Low Beams not working

[ranski]

Morning all,

My low beams stopped working a few days ago with the bulb out light on dash

So I thought easy task, I'll buy some low beam bulbs (exactly same type as before) however they still don't work...

I have -
Checked all fuses
The Angels still light up
The highbeams still light up
Bought a new HID kit and bulbs
Disconnected battery then reconnected

I don't have a multimeter nor the original halogens to test (I have had a retro hid kit fitted the past 3 years)

The last train of thought is that I have the wiring wrong (as per below pic)

Any other ideas guys? As I have a Euro roadtrip next week

Thanks

 

[cj10jeeper]

Zippo chance of it being bulbs if both are out and indeed you've eliminated that anyway with a swap.

Assuming you made no more mods or changes and they did work to start, with then seems unlikely the wiring is wrong. If they didn't work when you fitted the HID's then step back to how it was when they worked then try again

If all that's OK it pushes me more towards the LCM at fault.

Drop by and borrow my multimeter if you need to..

 

[ranski]

Zippo chance of it being bulbs if both are out and indeed you've eliminated that anyway with a swap.

Assuming you made no more mods or changes and they did work to start, with then seems unlikely the wiring is wrong. If they didn't work when you fitted the HID's then step back to how it was when they worked then try again

If all that's OK it pushes me more towards the LCM at fault.

Drop by and borrow my multimeter if you need to..

LCM that what I was thinking - I can buy a 2nd hand one but I guess it will need recoding

 

[cj10jeeper]

Zippo chance of it being bulbs if both are out and indeed you've eliminated that anyway with a swap.

Assuming you made no more mods or changes and they did work to start, with then seems unlikely the wiring is wrong. If they didn't work when you fitted the HID's then step back to how it was when they worked then try again

If all that's OK it pushes me more towards the LCM at fault.

Drop by and borrow my multimeter if you need to..

LCM that what I was thinking - I can buy a 2nd hand one but I guess it will need recoding

I've swapped out an LCM once as a test on a car using mine and proved it worked, but to drive it you need to get it recoded to set the mileage that's stored in it. If you don't it will trip the 'clocked' dot on the odometer. (So I believe although never seen one with it showing)

From memory you have a standard halogen '2' button so should be easy to get one on Ebay (one there for £35 now)

 

[ranski]

Hi Phil, good news

I took the Z to a auto electric unit over warmly way and the chap tested the headlights

the outcome was that the (new) HIDS kit isn't compatible, even after I spoke to HIDS Direct.com yesterday to confirm it was the right one for the car/year :thumbsdown:

The sparkie removed the kit and fitted some halogen bulbs which will see me through the roadtrip. Ill get a new (compatible HID kit when I get back)

As always thanks for your input

 

[cj10jeeper]

Rich,
Glad you got it sorted.

 

[aquazi]

Strange never heard of an aftermarket hid kit not working, or being compatible.

Also why did they both stop working?


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

 

[ranski]

Strange never heard of an aftermarket hid kit not working, or being compatible.

Also why did they both stop working?


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

One of the bulbs on the last HID kit was starting to fail, so during its MOT the mechanic swapped it over for a halogen to pass MOT(disconnecting the HID wires)

Talking to the sparkie today he said it was probably the ballast that was on its way out on the original HID kit and not the bulb

I rang HIDsDirect today and they have told me to post it back for a refund

PS the sparkie installed my new (non-working HID kit) onto his M3 while I was there, so replacing his- it also didn't work

 

[aquazi]

Strange never heard of an aftermarket hid kit not working, or being compatible.

Also why did they both stop working?


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

One of the bulbs on the last HID kit was starting to fail, so during its MOT the mechanic swapped it over for a halogen to pass MOT(disconnecting the HID wires)

Talking to the sparkie today he said it was probably the ballast that was on its way out on the original HID kit and not the bulb

I rang HIDsDirect today and they have told me to post it back for a refund

PS the sparkie installed my new (non-working HID kit) onto his M3 while I was there, so replacing his- it also didn't work

Ahh thats makes more sense.. on my old toyota celica i fitted aftermarket HID's an i had one side of the car frequently kill ballasts... in the end i relocated it to outside of the wheel well (even though they are meant to be waterproof).. and it lasted till i sold the car.

Atleast your issue is solved for now.. shame you'll have to put up with halogens for your roadtrip though.

 

[nfarmer]

Morning all,

My low beams stopped working a few days ago with the bulb out light on dash

So I thought easy task, I'll buy some low beam bulbs (exactly same type as before) however they still don't work...

I have -
Checked all fuses
The Angels still light up
The highbeams still light up
Bought a new HID kit and bulbs
Disconnected battery then reconnected

I don't have a multimeter nor the original halogens to test (I have had a retro hid kit fitted the past 3 years)

The last train of thought is that I have the wiring wrong (as per below pic)

Any other ideas guys? As I have a Euro roadtrip next week

Thanks

I thought that brown was the earth as there is a brown wire to each element inside my headlight, so I was assuming that the black from the HID kit ( I have one waiting to be fitted) would connect the the black on the HIDs Direct kit (which is the one 'wot I got). Am I barking up the wrong tree?

 

[cj10jeeper]

Brown is indeed the standard earth colour on the Z4.

Confusing to UK folks given brown is live on mains applications.