[ECY]

I noticed today. One of the angel eyes is not working. How can I solve this problem? I searched on the forum, they usually turn yellow but it is only slightly lit on me.

[padresu]

yellow or no lit, the same issue, the same repair. If lucky only module replacement will do, otherwise headlight replacement. I did clean/drill/ scrape burnt tube end - each repair different way, results were never satisfactory and lasted as little as 24 hours or few weeks. Headlight replacement - permanent fix.

[ECY]

It never turned yellow. It just went out. I hope the module is just broken. I looked at the part number but there are 2 different ones. S552A=Yes and No. Which one should I buy?

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by ECY

It never turned yellow. It just went out. I hope the module is just broken. I looked at the part number but there are 2 different ones. S552A=Yes and No. Which one should I buy?

The S552A option code is for LED adaptive headlights. Do you have adaptive LED headlights or not? If you don’t have LED headlights, then the part with S552A listed is not for your car.


BTW…S524A is the option code for adaptive headlights. Make sure you’re not confusing these two option codes. One could have adaptive headlights that are Xenon but not LED.

[ECY]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

The S552A option code is for LED adaptive headlights. Do you have adaptive LED headlights or not? If you don’t have LED headlights, then the part with S552A listed is not for your car.


BTW…S524A is the option code for adaptive headlights. Make sure you’re not confusing these two option codes. One could have adaptive headlights that are Xenon but not LED.

It looks like the photo with vin decoder. There is no option.
https://prnt.sc/ntsZGAHACIc1

https://prnt.sc/2f7E6GbWbdiV

The track list is like this

[eric_gm]

Originally Posted by padresu

Headlight replacement - permanent fix.

I'd argue this is NOT a permanent fix unless you know BMW addressed the core issue that causes the module to burn out. I reckon new headlights will suffer the same fate because I don't see superseding part numbers indicating revisions to them.

If you're under warranty then by all means replace the whole headlights, but if you're buying them with your own money, they will give you about 5 years free of issues. Definitely not a "permanent fix".

The only long term solution is turning them off in iDrive.

[ECY]

Originally Posted by eric_gm

I'd argue this is NOT a permanent fix unless you know BMW addressed the core issue that causes the module to burn out. I reckon new headlights will suffer the same fate because I don't see superseding part numbers indicating revisions to them.

If you're under warranty then by all means replace the whole headlights, but if you're buying them with your own money, they will give you about 5 years free of issues. Definitely not a "permanent fix".

The only long term solution is turning them off in iDrive.

I don't think there is such a detailed problem. It's an LED module anyway. Every part has a lifespan.

[eric_gm]

Originally Posted by ECY

I don't think there is such a detailed problem. It's an LED module anyway. Every part has a lifespan.

DRL LEDs that fail after ~5 years is NOT an acceptable lifespan, especially when the part that fails is not supposed to be easily serviceable. Would you be replacing whole headlight assemblies every 5 years? Even replacing just the modules is a pain in the ass. Wheel fender covers, grilles, bumper and headlights need to come out.

My E39 has LED tail lights which are still working after 25 years. The G30 has poorly designed LED modules and it will keep happening unless there's a revision to that design. The issue arises from the fiber optic tubes being too close to the LED chips. The lack of breathing room causes them to overheat. Scraping the tube not only removes the burnt bits, but also allows the LEDs to radiate heat better.

In fact, you can preemptively fix this by removing the modules, scraping some material off the light tubes and applying thermal paste between the circuit board and the heat sink. Lowering DRL brightness with Bimmercode could also help lower the temperature.

It is an extremely common problem with this model, not a corner case.

[ECY]

Does anyone have any information on which part I should get?

[eric_gm]

Originally Posted by ECY

Does anyone have any information on which part I should get?

Google "G30 DRL module". There are two versions. One for the standard headlights and another for the "icon" adaptive LEDs. Make sure you buy the right one.

[ECY]

Friends, I will buy the LED module, but should I buy the original or the module of other brands? The price difference is great. Is it worth buying the original?

[eric_gm]

You can buy generic. The original not only is significantly more expensive, it still has the same design flaw.

[ECY]

I'm changing the left module today. The right module is fine but do you think I should change it too?

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by ECY

I'm changing the left module today. The right module is fine but do you think I should change it too?

Absolutely. If you are taking the front and apart, may as well do both. The other will fail and you will have to do it again. In addition, if you don't, the new one will be significantly brighter than the other side.

[ECY]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Absolutely. If you are taking the front and apart, may as well do both. The other will fail and you will have to do it again. In addition, if you don't, the new one will be significantly brighter than the other side.

I had both sides done but the broken LED side is still a little dim. I think the tube is deformed. How can I fix this?

[eric_gm]

Did you sand down the burnt part of the tube? If you didn't, that's your problem.

[ECY]

Hello again, A few months ago, I had the left angel eye repaired. I replaced the LED module on the right side as well to ensure equal brightness between both sides. However, a few days ago, the new right-side module, which was only 4–5 months old, failed. Now I have to replace the right side again.
What could be the real reason for this failure? It’s really frustrating to keep dealing with this.
Last time, I bought a non-original module. Could that be the reason?

[eric_gm]

Originally Posted by ECY

Hello again, A few months ago, I had the left angel eye repaired. I replaced the LED module on the right side as well to ensure equal brightness between both sides. However, a few days ago, the new right-side module, which was only 4–5 months old, failed. Now I have to replace the right side again.
What could be the real reason for this failure? It’s really frustrating to keep dealing with this.
Last time, I bought a non-original module. Could that be the reason?

It's heat. That's the reason and I see you live in a place that can get very hot. Where BMW chose to put those LED heat sinks is an enclosed place that gets no fresh air so it's no wonder the chips don't live for long. BMW could've easily avoided this by making the LEDs draw less current (dim slightly) when they exceeded a temperature threshold, just as most LED headlights bulbs do. Aftermarket modules probably have worse thermal management (worse heat sink material, bad or no thermal paste, etc.) If you want to get rid of the issue for good you have two choices:

1. Fix them again and then disable DRLs in iDrive, at least in summer/hot days. The halos will still turn on at night but they dim and nights are cooler too so that's not an issue.

2. Get some slim 12V fans (computer case fans work), glue them to the heat sinks and find a nearby ignition source to power them. These would probably outlast the car: https://noctua.at/en/nf-a12x15-pwm

I'm sure that standing still in traffic, in the middle of the day, with super hot asphalt underneath and a hot engine on the other side, kills these LED chips really fast. Down here where I live it gets hot too, so I've chosen to disable my halos while they're still original and good. I don't really care for them being on or off.