Dash mounted warning light indicated tail light issues. Checked the light and all the bulbs were fine but the entire tail light was not working. I then noticed the the brown wire in the connector had melted through the case and was touching other wires in the connector which caused it to short out the entire light. The brown wire has visible signs of melting. I have since found out that this is a common problem with my type bmw and a recall has been issued. Right now my VIN number does not fall under the notice but I have no tail lights.
2005 BMW 330I lights complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 17 of 17, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw 330i. While parked, the contact noticed that the exterior light warning gauge was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact replaced the exterior lighting bulbs but the failure continued intermittently and became more constant over time. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign id number: 11v438000 (exterior lighting:brake lights). The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000. Updated 11/28/11 *bf the consumer stated both rear lamps stopped functioning, including the tail lights and turn signals. Updated 11/30/11
Rear taillights intermittently work. Noticed that the rear connectors, specifically the grounding wire was melted. The turn signals will intermittently not turn on.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw 330i. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the rear tail light assembly warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the rear tail light connecting wires were melted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign id number: 11v438000 (exterior lighting:tail lights) but was advised by the manufacturer that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
Zkw brand xenon headlights - the back of the projector bowl is made of plastic (vs. Metal in the al/bosch brand, also used by bmw), which over time burns from the heat put out by the headlights. The burn turns the plastic from white to brown/orange, which severely reduces light output, making night driving dangerous. I don't feel comfortable driving at night unless my hi-beams are on, which is hard to pull off unless I'm the only car on the road. This issue is most prevalent in 2002-2005 3 series sedans, and the issue is well documented in the bmw community.
Zkw reflectors on hid headlight assembly degrade, greatly reducing the headlight efficiency at night. The plastic of which the reflector bowls are made degrades from headlight heat, and the reflective coating burns.
In 2002-2005 bmw 330i sedans with the xenon headlight feature, bmw opted to use zkw brand headlight assemblies instead of al/bosch brand assemblies. The zkw brand assemblies have plastic projector reflector bowls whereas the al/bosch assembies have metal projector reflector bowls. As a result of constant heat and concentration of the xenon bulb on the plastic projector bowl, the reflective surface begins to deteriorate. Soon enough (after a few years of use) the bowls receive brown/blackish burn marks from the concentration of light. The burn marks no longer reflect the xenon light and cause the output from the xenon zkw headlight assembly to be fainter than original state. Numerous individuals on the bmw car forums have experienced similar problems and have made note that this is the cause of their failure. Note: some 2002-2005 330i sedans did come with al/bosch brand headlight assemblies.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2005 BMW 330I?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history