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Thread: E36 headlight not working. PLZ Help

  1. #1
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    E36 headlight not working. PLZ Help

    My e36 328i 1998 headlight low beam and high beam bulbs aren't working because idiot me left the bulbs out of the plastic headlights to change the headlight assembly and forgot to put the bulbs back in then I drove off and once I came back the bulbs were burned out both of them and obviously won't work.

    My passenger side is ok. What should I do? I've tried cleaning the connecter with electrical cleaner that didn't work, checked all fuses they were good, and I used a test light to see if connecter is getting power and the test light only turned on for the passenger side connecter and not for driver side. What should I do here that's cheapest? Do I tap into something or what could I do, not too good with electrical things but if it's easy enough I'll try it. Tried new bulbs too that was a no go
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  2. #2
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    Instead of handing you a fish, I'm going to help you learn how to fish.

    http://wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm

    Click on the link, then pick 1998 318, 328, etc, and click on that. Wait a half minute for the document to load.
    Click on the symbol of a book, in the upper left corner, then click on the symbol whick appears right next to where the book symbol used to be: three dots on top of one another, followed by three lines atop one another.
    Now you should see, in the left column, all the various systems of the car.

    Click on BMW page 6312: Headlights.

    Now you're looking at a wiring diagram for the headlight system, beginning on Adobe page 230. Scroll down one page, to the first place you see a diagram of "Left low beam" and "Left High beam"

    You will see that there's NOTHING that connects these two items that does not also include the two right headlights.

    Since the two right headlights are working, this means that each left light is separately non-functioning.

    Now, by the description of what you did, one single thing screams out to me: FUSES. Because if a hot (power) wire touches a ground, it blows the fuse....that's why the fuses exist.

    I know you've said that you checked the fuses....but you also said you're not good with electrics....so exactly how did you check the fuses? And did you know which fuses to check?

    When testing a fuse, you test for POWER. Looking at the fuse is useless. Use your test light, and test BOTH SIDES of fuse number 11 (left low beam), and fuse 29 (left high beam).

    The ignition and the lights in question MUST BE SWITCHED ON when you test....in other word, the RIGHT low beam needs to be illuminated when testing the fuse 11, and the right high beam must be illuminated when testing fuse 29.

    If one side of the fuse is hot, and the other isn't, the fuse is bad, no matter what it looks like.

    There is almost nothing else that can be at fault here, if what you've told us is true.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  3. #3
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    Are the bulbs halogen? I’m betting they are. Halogen bulbs run at a much higher temperature than normal incandescent bulbs. Btw, they are called halogen bulbs because the bulbs are filled with a halogen has. As a result of their high operating temperature, the glass of the bulbs has to be pristine. That means absolutely no finger prints on the glass.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    Instead of handing you a fish, I'm going to help you learn how to fish.

    http://wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm

    Click on the link, then pick 1998 318, 328, etc, and click on that. Wait a half minute for the document to load.
    Click on the symbol of a book, in the upper left corner, then click on the symbol whick appears right next to where the book symbol used to be: three dots on top of one another, followed by three lines atop one another.
    Now you should see, in the left column, all the various systems of the car.

    Click on BMW page 6312: Headlights.

    Now you're looking at a wiring diagram for the headlight system, beginning on Adobe page 230. Scroll down one page, to the first place you see a diagram of "Left low beam" and "Left High beam"

    You will see that there's NOTHING that connects these two items that does not also include the two right headlights.

    Since the two right headlights are working, this means that each left light is separately non-functioning.

    Now, by the description of what you did, one single thing screams out to me: FUSES. Because if a hot (power) wire touches a ground, it blows the fuse....that's why the fuses exist.

    I know you've said that you checked the fuses....but you also said you're not good with electrics....so exactly how did you check the fuses? And did you know which fuses to check?

    When testing a fuse, you test for POWER. Looking at the fuse is useless. Use your test light, and test BOTH SIDES of fuse number 11 (left low beam), and fuse 29 (left high beam).

    The ignition and the lights in question MUST BE SWITCHED ON when you test....in other word, the RIGHT low beam needs to be illuminated when testing the fuse 11, and the right high beam must be illuminated when testing fuse 29.

    If one side of the fuse is hot, and the other isn't, the fuse is bad, no matter what it looks like.

    There is almost nothing else that can be at fault here, if what you've told us is true.
    Yeah I used a test light n literally checked every single fuse their all good. Is headlight relay or bad wiring a possibility?

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini View Post
    Are the bulbs halogen? I’m betting they are. Halogen bulbs run at a much higher temperature than normal incandescent bulbs. Btw, they are called halogen bulbs because the bulbs are filled with a halogen has. As a result of their high operating temperature, the glass of the bulbs has to be pristine. That means absolutely no finger prints on the glass.
    Yes halogen n I already tried swapping bulbs from the passenger side and no go. Plus drivers side headlight wires have no power

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    Instead of handing you a fish, I'm going to help you learn how to fish.

    http://wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm

    Click on the link, then pick 1998 318, 328, etc, and click on that. Wait a half minute for the document to load.
    Click on the symbol of a book, in the upper left corner, then click on the symbol whick appears right next to where the book symbol used to be: three dots on top of one another, followed by three lines atop one another.
    Now you should see, in the left column, all the various systems of the car.

    Click on BMW page 6312: Headlights.

    Now you're looking at a wiring diagram for the headlight system, beginning on Adobe page 230. Scroll down one page, to the first place you see a diagram of "Left low beam" and "Left High beam"

    You will see that there's NOTHING that connects these two items that does not also include the two right headlights.

    Since the two right headlights are working, this means that each left light is separately non-functioning.

    Now, by the description of what you did, one single thing screams out to me: FUSES. Because if a hot (power) wire touches a ground, it blows the fuse....that's why the fuses exist.

    I know you've said that you checked the fuses....but you also said you're not good with electrics....so exactly how did you check the fuses? And did you know which fuses to check?

    When testing a fuse, you test for POWER. Looking at the fuse is useless. Use your test light, and test BOTH SIDES of fuse number 11 (left low beam), and fuse 29 (left high beam).

    The ignition and the lights in question MUST BE SWITCHED ON when you test....in other word, the RIGHT low beam needs to be illuminated when testing the fuse 11, and the right high beam must be illuminated when testing fuse 29.

    If one side of the fuse is hot, and the other isn't, the fuse is bad, no matter what it looks like.

    There is almost nothing else that can be at fault here, if what you've told us is true.
    I know I'm an idiot but the only reason the drivers side headlight aren't working is because I drove off without the headlight bulbs in the headlight assembly and the cars heat burned the bulb itself like literally burnt and the headlight connecters have no power. That's only reason why passenger side is working because I never took those bulbs out of the housing
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  5. #5
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    The "car's heat" didn't burn the sockets / bulbs; they shorted. Headlight bulbs operate at a much higher temperature than underhood temps.

    Let's use the high beam light as an example:

    If the fuse #29 is truly hot on both sides, and there is truly no power at the white/green wire at the bulb connector, then the white/green wire is melted somewhere between the fuse box and the light. PERIOD.

    Do your tests again.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  6. #6
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    Dang plastic headlight buckets! They never should have stopped using glass. My E30 used to run 125w/100w H4s and 100w H1s. Never had an issue. Progress? My axx!

  7. #7
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    I tried that combination in my first E34, and the 125 watts fried the lighting computer. After that, I stayed with 100/90s.

    I don't think melted buckets is the problem here, because the bulbs were not in the lamp unit, they were flopping around.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    I tried that combination in my first E34, and the 125 watts fried the lighting computer. After that, I stayed with 100/90s.

    I don't think melted buckets is the problem here, because the bulbs were not in the lamp unit, they were flopping around.
    So I'm gonna go check those fuses again and if the test light lights up for both fuses take a look at the wiring. If the wires look good n not burnt should I use another same gauge wire from home Depot and tap it in? Because that would be my only guess.
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  9. #9
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    In particular, look at the plastic plug, and where the electric wire terminals connect there. Do not try to replace the wires, unless and until you know exactly why you're replacing them. You can't fix the problem until you know exactly what the problem is.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    In particular, look at the plastic plug, and where the electric wire terminals connect there. Do not try to replace the wires, unless and until you know exactly why you're replacing them. You can't fix the problem until you know exactly what the problem is.
    all wires look normal, the problem is wires are getting no power, btw when i left the bulbs out of the housing and forgot to put them back in i started the car and smelled a burning smell, i just ignored it and drove off, then when i came back i saw the bulbs were all burned on the bulbs, note the bulbs were not on i only turn them on when i drive at night time, so does this mean i shorted out the wires and need new ones? fuses didnt blow so maybe i could get the wires or the whole harness from a junkyard car, what do you think
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  11. #11
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    Yeah, okay, I give up. There are too many things which don't add up at all. The wires don't have power when the lights aren't on, so therefore the bulbs can't "burn". And, of course, it means the wires can't short out, either, no matter how much the bulbs bounce around. And if bulbs didn't burn, and wires didn't short, they should have power now....unless maybe you're testing the wrong fuses, I don't know.

    Either something you've told us is wrong, or your fuse box wiring, underneath the fuse box, is melted down.

    Sorry, I've got nothing.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    Yeah, okay, I give up. There are too many things which don't add up at all. The wires don't have power when the lights aren't on, so therefore the bulbs can't "burn". And, of course, it means the wires can't short out, either, no matter how much the bulbs bounce around. And if bulbs didn't burn, and wires didn't short, they should have power now....unless maybe you're testing the wrong fuses, I don't know.

    Either something you've told us is wrong, or your fuse box wiring, underneath the fuse box, is melted down.

    Sorry, I've got nothing.
    ok well i appreciate the help atlease, im just telling what i saw and what i did. so if the wires dont have power when the i never turned the headlights on then i dont know how they dont have power now but did work the day before i was changing the headlights, pretty odd all i know is that the headlight connecters have no power so ill just go replace the drivers side headlight fuses anyways and see if that works, wish me luck.
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  13. #13
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  14. #14
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    Turned out it was a fuse.no actually just double checked and so what I did was pulled out both headlight fuses and so where the fuses connects to I checked those pins for power with a test light and none of them lit up. And note that my right low beam headlight stopped working and suddenly my right high beam headlight started working maybe broken fuses something idk but yeah where my low beam fuses connect to those pins didn't have power so I checked the low beam relay and it was all burnt so I'm gonna replace it tomm to see if it will fix it because if both of my low beam aren't working it's gotta be that relay. Because the high beam fuses are getting power while low beam fuses are not
    Last edited by zohaibrose; 09-26-2017 at 09:16 PM.
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











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