2004 BMW 3 Series: headlights failing or too dim

Filed Mar 22, 2019 · Lights · 120,000 miles · CA

Headlamp bulb out and upon replacement it was noted the coated wiring to the xenon system to right and left headlight is brittle (the wires plastic coating is falling off)and in some places exposed wiring was found. Electrical tape need to wrap the wiring to avoid potential fire. Late notice to this site I was unaware to file a report. Others also have complained about the same issues.

Filed Nov 18, 2017 · Electrical · 100,000 miles · CA

Vehicle adaptive xenon headlight wiring is faulty . Wire insulation is cracking/deteriorating and entire wires are breaking apart. Symptoms start with flickering xenon headlight eventually (about a week later) stops working at all. Vehicle is moving or stationary, engine on. The faulty wires are in a weather sealed compartment of the headlight and have never (to my knowledge) even been unsealed/accessed since leaving the factory. The issue is on the passenger side, unknown if it is on the driver side as well. The attached photo shows back side of the headlight housing looking down, with the weather-sealed compartment open. All exposed wire is as a result of the issue, nobody has actively cut or stripped the wires. Problem first noticed in sept of 2016, attempts were made to repair but now it has happened again, worse.

Filed Jan 2, 2017 · Lights · CA

Headlights project almost no light. Just paid $130 to have lenses cleaned, no improvment. I thought it was my eyes and complained to opthamologist twice but my eyes are ok. I've read tht the reflector bowls in this model melt from the heat of the bulb. I need to remedy this situation asap so I will not be able to wait for an investigation.

Filed Oct 12, 2016 · Lights · GA

My headlights are so dim at night it is impossible to see without high beams on at all times. The fog lights are brighter than my new headlight bulbs. Only solution seems to replace the whole assembly but after researching this seems to be an ongoing issue with bmw so why should I have to spend over 1500.00 when they should have to replace them with a recall.

Filed Jul 9, 2015 · Visibility · 112,000 miles · NV

Headlight reflectors on hid being burnt therefore not giving enough light when driving at night. This is a common problem with owners of this model that has the zkw brand.

Filed Apr 6, 2015 · Lights · 75,000 miles · WI

Head lights are very dim. Reflectors are burned. Headlights do not project on the road. Cannot see at night.

Filed Feb 27, 2015 · Lights · 80,000 miles · CA

Zkw hid xenon low beam reflectors burnt or corroded causing a significant decrease in light output that bmw wants ~$3000 to fix. Lights were a premium option and cannot be corrected by xenon bulb replacement. The output has dimmed as to be unsafe.

Filed Feb 1, 2015 · Lights · CA

The very first time I tried to drive the car at nighttime to go back home, my wife and kids were on board, and we were more than 200 miles from home. After I turned on the low-beam head lamps and started rolling, I could barely see the road because the headlamps were not properly illuminating. I flipped the switch several times to no avail.' putting lives and properties at risk, I continued driving until we got home, all the while driving with the high-beam lamps on and apparently getting the others drivers on the road fuming. I took the car to both a lamp-adjusting station and a bmw dealer where I was told the lamps could neither be adjusted nor their bulbs merely replaced because the problem was the reflector bowls were defective and had lost their ability to project light properly. I was also told that both that the reflector bowls could not be replaced individually, and that both (left and right sides) assemblies must be replaced at a total cost of more than $2000.00. Many posters in the bmw forums have voiced out exactly the same problems, and I wish that all would file a complaint to the federal safety agency. I never drove this car again at night until I had ? In august 2014 ? Purchased and finally received and installed the head lamps assemblies in october 2014. I have in my possession the headlamp adjusting station's invoice and recommendation plus the receipt and invoice for the new headlamp assemblies that had to be specially ordered from germany. On november 17, 2014, by certified mail, I sent bmw of north america my request for reimbursement, but I have yet to receive a response. Due to this defect which affects safety, I strongly and respectfully suggest that a recall be issued on this bmw model, or some sort of directive be issued for bmw to reimburse those owners 'such as I' who had already replaced their lamp assemblies at their own expense.

Filed Nov 6, 2014 · Lights · 110,000 miles · TX

My zkw headlights do not reflect light anymore. Bmw offer no replacement reflector bowls for the headlight, so no fix is available except replacing the headlight assembly with the same faulty assembly from the same manufacturer. Headlights produce too much heat and melt the reflectors deeming them useless and an extreme danger. Recall needed for extreme safety reasons. I can't drive my car at night anymore.

Filed Oct 30, 2014 · Electrical, Lights · 156,000 miles · AZ

Wire loosing coating on inside of adaptive headlights, causing shorts or broken wires where the headlights and or turn signals will fail to work. Wire is very brittle as this is also roughly 20 gauge wire. This can be an extreme hazard especially at night. This seems to be affecting bmw's 3/5/6/ series from at least 2004 to 2008 from my independent research. Many pictures and complaints on various bmw forums to document this problem. My problem occurred when I lost one headlight on my way home in the dark and an indicator came on to identify a fault in the headlight. Originally I though it was a bulb, changed bulb and it still did not work. Further investigation LED to a broken wire inside of the headlight assembly. I fixed the broken wire and then noticed two more wires where the coating on the wire seem to have flaked off causing bare wire. I also fixed those wires and all was well. A day or two later, the indicator came on again pointing to the same headlight. This time the turn signal was out. I opened the access panel to check the wiring and now a forth wire has been severed, however I can not fix it as it is down pretty far inside the headlight and to repair would require removing the headlight and taking it apart. Apparently bmw used biodegradable wire for the headlights?? Source of the headlight is believed to be hella. Supposedly bmw knows about the issue but unwilling to fix unless you purchase a $800-1500 new headlight. This is crazy for a car that is 10 years old and well maintained. This is a safety hazard as you will can loose a headlight in the dark and maybe both headlights going out, plus the fact of bare wires that can short and cause a fire.

Filed Oct 2, 2014 · Lights · 126,000 miles · GA

Reflector bowls in xenon headlamp assembly burn and discolor, making low beam lighting almost negligible. Doesn't even seem lights are on. Very dangerous to drive at night without high beams on.

Filed Aug 25, 2014 · Electrical, Lights · 45,000 miles · CA

As reported by other owners, the bi-xenon headlights no longer light up the road. It is a safety hazard and is a known issue with headlights manufactured by zkw on 2003-2005 bmw 330 models. The reflector bowls on these units burn out over time and reduce the headlights ability to reflect light. Driving at night is literally no better with the headlights on or off. I have to rely on my fog lights just to see anything. Please look into this safety issue as it is wide-spread. Replacement of headlights is expensive at $1300 ea, this has to be resolved by bmw immediately.