Several Random Electrial Questions

[afxjzs]

1. When i push the heated seat button (either 3 or 1 coil) the light only stays lit for about 5 seconds then shuts off? Are the heated seats working? They seem to be heating up, but that might be just from my ass sitting on it. is it really apparent when they are on?

2. The AC button only will illuminate if the car is running off the battery. If i push the button when i am driving, it won't light up? any ideas on why that happens?

3. My high beams don't work. The low beams work A+/100%, but the hi's don't work at all. both bulbs seem to in good working order, the fuses aren't blown. i have no idea why they just don't work. i havent had a chance to check if there is power flowing to them when they are supposed to be on. is this a common problem?

i have read about people's low beams not working due to a corroded LKM, but never the high beams.

4. My sun roof won't pop up. it will slide back into the roof with no problem, but when i push the button forward for it to pop up, it doesn't do anything. would that be a faulty switch? or has someone else had this problem and found it to be something else?

thanks for all your help.

92 525i/5spd m50-non-vanos

[olsan100]

The only thing I might have a suggestion for is the sunroof. Just to make sure, are you pushing the button "in" not forward.

Other then that, I don't have many suggestions except maybe some of the connections are a bit old and need to be cleaned.

[afxjzs]

The only thing I might have a suggestion for is the sunroof. Just to make sure, are you pushing the button "in" not forward.

Other then that, I don't have many suggestions except maybe some of the connections are a bit old and need to be cleaned.

y'know...i might have been pressing it forward. ill check when i go to lunch.

wow. i hope it's something that simple.

[ProZak]

y'know...i might have been pressing it forward. ill check when i go to lunch.

wow. i hope it's something that simple.

It probably is; I was running into the same problem but found my answer in the owner's manual. When all else fails, read the directions, right? ...Anyway. Pushing the switch in (towards the roof of the car) when the sunroof is closed opens the back; sliding the switch towards the front closes it.

Good luck with everything else!

-Zak-

[afxjzs]

also...

5. the foglights don't work. the bulbs and fuses seem fine. could this be related to the high beams?

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

1. When i push the heated seat button (either 3 or 1 coil) the light only stays lit for about 5 seconds then shuts off? Are the heated seats working? They seem to be heating up, but that might be just from my ass sitting on it. is it really apparent when they are on?

2. The AC button only will illuminate if the car is running off the battery. If i push the button when i am driving, it won't light up? any ideas on why that happens?

3. My high beams don't work. The low beams work A+/100%, but the hi's don't work at all. both bulbs seem to in good working order, the fuses aren't blown. i have no idea why they just don't work. i havent had a chance to check if there is power flowing to them when they are supposed to be on. is this a common problem?

i have read about people's low beams not working due to a corroded LKM, but never the high beams.

4. My sun roof won't pop up. it will slide back into the roof with no problem, but when i push the button forward for it to pop up, it doesn't do anything. would that be a faulty switch? or has someone else had this problem and found it to be something else?

thanks for all your help.

92 525i/5spd m50-non-vanos

For 3), are you trying with the headlight switch in the top "1" position? If you have daytime running lights (low beam) they will come on in the "0" position but the high beams and fogs don't work unless the switch is set to "1".

[DanH]

Q1. If the heated seats work, eventually you should get too hot if you keep them on for a long drive. If you cant tell, go under the seat and probe the wires with a voltmeter to determine whether or not you have power to the connectors when you turn on the switch.

Q3. If you can find someone with a good LKM and swap to see if that fixes the headlight issue, its a good chance that is it.

Also, check the wires going to your fogs and headlights, they could be broken, but most likely not all of them would be at one time. Have they ever worked since you bought it?

[DanH]

Does your high beam indicator in the instrument cluster light up when you attempt to turn them on?
If not the stalk switch may be broken in the steering column.

[632 Regal]

the fogs arent supposed to work with the high beams on, there are relays and crap that control this stuff including the LKM, wait till Javier gets to this thread, he will know exactly whats up.

[afxjzs]

well..first off. you guys were right about the sun roof. i feel like a pretty big idiot, but what else is new.

for the high beams: with the switch set to 1, slid all the way to the top, the headlights come on. when i pull the lever to turn on the high beams, the blue indicator on the console lights up, but not the actual high beams.

Q1. If the heated seats work, eventually you should get too hot if you keep them on for a long drive. If you cant tell, go under the seat and probe the wires with a voltmeter to determine whether or not you have power to the connectors when you turn on the switch.

is the light supposed to stay on for more than about 3 seconds? when i push the rocker switch to either setting, it lights up for a few seconds, and then shuts off.

Q3. If you can find someone with a good LKM and swap to see if that fixes the headlight issue, its a good chance that is it.

umm....any one in the boston area with an m50 e34 wanna hang out?

i don't think the foglights or highbeams worked since i bought the car. the voltage regulator was replaced right before i bought the car. could that have done anything?