Pulling my hair out!

[JimCosworth]

My 2004 E85 is going to fail its MOT on Friday on a lighting issue and I’m at my wits end trying to sort it.

With ignition on I get both front sidelights on and the outer most offside indicator illuminated.

With sidelights or headlights on I get both front outer indicators illuminated.

Connecting to BMW scanner 1.4 shows I did have ‘sidelights as brake lights’ and ‘brake lights as sidelights’ on but I’ve coded these off, cycled ignition a couple of time and reconnected. They are still shown as off and all options are off for US running lights so what the hell is going on?

Could this be a faulty LCM?

 

[JimCosworth]

I’ve got a workaround that should buy me some time to sort out this problem. I have removed the outside indicator bulbs on both sides and coded the LCM to ignore the outer bulbs being missing. As a result only the inner front indicators are working but should satisfy the requirements for the MOT.

 

[bigwinn]

I reckon someone has coded that with Carly?

 

[Street]

Very strange. I didnt know the two indicator bulbs in the headlight could work independently?
Otherwise I'd be considering low amp reading from the side light bulbs turning the indicator safety feature on

 

[Z44Jon]

I reckon someone has coded that with Carly?

I coded mine with Carly, it operated like that if I recall correctly, changed it back straight away.

 

[JimCosworth]

Thanks. It’s definitely not coded as I’ve checked on bmw scanner 1.4 but that’s a good suggestion about a low amp reading for the side lights maybe activating the indicators - I hadn’t considered that. My next step will be changing all the bulbs out.

I had to cancel my MOT for today anyway as the latest problem is the coolant expansion tank has split so it’s off the road anyway.

It’s a shame as they are great cars but mine has been so unreliable I don’t enjoy driving it as I’m constantly waiting for the next thing to break.

 

[samZ4M]

Don't the indicators stay on when a side light/main light is blown? so someone can still see it's a car approaching, not a bike?

Maybe a misreading from the main lights trigging the indicator to stay on

 

[Zedist]

Do you have LED sidelights?

 

[JimCosworth]

That could well be the answer. Thanks for all your help with this. I’m going to (hopefully) be able to replace the expansion tank today and then get back into the light problem.