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      06-05-2018, 02:31 PM   #1
brianBMW76
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Headlight Problem?

I purchased my 5 Series 540i M Sport in August 2017 I ordered with the upgraded headlights package. I was driving home on a dark parkway last week and I noticed the drivers headlight seems to have a dark spot, didn't project as far and shows a hard shadow, don't know how to explain it. Brought it to the dealer, they connected it to a diagnostics machine, claims nothing failed.

I can post a video later. But from this picture can a fellow 5 series owner on here, tell me if this is normal? I am having a hard time thinking it is.
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      06-05-2018, 04:39 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brianBMW76 View Post
I purchased my 5 Series 540i M Sport in August 2017 I ordered with the upgraded headlights package. I was driving home on a dark parkway last week and I noticed the drivers headlight seems to have a dark spot, didn't project as far and shows a hard shadow, don't know how to explain it. Brought it to the dealer, they connected it to a diagnostics machine, claims nothing failed.

I can post a video later. But from this picture can a fellow 5 series owner on here, tell me if this is normal? I am having a hard time thinking it is.
Do you have adaptive headlights? If so, it's likely that the car recognises what's parked ahead and dimming that area.
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      06-05-2018, 07:56 PM   #3
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I do have adaptive headlights, but this issue is always present no matter what is in front of me.

I posted a video which clearly shows a shadow on left side.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hw0dpvd291...issue.mp4?dl=0
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      06-05-2018, 10:33 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brianBMW76 View Post
I purchased my 5 Series 540i M Sport in August 2017 I ordered with the upgraded headlights package. I was driving home on a dark parkway last week and I noticed the drivers headlight seems to have a dark spot, didn't project as far and shows a hard shadow, don't know how to explain it. Brought it to the dealer, they connected it to a diagnostics machine, claims nothing failed.

I can post a video later. But from this picture can a fellow 5 series owner on here, tell me if this is normal? I am having a hard time thinking it is.
Using the fog lights all the time yes?
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      06-06-2018, 12:05 AM   #5
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Get a mate to help. Switch on headlights, low and high beam and you compare which elements of the cluster light up. Note that there is a unique cornering lamp in each cluster which will light depending on how the wheel is turned.

Iirc top element of each lamp is low beam and bottom element is high beam. You therefore have 10 lamps to check excluding the indicators.
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      06-06-2018, 02:38 AM   #6
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Headlights are designed not to blind oncoming traffic, so will be lower towards oncoming traffic.
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      06-06-2018, 07:14 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by suj999 View Post
Headlights are designed not to blind oncoming traffic, so will be lower towards oncoming traffic.
Correct. I think there is some confusion because this post has users from the UK and US. In the US the left light should be slightly lower to not blind drivers coming at you; in the UK, since they drive on the left (correct side; I am left handed) the lower light should be on the right.
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      06-06-2018, 09:24 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveinArizona View Post
Correct. I think there is some confusion because this post has users from the UK and US. In the US the left light should be slightly lower to not blind drivers coming at you; in the UK, since they drive on the left (correct side; I am left handed) the lower light should be on the right.
Configurable in I drive
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      06-06-2018, 10:15 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dephead2004 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveinArizona View Post
Correct. I think there is some confusion because this post has users from the UK and US. In the US the left light should be slightly lower to not blind drivers coming at you; in the UK, since they drive on the left (correct side; I am left handed) the lower light should be on the right.
Configurable in I drive
Really? Where exactly?
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      06-06-2018, 11:50 AM   #10
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Configurable in I drive
I've never seen it anywhere - Canada build...
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      06-06-2018, 01:28 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brianBMW76 View Post
I purchased my 5 Series 540i M Sport in August 2017 I ordered with the upgraded headlights package. I was driving home on a dark parkway last week and I noticed the drivers headlight seems to have a dark spot, didn't project as far and shows a hard shadow, don't know how to explain it. Brought it to the dealer, they connected it to a diagnostics machine, claims nothing failed.

I can post a video later. But from this picture can a fellow 5 series owner on here, tell me if this is normal? I am having a hard time thinking it is.
This actually seems normal to me. Every car I've had with HID/LED headlights have a significant dip on the left side as to not blind oncoming traffic.

If you turn on your high beams, it should be fully lit up. If it's not, then you have a problem.
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      06-07-2018, 12:31 PM   #12
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Here's some screenshots to get to headlight adjust for lh and rh driving.

Wrong order but you get the drift.

Interesting and clear as mud use of English in the first and crucial pic
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      10-06-2019, 06:54 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brianBMW76 View Post
I purchased my 5 Series 540i M Sport in August 2017 I ordered with the upgraded headlights package. I was driving home on a dark parkway last week and I noticed the drivers headlight seems to have a dark spot, didn't project as far and shows a hard shadow, don't know how to explain it. Brought it to the dealer, they connected it to a diagnostics machine, claims nothing failed.

I can post a video later. But from this picture can a fellow 5 series owner on here, tell me if this is normal? I am having a hard time thinking it is.
Did you ever resolve this? I feel like I have same thing.
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      10-06-2019, 11:24 PM   #14
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This is normal if you have adaptive LEDs on the G30. I see this pattern on my new 2020 530e.
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      10-07-2019, 04:00 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by LogicalApex View Post
This is normal if you have adaptive LEDs on the G30. I see this pattern on my new 2020 530e.
Thank you for the heads up. I thought it may have something to do with not blinding oncoming traffic. I do have LED lights but I am in the United States so there is no automatic assist.
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      10-17-2019, 01:22 AM   #16
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Adaptive LED headlights won’t be dipping when the car is stationary.

But the beam pattern does seems to be fairly low in my opinion, unless your driveway is on a slope. I observed the car adjusting the height by itself when heavy breaking or accelerating is involved and seems to be level most of the time.

My 530i headlight is brilliant and I never had any concerns for it.
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      10-17-2019, 10:00 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bk550ny View Post
Did you ever resolve this? I feel like I have same thing.
My M550i Does have 2 "notches" in the beam pattern as seen in your picture.

On another note, I do not have the option in iDrive for the Left and Right traffic selection. Car is a US build.
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      10-17-2019, 11:00 AM   #18
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I recognize that this is an older thread and the OP may not even be here anymore since they only have 2 posts...but the darkened area looks to be the precise location that the driver in oncoming traffic would be sitting. So my guess is that this is intended as not to blind (dazzle) the driver of vehicles coming in the opposite direction.

In the chart below...you can see how BMW designed the variable light distribution (option/feature) to operate in various driving situations. City driving definitely has a reduced illuminated area a few yards to the left of the driver...again, to reduce blinding oncoming traffic...especially with laser & LED headlights:
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      10-17-2019, 01:28 PM   #19
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the first picture makes it look like the dipped beam is too low but it may be because the cars ahead are actually higher.
the other pictures look normal to me.
if you switch between the auto and dipped beam you should see a very subtle difference.
Out of the factory the dipped beams look to me to be about as high as they can go without blinding others.

If really concerned you can take to dealer who can very quickly check but if it looks like the subsequent photos then I would say they are fine.
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      10-17-2019, 11:33 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Qsilver7 View Post
I recognize that this is an older thread and the OP may not even be here anymore since they only have 2 posts...but the darkened area looks to be the precise location that the driver in oncoming traffic would be sitting. So my guess is that this is intended as not to blind (dazzle) the driver of vehicles coming in the opposite direction.

In the chart below...you can see how BMW designed the variable light distribution (option/feature) to operate in various driving situations. City driving definitely has a reduced illuminated area a few yards to the left of the driver...again, to reduce blinding oncoming traffic...especially with laser & LED headlights:
Thank you for this information. I was wondering what the lighting pattern was meant to look like.
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      10-17-2019, 11:35 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyrider01 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by bk550ny View Post
Did you ever resolve this? I feel like I have same thing.
My M550i Does have 2 "notches" in the beam pattern as seen in your picture.

On another note, I do not have the option in iDrive for the Left and Right traffic selection. Car is a US build.
I don't have that option either. I now see it has all to do with the intended light distribution.
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      10-18-2019, 09:50 AM   #22
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If you live in North America...you really don't have a need for the iDrive option to change the headlight's operational parameters from LHD to RHD because there is no other country connected by a land mass that you would/could drive your car to where you would need to make the change. So BMW probably just doesn't code that into vehicles for this market.

I believe Jamaica and the Bahama islands are the only countries that are RHD in North America...and neither islands have a physical highway/bridge that connects them to the continental land mass (like the Florida Keys)...nor is there mass transit ferry or rail system that people use to drive/transport their cars to those islands.

Just a thought.
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Last edited by Qsilver7; 10-18-2019 at 10:31 AM..
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