the leather interior from a 220. Great highway car. I'll bet you get good gas mileage with the diesel.
Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 8:33 pm
by Techboy
On the 530i the high beam switch is incorporated in the turn signal switch. With the headlamps on press the stalk forward towards the front of the car, does the blue high beam indicator in the instrument cluster come on?
High beam indicator on dash does not go on......
Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:48 am
by canada karl
And high beams don't go on.....I'll check the wiring as Ron described first before I check the switch.
High beam indicator on dash does not go on......
Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:50 am
by canada karl
And high beams don't go on.....I'll check the wiring as Ron described first before I check the switch.
High beam indicator on dash does not go on......
Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:52 am
by canada karl
And high beams don't go on.....I'll check the wiring as Ron described first before I check the switch.
Sorry about the triple post...not used to touchy IPAD. n/m
Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 1:22 pm
by canada karl
n/m
Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 10:32 am
by Mike W.
I'm on the road and don't have a wiring diagram with me, but I know some BMWs, maybe E12s, I can't remember, use a different relay for the low beams where the high beam current passes thru it and uses a normally closed set of contacts. Any chance you've been in the fuse box lately swapping relays? Seems like one is -401 and the other is a -406, but that's just off the top of my head and could be wrong. But check the relays.
Relays
Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 11:09 am
by canada karl
Thanks Mike I think your on to something. I was looking at the relays yesterday and the ones I have in there are the same for low and high beam...I forget the number at the moment but I'll double check today. Is it possible to get these relays at Canadian Tire or Parts Source or even at at BMW dealer or are they so outdated that you can only get them at Bavauto or the like?