I'm seeing an intermittent bulb out indicator for the front right. It doesn't appear all the time, and I haven't correlated the indicator with anything else. I discovered that if I put the turn signal on it blinks more quickly than normal, and then the problem clears. Is this some kind of faulty grounding problem? Thanks
Maybe someone will have a specific answer - I'd say pull the bulb, check it, check the fuse for the circuit, visually inspect for signs of corrosion, and maybe check continuity and voltage with a multimeter, for starters.
Mine do that too. Seems to be more common in hot weather. Cleaning contacts on bulbs helps, but does not eliminate the issue.
This issue was addressed in Tech Talk on page 118 of the October 2008 Roundel - bottom line, replace the socket although it may be repairable as was mine. I was quoted about $16.00 (without CCA discount) by my local dealer last month but Penske parts shows it at $10.25 P/N 63138380211 - this for a 2001 325ci.
That's correct. Bulb and bulb holder corrosion are very common sources of trouble. And it's correct that cleaning them will often temporarily fix the problem. I'd clean the connections at the bulb and bulb holder and see what happenned. Then replace bulb holder and bulb if problems returned.
I've also read about problems when people use cheap replacement bulbs with the contacts not lining up, or just using wrong bulbs that work intermittently.
Yes, Steven is right. I should have mentioned that off-brand, or brass based bulbs [bulbs with brass bases---typical of american made bulbs] will likely be problems. The system senses differences in resistance, either from side to side or outside a certain spec to set the bulb warning. Good point, Steven.
