Most liked posts in thread: Hmmmm, where did my high beams go?

  1. caseydog

    caseydog Well-Known Member

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    #2 caseydog, Jun 5, 2016
    Wow, nobody has had this problem?

    Not even a DaveO smartass reply? :biggrin5:

    This is not a big deal until October, when my car won't pass inspection. I was just hoping that someone would say, "Yeah, it happened to me, and it was a ten-dollar fix."

    A man can dream.

    CD
     
  2. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #3 Metalman, Jun 5, 2016
    Pixie disconnect somewhere.....

    So just out of the blue both high beams stopped working?

    Nothing was done that lead up to this issue.... They both just stopped working at the same time?

    Start with the basics.... Fuse, relay, etc..
     
  3. DneprDave

    DneprDave Well-Known Member
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    #4 DneprDave, Jun 5, 2016
    I once had a car which lost both headlights at the same time, I thought it was the switch so I put in a new one. It turned out that both headlights decided to burn out at the same time.

    Just for shits and grins, check the continuity of your high beam lamps.
     
  4. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

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    #5 cristo, Jun 5, 2016
    Check both bulbs.
    Check voltage to the bulb sockets.
    Check the relay.
    Probably not the fuse or wiring before the relay if the indicator light goes on.
     
  5. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    #6 Crashton, Jun 5, 2016
    There is only one bulb on the R56 HID lights. For some reason the shutters that flip to change the beam are not working. I'd look at the wiring diagram in your Bentley manual to figure which wires to check. Have you checked the fuses yet?
     
  6. caseydog

    caseydog Well-Known Member

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    #7 caseydog, Jun 5, 2016
    I don't use my high beams a lot, so I don't know when the problem started. I noticed it for the first time Friday night.

    Nothing happened leading up to this, and I haven't had any recent work done on the car. It just happened.

    CD
     
  7. caseydog

    caseydog Well-Known Member

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    #8 caseydog, Jun 5, 2016
    Your post got me thinking, and I went out and turned on the headlights in the garage. Usually, the beam will rise breifly, and fall back to normal height. They didn't do that.

    It is my understanding that with a Bixenon system, all that happens is that the projectors just change where they aim. If that is the case, then something is is preventing that aim change.

    CD
     
  8. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #9 Metalman, Jun 5, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2016
    There is also a sensor with a articulating arm that's attached to the rear control arm (drivers side), that senses the loaded suspension of the MINI and adjusts the headlight levels.... If I remember correctly it's attached to the upper control arm... Check to see if it's become disconnected...

    Look for this fellow...
    [​IMG]
     
  9. Crashton

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    #10 Crashton, Jun 5, 2016
    ^ This is a good thing to check. It could be if the leveling system isn't working you don't get high beams. Just a guess on my part though.
     
  10. r34king

    r34king Member

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    #11 r34king, Oct 7, 2016
    The ride height leveling system does not have anything to do with the high beams. The high beams are controlled by a shield inside the projector. They are controlled by the ballast by way of the foot well module.

    Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
     
  11. caseydog

    caseydog Well-Known Member

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    #12 caseydog, Oct 7, 2016
    Could you expand on that? What is the footwell module?

    CD
     
  12. r34king

    r34king Member

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    #13 r34king, Oct 7, 2016
    The module that controls all the lights and windows. It's behind the driver side kick panel. Takes the signals from the light stalk and sends electricity to the correct lights. Same with the windows.

    Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
     
  13. caseydog

    caseydog Well-Known Member

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    #14 caseydog, Oct 24, 2016
    Well, I have at least another year to work out this high-beam problem.

    I'm running low on time before I leave for SEMA, so I figured I'd take my chances, and go for an inspection at the local quik-lube and the underpaid inspector wouldn't notice, or wouldn't care.

    I was right.

    It is Texas. Texas isn't big on pesky "regulations." I was born in New Jersey, which most would say is bad enough. I grew up in Port Arthur, Texas, one of the three cities that make up the "Cancer Triangle." Of course, not everyone from there gets cancer... but I did.

    Anyway, the good news is I don't have to pay a bunch of money to fix my high beams. The bad news is I have to share the roadways with cars with potentially much more serious issues that also passed inspection.

    CD