BMW headlight vertical aim failure.

huggy15

hi all,
My car has had this warning for quite some time now. Headlight vertical aim failure. Both headlights fail to move up or down using the small wheel next to the steering wheel. They do not level when the car starts either. My car is a bmw f30 with halogen lights.

Anyone any suggestions as to what it might be? I've been told I may need new headlights but I am sceptical that the 2 headlights would fail at the same time. Thanks

Crasp

https://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/threads/location-of-headlight-vertical-aim-control-sensor.568093/

Don't drive it with broken headlights. Safety issue, and not just for you.

huggy15

Crasp wrote: »

https://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/threads/location-of-headlight-vertical-aim-control-sensor.568093/

Don't drive it with broken headlights. Safety issue, and not just for you.

They're not broken. All lights work as they should. Just not able to adjust lights vertically.

godtabh

huggy15 wrote: »

They're not broken. All lights work as they should. Just not able to adjust lights vertically.

And as per the warning don’t light the road correctly and may dazzle other drivers

huggy15

Not looking a lecture. Asking how the problem is fixed that is it.

Bunkernumber1

huggy15 wrote: »

hi all,
My car has had this warning for quite some time now. Headlight vertical aim failure. Both headlights fail to move up or down using the small wheel next to the steering wheel. They do not level when the car starts either. My car is a bmw f30 with halogen lights.

Anyone any suggestions as to what it might be? I've been told I may need new headlights but I am sceptical that the 2 headlights would fail at the same time. Thanks

that will be the control module under the headlight. its a sure sign its full of water next will be your main bulb wont light. the let water in to the module. the only thing is now if you dis connected the module and try dry it out it might not work at all when u put it back in.
just to let you know the only place that stock the control module is bmw. and b4 u ask would both sides happen at once it only needs one side to bring the system down and cause the both sides not to work.

Best bet is get the p/n and order off ebay other u could be looking at a price tag of about 450 per module

huggy15

Bunkernumber1 wrote: »

that will be the control module under the headlight. its a sure sign its full of water next will be your main bulb wont light. the let water in to the module. the only thing is now if you dis connected the module and try dry it out it might not work at all when u put it back in.
just to let you know the only place that stock the control module is bmw. and b4 u ask would both sides happen at once it only needs one side to bring the system down and cause the both sides not to work.

Best bet is get the p/n and order off ebay other u could be looking at a price tag of about 450 per module

Not sure there is a module on the halogen headlight ? Is that not only xenon lights?

Bunkernumber1

huggy15 wrote: »

Not sure there is a module on the halogen headlight ? Is that not only xenon lights?

ok control unit then if you want go all technical. but yes it has it has to in order to control the headlight. to be fair there is that many different headlights on this module that its hard to pin down. but it needs to have the faults in the module (control unit) read.

other then that the only thing I can suggest is that the car go fully to sleep and after about 15 mins disconnect the battery for afew mins. it might be enough to let the control module power back u.

il also offer if the op is local to read the faults in there car.

huggy15

Bunkernumber1 wrote: »

ok control unit then if you want go all technical. but yes it has it has to in order to control the headlight. to be fair there is that many different headlights on this module that its hard to pin down. but it needs to have the faults in the module (control unit) read.

other then that the only thing I can suggest is that the car go fully to sleep and after about 15 mins disconnect the battery for afew mins. it might be enough to let the control module power back u.

il also offer if the op is local to read the faults in there car.

Sorry not meaning to be smart but I thought the halogen headlights didn't have the control module attached to the actual headlight unit? I know there is a module in the passenger footwell and I thought this was what controlled the headlight? Ive already removed the trim and looked at the module and it looked OK, it had no sign of water damage or at least none that I could see.

Do you think disconnecting the battery could fix the problem? I never thought of that.

Id appreciate it if you could read the fault thanks . where are you based?

Bunkernumber1

huggy15 wrote: »

Sorry not meaning to be smart but I thought the halogen headlights didn't have the control module attached to the actual headlight unit? I know there is a module in the passenger footwell and I thought this was what controlled the headlight? Ive already removed the trim and looked at the module and it looked OK, it had no sign of water damage or at least none that I could see.

Do you think disconnecting the battery could fix the problem? I never thought of that.

Id appreciate it if you could read the fault thanks . where are you based?

your on about the footwell module. or as bmw call them thr FRM module. looking at it wont tell you the failure does blindside.

huggy15

Bunkernumber1 wrote: »

your on about the footwell module. or as bmw call them thr FRM module. looking at it wont tell you the failure does blindside.

Yes I was on about the FEM Front Electronic Module. It
actually did tell me the location of the failure. I went at it this morning and narrowed it down to the passenger side headlight and after taking the wheel off and splash guards found a wire that had chafed and was broken causing a short. After soldering the wire and putting some heatshrink on i started the car and no more fault and lights working as they should do.

insebayguy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/114070973#Comment_114070973

I'm getting the same issue for a week or so. Coupled with "Side/daytime lights fault". Hope it's repairable 😪

Girl Geraldine

Bring it to an indie mechanic and instruct him to strip out the modules and then manually adjust the aim of the headlights to NCT spec permanently using screws/bolts and washers or shims.

Aim of lights will then be permanently set and no need for screwing around with them.

These headlight aiming features are only a crock of shít anyway. Nobody uses them.

Esel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120171925#Comment_120171925

More shíte 'advice'.

Huggy, glad you got it sorted.