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  #11  
Old 06-23-2015, 12:12 PM
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Who knows, man I'm sorry to hear its such trouble.
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  #12  
Old 06-23-2015, 12:58 PM
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Yeah, it's a weird one for sure!
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2002 X5 4.6is - Imola Red/Black (Sold)
2001 740i M Sport - Anthrazit Metallic/Black (Sold)
1998 M3/4/5 - Technoviolet/Dove (Sold)
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  #13  
Old 06-23-2015, 10:36 PM
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Since I'm pressed for time, I'm sucking up my pride and taking it to the dealer first thing in the morning. I'll follow up with what they said.

As a side note, the car came with pretty extensive service history and the very last record that I have notes a fault with the ALC unit - the same fault I found in my diagnosis. So that seems like a likely suspect!
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2002 X5 4.6is - Imola Red/Black (Sold)
2001 740i M Sport - Anthrazit Metallic/Black (Sold)
1998 M3/4/5 - Technoviolet/Dove (Sold)
2003 Z4 3.0i Sport - Sterlinggrau Metallic/Black (Sold)
2009 Mini JCW (The Wife's)
2015 i3 REx - Arravani Gray/Tera World (Daily Driver)
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  #14  
Old 06-27-2015, 08:50 PM
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You can track LCM output for the headlights by multimeter to be sure that it's ok. I had issues with third brake light and turn signals, and after changing, cleaning, swapping etc. found that my LCM IV is defected.


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  #15  
Old 07-05-2015, 10:41 PM
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I wanted to take a minute to post an update and to say that the problem with the lights appears to have been resolved. I also want to specifically give a shout out to Shelley, Melissa and James at BMW of Macon. I know a lot of dealers have a reputation for bad service and overcharging, but these folks really went above and beyond.

James is the technician who worked on it, and Shelley and Melissa are the Service Advisers. James did all the diagnostics that I did, and got the same result: Inconclusive. He went so far as to trace each individual wire from the LCM to the lights, just to rule out a wiring problem. This particular had been in a fender bender with the previous owner so there was the possibility of damage to the wiring.

Even the dealership diagnostic tools couldn't pinpoint the problem, but it was most likely a fault in the Light Control Module (LCM) or the Automatic Light Control module (ALC - note "Automatic", not "Adaptive"). Both modules were ordered and I left the car at the dealer and they gave me a ride home.

I had to leave the next day to drive up to Greer, SC for an event sponsored by the BMW CCA Foundation and then a scenic drive up to Asheville, NC for the Classics at the Biltmore Car Show. So it seemed smart to leave the car at the dealer so they could start on it first thing in the morning and hopefully I'd be on the road by noon.

To make a very long story short, instead of the ALC, the wrong part was accidentally ordered by the dealership. They replaced the LCM and tried to find a workaround for the ALC to at least get me on the road. Eventually, James discovered that if the ALC is unplugged and plugged back in, it would reset and the lights would work. So he left the glovebox out so it would be easy to get to. It was now after 3:00, which was going to have me going through Atlanta in the middle of rush hour.

The original plan was for the dealership to return the X5 to me after it was done and then I'd leave from home. But that plan was blown out of the water, so I loaded all my stuff into the 740i and drove to the dealer, left the 740 there (which they had a driver return to me the following Monday) and took the X5 on the trip. And for what it's worth, the lights worked perfectly the entire time - I never had to the unplug the module.

Through it all, the staff at BMW of Macon was professional and courteous. To make up for all the trouble with the wrong part being ordered and causing me to leave over 4 hours late, they ended up not charging me for the diagnostics or the ALC module (which they shipped to me at no charge when it came in). They also replaced one of the xenon bulbs, which was sold to me at their cost. It was still an expensive repair, but I was blown away by not being charged for the module, which would have been about $300. Plus, the technician and a supervisor worked on the car for a day and a half - at no charge.

So, if you happen to be in this area and, like me, wouldn't normally go to the dealer for service, these guys are alright.

As a side note, I have bought 4 cars from this dealer. But the last one was sometime around 2005, and the dealership has changed hands a couple of times since then. And they weren't always so great. There was a time when they charged triple retail (yes, 3 times MSRP) for parts and wouldn't allow customers to talk to the techs. Those were some pretty dark times and I avoided the place at all costs. Whoever the new management is seems to be making a real effort to improve their service and be more competitive on their prices. I've bought a few parts from them in the last few months, and their prices were comparable to the online vendors I usually shop with. I just hope they keep this up!
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2002 X5 4.6is - Imola Red/Black (Sold)
2001 740i M Sport - Anthrazit Metallic/Black (Sold)
1998 M3/4/5 - Technoviolet/Dove (Sold)
2003 Z4 3.0i Sport - Sterlinggrau Metallic/Black (Sold)
2009 Mini JCW (The Wife's)
2015 i3 REx - Arravani Gray/Tera World (Daily Driver)

Last edited by BimmerM3inGA; 07-05-2015 at 10:47 PM.
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  #16  
Old 07-06-2015, 09:47 AM
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^Thats great to hear, glad to hear about a good dealership experience. Now you may want to order a new xenon bulb for the other side so they match lol!
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19k miles -Bright White/Black - Big Horn Sport - Crew Cab Short Bed
2013 X5 35D (CEO's) - Born on 5/17/2013 -
82k miles - Alpine White/Cinnamon Brown/Premium Pkg, Sport Activity/Premium Pkg and Sound/20" Style 214/Running Boards

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  #17  
Old 07-06-2015, 10:05 AM
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Yeah, it was a very good experience.

I'm still 100% convinced that if I had more time, I could have solved this on my own. You know what they say, though: "If a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his ass when hoppin'!"

But it is good to know this dealer is an option if I'm desperate!
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2002 X5 4.6is - Imola Red/Black (Sold)
2001 740i M Sport - Anthrazit Metallic/Black (Sold)
1998 M3/4/5 - Technoviolet/Dove (Sold)
2003 Z4 3.0i Sport - Sterlinggrau Metallic/Black (Sold)
2009 Mini JCW (The Wife's)
2015 i3 REx - Arravani Gray/Tera World (Daily Driver)
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  #18  
Old 07-06-2015, 11:36 AM
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I had a similiar problem with my 2005 X5, Thats what I did: I turned that option ALC_FAILSAFE_FCT_EIN to nicht_acktiv and my driver side xenon worked.
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  #19  
Old 07-06-2015, 02:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IslanderX5
I had a similiar problem with my 2005 X5, Thats what I did: I turned that option ALC_FAILSAFE_FCT_EIN to nicht_acktiv and my driver side xenon worked.
How did you do that?
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2002 X5 4.6is - Imola Red/Black (Sold)
2001 740i M Sport - Anthrazit Metallic/Black (Sold)
1998 M3/4/5 - Technoviolet/Dove (Sold)
2003 Z4 3.0i Sport - Sterlinggrau Metallic/Black (Sold)
2009 Mini JCW (The Wife's)
2015 i3 REx - Arravani Gray/Tera World (Daily Driver)
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  #20  
Old 07-06-2015, 02:12 PM
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I coded it with NCS expert in LCM module
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