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Thread: Right Side Running Lights Out...

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA, USA
    Posts
    16
    My Cars
    09/88 735iLA, 1985 318i

    Right Side Running Lights Out...

    Tearing my hair out on this one.

    My passenger running light, both passenger side lights, and my passenger parking light are all out. I get these codes:
    -Parking Light +
    -Tail Light +
    -F/Fog Light +
    edit: Instrument Cluster Backlights also out, indicator lamps not out. A note that neither fog lights turn on either.

    Fuse 5 continues to blow. I know the issue is from the lightswitch on because fuse 5 is always hot (I believe?) and the fuse doesn't blow until the lights are turned on (although I know this helps little as I'm seeing the switch is rather high up "the stream"). I also believe that I only had one license plate bulb working the last time I managed to get all parking lights working. Should I check here?

    I know all bulbs on that side are good, as I just checked them (save the license plate bulb, which I will be replacing/inspecting in the morning).

    I have reseated all bulbs and holders/connectors in that circuit multiple times to no avail.

    I have reflowed the Mustard Relay twice (every pad), and have eased the tension on the springs inside as well as leaning both support/grounding pegs inward so the relay gap is easier to clear.

    This all began some time ago with my fog lights working rather intermittently. Rarely, when I had the fog lights and headlights on, fuse 5 would blow. Leave the fog lights off, swap the fuse, and my passenger lights would be all good again. Now fuse 5 blows any time the lights are turned on (fogs or no) and the errors remain for the most part.

    Sometimes it won't even tell me Tail Light/Parking Light despite them not working. It will only say F/Fog Light (even though I haven't turned them on in quite some time). Noting this, the fog light fuse was also blown -- replaced this, but haven't used the fogs since.

    Where does this leave me? I believe my next step is to replace the mustard relay altogether, likely with Audi 447959875 as I understand that is an exact part fit. Do I have any other options or debugging steps I can take as I wait for the replacement relay to come, or is this failed relay most likely the fault? Or am I headed into the deep troubleshooting already?

    I'm really hoping this car isn't going to end up with electrical demons and seeing as I basically stole the car from the second owner with the price I got, I don't think a visit to BMW will be in the budget...

    I'd also like to note that the previous owner retrofitted the car with Euro headlights. I have heard some mention of this exact problem being solved by disconnecting the headlight adjustment motors. Is this worth looking at, or is it possible that anything could have gone wrong in the retrofit? The fog lights also appear to be Hella, I'm not sure if that means they are original or not for a U.S. market E32, but I want to offer as much information as possible. I'm sad to be put in a position where I can't drive this car as often as I'd like both safely and legally.
    Last edited by Wasabi Avocado; 03-28-2018 at 12:30 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Riverside, Ca
    Posts
    260
    My Cars
    E28 M5/E34 540-6/E39 530
    I literally just had this exact same thing happened tonight and posted just before you
    E28 M5 Black/Black - E34 540-6sp Black/Black - E39 530i Silver/Black

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA, USA
    Posts
    16
    My Cars
    09/88 735iLA, 1985 318i
    Another oddity includes the fact that the passenger side mirror will just run itself pointing straight down if it is not selected with the toggle on the driver's door. I doubt that has anything to do with this, but I read a shogun post about this exact demon that mentioned a mirror oddity, so I thought best I should mention it. The same post mentions the driver's side seat, which has been disconnected (gears in the seat are mostly destroyed and the gearboxes can't be found at the junkyards at the moment, managed to get it in a good spot where it won't twist or fall and disconnected the power). This was yet another oddity left from the previous owner, and now I'm beginning to believe perhaps the driver's seat shorted out and stopped functioning so the PO just disconnected it because of the pile of headaches going on. I will be doing a look over of the looms under the seat as well as the rear cigarette lighter socket.

    I'm already loading up on the Advil...

    edit: as I look again closer, it appears PO has used single bottom contact bulbs on the right back side of the vehicle... This can cause issues yes? I will be checking all bulbs for the appropriate number of contacts and sourcing the correct bulbs locally if possible tomorrow. Hopefully this is a simple fix...
    Last edited by Wasabi Avocado; 03-28-2018 at 01:14 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Japan
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    54,654
    My Cars
    11/88 E32 750iL+98 E36M3
    The mirror problem: mirror is controlled by the seat and mirror module under drive seat, check all the connections there at back and front of the module.
    and a shot in the dark, because it believes it goes into reverse, the gear selector switch http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/744694/
    http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/872371/
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA, USA
    Posts
    16
    My Cars
    09/88 735iLA, 1985 318i
    Quote Originally Posted by shogun View Post
    The mirror problem: mirror is controlled by the seat and mirror module under drive seat, check all the connections there at back and front of the module.
    and a shot in the dark, because it believes it goes into reverse, the gear selector switch http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/744694/
    http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/872371/
    Thanks, I'll look into that. I guess I shouldn't have mentioned it since it's unrelated. This running light issue has me missing out on income opportunities because I can't drive past sunset... I've already burnt through about twenty fuses and tried everything I can find online related to fuse 5, and nothing. I'm about to just go push the car off a cliff I'm so frustrated...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Boca Raton, Florida
    Posts
    1,558
    My Cars
    89'750iL,98'740iL,00'M5
    Not sure if a damaged LKM can cause this but have you inspected it internally? Also you may have a shorted wire somewhere on that electrical system. Best thing to do is to check for a short to power or ground, but it seems this is a short to power, where a wire may be frayed and touching the other. Look up your build year of your car and use the correct ETM.

    http://www.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e32/

    BMW 7er Website www.7er.com
    1989 BMW 735i Schwarz (sadly, sold) // 1989 BMW 750iL Cirrusblau Metallic // 1998 BMW 740iL Oxfordgrün Metallic // 2000 M5 Carbon Schwarz ///

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA, USA
    Posts
    16
    My Cars
    09/88 735iLA, 1985 318i
    Quote Originally Posted by SergeBMW View Post
    Not sure if a damaged LKM can cause this but have you inspected it internally? Also you may have a shorted wire somewhere on that electrical system. Best thing to do is to check for a short to power or ground, but it seems this is a short to power, where a wire may be frayed and touching the other. Look up your build year of your car and use the correct ETM.

    http://www.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e32/
    I will pull it and resolder the pads as well. I sure hope that is the issue, I'm a bit nervous about doing electrical troubleshooting myself...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA, USA
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    16
    My Cars
    09/88 735iLA, 1985 318i
    So an update: I had heard no mention of it being on this fuse so I didn't even think about it, but my headlight washer spout is gone on that side. This link says that these are on fuse 5 as well (which I was sort of gathering from the electrical troubleshooting diagrams, in verifying I found this page) so now I'm curious if perhaps the damaged part is causing the short? I can find no other issues with bulbs, holders, plugs, or wiring on that side of the car. Can someone possibly point me to the removal of the headlight washers so that I can give that a try? It's basically my last choice before chasing wires through the car end to end... Thanks!
    Last edited by Wasabi Avocado; 04-03-2018 at 05:35 PM. Reason: clarity

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Japan
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    My Cars
    11/88 E32 750iL+98 E36M3
    To remove the headlight washers you have to remove the bumber. On top of the bumper are the spray nozzles, these are surrounded by chrome pieces, these are held by 1 screw each, underneath is another screw and you can pull out the spray nozzles, but that is as far as you can get without removing the bumper, bumper removal is here http://www.e38.org/e32/
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Brantford ON Canada
    Posts
    1,630
    My Cars
    735iL - 1989
    Quote Originally Posted by Wasabi Avocado View Post
    Tearing my hair out on this one.

    My passenger running light, both passenger side lights, and my passenger parking light are all out.

    This all began some time ago with my fog lights working rather intermittently. Rarely, when I had the fog lights and headlights on, fuse 5 would blow. Leave the fog lights off, swap the fuse, and my passenger lights would be all good again. Now fuse 5 blows any time the lights are turned on (fogs or no) and the errors remain for the most part.

    I'm really hoping this car isn't going to end up with electrical demons and seeing as I basically stole the car from the second owner with the price I got, I don't think a visit to BMW will be in the budget...
    Please do not push your 735iL off Mulholland Drive cliff!

    Please see pages 6314-00 + http://www.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e32/e32_89.pdf

    The S8 Light Switch must conduct current from X503 pin 8 to X503 pin 6. If this is intermittent then you will see right-side lamp outages.

    On page 6167-00 you can see that S8 also supplies both fog lights via X503 pins 11 and 4.

    I suspect that you have an S8 Crisis. It happens.
    Last edited by E32FAN; 04-08-2018 at 09:58 PM.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA, USA
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    My Cars
    09/88 735iLA, 1985 318i
    Quote Originally Posted by E32FAN View Post
    Please do not push your 735iL off Mulholland Drive cliff!
    Don't give me geographical ideas!

    On a less joking note, thanks for the tip! There didn't seem to be any irregularities with the switch, but I appreciate all the info and I will do some inspecting.

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