2011 X5 MSport - Lighting Woes

[bmwannabe]

Hi everyone

New to E70 but long time BMW owner. Recently picked up a 2011 35i MSport and it needed a driver's side DRL Lamp replacement due to" Daytime running light/parking lamp" malfunction warning.

My mechanic replaced the H8 bulb for the DRL and reset the Counters but they came back immediately. He tells me i need a brand new Footwell ( FRM ) module + 3 hours of coding to get it working ( $1000 CAD ) - all this for a DRL?

I've done quite a bit of research on this and found links for resetting the counters myself. Also bought the K+DCAN cables needed as I see myself tinkering with this car in the future.

I'm not entirely sure it's the FRM module although im being told its a common issue. but when it happens it usually affects a lot of other components ( Windows, etc.. ) and not just a single lamp.

Apparently you can also get a used FRM module and with the right tools you can re-code the VIN number to match your car and save a few bucks versus going new.

I'm also not sure if it's the FRM or perhaps even a bad lighting module or harness

Any advice would be appreciated on how to go about debugging this.

TIA

[heatmizr]

Ugh. All for DRL, which I despise. I leave mine off. Are they required in Canada?
Sorry nothing more helpful!

[bmwannabe]

Yes they're required in Canada - to pass "Safety". Technically I could pull the other bulb so it doesn't look like I only have 1 set of Halos on. but I'd like to fix it if at all possible.

[blue dragon]

FRM controls all the lighting, if there are repeated shorts, it will disable the circuit. You need Tool 32 to reset the counters.
A new FRM3 is about 300 US, not sure where you are getting 1k CAD.

[bmwannabe]

He told me the FRM was $700 CAD - then I checked online I can get it for $320 USD through Tischer. He also said it's a "Lot " of programming work to do the swap - but this is something I would be willing to do myself once my cables arrive

I asked if he reset the counters and he said he did after replacing the bulb, but the code came right back which is why he thinks it's a problem with FRM. He tells me it's a common occurrence on these cars

Originally Posted by blue dragon

FRM controls all the lighting, if there are repeated shorts, it will disable the circuit. You need Tool 32 to reset the counters.
A new FRM3 is about 300 US, not sure where you are getting 1k CAD.

[blue dragon]

Having swapped my FRM2 for an FRM3 when I did my LCI headlight retro, your guy is feeding you lot of baloney.

Here is how I wrote the vin, and then coded the FRM3. In my case I had to change the date since I wanted the FRM to power the corona rings, you will not have to change the date

http://www.xoutpost.com/1006224-post90.html