Possible problem with LED lights

[mogsyman]

I have a 2016 50D with adaptive LED’s

Having just started the car to defrost it’s dark enough for the auto lights to switch on.

As I walked away and turned around I noticed the drivers side outer beam seems to be half the width of the others. It looks like the LED’s are made up of two sets of LED lights at the top within each light cluster (i.e. 4 clusters of two), and the drivers side outer only has one set lit on the outside of the light.

Before I call BMW could someone with similar lights confirm I have a duff light rather than it’s made that way to suit UK roads.

Sadly I can’t photograph the problem simply because they’re too bright!

Thanks and Happy Christmas.

[X5Sport]

All the BMWs I have seen with LED Lighting have ‘matched’ sets either side.

Sounds to me like you have lost a cluster, though whether that is the physical chips or the controller will need test kit to establish.

I am seeing more and more cars now with single LEDs out, or small groups in their DRLs etc, which makes me wonder about the real accuracy of the MTBF figures quoted in tens of thousands of hours.  I know it is a ‘Mean’ across thousands of units but......

I hope they don’t class them as ‘consumables’ and not warrantied!  >:(

[mogsyman]

[quote="X5Sport"]
All the BMWs I have seen with LED Lighting have ‘matched’ sets either side.

Sounds to me like you have lost a cluster, though whether that is the physical chips or the controller will need test kit to establish.

I am seeing more and more cars now with single LEDs out, or small groups in their DRLs etc, which makes me wonder about the real accuracy of the MTBF figures quoted in tens of thousands of hours.  I know it is a ‘Mean’ across thousands of units but......

I hope they don’t class them as ‘consumables’ and not warrantied!  >:(
[/quote]

Interestingly I whizzed to the local petrol station, came home and parked facing a window and could clearly see one of the two clusters not lit.

I then moved the light switch from auto to 'on' and the missing LEDs appeared!

A call to BMW is required.

[mogsyman]

Car is booked in after Xmas to have a look at the issue.

I’ve taken three pictures:

Lights on ‘auto’



Lights on ‘on’



Notice the difference in beam?

Lights on ‘full beam’



It appears there’s an issue with ‘auto’ and ‘on’

[X5Sport]

Is the reflection on the right fooling the high beam assist camera into trying to avoid an oncoming vehicle - even on low beam auto?

[mogsyman]

[quote="X5Sport"]
Is the reflection on the right fooling the high beam assist camera into trying to avoid an oncoming vehicle - even on low beam auto?
[/quote]

Now it might be and I’ll check however the car was parked the other way when I first noticed the issue and the beam was totally uninterrupted.

[mogsyman]

Went into Vines this morning and spent some time with a technician who agreed there appeared to be an issue but it would need to be referred to BMW for a 'puma' resolution.

Cut a long story short a new X5M was parked outside with identical lights so we started that up and its lights were the same  :'( ...........it appears my car doesn't have an problem.

So.............it appears if you use LED lights and use them on Auto you don't get as much light as using them on 'on'.

I still don't think the adaptive setting is correct. Having had this type of light for some years I'm familiar with the way they work and they simply don't appear to be correct at the moment. The 'black hole' that appears when you are following a car has disappeared and the lights seem to be doing a 'dance' rather than being fluid as they used to be.

Anyway, I'm where I am and will live with them either way.

[Turks]

Sounds like a strange one. When I'm back in the UK I'll check the X5M and see if there is a difference between the Auto and On settings.


Turks.