BMW Parking Lamp Malfunction (Here Is How To Fix)


BMW Parking Lamp Malfunction

One of the things that we really, really love about the more modern BMW vehicles is that the parking lamps look ever so snazzy.

Obviously, they serve a vital purpose for your vehicle. However, they also look fantastic when your vehicle is in parking mode.

Of course, it is not uncommon for the parking lamp to malfunction. This means that the parking lamp just stops working.

There are various reasons why you may have a BMW parking lamp malfunction. On this page, we will tell you why it happens and, more importantly, we will teach you how to fix the problem. 

How Do You Know When You Have a BMW Parking Lamp Malfunction?

Obviously, the main way to tell that you have a BMW parking lamp malfunction is the fact that your vehicle’s parking lights simply stop working.

If the lights aren’t working, then there is something wrong with them. We will help you to get to the bottom of the problem shortly.

Of course, modern BMWs are nice and smart. This means that even if it is going to be blindingly obvious that the parking lamps on your BMW are not working, the vehicle will also tell you that they aren’t working. It will flash up on your dashboard.

If the lights are not working and there seems to be no notification on your dashboard, then follow these steps (they may differ slightly, depending on the BMW model that you own)

  1. Turn your vehicle on.
  2. Open the menu on your dashboard. There will normally be a button by the shift, but this may differ based on your vehicle’s model. Consult the manual.
  3. Select ‘Vehicle Info’
  4. Select ‘Vehicle Status’
  5. Select ‘Control’
  6. On the next screen, you will see a list of all your warnings.

Obviously, if there is an issue with your parking lamps, then you will be told right here that there is an issue with the parking lamp.

However, if the lamps are not working and you do not see an error message here, then there is likely another issue with your vehicle.

You may be able to rectify it. However, we are only going to talk about dealing with parking lamp malfunctions here.

The other issues that could cause a parking lamp malfunction are going to be out of the scope of this guide.

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Do You Really Need To Fix Your BMW Parking Lamps?

It depends.

Obviously, this is a problem that you will need to deal with eventually. Nobody really wants their vehicle to not be working properly. However, it may not be a problem that you need to deal with right away.

The job of a parking lamp is to provide a little bit better visibility when you are parking in low visibility conditions.

This means that your vehicle is going to be a whole lot easier to see if you are parking at night or in the mist or fog.

If you are not going to be parking in those conditions, then getting the BMW parking lamps fixed probably isn’t going to be a priority for you.

That being said, most of the issues related to your parking lamps can be dealt with pretty easily and cheaply, so it makes no sense why you wouldn’t want to fix the problem as soon as you are able to do so. 

Bulb Issues

Perhaps the main reason why your parking lamp no longer works is that the bulbs are dead. Seriously.

If any light on your vehicle dies, 99% of the time, it is likely due to the bulbs being dead. This is likely to be the case if one set of parking lights works and the other one doesn’t. 

Obviously, the only way that you are going to deal with this problem is to open up the parking lamps and swap out the bulbs. It is a job that is going to take no more than a few minutes.

Obviously, you are going to want to switch the bulbs like-for-like. If you whip out the manual for your vehicle, then it should tell you the exact bulbs that you need to be using. We recommend that you purchase BMW bulbs rather than aftermarket bulbs.

Yes, they do tend to be a little bit more expensive, but they also tend to be higher quality. Chances are that you won’t be replacing those bulbs again.

The way in which you change the bulbs on your BMW parking lamp will vary from model to model, so we recommend that you read through the manual to find out what needs to be done.

This is a job that you can easily do yourself. You are not required to have any knowledge of vehicles, nor are you required to have any knowledge of electronics.

It really is just a case of unscrewing the old bulbs and sliding some new ones in there.

Fuse Issues

If replacing the bulbs doesn’t seem to help, then there is a chance that there is an issue with the fuses on your parking lamps. Again, this is something that you can easily do yourself.

The manual for your vehicle will tell you exactly where the fuses are located, and you will require minimal tools.

This is likely to be the problem if one set of your parking bulbs seems to be working and the other set isn’t and the replacement bulbs didn’t help.

Once again, you are going to want to try and choose the fuses that are like-for-like. You should be able to purchase these from any automotive store.

There will be special BMW fuses available. However, we reckon that you should be able to get away with purchasing some aftermarket fuses here.

The fuse isn’t something that really wears down over time. It is something that is designed to blow if the voltage gets too high, and this is going to happen no matter what fuse you buy.

Of course, we do still recommend that you purchase the highest quality fuses that you can buy.

Once you have the fuses, it is just a case of accessing the fuse box for the parking lamps, swapping out the old ones, and then sliding the new ones into place.

By now, you should have likely fixed the issue. If you haven’t, then are a few more things that you can try, but it is exceedingly rare that the problem won’t be fixed by this point. 

Battery Issues

In rare cases, there may be a problem with your battery. Although, you will likely notice this well before the parking lamps on your vehicle go.

Obviously, car batteries are only able to pump out a certain voltage. If that voltage drops, then the vehicle will start to decide where to allocate the power. Because the parking lamps are not exactly a priority for the vehicle, there is a chance that the BMW will opt to not supply power to them.

This is an issue that you should be able to test easily. You just need to use a multimeter on the battery. Make sure that it is outputting roughly the right voltage.

If it isn’t, then the battery may either need to be charged, or you will need to completely replace the battery on the vehicle.

As we said, there will likely be other signs that the battery is failing before the parking lamps go. This means countless warnings on the dashboard of your vehicle, and some other electrical processes may not be working properly. 

Wiring Issues With The BMW Parking Lamp

This is one issue that you may not be able to deal with yourself.

In extremely rare cases, there is a chance that the wires leading to the parking lamp can become damaged. If they get damaged, then your vehicle’s parking lamps may not work.

While you may be able to give a cursory look at the wires to see if there are any shorts or fraying of the wires, this is one of those cases where we recommend that you get in touch with a professional instead.

They will be able to fix the problem for you.

Head To a Mechanic

If you still can’t fix the problem, then there is a chance that the issue goes much deeper than the parking lamps not working.

There may be other issues with the vehicle. The only way that you are going to be able to deal with this problem is to reach out to a mechanic.

They will be able to run some diagnostics and get to the bottom of it.

BMW Parking Lamp Malfunction EASY fix! DIY >> Check out the video below:

Conclusion

There are various reasons why you may have a BMW parking lamp malfunctioning. In most cases, it is going to be because the bulbs or fuse have blown.

This is a problem that you can fix yourself with ease. If you still can’t fix the problem, then get in touch with a mechanic. It could indicate serious wiring issues in your vehicle. 

References

https://bmwrepairguide.com/bmw-f30-parking-lamp-replacement/

Steve P.

Steve is an automotive technician, technical writer, and Managing Editor. He has held a lifelong passion for cars, with a particular interest in cars like the Buick Riviera. Steve is based in Boise, Idaho.

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