[Si-M240i]

When i'm stationary and I turn my steering, the lights move with it BUT I noticed today that it only does it when I turn it to the left.........is this normal or do I need to visit the Dealer ?

[xenon]

The deflection to the right is less to avoid blinding oncoming drivers but it should still move. Just drive at night on a country road and it will be obvious if they're working correctly or not.

[doughboy]

They behave differently above and below 30mph.

IIRC below 30mph is classed as 'urban mode' where the right headlight moves further right and down across the other lane for better visibility of the other lane in built up areas

Above 30mph you will see the right beam pull back to the left away from the oncoming traffic, more like a conventional beam, then the left/right turning beams will work more like you expect.

The germans seem to think that below 30mph you MUST be in town, as the the auto main beam assist will not allow maiin beam below 30mph, also it will dip if you drop below 30mph, even if you are braking towards a tight bend in the pitch black!!

As said, you need to go out on a dark unlit country road to try it (with lots of bends prefereably) town is no good. Out of town they are great, a bit disconceting at first when you turn in to a bend and the lights beams move round it makes you think that the back of the car is sliding round!!

Also don't forget the footpath lights (inner headlamps) where one will come on as you slow and put and indicator on (or pull up and begin to turn) lighting the footpath and verge in the direction you are turning in.

[xenon]

Originally Posted by doughboy

The germans seem to think that below 30mph you MUST be in town, as the the auto main beam assist will not allow maiin beam below 30mph, also it will dip if you drop below 30mph, even if you are heading towards a tight bend in the pitch black!!

Mine don't. I live down a twisty single-track road where you can't go much above 10 - 15 mph and the HBA is still quite happy. I think there may have been a software alteration for the F series.

Having said that, if they dip when approaching a very tight bend in pitch black, as you say, perhaps there's something wrong with yours because such an operation would be friggin' stupid and quite dangerous. My HBA definitely does not do that.

[doughboy]

I thought that at first, but it's in the manual for the E91, mines an early 2009, so maybe old software now?

But it says HBA will only work above 30mph. Tested it will not raise HB until you exceed 30, and it dips it at about 25 regardless.

Even you if you keep above 25/30mph, it often sees reflections from big chevron signs dead ahead (i.e. REALLY sharp bends) as oncoming lights and dips. Great on winding passes! not.

Not to mention it takes about 1/2 to 1 second or so to put main beam back on after passing a car, leaving you blind in the interim, thinking come on, come on, COME ON...... that's a long time, I usually chicken out and pull the stalk mysef..

[xenon]

Yes - definitely a change. A mate has an E60 and he complained about the reflections from chevrons and said it made HBA pretty useless as far as he was concerned but when he went out in mine he said the difference was "night and day" (no pun intended) and it also switches very quickly.

[AlwynMike]

Originally Posted by xenon

Yes - definitely a change. A mate has an E60 and he complained about the reflections from chevrons and said it made HBA pretty useless as far as he was concerned but when he went out in mine he said the difference was "night and day" (no pun intended) and it also switches very quickly.

A change for the better then
My LCi was pretty good at picking up reflective signs and dipping the lights.
I agree that they are slow to go back to Main beam too.
Don't recall mine going to dip below 30mph though.

Mike

[doughboy]

Progress... these sort of things get changed all the time with the plethora of 'updates' our cars get at the dealers.

Xenon, What about oncoming cars, mine waits until they are in view before dipping, so you dazzle them momentarily, often resulting in a flash from quick fingered on coming cars.

Whereas manually you would see the oncoming beams before that, or the reflections on telegraph wires and dip BEFORE they come into view. (not sure how any system can judge that?)

Often, you flash an oncoming car before you can see each other, to remind the other to dip if they haven't already!!


Mike, on mine there's a delay when auto-dipping below 30, about 2 or 3 seconds, usually just as I turn into our unlit driveway!

[xenon]

Originally Posted by doughboy

What about oncoming cars, Mine waits until they are in view before dipping, so you dazzle them momentarily.

It's quick but obviously doesn't anticipate as well as a human but of course you can always override it. Generally it works very well - the most impressive thing is its ability to spot tail-lights of cars you come up behind which emit no real light to speak of, half a mile away, but it still dips. Must use a near IR sensor I guess.

[doughboy]

Yes you're right, it would seem harder to spot tail lights than healights when they are such low power lights.

All said, it's not a bad system on sweeping faster dual carriageways, where you can almost relax and let it do its stuff, but it's not quite quick enough for more twisty A/B roads.

But once you over-ride the HBA it's switched off, and you have to turn it back on again with the high/low stalk, which can be a bit tricky resulting in more unexpected high/low flashing!

[Si-M240i]

thanks for the useful info on these I didn;t realise they were quite so "smart" I always manualluy dip mine when I see cars approaching. I will leave it next time to see if it does it on it's own

[xenon]

That's assuming you have HBA (High beam Assistant) which is separate from adaptive lights per se but is combined when purchased as the visibility pack. In other words, it's possible (but unlikely) to have adaptive lights without HBA.

[doughboy]

(if you have HBA) You'll have to check that high beam assist is 'ON' in the i-drive menu.

Then you have to set it to auto with the stalk, so you get the "A" symbol in your OBD display.

good luck

[Si-M240i]

Originally Posted by xenon

That's assuming you have HBA (High beam Assistant) which is separate from adaptive lights per se but is combined when purchased as the visibility pack. In other words, it's possible (but unlikely) to have adaptive lights without HBA.

how can I tell ? I have a May 2010 LCI E92 335d M sport Coupe

[xenon]

You'll have two push buttons on the left-hand stalk, one for BC (onBoard Computer) and one for HBA which is a main-beam symbol with an "A" in it. When it's active you see a green main-beam symbol with an "A" in it on your dash, as DB says.

[doughboy]

Xenon, there's no HBA button on the E9x stalk.

It works on a confusing combination of pushes and pulls on the high beam stalk - can't quite remember but its something like:

First pull on the high beam stalk puts HBA into auto, then second pull puts it out of auto, but also puts main beam on (overide) (if you get my drift).

So, if you have HBA 'enabled' in the Idrive, every main beam manual ON needs 2 pulls on the stalk, one for HBA on, one more for HBA off and main beam on. Daft? Yes!


OP

Was the car specced with the 'visibility pack?' (xenons, adaptive lights, auto lights & HBA?)

Is the option in your idrive under 'lights'?

[xenon]

Oh sorry OP, duff info. On my F10 it's a separate button on the stalk but evidently NOT on the e9x. So follow DB's advice

[Si-M240i]

Originally Posted by doughboy

Xenon, there's no HBA button on the E9x stalk.

It works on a confusing combination of pushes and pulls on the high beam stalk - can't quite remember but its something like:

First pull on the high beam stalk puts HBA into auto, then second pull puts it out of auto, but also puts main beam on (overide) (if you get my drift).

So, if you have HBA 'enabled' in the Idrive, every main beam manual ON needs 2 pulls on the stalk, one for HBA on, one more for HBA off and main beam on. Daft? Yes!


OP

Was the car specced with the 'visibility pack?' (xenons, adaptive lights, auto lights & HBA?)

Is the option in your idrive under 'lights'?

Not sure what it was spec'd with but I definately have the lights that go on and off on the inside when indicating at low speeds and y main lights move with the steering. I do have a lights menu in the iDrive as that is where I can turn the driving lights on and off and it has something about "comfort" setting but I don't know what that is either

[doughboy]

1. Get the manual out of your boot

2. Open cold beer

3. Sit down and read it with 2. above


Go here http://www.rubmw.ru/vincode/eng/

and put the last 7 digits of your VIN code in.

It will give you the factory spec of your car.

[AlwynMike]

Confirm the one pull to activate it and one pull to decativate.

You must have it enabled in iDrive and your lights must be on Auto (i.e. the switch fully to the left.

Mike