I am an idiot - E60 content

[Antoin]

In an attempt to fix my poor lighting issues on my e60 (xenons with burnt out lenses) I had previously "downgraded" to a set of halogen headlights. I wired up a small harness to allow the halogen headlights to work with my existing wiring. All was good and I ran it that way all last winter with no issues and slightly improved lighting. Not great but not as dangerous as it was.

Fast forward to last night and I decided to see if I could improve this setup a bit more and stuck a set of LED nighteyes in. Was expecting some error message issues on the test drive. On returning home bulbs started to shutdown, main beam, then dipped then indicator. Thought ok I sort of expected this.

What i wasnt expecting was smoke to come billowing out from under the dash!!!!! PANIC STATIONS!!!!
Turned car off, lights going mental, wipers going mental, smoke. Emptied a CO2 extinguisher into the dash, thought the ****ing house was going to go up in flames at one point!

Got the boot opened, battery disconnected and disaster averted. ****!

So it seems I have melted my Light Control Module and a section of wiring attached to it. Who knows what else its knocked out in the process??!! Although i see no other melted wires from my brief inspection.

Is the car a write off? Will a new (second hand) LCM (recoded) and section of wiring fitted fix the issue?

@AlpineF30 - BMW e60 expert, any thoughts apart from "**** me Anton you are an idiot!"

Thanks,
Anton

 

[Woodcutter]

Lol

That’s all I have to say!

 

[Ghisallo]

Maybe just limit the car to daylight use only?

 

[da.murf]

sorry I can't be of any help, but that story has brightened up a rather gloomy morning for me & made me laugh!

Hope it gets sorted lol

 

[Antoin]

Its difficult to see with all the smoke

 

[AlpineF30]

**** me you didn't do it by half did you lol.

I'd say a fried light module. My advice would be retrofit an LM2 module as you can code LCI lights into the car which may open your options a bit. The LCI halogens I have in my E61 at the moment are 10x better than the pre-LCI xenons I had in the last one.

Last time I checked you can get an LM2 for approx 50 quid on ebay then just needs coded in but I can code it in for you FOC as it gets me out of the house for a while lol

In an attempt to fix my poor lighting issues on my e60 (xenons with burnt out lenses) I had previously "downgraded" to a set of halogen headlights. I wired up a small harness to allow the halogen headlights to work with my existing wiring. All was good and I ran it that way all last winter with no issues and slightly improved lighting. Not great but not as dangerous as it was.

Fast forward to last night and I decided to see if I could improve this setup a bit more and stuck a set of LED nighteyes in. Was expecting some error message issues on the test drive. On returning home bulbs started to shutdown, main beam, then dipped then indicator. Thought ok I sort of expected this.

What i wasnt expecting was smoke to come billowing out from under the dash!!!!! PANIC STATIONS!!!!
Turned car off, lights going mental, wipers going mental, smoke. Emptied a CO2 extinguisher into the dash, thought the ****ing house was going to go up in flames at one point!

Got the boot opened, battery disconnected and disaster averted. ****!

So it seems I have melted my Light Control Module and a section of wiring attached to it. Who knows what else its knocked out in the process??!! Although i see no other melted wires from my brief inspection.

Is the car a write off? Will a new (second hand) LCM (recoded) and section of wiring fitted fix the issue?

@AlpineF30 - BMW e60 expert, any thoughts apart from "**** me Anton you are an idiot!"

Thanks,
Anton

 

[G N K]

This is why I stick to adding fuel and driving, I know my limits.

 

[Antoin]

**** me you didn't do it by half did you lol.

I'd say a fried light module. My advice would be retrofit an LM2 module as you can code LCI lights into the car which may open your options a bit. The LCI halogens I have in my E61 at the moment are 10x better than the pre-LCI xenons I had in the last one.

Last time I checked you can get an LM2 for approx 50 quid on ebay then just needs coded in but I can code it in for you FOC as it gets me out of the house for a while lol

Eh... if i can get it driving il be happy, nevermind LCIs etc

I'm hoping its just the module and wiring and that it didnt take anything else out with it.
You are a gentleman on the coding although il be sorting you something for your time and effort! Will a new module give me enough functionality to get down the road to you (indicators/ brakes etc)?

 

[AlpineF30]

Eh... if i can get it driving il be happy, nevermind LCIs etc

I'm hoping its just the module and wiring and that it didnt take anything else out with it.
You are a gentleman on the coding although il be sorting you something for your time and effort! Will a new module give me enough functionality to get down the road to you (indicators/ brakes etc)?

Haha very true lol, well an LM1 should be cheap as chips as most want to swap it out for an LM2.

So long as the wiring is repaired it should be a direct fit and then a bit of coding, try to match part numbers just to be sure then its just a case of swapping vins etc but it theory it should work with the brake lights and indicators once its plugged in might just be the headlights it may be a bit funny with it depending on the donor car essentially need to code it to match your car and whats fitted rather than the lights of the donor car.

 

[Apis]

Any video footage to give us a laugh? £250 from Harry Hill You've been Framed would go some way to fixing it.

 

[Antoin]

Haha very true lol, well an LM1 should be cheap as chips as most want to swap it out for an LM2.

So long as the wiring is repaired it should be a direct fit and then a bit of coding, try to match part numbers just to be sure then its just a case of swapping vins etc but it theory it should work with the brake lights and indicators once its plugged in might just be the headlights it may be a bit funny with it depending on the donor car essentially need to code it to match your car and whats fitted rather than the lights of the donor car.

Well there is one on ebay same part nr at £75.
Got a wiring loom off McAuleys down the road for a fiver so that will hopefully sort the wiring out.

Il remove some of the dash to see if ive fried anything else behind it before ordering any modules.

Any video footage to give us a laugh? £250 from Harry Hill You've been Framed would go some way to fixing it.

Penny wise pound foolish springs to mind here.
If id splashed out on a secondhand set of xenons I wouldnt be having this problem.
3 lessons learnt;

Buy once cry once
Dont **** with LED headlights
Dont **** with electrics

 

[AlpineF30]

Well there is one on ebay same part nr at £75.
Got a wiring loom off McAuleys down the road for a fiver so that will hopefully sort the wiring out.

Il remove some of the dash to see if ive fried anything else behind it before ordering any modules.


Penny wise pound foolish springs to mind here.
If id splashed out on a secondhand set of xenons I wouldnt be having this problem.
3 lessons learnt;

Buy once cry once
Dont **** with LED headlights
Dont **** with electrics

Ouch Actually the xenon is light module is usually dearer so that would explain the cost as they are more in demand.

Shame I didn't have that excuse of an E60 still in the shed could have robbed a ton of bits off it for you.

Thing is I remember chatting to you before with the xenon problem, if you had splashed out on a second hand set could have very easily been the same issue with the bowl being burnt out.

The last one I had was the same the xenons were piss poor. Looks like a bowl replacement seems to be the only solution

Also any photos of the damage? Just being nosy now lol

 

[Antoin]

Ive only a pic of the part nrs on the burnt module at the minute.
Was in no mood last night to take any more lol

Il grab a few tonight. Little to see except a burnt module, plug and some frazzled wiring.

 

[starletterry]

@surprising_skoda You able to shed any "light" on this situation with your knowledge of BMW's?

 

[Eager]

crazy how things unfold.
but, ya have no idea where that ends now with wiring and electronics and ecu’s and modules for all sorts.

 

[gary1365]

I was going to throw a set of led bulbs into my high beams for the winter but this has put me off that idea completely

 

[AlpineF30]

@Antoin do you have a way to read error codes? Should be able to identify if anything else took a hit when the LCM fried

 

[Antoin]

@Antoin do you have a way to read error codes? Should be able to identify if anything else took a hit when the LCM fried

Yes I have INPA/GT2 etc to read but I need to strip and insulate the bare/ burnt wires before I stick the battery back on. Likely not get at it until the weekend.

 

[Antoin]

Update;
Got the bare wires sealed off (all 70 of them!!!) and got the car started and moved. Plenty of errors flashing up, most id imagine due to the lack of light module. I will get codes read this evening to see what else is affected.
Got a secondhand plug and wires so il get it spliced in this weekend. Have a light module but not an exact match. Hopefully itll be enough to get it started and see what all is wrong with the car. Tailights/ indicators etc should work but headlights will be a funny one. I have adaptive xenon and i suspect the donor module had halogens.

 

[AlpineF30]

Update;
Got the bare wires sealed off (all 70 of them!!!) and got the car started and moved. Plenty of errors flashing up, most id imagine due to the lack of light module. I will get codes read this evening to see what else is affected.
Got a secondhand plug and wires so il get it spliced in this weekend. Have a light module but not an exact match. Hopefully itll be enough to get it started and see what all is wrong with the car. Tailights/ indicators etc should work but headlights will be a funny one. I have adaptive xenon and i suspect the donor module had halogens.

Send me through your part numbers and i'll let you know if they will work.

 

[Antoin]

Send me through your part numbers and i'll let you know if they will work.

My car - 9 116 260
Donor - 6 941 592

 

[McFall1984]

I have a pair of adaptive xenon headlights here and 2 xenon also
Should have a broken adaptive xenon light here to

 

[Antoin]

I have a pair of adaptive xenon headlights here and 2 xenon also
Should have a broken adaptive xenon light here to

Would you happen to have the module for the adaptive xenon (not the ballast)?
Il have to pass on the lights for now as il not have the ££££ at the minute. (Wife on maternity and coming up to crhistmas every pound is a prisoner!)

 

[McFall1984]

I’ll check. There’s def 1 box on the underside of the light, unsure which it is tho but will check after work

 

[Antoin]

I’ll check. There’s def 1 box on the underside of the light, unsure which it is tho but will check after work

Module is within the car Gary so if you haven't the car you'll not have the module I need