Headlight Issues

[tormonwil]

So hopefully I can get some guidance on what is going on with the headlights of my 2006 M45. Let me give a little bit of history and the timeline of what happened.

1. Over the last year or so, I would notice that the right low beam would not come on once every few months or so. All other lights would be fine and I could usually drive to my destination, turn the car off, and the light would come on when I started the car again.
2. All of a sudden, I noticed that the left low beam had a bluish/purplish color.
3. About 2 days later, everything on the left side went out (the low beam, the mini-light next to it, AND the amber corner marker). The only light that works is the turn signal.
4. A few days later, the low beam on the right side went out, but all the other ones on that side work.
5. Now the low beam on the right comes on sometimes but not all the time.

I was hoping it would be a fuse, but then I found out the fusebox for the headlights is behind the battery. I finally got back there and all the fuses look good. I tried wiggling the wires coming from the bulbs to see if anything was loose and that didn't do anything. I can't imagine it would be a bulb issue (at least for the left side) if all of them went out at the same time. Any ideas are greatly welcomed.

[Ilya]

You may have a wiring issue. One thing you can do is get to the back of the headlight with a meter and test the connector pins (without bulbs) to see if anything is happening when the lights are turning on or off. If not, then you have a wiring/fuse issue. If they are, then you just had a really crazy case of coincidence with a bunch of lights dying at the same time.

Additionally, put the car into ACC mode (just before starting) and put your ear close to the headlight. Have your friend or family member turn the lights on. You should hear a high pitched buzzing...this will tell you if the HID Ballast is getting power. If it's dead silent, you might have bad ballasts (or it may be wiring again), if you hear the sound then your wiring isn't the issue and next move would be bulbs (at least for the main headlight bulb). Note: you will need to listen to both headlights a few minutes apart as you will need to give the ballast time to 'cool down' between attempts (like 15-20 minutes).

For the purple/blue light, that means your bulbs are on their way out. I would replace both at the same time for uniformity.

[kmiles]

With the light color changing, it sounds like you most likely have HID headlights - do you know if they are factory or aftermarket HIDs? The recommendation and troubleshooting process will be different depending upon which you have.

[tormonwil]

As far as I know, they are the factory HIDs. The car was less than 3 years old when I bought it 11 years ago, and I have never touched them.

[tormonwil]

So I just realized that I finally fixed this problem exactly one month after first posting about it. Here is the rundown of what has transpired:

1. Got to the IPDM and checked the fuses. They looked good but I tried replacing them just in case and there was no change.
2. Noticed that the small center parking light bulb is easily accessible from the hood, so I took the one from the working side and installed it on the non-working side and it worked, which gave me some hope that it could be the bulbs.
3. Took a shot at removing the HID bulb from the working side and installed it on the non-working side, and it worked!!! I probably did a praise dance for 5 minutes because I was praying that it wouldn't be a ballast issue, which would require me to take it to the shop .
4. Researched HID bulbs and ended up ordering the Phillips XV2 (these were what I already had on the car and my research didn't yield any results that I liked better). Cost was $180ish for the pair.
5. Bought 2 pairs of 194 mini bulbs from Auto Zone to replace the side lamps and the center parking lights.
6. Replaced everything in about 30 minutes.

As Ilya mentioned, I had a crazy case of conincidence with a bunch of bulbs blowing out at the same time.

For those of you looking to replace headlights, here are a few tips and tricks I learned from a trial and error period during this last month:
1. I don't recommend removing tires, but I DO recommend jacking up the car to give you more space in the wheel well area. You don't even have to jack it up so high that the wheels come off the ground.
2. I recommend turning the wheel inwards, not outwards.
3. Don't be afraid to get aggressive with the panels in the wheel well. Don't go berserk but you will have to do some tugging to get them out of your way.
4. Have a flashlight or light bar ready to help you see the inside of the light fixture.

After 11 years of owning my car, this was the most mechanical work I have EVER done to it on my own. I am mostly a DIY guy around the house, but not so much with automobiles. Very proud of my work and happy about the money I just saved by doing it myself.