Reverse bulb failure! [Solved]

teaston · 11-19-2014, 06:54 AM

Today I've got the reverse bulb failure warning on my dash, and to check the bulbs the whole boot lid liner has to be removed!!

I was hoping to check it quickly in a car park because by the time I get home it will be dark, same for the rest of the week so I can't do anything about it until the weekend!

Why on earth did BMW design it like that?!

:

SkyJawa · 11-19-2014, 07:01 AM

Go to Halfords and take their fitting option. Gotta be worth the few quid if its that much of a PITA

evan15281 · 11-19-2014, 07:15 AM

If you trust them to dismantle your car. I wouldn't

teaston · 11-19-2014, 07:26 AM

If i had time to go to halfrauds I'd have time to go home to do it, but thanks for the suggestion.

ukbeemerboy · 11-19-2014, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

If i had time to go to halfrauds I'd have time to go home to do it, but thanks for the suggestion.

Can't you call BMW Assist and they come to your work place to repair it?

teaston · 11-19-2014, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukbeemerboy

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

If i had time to go to halfrauds I'd have time to go home to do it, but thanks for the suggestion.

Can't you call BMW Assist and they come to your work place to repair it?

I'm not sure but I think Bmw Assist is just for emergencies when you can't make it to the dealer

ukbeemerboy · 11-19-2014, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

I'm not sure but I think Bmw Assist is just for emergencies when you can't make it to the dealer

Worth a call though isn't it?

pedroF31 · 11-19-2014, 11:15 AM

No its really easy to do there are a couple of little slide out panels that give easy access ! Oh sorry, you don't have the 'hearse' option !

Olddriver60 · 11-19-2014, 01:55 PM

A couple of times during the last week and again this morning I've had the "reversing light failure" warning come up on the dash, thus is even before shifting into reverse, on each occasion I have switched off, left the ignition on and engaged reverse and got out to check the lights only to find that the reversing lights are on? On starting up again the warning disappears and its ok for a few more journeys, all very strange.
Car booked into dealer, Harry Fairbairn, Irvine for a looksee, next Tuesday ,wondering if the onset of colder and damp weather has highlighted an issue of water ingress perhaps I have been a bit too enthusiastic with the Karcher.

teaston · 11-20-2014, 05:48 AM

I think it's definitely a damp or loose connection
It hasn't been on all morning but it's just come on again!

teaston · 11-20-2014, 09:50 AM

Well I got home before it got dark today so had a look at the reverse bulbs, it's definitely not damp as its all dry as a bone in there. So I just bent up the bottom bulb connection and bent the plug connector pins as well, turned the car on and it all seems ok now!

PaulT_M5 · 11-20-2014, 01:54 PM

I had a similar problem with my E92 and the offside brake light. Every few days it would warn me it had failed, but it always worked when I, or anyone else, checked it out and was seated properly with what looked like a good connection.

In the end it popped up the warning just as I was passing a Halfords so I stopped and bought a spare to fit when I got home. I got back in the car and the warning had gone and never did appear again. When I traded the car about a year later, I found the brand new bulb under the boot floor when tidying it out.

teaston · 11-20-2014, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulT_335i

I had a similar problem with my E92 and the offside brake light. Every few days it would warn me it had failed, but it always worked when I, or anyone else, checked it out and was seated properly with what looked like a good connection.

In the end it popped up the warning just as I was passing a Halfords so I stopped and bought a spare to fit when I got home. I got back in the car and the warning had gone and never did appear again. When I traded the car about a year later, I found the brand new bulb under the boot floor when tidying it out.

Hopefully it won't rear it's ugly head on my car again! The bonging was getting on my

(tits)

Hooded · 11-27-2019, 08:24 AM

Bit of a thread revival ..
Just had this warning on mine when I got in the car, but it cleared after putting the car in reverse and the reverse lights came on.

Did reseating the bulbs fix getting the false warning?

teaston · 11-27-2019, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hooded

Bit of a thread revival ..
Just had this warning on mine when I got in the car, but it cleared after putting the car in reverse and the reverse lights came on.

Did reseating the bulbs fix getting the false warning?

I'd totally forgotten about this problem! Yes the bulb connection bending fix must have worked, as I never got the warning again.

Hooded · 11-27-2019, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teaston

I'd totally forgotten about this problem! Yes the bulb connection bending fix must have worked, as I never got the warning again.

Cool.. if I get the warning come up again I’ll do the same then

11-19-2014, 06:54 AM	#1
teaston Banned 10995 Rep 32,881 Posts Drives: X3 M40d Join Date: May 2012 Location: The High Seas iTrader: (1)	Reverse bulb failure! [Solved] Today I've got the reverse bulb failure warning on my dash, and to check the bulbs the whole boot lid liner has to be removed!! I was hoping to check it quickly in a car park because by the time I get home it will be dark, same for the rest of the week so I can't do anything about it until the weekend! Why on earth did BMW design it like that?! : Last edited by teaston; 11-20-2014 at 09:51 AM..
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11-19-2014, 07:01 AM	#2
SkyJawa Major General 3719 Rep 8,636 Posts Drives: F10 530d Join Date: May 2014 Location: Hampshire iTrader: (1)	Go to Halfords and take their fitting option. Gotta be worth the few quid if its that much of a PITA
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11-19-2014, 07:15 AM	#3
evan15281 Lieutenant 86 Rep 459 Posts Drives: 335d Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Lanarkshire iTrader: (0)	If you trust them to dismantle your car. I wouldn't
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11-19-2014, 07:26 AM	#4
teaston Banned 10995 Rep 32,881 Posts Drives: X3 M40d Join Date: May 2012 Location: The High Seas iTrader: (1)	If i had time to go to halfrauds I'd have time to go home to do it, but thanks for the suggestion.
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11-19-2014, 11:15 AM	#8
pedroF31 First Lieutenant 26 Rep 304 Posts Drives: BMW F31 325d Luxury Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: United Kingdom iTrader: (0)	No its really easy to do there are a couple of little slide out panels that give easy access ! Oh sorry, you don't have the 'hearse' option !
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11-19-2014, 01:55 PM	#9
Olddriver60 Olddriver60 16 Rep 76 Posts Drives: F44 218i sport GC Auto Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Scotland iTrader: (0)	A couple of times during the last week and again this morning I've had the "reversing light failure" warning come up on the dash, thus is even before shifting into reverse, on each occasion I have switched off, left the ignition on and engaged reverse and got out to check the lights only to find that the reversing lights are on? On starting up again the warning disappears and its ok for a few more journeys, all very strange. Car booked into dealer, Harry Fairbairn, Irvine for a looksee, next Tuesday ,wondering if the onset of colder and damp weather has highlighted an issue of water ingress perhaps I have been a bit too enthusiastic with the Karcher.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-20-2014, 05:48 AM	#10
teaston Banned 10995 Rep 32,881 Posts Drives: X3 M40d Join Date: May 2012 Location: The High Seas iTrader: (1)	I think it's definitely a damp or loose connection It hasn't been on all morning but it's just come on again!
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11-20-2014, 09:50 AM	#11
teaston Banned 10995 Rep 32,881 Posts Drives: X3 M40d Join Date: May 2012 Location: The High Seas iTrader: (1)	Well I got home before it got dark today so had a look at the reverse bulbs, it's definitely not damp as its all dry as a bone in there. So I just bent up the bottom bulb connection and bent the plug connector pins as well, turned the car on and it all seems ok now!
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11-20-2014, 01:54 PM	#12
PaulT_M5 Captain 288 Rep 637 Posts Drives: San Marino Blue F90 Join Date: May 2014 Location: Midlands, England iTrader: (0)	I had a similar problem with my E92 and the offside brake light. Every few days it would warn me it had failed, but it always worked when I, or anyone else, checked it out and was seated properly with what looked like a good connection. In the end it popped up the warning just as I was passing a Halfords so I stopped and bought a spare to fit when I got home. I got back in the car and the warning had gone and never did appear again. When I traded the car about a year later, I found the brand new bulb under the boot floor when tidying it out.
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11-27-2019, 08:24 AM	#14
Hooded Banned 1669 Rep 3,967 Posts Drives: F30 330d M-Sport Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: England iTrader: (0)	Bit of a thread revival .. Just had this warning on mine when I got in the car, but it cleared after putting the car in reverse and the reverse lights came on. Did reseating the bulbs fix getting the false warning?
	Appreciate 0 Quote