-----Here is the short version of my post:
I recently bought a used 2007 328i that besides the Xenons giving me problems is in great running shape. The car has aftermarket Xenons that are diming and in some cases turning off. While it would be great to keep the Xenons, I really don’t care to waste any more time or money on this issue. So, I would like to know if you know of a good process to follow in order to 1. troubleshoot the Xenons or 2. revert back to Halogen. I realize this is a broad question but I’d like to pick the easiest route and be done. To that end, I’ve searched the forum and found the following links that are all tailored toward upgrading from Halogen to Xenon. In addition to the actual hardware there may be some software updates when you go from Halogen to Xenon so I see this can get quite complicated. Not to sound like a broken record, but I’d like to find the path of least resistance and simply have low beams that work. If you have any pointers please let me know.
INDEX
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1721
HOW TO GET HEADLIGHTS OUT
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28035
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16842
DAYTIME RUNNING XENONS
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34772
CODES
-halogen to xenon
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=500068
-----Here is the long version of my post:
I recently bought a 2007 328i and the headlights (Xenon) had water damage (there was considerable condensation inside the headlights). The seller took the lights to the mechanic who cleaned and dried them off. A few days ago, when it rained fairly hard while I was driving on the freeway, the headlights held up pretty well water-wise; no leaks that I could see. I am fairly certain the lights are aftermarket; there is a ‘module’ on the left hand side toward the front of the engine compartment (from the perspective of someone standing in front of the car looking into the engine compartment).
I am not having any issues with any other electrical system so I do not think that it is battery related. Also, all of the other lights work well; it is only the Xenons that give me problems. I get the feeling that if I turn on the car and drive for a few minutes without the Xenons on, and after say 5 minutes turn them on, they work fine as long as I am driving on the highway. If I slow down and get stuck in traffic I’ve experienced that the lights flicker (very hard to tell when in the highway) and, at times but not always, one of the lights either goes out or outputs considerably less light. The behavior is not consistent so I’m going to have to troubleshoot this from the very beginning. Yesterday I had to drive the car for just a few minutes (in order to move it due to street parking) and when I gunned it uphill, both Xenons turned right off and I got the low beam warning indicator in the instrument cluster.
In any event, I would like to know if you guys have any good resources on troubleshooting the headlights (what kinds of pics I need to take for you to tell what is going on, etc). Note that I really don’t care about the Xenons (even though they are cool and nice). I just want to fix this as easily as possible and not have any issues. If it is easier to go back to stock headlights, etc., I would be totally happy doing so.
Thanks