Lights acting up and making noises - LKM?

[e34.535i.sport]

Background - Been having intermittent problems getting my full beams to come on... Sidelights come on every time but when I go to put the full beams on sometimes it just doesn't do it. A few flickers of the high beams (as if you are flashing someone to let them out of a junction) normally makes the full beams come on. After this there is no prob's... I know I'm thinking LKM too...

Just went to get in the car earlier but decided to take a quick look under the bonnet to check hoses and everything were still looking ok after rad install last weekend... I put the lights on dim (pushed up once) so the bonnet light would come on to help me see and the headlights started making a loud, weird noise like they were adjusting the height of their own accord or something... Tried to put the full beams on and they didn't come on at first, then one came on, went off, then both came on like they should.

I've read a lot about this LKM problem - is this it for sure or could there be something else up? If it is what's my best bet, just get a 'new' one and replace it? It seems a lot of people re-solder and end up getting a new one anyway in the end... If it's not LKM any suggestions welcome.

I wasn't too bothered with the intermittent light problem, but the noise was bizarre and a little bit scary! I haven't read about anyone with the LKM problem having the lights make noises...

Thanks in Advance.

[whiskychaser]

Know very little about the LKM. So I'd be going at it the old fashioned way:
Does it only happen on main beam or is it dip too? (Could be a relay)
Can you get main beam on if dip is already on? (could be a bad earth)
I'd get a meter on to make sure there was a good ground on both sides. But bear in mind a meter only needs a thread of wire to show a circuit so follow up with a 'physical' check. From then its backtracking the + side through relays to the switches. The noise may be from a bad contact in/near the headlamps themselves. Check any connection that feels warm - or hot!

[Paul in NZ]

do you have the in car adjustable headlights.....try having someone adjust them while you stand at the front with the bonnet up...does it sound the same?I cant think why the adjusters would actually prevent the lights working but maybe it can be traced to a bad earth or relay.I know the electic motors for the adjustors can cause bogus Check control errors....

[e34.535i.sport]

do you have the in car adjustable headlights.....try having someone adjust them while you stand at the front with the bonnet up...does it sound the same?I cant think why the adjusters would actually prevent the lights working but maybe it can be traced to a bad earth or relay.I know the electic motors for the adjustors can cause bogus Check control errors....

Thanks Paul I'll give that a try soon as I can - had bigger fish to fry today... And got a feeling I got another big job coming up (keep your eyes open for the new thread to pop up!)...

Will report back...

[e34.535i.sport]

Know very little about the LKM. So I'd be going at it the old fashioned way:
Does it only happen on main beam or is it dip too? (Could be a relay)
Can you get main beam on if dip is already on? (could be a bad earth)
I'd get a meter on to make sure there was a good ground on both sides. But bear in mind a meter only needs a thread of wire to show a circuit so follow up with a 'physical' check. From then its backtracking the + side through relays to the switches. The noise may be from a bad contact in/near the headlamps themselves. Check any connection that feels warm - or hot!

Hey Whisky. The problem I think we'll have here is the names for the different lights... I call the first notch up on the light switch the low beam or dipped beam/sidelights. These come on all of the time no problem. I have to put these on before the full beam as that is the next notch up on the switch. when I push the switch up these full beams pick and choose when they want to come on. If I pull the indicator stalk towards me (as if to flash someone to let them out of a junction etc) sometimes this helps to get the full beams on.

If its an earth wire can I just spray it with WD40 or something? I am extremely poor with electrics so excuse my ignorance. What type of meter do I need and how much are we talking to buy one???

Thanks!

[Paul in NZ]

ahh I think you have confused us all...the first notch up on the light switch is just the park lights....right?The headlights dont come on at all in this position,but if you tried the foglights they would come on.The next position is when the headlights come on ...or should.I think its your lkm.But the noise may be something else...If you are not confident in resoldering the lkm go to e 34 .net and find the instructions,and print them out.Then take your car to an auto electrician and give them the printout....The other option is a a new or used lkm...a used one ay be just as bad as yours of course

[whiskychaser]

Hey Whisky. The problem I think we'll have here is the names for the different lights... I call the first notch up on the light switch the low beam or dipped beam/sidelights. These come on all of the time no problem. I have to put these on before the full beam as that is the next notch up on the switch. when I push the switch up these full beams pick and choose when they want to come on. If I pull the indicator stalk towards me (as if to flash someone to let them out of a junction etc) sometimes this helps to get the full beams on.

If its an earth wire can I just spray it with WD40 or something? I am extremely poor with electrics so excuse my ignorance. What type of meter do I need and how much are we talking to buy one???

Thanks!
OK, you have a switch on the dash. Bottom is off, first click up is side lights (parking lights if your prefer) 2nd click up brings on headlights. Which headlights - dip or main beam-is controlled by the stalk. Now if you have sidelights and dip beam on in the outer headlamps and you can make the main beam stay on by holding the stalk back, there isnt much wrong-apart from the stalk switch?

[johnbarton]

Any kind of headlights can be resolved here.... http://usautolighting.com

[nirvana19]

what low beam typically refers to is what you call "full beam". Low beam=the regular headlights, the outside ones on the E34, while high beam is the center lights. The "low" and "high" refer to the relative vertical heights of the beam (just so everyone is clear!)

Now, I don't know anything about adjusters but I do know that my dead LKM (no low beam at all) acted as yours seems to AFTER I soldered it (my soldering skills have greatly improved since then thankfully...). I ended up buying a used one which has worked fine but the old one sits on my desk and when I install it sometimes I get one light, sometimes I get two, but its more dependent on knocking the LKM around a bit than turning the high beams on, which sounds like it could be some relay problem. Easiest is to find another E34 and just swap LKMs and see if that fixes it.

[e34.535i.sport]

what low beam typically refers to is what you call "full beam". Low beam=the regular headlights, the outside ones on the E34, while high beam is the center lights. The "low" and "high" refer to the relative vertical heights of the beam (just so everyone is clear!)

Now, I don't know anything about adjusters but I do know that my dead LKM (no low beam at all) acted as yours seems to AFTER I soldered it (my soldering skills have greatly improved since then thankfully...). I ended up buying a used one which has worked fine but the old one sits on my desk and when I install it sometimes I get one light, sometimes I get two, but its more dependent on knocking the LKM around a bit than turning the high beams on, which sounds like it could be some relay problem. Easiest is to find another E34 and just swap LKMs and see if that fixes it.

Hey thanks for clearing that up! I think it's 'regional' dialect problem too to be honest! It gets confusing with all the different terms that people use but we got there in the end LOL!

If I see any going cheap I think I'll just purchase one rather than bother messing with mine, I tend to break stuff too easily. To be hoinest I haven't had a single problem with it since a few days after posting this thread so I'm going to keep my fingers crossed (proverbally of course) and hope it continues to work correctly... At least until I've fixed the suspension!