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Thread: HELP weird tail light issue

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    294
    My Cars
    07 e91

    HELP weird tail light issue

    heres a good one...

    I have a tail light out...the running light in the hatch of my e91.

    I am getting power to both tail lights.

    both tail lights (left and right) are getting 8.5v or thereabouts. (seems low)

    but only the DS light is working.

    I have switched bulbs. no luck on the right side.

    I have switched housings, same issue.

    I am getting voltage at the housings!....when I plug the bulb in on the right side....nothing.

    HOW CAN THIS BE? GETTING VOLTAGE AT THE PLUG, THROUGH THE HOUSING FIXTURE, AT THE PLUG RECEPTACLE.

    WHY IS MY BULB NOT WORKING????

    it was intermittent for a while and would come and go. now it seems to be out for good.

    I have heard that BMWs can sense overall voltage for the lighting circuit and if there is something out of place, it will tell you...is this how?....too much resistance somewhere?

    should I check all the other lights for corrosion or something?


    any help is much appreciated!

    thanks

    JP

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    California
    Posts
    17
    My Cars
    03 E39 540i MSport 6spd
    Are they OEM bulbs?

    Have you tried swapping the bulbs from each side to see if the DS side works on the PS side?

    This would eliminate the bulb as the culprit.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    California
    Posts
    17
    My Cars
    03 E39 540i MSport 6spd
    Also, have you checked if the DS front driver light is also on when the rear DS is on?

    BMW has a safety feature where you can toggle that the DS front/rear driving lights will stay on forever when parked (used for being more visible when parking on dark/narrow streets).

    So, have you checked if both rear driving lights are on when the engine is running?

    - - - Updated - - -

    Finally, it is still out when the engine is running... I’d check the relays, as well as the alternator.

    Eliminate these culprits as they both can cause wacky issues like this.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Location
    Antioch California
    Posts
    4
    My Cars
    2009 BMW 328i
    I had the same issue, changed the bulb and nothing, I had to replace the whole lense and it worked for me, I got the lense thru internet and paid around $65.00.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Ca
    Posts
    6,981
    My Cars
    2001 525it
    Footwell module?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    California
    Posts
    17
    My Cars
    03 E39 540i MSport 6spd
    I saw on the other forum you posted that you resolved this issue... It would be nice if you updated this thread too, for sake of future reference when others face the same problem. Just saying.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Mission Viejo, CA, USA
    Posts
    22
    My Cars
    2011 328i M Sport Wagon
    Voltage is low. Should be over 12 volts, 13 when running. This is the lights on the hatch, correct? So the wires run in a loom passing from the door to the body. The wires in that loom near the hinge get frayed and eventually break.

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