[Terryk]

Hi to all! I own a E90 320i 07 saloon.
during the previous week I disconnected the battery for about 1 hour (max) in order to move my alarm's antenna in the middle of the windshield.
After one-two days while I was driving during the night for the first time after the battery disconnection, I realized that I couldn't see the buttons of my professional radio/cd.
With some tests I made, by the time I insert my key in the slot, the control element light switch is illuminated BUT when I decide to switch on the lights then this switcher looses its illumination and all the below mentioned buttons don't have illumination too.
From all the following buttons/switches their illumination has gone:
-steering wheel buttons
-all power windows switches of all four doors
-DTC & central locking buttons in the dash
-radio/cd buttons
-control element light (when lights are on)
http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E9...element_light/


I can confirm that every button/switch works perfectly but all the above mentioned don't have light/illumination.

Please advise what it would be. a fuse? a faulty control element light switch?
Thank you!

[john-vfr]

Are your dials illuminated? If not turn on your lights...press end of arm on steering wheel for dash lights and turn up to required level. May have reset to zero when your battery was disconnected.All the switches mentioned dim on this.(or is this too easy a fix?)

[Terryk]

yes John, my dials (the instrument cluster) , the climate control unit, the hazard lights button and the radio/cd screen are illuminated properly as before. There is also light in glove box, in boot and inside cabin.

Only the pre-mentioned buttons don't illuminate (but note that each button/switch works perfectly as before).

I don't know if it is a failure of the headlight switch (or control element light as bmw names it) and also I don't know if there is another component/ module that controls the illumination of the interior.

today I checked again the fuses and I disconnected the battery again for 90minutes with no results.

thanks for your interest

[john-vfr]

sorry its no help,sometimes the obvious is the last thing you think of but not in this case. I hope someone will be along with the answer soon.

[AlwynMike]

There is a common control unit for all the instrument lighting - it's not a direct feed from the light switch - it's all logic controlled. In the previous model, it was located in the drivers footwell, on the right side bulkhead - never had need to have a look on the E9x, so it may have moved - the BMW TIS wiring diagrams should show you where it is, and what wire feeds what.

Mike

[Terryk]

mike thanks for your answer.
do you mean the lcm (light control module) cause I have read in web that some e39-e46 had issues with it but by the time there was a fault with this unit, a headlight always stayed on (and my headlights can be switched off).

I think at E90, it might be located under the steering wheel and the headlight switch and above the driver's pedals.
is it the unit you can see in the picture?
thanks

[Terryk]

with a search (again) at bmwfans.info I found out that under the "vehicle electrical system" section, there are many units for lighting control.
mike, I think you mean this one as a light control module that failed in previous generations (footwell module http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E9...well_module_2/


but there is also this one (electronic junction box) http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E9...ox_elektronik/


and this one (control unit CAS) http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E9...trol_unit_cas/


does anyone knows what does its one?

from my last battery disconnection I now can see that when I am turning the lights on I can see my faulty buttons struggling to illuminate and initially become pink -instead of orange- but after a 5sec time they become completely dark with no illumination at all (but still they operate perfectly). I just cannot understand this issue...

I live near Cheshunt and if anyone knows a garage with bmw diagnostics near my area (enfield-cheshunt etc) and good prices, I would appreciate if he could inform me (even with a pm if there is an advertisement issue).

[Terryk]

I just found the solution to this issue!!!
and I would like to share it with you as a future possible solution to someone's same/similar issue.

every now and then I spent time in order to figure out a logical answer to my sudden fault.
I followed every move I have done before the appearance of the fault again and again with no result. everything seemed connected ok, headlight switch, power window switches, etc, cables behind A pillar and cables underneath steering wheel column were fine too.

I have done huge research in web regarding this issue and suddenly I remembered that once I read that a guy had issues with interior illumination caused from led bulbs that had installed months ago...
this was my last chance, I unplugged the battery for fourth time, I removed my led bulbs that had installed 6 months before the sudden appearance of this failure and replaced them with the oem ones, I waited for 20' , plugged the battery pole, turned on the engine and voila!
now everything illuminates perfectly as before!
!@##@!$@# st@pid led bulbs !!!

thank you all for your support

[husseinfneish90]

Hey i'm having the same problem u had the radio widow steering buttons not turning on can u tell me exactly what lights to change the only led lights i have on the car are on door handles
Thank u

[Terryk]

hi mate and sorry for my late response since i just returned from family holidays.
all the buttons worked perfectly in my car. only the mentioned buttons had this issue with their illumination meaning they didn't have light on them when i switched on the vehicle's lights.
the problem solved when i unplugged the battery (and left it for over an hour) and I replaced the "new led lights" i had installed several months prior to the incident with the bmw original bulbs (i am referring to the interior cabin lights, these are the ones that are spotted on the roof of the vehicle).

hope you will solve it quickly

[KHEETHEM]

Does any one know here which wire colors are used to light up your center console buttons?
I'd like to add the m3 dsc control buttons and the dct drivelogic button to my car.
They will not have any function because I don't have an M3, But I would like they light up together with the other buttons. I do have already both connectors with all the wires on. Now I have to know which ons I have to use to add them

[starec007]

Originally Posted by Terryk

Hi to all! I own a E90 320i 07 saloon.
during the previous week I disconnected the battery for about 1 hour (max) in order to move my alarm's antenna in the middle of the windshield.
After one-two days while I was driving during the night for the first time after the battery disconnection, I realized that I couldn't see the buttons of my professional radio/cd.
With some tests I made, by the time I insert my key in the slot, the control element light switch is illuminated BUT when I decide to switch on the lights then this switcher looses its illumination and all the below mentioned buttons don't have illumination too.
From all the following buttons/switches their illumination has gone:
-steering wheel buttons
-all power windows switches of all four doors
-DTC & central locking buttons in the dash
-radio/cd buttons
-control element light (when lights are on)
http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E9...element_light/


I can confirm that every button/switch works perfectly but all the above mentioned don't have light/illumination.

Please advise what it would be. a fuse? a faulty control element light switch?
Thank you!

I have exactly the same problem, but I did not install any led lights in the interior. Does anyone know how to solve the problem?