Exterior illuminated door handle fuses

[Staszek]

Does anyone know what fuse the exterior door handle runs on? I cant imagine if it was blown that something else wouldn't work as well, but all 4 of my exterior door handle lights don't work.

I changed the bulbs and still no dice. I am going to try and change them again with regular halogens instead of LEDs but I have a feeling its something else for all 4 to be out.

[purplecty]

May be worth looking into this guy
8383185 which is labeled as Control unit, illuminated door handle

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...20#61358383185

[Staszek]

May be worth looking into this guy
8383185 which is labeled as Control unit, illuminated door handle

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...20#61358383185

Thanks! Where does that thing sit? I just ordered a new one.

[purplecty]

Thanks! Where does that thing sit? I just ordered a new one.

That's a good question! I will try and find the location. I just came across it when looking into the issue.

[Btkeenan]

Based on the photos I’ve seen online, looks like it could be the dark green relay in the trunk next to the rest of the fuses. Alternatively behind the glovebox.

https://fuseandrelay.com/bmw/e38.html

[Staszek]

Someone said its behind the glove box, I ordered the part hopefully that fixes the issue.

[Btkeenan]

Were you able to resolve this? I noticed that my exterior lights also do not light up while the interior are all fine. I find it hard to believe all 4 bulbs are dead.

[purplecty]

Were you able to resolve this? I noticed that my exterior lights also do not light up while the interior are all fine. I find it hard to believe all 4 bulbs are dead.

Did they ever work during your ownership?

[Mayorchuck]

I've never had, or parted out, a facelift model but the height of the relay/module tells me it's probably behind the glove box. I've sifted thru the WDS and it only shows a photo of the door components. I have a few fuse/relay links I refer to and none of them list it either.

https://knigaproavto.ru/shemy/en/bmw...e38_fuses.html

E114, X10324


in top of RH front door

E114	Light source, front right door handle
X10324	Component connector (2-pin, black), Light source, front right door handle

[Btkeenan]

Did they ever work during your ownership?

Not to my knowledge. I’ve had the car ~less than a year and didn’t know it was a feature until looking around.

[Btkeenan]

I've never had, or parted out, a facelift model but the height of the relay/module tells me it's probably behind the glove box. I've sifted thru the WDS and it only shows a photo of the door components. I have a few fuse/relay links I refer to and none of them list it either.

https://knigaproavto.ru/shemy/en/bmw...e38_fuses.html

E114, X10324


in top of RH front door

E114	Light source, front right door handle
X10324	Component connector (2-pin, black), Light source, front right door handle

Thanks. aaa7fan also sent me some relay wiring diagrams and location that I’m going to check. You’d think the inside and outside door handle lights would be tied together for convenience sake

[purplecty]

Has your GM ever been replaced? Could be it was not coded to your car? I think that was where Staszek left off with this.

[Btkeenan]

Has your GM ever been replaced? Could be it was not coded to your car? I think that was where Staszek left off with this.

Not to my knowledge. Everything I have encountered so far on my car has been original. Is there somewhere I can check within the coding software to see if this function is coded properly?

[purplecty]

Not to my knowledge. Everything I have encountered so far on my car has been original. Is there somewhere I can check within the coding software to see if this function is coded properly?

If you have NCS read out the GM. There may be a parameter related to the illuminated door handles.

[Btkeenan]

If you have NCS read out the GM. There may be a parameter related to the illuminated door handles.

I do indeed, I’ll have to take a look. Perhaps there’s a setting within pasoft I can also look for.

[stevick]

I just did a retrofit of the lighted exterior and interior door handles on my pre-facelift by scavenging the parts from my facelift parts car. Per threads on the subject, I tapped the puddle light wires for the exterior handle lights and it works perfectly (they come on with key fob unlock and turn off when the system goes to sleep). I suspect the puddle light is thus on the same circuit as the exterior handle lights, so check to see if your puddle lights illuminate. If they do, one option would be to do what I did.

The interior door handle lights are on a different circuit, as they only come on when your headlights are on. I tapped the light circuit for the door window switch for that and it too works perfectly.

[Btkeenan]

If you have NCS read out the GM. There may be a parameter related to the illuminated door handles.

No dice on the GM or any modules for that matter. Filtered by keywords "door", "light", "courtesy", and "puddle" and nothing is coming up as an option. Next thing to check is the relay

[purplecty]

No dice on the GM or any modules for that matter. Filtered by keywords "door", "light", "courtesy", and "puddle" and nothing is coming up as an option. Next thing to check is the relay

I swore I saw some potential parameters in the GM. Do you see any visual entry parameters? Maybe also worth default coding it to your car with NCS to see if that makes any difference for the illuminated door handles?

[Staszek]

I swore I saw some potential parameters in the GM. Do you see any visual entry parameters? Maybe also worth default coding it to your car with NCS to see if that makes any difference for the illuminated door handles?

Ugh I still need to fix this.

[Btkeenan]

Ok so interesting find today, checked the fuse box and fuse 10 was missing from the panel completely. Not sure why but popped in a 5amp fuse and will have to test it when the headlight is back together.

[Mayorchuck]

Fuse 10 feeds this. Looks promising.

K131, X10401


behind glove compartment

K131	Relay, visual entry aid
X10401	Component connector (9-pin, black), Relay, visual entry aid

[Btkeenan]

Can confirm replacing the fuse in the engine bay fixed it for me. Go figure lol

[Manny G.]

Just realized that my internal door handle lights dont light up, but the exterior ones do. Are they a separate fuse? I'm about to start digging into this

[stevick]

The interior door lights are activated/deactivated by the headlamp switch, unlike the exterior door handle lights that are activated by the key fob unlock function. They're definitely on different circuits. The circuit for the interior door handle lights may also include the other interior lights, such as those illuminating the door window switch panels, memory switch, rear ashtray doors, rear seat heater switches, center console ashtray door, various other switches, and cluster backlighting; as all are controllable by the interior light dimmer switch. Check to see if the others illuminate when the headlamps are on. If so, the problem is likely with the small LEDs in the handles (though unlikely they would all go bad at once). If not, then you can move to the power/ground connections, switches, fuses, and modules. I was unable to find the specific door handle lighting circuit in WDS though.