How do I disable LED markers and number plate lights flashin

[gareth82]

Hi as title says, my LED markers and number plate lights flash every 30 secs or so, I know I can fix this with adding caps and load resistors which I did on my E39. Can this check be disabled with BMW sanner 1.4.0 I have attached a pic of the only menu I can find revleant tho not sure how to do it

thanks

[Raj]

Can't help with cancelling the check, but what bulbs have you gone with that are causing them to flash every 30 seconds or so?

[RichardP]

The falshing is caused by the 'Cold Check' of the side lights and number plate lights. A 'Cold Check' is a short low voltage pulse that is enough to detect a broken filament but not enough to cause it to flash, LEDs iluminate faster and at a lower voltage and so will flash when the cold check pulse is fired. A suitably sized capacitor in line with the bulb will absorb the pulse and prevent the flash.

There is no option on that menu to disable cold check of the number plate or side lights.

[petert]

Just for clarity Richard is that a capacitor in line with the bulb or in parallel with the bulb (I would have thought that in line with it would prevent the bulb illuminating on the steady 12v)

Peter T

[RichardP]

Sorry, yes, across the bulb, to absorb the power in the pulse. You may also need a resistor so that the stored charge leaks away slowly enough not to illuminate the LED.

[ChewingBacca]

gareth82 This is the screen that I got to.

If you went in through "page 1 hit LCM>coding data>light coding", my guess would be you are using a different scanner software version.

The version I used was v1.4.0.6 (24.05.2008). What is yours?

[gareth82]

Many thanks for that is it version 1.4.0 your using?

Cheers

[ChewingBacca]

v1.4.0.6 (24.05.2008)

[gareth82]

[quote=""ChewingBacca""]v1.4.0.6 (24.05.2008)[/quote]

Thanks thats the same version I am using so I dont understand why my menu is different than yours. I thought it would have been done to the version of scanner and not the car perhaps I am doing something wrong, I have downloaded the newer version of BMW scanner (1.4.0.8 )

I will try that and see what happens,

thanks

[ChewingBacca]

The only difference I can see is yours is pre facelift. Perhaps the car's on board software/firmware version affects the available options?

[gareth82]

[quote=""ChewingBacca""]The only difference I can see is yours is pre facelift. Perhaps the car's on board software/firmware version affects the available options?[/quote]

Yeah must be, tried the newer version of BMW scanner and its just the same ah well guess its the cap and resistor fix.

Thanks all for your help