Hid kit causes tranny light E46

[bimmerboy 0]

Have had my 325ci for over a year great car, flatmate brought a hid kit for his car (h7).

Sold his car without the kit,I wasn't convinced it should go on mine, Bimmers aren't strong electrical wise etc. So haven't bothered with cheap chinese after market stuff.

After some convincing we put the kit on no warning lights appear until i drove it, soon as i saw both front warning lights are on, took it home, when the warning lights came on the tranny light came on as well. real strange, however the car wasn't in limp mode.

Switched everything back to stock however transmission light still is there, the car isn't in limp mode, drove it on the motorway up hills and its normal,shifts well, i seen on other forums the light could of come on due to voltage etc (the kit generates 23000v or something like that).

Any ideas

Edited June 17, 2012 by bimmerboy

[my_e36 43]

Get it scanned at a competent workshop then you'll have much better idea of what you are dealing with.

[antil33t 90]

Bimmers aren't strong electrical wise etc.

Disagree.

People are what make BMW Electrical systems problematic.

but try disconnect your battery for 10 mins, and see if it comes back (it probably will)

then take it to somewhere that can scan it properly, like the dealer...

[Greg111 13]

If it is actually the transmission light.

P.S Who told you BMWs are weak electrical wise? That person is a liar and probably drives a Daiwoo.

[hybrid 1042]

Your e46 is based on microcontroller technology thats about 10 years ahead of most other things on the road.

Electrically theyre very well designed. There are some weak points as with any vehicle (eg power window relays etc), but I think youll find that the components generally are some of best there is.

The transmission problem is probably a coincidence. As others have said you can have your EGS (gear box micro) and DME (ECU) scanned as well as your LCM/LKM which control your external lights.

In the mean time I would be double checking the fuse box.

The HID kit high voltage side is only used on the HID / bulb side. It is charged from the ballast (the sqaure box each side) the ballast connectors to headlight side only draw the same as what your halogen headlights draw. Unless it was completely wired up wrong (hard to do with these kits as they have the corrent plugs and they only go one way) its probably not going to be your ballasts that caused the fault.

A quick scan is your friend

[bimmerboy 0]

It was a coincidence, The scan showed "can brake light switch", so we changed the switch (parts from bm workshop), however the light didn't go away, scan came back can brake light switch, data on the ECU shows the brakes going on and off, however on the transmission computer shows them only on even when brakes are not engaged, hence the warning light, could be a faulty wire or something, after clearing codes on both original and new switch, light goes away and re appears 1 minute later, real strange.

Garage called Bmw dealer to investigate, they are currently having a look.

Edited June 21, 2012 by bimmerboy

[Greg111 13]

Sounds very identical to a faulty EGS ecu.

[bimmerboy 0]

Dealer came back with the news my DSC unit has failed.