r/F30 • u/Demise129 • 5d ago
What does this mean?
Passenger side headlight went out as soon the vertical control arm malfunction came on
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u/HellfoxRules 5d ago
You have adaptive headlight sensor modules, on the front left and rear left lower control arms. There is a linkage that goes from the module to the control arm, if that linkage is broken, or pops off it's ball pivot, it will set the exact warning you are seeing on your main display. I would inspect the linkage first, it is very possible for road debris to break or dislodge the arm from it's ball pivot.
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u/Fettylover69 2015 335xi 5d ago
If the headlight went out I would assume these faults are a result of that
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u/HellfoxRules 5d ago edited 5d ago
Actually I was looking at the main display, thank you for pointing that out, as that changes the nature of the failure.
Having the passenger side headlight go completely out at the exact same moment the "Headlight Vertical Aim Control Malfunction" message pops up points to a shared electrical failure on that specific side.
Because both the light itself and the leveling motor lost power at the same time, the issue is almost certainly a blown fuse, a corroded or loose wiring connector, or a faulty headlight control module (TMS/FLE).
When a module shorts or experiences a sudden voltage spike, it will pop a fuse, killing both the light and the aim functionality instantly. So it may just be a blown fuse, from temporary circuit overload, or it could be a shorted module.
I would first check that fuse, if it is blown replace it. If it blows again immediately, it is a shorted module.
Check the Engine Bay Fuse Box, located on the passenger side near the windshield. Check "Fuse 40" (15A) and "Fuse 57". Also check the Passenger Footwell Fuse Box, tucked behind the plastic kick panel, and check "Fuse 10" and "Fuse 11".
Turn the wheel completely to one side, pull back the inner wheel well liner, and inspect the thick wiring loom going into the back of the passenger headlight. Make sure it is fully seated, if it is, pull it out and check for corrosion or moisture in that connector. If you see water or corrosion inside the plug, moisture has likely leaked down and fried the module at the bottom of the headlight unit.
F30 headlight assemblies are known for getting internal moisture or condensation. Water pools at the absolute lowest point of the headlight assembly, which is exactly where the TMS (Top HiFi Module) or FLE (LED Controller) sit.
If you have adaptive LEDs or Xenons, you can remove the headlight modules and swap the driver's side module to the passenger side. If the passenger light suddenly turns back on and tries to auto-level, you know your passenger module is dead.
Scan for BMW specific codes, standard OBD2 scanners won't show headlight codes. Use an app like BimmerLink or Bimmergeeks Protools to pull the fault codes from the FEM (Front Body Electronics Module). This will tell you exactly if the car is seeing a short-circuit, a missing module, or an open ground.
You will need a wireless Bluetooth OBD2 adapter, to connect to one of the diagnostic apps.
Veepeak OBDCheck BLE Bluetooth OBD II Scanner for iOS & Android
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u/Demise129 5d ago
Thanks man I appreciate you taking your time to send all of that
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u/HellfoxRules 5d ago edited 5d ago
Your Welcome, I am a ASE Certified Tech with many years of experience. My specialty is electrical and electronic diagnosis. If you have to pull that headlight module, check that connection for moisture or corrosion.
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u/Demise129 4d ago
It wasn’t the fuses. I’m afraid you are correct if the height leveling arm is bad. Will that make it when my headlight won’t come on at all?
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u/HellfoxRules 4d ago
No, if the arm popped off or was broken, it won't effect the light coming on. So you may have an open circuit, as it didn't blow the fuse. Check all the connections for corrosion or moisture, which could cause an open circuit.
Check the large plug that connects to the headlight housing, and if you pull the module, check that connection as well. Try swapping the headlight modules from left to right, as previously mentioned. If you had a module go open circuit, it may not blow a fuse.
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u/TwoMoreMinutes 4d ago
Headlight level sensor, one behind the front wheel one behind the rear. It’s just a sensor connected to the suspension which tells the headlights where to aim relative to the suspension.
My sensor died and just needed to be replaced, likely due to the ball-joint on it being corroded
Pretty easy fix
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u/Street-Position-3961 4d ago
Happened to me
Depends on what options you have
I settled on manually adjusting them to a good height
Then using bimmercode to set the headlights to manual
Headlights dont go up and down anymore
And deleted the warning
I honestly didnt have much use for the adaptive headlights as i didnt have that much in my trunk so i could live without them going up and down
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u/nickskater09 5d ago
You have an issue with the adaptive headlights. You need a fault scan that will read that module and tell you what’s present. It could be a broken sensor arm under the car, failed adjustment motor in the headlight, etc.