[cbeers]

Is there a definitive way to tell if my FRM module is fried and needs replacing or if it just needs to be reset?

I've spent a few days now searching for a definite answer and I've only been able to piece together bits and pieces, but nothing to outright tell me if my FRM module is toast or not.

Recently, I had my drivers side AE's short out on me. A few months back I replaced the OEM bulbs with a set of LED's from BMS. But a few weeks ago, I had my car give me a bulb error out of the blue. Suspecting a short, I pulled out the LED from the drivers side and plugged it into the passenger side and sure enough the bulb was flickering like crazy.

I went ahead and swapped both LED bulbs for the OEM bulbs again, but that didn't resolve the issue, or the whole issue at least. Checked the fuses first, but everything was good to go there. Took a voltage meter to the AE wires and sure enough, no power going to them at all on the drivers side.

After some research, I figured out the FRM module will cut power if it suspects a short in the system. Great feature, I enjoy not having my car on fire. Dug a little deeper and found out it can be reset with an AutoLogic or you can actually do it manually, though that route seems a bit complicated and consuming.

Called up BMW and they say they'll do it for $65. Called up another shop in the area and told them what I stated above and they told me my FRM is most likely fried, which they stated is very common. Total cost from them was $500 with parts and labor.

I'm a very pessimistic person, so I feel like BMW may try to pull a fast one and "reset" the module and say it didn't work to get more money out of me. I also feel like the other shop in the area might be skipping that step outright and just saying the module is toast to start.

And this all leads me back to why I asked my original question. Is there a definitive way to tell if my FRM module is truly fried or if it just needs a simple reset?

If there isn't, could anyone recommend a shop in Chicago/ Northern suburbs that I can trust to not screw me out of money?

Thanks in advance.