While replacing LKM lost all parking lights and dash backlight, help!

The LCM/LKM on my '99 328i went out and I bought a new one (ouch$$$)

When I started removing the old one I noticed a puff of smoke, uh oh. Dang, should have pulled the battery first! I pulled the battery and installed the new LKM. Now the dash says that ALL the parking lights are out (and they are), and when I use the turn signals they flash fast and only the front turn signals actually light up. The background lighting for the dash is also out. Thankfully the brake lights work.

I can't find a fuse or anything supplying power for the tails lights. Is there a fuseable link or something that I blew? It seems like some major fuse or relay has let go and now no power at all is going to the tail lights or the front parking lights.

I searched the forums, but all I could find were people talking about wiring problems and bad grounds. That is definitely not the problem this time around...

Any help GREATLY apprectiated!

That puff of smoke was probably a really bad thing. Let's hope it's only because of it needing to be coded. Try talking to it with INPA or something to make sure the link is okay.

I'd remove the new one and look behind it at all the wires. If you saw a puff of smoke, it's something back there...initially at least.

Start there.

How do you even get behind it to see the wires? I had to pull the vent out to get to the top connector, but I can't really see more than a couple inches of wire.

Does any one have the wiring diagram for the E46 exterior lighting?

BTW - I actually powered the car up after the puff of smoke form the old unit and it also reported all the parking lights out, so I'm guessing a fuse/link/connector or something behind the dash got fried or unplugged. Maybe I put too much pressure on the wires when I pulled it forward to unplug the main connector from the LKM.

Not having a good car day

Ok, so I just got the dash panel off and poked around. The wiring harness looks good, there isn't really any way I could have damaged it or caused anything to come unplugged.

weird.

So, back to plan A. Are there relays or fuseable links on this car somewhere? It's too late to go somewhere that has the tools to code it. I really need to get this car back on the road asap. It's my wife's car and she is not happy about having it down for the weekend...

dont you have to have the new LCM programmed to the correct mileage?

have you checked the bulbs to see if theyre actually burnt out?

check the fuses in the glovebox.

its not the bulbs, the dash ones are LED's and it would be a weird and rare coincidence to have those other ones burn out... fuse or relay, or LCM has to be programmed?

It's not the bulbs, unless 6 of them burned out simultaneously.

I can't find any fuses that relate to parking lights. I don't know where the relays would be.

I was hoping that the LCM would at least support basic functions like tail lights and turn signals until it is coded, but maybe not. I guess I'll wait until Monday to take it in to have it coded. I just don't want to get a ticket on my drive over...

OK, so coding the LKM didn't help anything. While working on it I noticed some burned wiring in the harness (uh oh). It appears that the wiring harness snagged on a sharp piece of metal under the dash, shorted and melted a bunch of insulation. One wire was actually broken. After repairing the broken wire I got tail lights back, so that is good, but everything else is still wacked. Right now I have the following lights out (bulbs OK):
RF high beam
LF low beam
LF parking light
RF turn signal
LR trun signal
dash back light

The short must have caused problems with wiring elsewhere on the car. It looks like I will have to trace the wire for each bad light and see if I kind find where they shorted out or something. Does anyone know where I can find a lighting wiring diagram? I tried bmw-planet for the wiring diagrams, but the images won't load for me,

Thanks!

BTW - I put the old LKM back in just for giggles. It exhibits the same behaviour, so it's not the LKM causing the problem.

OK, so I found out what's going on, but I really need a wiring diagram to fix it.

There are 2 primary power leads going into the LKM. The one that shorted to ground and has melted insulation has no power to it but the other one does. Either a fuse, fusable link or relay must have blown. There isn't anything in the glove box for those, and I don't know where else to look.

HELP!!!

Originally Posted by clovold

OK, so I found out what's going on, but I really need a wiring diagram to fix it.

There are 2 primary power leads going into the LKM. The one that shorted to ground and has melted insulation has no power to it but the other one does. Either a fuse, fusable link or relay must have blown. There isn't anything in the glove box for those, and I don't know where else to look.

HELP!!!

Check fuses 9 and 32 in the glove box (I suspect they're probably ok)
Then check fuses 106 and 107 located around the back of the fuse block. Fuse 107 if the one on the far right. 106 is just to the left of 107. They are 50 Amps each and are screwed down to the bus bar. Disconnect the negative from the battery before doing any electrical work on the car.

Originally Posted by clovold

OK, so I found out what's going on, but I really need a wiring diagram to fix it.

There are 2 primary power leads going into the LKM. The one that shorted to ground and has melted insulation has no power to it but the other one does. Either a fuse, fusable link or relay must have blown. There isn't anything in the glove box for those, and I don't know where else to look.

HELP!!!

See the wiring diagram link in my signature.
I hope it doesn't get shut down like TIS.

Originally Posted by scottjoh

Check fuses 9 and 32 in the glove box (I suspect they're probably ok)
Then check fuses 106 and 107 located around the back of the fuse block. Fuse 107 if the one on the far right. 106 is just to the left of 107. They are 50 Amps each and are screwed down to the bus bar. Disconnect the negative from the battery before doing any electrical work on the car.

You were absolutely right. I didn't know about the second set of high amperage fuses in back. One of them was blown (the one on the right)

Thanks guys! It's finally all better and peace has been restored in my home

I find it interesting that the BMW engineers had two power cables coming into the LKM and that they split them up between left and right differently between headlights, turn signals etc. It makes sense, because then you wouldn't lose lights on one whole side of the car. At least you have some lights at every corner that way.

Working on electronics on cars , battery should always be disconnected, to prevent shorts .