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2Addicts | BMW 2-Series forum Technical Topics Mechanical Maintenance and TSBs: Break-in | Oil & Fluids | Servicing | TSB Can anyone shed light on this headlight anomaly?

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      01-05-2017, 01:03 PM   #1
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Can anyone shed light on this headlight anomaly?

I posted here as this isn't a lighting modification nor cosmetics issue. This would be a maintenance/repair issue.

I had a headlamp replaced after a dance with a doe on a nice twisty back road in CT. Yay. (The deer lived... wasn't a major impact.) This is a brand new headlamp assembly - housing, bulbs... the whole thing replaced.

Get a load of the "blown-out" light pattern for the driver's side. In some ways it's nice - it throws a lot of light to the left. But... it also causes folks to flash their brights at me. As I drive around, I do see a bright spot way up high on houses & in the trees. (But as you can see in the pics, this is not an aiming issue - the bottom of the pattern is even with the psgr side.)

First pic is the pattern with the OEM headlamp.

Second pic is the new headlamp, low beam.

Third pic is the new headlamp, high beam.

Wondering if anyone can shed some light on what might be going wrong here. Nothing with regards to the headlamps has been coded. This is post install by the body shop, and a new BMW headlight assy was installed on the car. They're also looking into it as they can plainly see there is an issue. I am just curious. And impatient. LOL

I am thinking there is something wrong with the internal shutter mechanism. As you can see the light pattern is "blown out" - but also note the very little change from low to high beam. (I actually had a similar problem on my Range Rover Evoque - the shutters that control the beam pattern & high/low beams were defective.)



Thanks!
Jim
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Last edited by MASHCT; 01-05-2017 at 01:06 PM.. Reason: Add pics.
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      01-07-2017, 10:29 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MASH65 View Post
I posted here as this isn't a lighting modification nor cosmetics issue. This would be a maintenance/repair issue.

I had a headlamp replaced after a dance with a doe on a nice twisty back road in CT. Yay. (The deer lived... wasn't a major impact.) This is a brand new headlamp assembly - housing, bulbs... the whole thing replaced.

Get a load of the "blown-out" light pattern for the driver's side. In some ways it's nice - it throws a lot of light to the left. But... it also causes folks to flash their brights at me. As I drive around, I do see a bright spot way up high on houses & in the trees. (But as you can see in the pics, this is not an aiming issue - the bottom of the pattern is even with the psgr side.)

First pic is the pattern with the OEM headlamp.

Second pic is the new headlamp, low beam.

Third pic is the new headlamp, high beam.

Wondering if anyone can shed some light on what might be going wrong here. Nothing with regards to the headlamps has been coded. This is post install by the body shop, and a new BMW headlight assy was installed on the car. They're also looking into it as they can plainly see there is an issue. I am just curious. And impatient. LOL

I am thinking there is something wrong with the internal shutter mechanism. As you can see the light pattern is "blown out" - but also note the very little change from low to high beam. (I actually had a similar problem on my Range Rover Evoque - the shutters that control the beam pattern & high/low beams were defective.)



Thanks!
Jim
Drivers side lamp should be dipped slightly compared to the passenger side. I adjusted mine up slightly because BMW sets them to low from the factory. I marked mine before adjusting and the drivers side was slightly lower.
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      01-09-2017, 09:27 AM   #3
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Check that your bulb is seated correctly
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      01-20-2017, 12:34 PM   #4
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The light bolts into a bunch of thin metal under the bumper and around the radiator. If you hit a deer hard enough to break the light, this may have bent a tab. Body shop may have missed it.

IF it is vertical you can adjust with a Phillips, if horizontal, a tab or mount is improperly located changing the angle of light projection.
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      01-25-2017, 08:07 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sypher View Post
Check that your bulb is seated correctly
Forgot to do an update. Body shop had me bring the car in (soon after my post) & sure enough - this was the issue. They fixed it for me.
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      02-02-2017, 12:45 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MASH65 View Post
Forgot to do an update. Body shop had me bring the car in (soon after my post) & sure enough - this was the issue. They fixed it for me.
Glad to hear that it was a simple fix
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