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+--- Thread: BMW F10 Headlight initializing / coding help (/showthread.php?tid=9036)
BMW F10 Headlight initializing / coding help - hurst01 - 07-02-2025
Hi Guys,
New member here. I found this site from a post that was made by a member on bimmerpost and I am desperate for help.
I backed into my Wife's 2011 F10 a few months ag and broke the driver side headlight. BMW body shop wanted over $9600 to repair. My insurance would not pay that without totalig the car out (For a broken headlight?) They paid me $3900 to have it repaired at a lower class body shop using used parts. I have fixed it all except for painting the bumper cover and blending in the hood for about $1500.
Now for my latest problem. Since the car is a 2011, trying to find a really nice headlight that would match the other side would be very hard. I elected to replace both headlights with the same type aftermarket headlight and do an LED conversion. Because the headlight was destroyed, even though it was still working, it got wet and ruined all the modules.
I replaced the modules with used ones and when I first lit them up I was very impressed. Turned them off and later while showing my wife how they looked, everything went to crap. The Angel Eyes are very dim on the driver side and the turn signal won't come on. I bought new TMS modules specifically for Adaptive Headlights and 4 new modules for the Angel Eyes from Amazon. and the left side Angel Eyes are still dim and the signal still wont work.
Someone on Bimmerpost told me I needed BimmerCode. I found after I bought it that it will not initialize / code the modules. I actually don't see anything on it that I can use or would be interested in.
Probably too much information but now you know the story. I NEED HELP! I was looking at some of the coding options om this forum and I don't have a clue what is is saying. I am computer illiterate, so to speak, and I just don't understand what most of that is saying. I have had two strokes that don't help my situation any and I have trouble reasoning like I used to
If someone could find it in their heart to point me in the right direction and offer a bit of help I certainly would appreciate it.
RE: BMW F10 Headlight initializing / coding help - Bimmerhead33 - 07-02-2025
(07-02-2025, 10:58 PM)hurst01 Wrote: Hi Guys,To make a long explination short, you basically have 2 options at this point. You can either download ISTA+ with SDP programming files enabled and cover your F series (most of them out there will) version 4.3x and newer, even some older versions, will have what you need but you will need to be somewhat computer literate to be able to download and configure ISTA+ to read fault codes and potentially do a full vehicle program. OR you can get a working version of ESYS, some launcher or token generator, and PSDZdatafull to be able to code and program the modules to the rest of the vehicle. Regardless of either option you will also need a version of ISTA to initialize the headlights after coding/programming.
New member here. I found this site from a post that was made by a member on bimmerpost and I am desperate for help.
I backed into my Wife's 2011 F10 a few months ag and broke the driver side headlight. BMW body shop wanted over $9600 to repair. My insurance would not pay that without totalig the car out (For a broken headlight?) They paid me $3900 to have it repaired at a lower class body shop using used parts. I have fixed it all except for painting the bumper cover and blending in the hood for about $1500.
Now for my latest problem. Since the car is a 2011, trying to find a really nice headlight that would match the other side would be very hard. I elected to replace both headlights with the same type aftermarket headlight and do an LED conversion. Because the headlight was destroyed, even though it was still working, it got wet and ruined all the modules.
I replaced the modules with used ones and when I first lit them up I was very impressed. Turned them off and later while showing my wife how they looked, everything went to crap. The Angel Eyes are very dim on the driver side and the turn signal won't come on. I bought new TMS modules specifically for Adaptive Headlights and 4 new modules for the Angel Eyes from Amazon. and the left side Angel Eyes are still dim and the signal still wont work.
Someone on Bimmerpost told me I needed BimmerCode. I found after I bought it that it will not initialize / code the modules. I actually don't see anything on it that I can use or would be interested in.
Probably too much information but now you know the story. I NEED HELP! I was looking at some of the coding options om this forum and I don't have a clue what is is saying. I am computer illiterate, so to speak, and I just don't understand what most of that is saying. I have had two strokes that don't help my situation any and I have trouble reasoning like I used to
If someone could find it in their heart to point me in the right direction and offer a bit of help I certainly would appreciate it.
Both options require computer literacy, the 2nd option is much more advanced. Im sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Someone here may be able to remotely code it for you, not me unfortunately, which might also require some computer literacy to be able to setup remote viewer or some other form of external control of your computer.
No matter what you do, you will need to code these new/used headlight modules to the car, pending they are working as intended, and then initialize both since you replaced both sides with new modules.
You may have more going on but with something as complex as f10 adaptives, you will certainly need the ability to read fault memory before proceeding.
You could also try towing it to a dealer and having them perform diagnosis and program the new modules to the car, but that is kind of last ditch as you are here on this forum.
Hope this helps
RE: BMW F10 Headlight initializing / coding help - hurst01 - 07-04-2025
OK, a member from bimmerpost sent me a link to ISTA+ and ESYS. ISTA+ is downloading as I write this. I have since ordered an ENET cable and adapters so I can hook to the ALDL connector and my laptop. I have not used a PC computer since around 1994. They have changed a lot since then and really don't even turn on the same as I remember. The INSTA+ is not compatible with MAC computers unless I use BootCamp.
My Son gave me a Dell laptop that is about 3 years old that has been used only one time but has been sitting dead for 3 years. Best Buy went through it, installed the latest and greatest and I have been trying to figure out how to turn it on. I found that apparently ISTA+ is compatible with Google Chrome and I download that this morning.
I can pretty much find my way around a MAC and do anything I want to do, but not so with a PC. All the ENET cables and adapters will be here sometime Sunday. I have replaced headlights and modules in BMWs many times before with no problems until now. I have basically replaced everything but the Ballasts. When I first turned the headlights on they worked as they should. I turned them on the next day and the Angel rings are very dim on Driver side as is the Turn Signal not working. I since replaced both TMS modules and all four Angel Light modules with no change and that is freaking me out.
One concern I have is the headlight connector for the driver side had the housing broke in the accident and would not lock on. I ordered a new connector with pigtail from Amazon but all the wires were different colors, but mostly I did not want to splice the wires. So I de-pinned and re-pinned the connector. I am thinking I might check the connector again to make sure it is OK, but it sure is strange that everything worked before.
As far as the dealer goes, I have had it with the BMW dealer. I had an extended warranty on the car and the local BMW charged $9,600 to replace the oil pan gasket and it still is seeping. After I backed into the F10 headlight and broke it I went to the BMW body shop at the insistence of my Son. Again, they wanted over $9000 to repair it. So far I have repaired it all except to this headlight problem for about $1600 and also retrofitted it with LED conversion. I still have to paint and blend in the bumper cover and hood but I have built many show cars in my life so that will be no problem.
My hesitancy is I have never done programming or coding on a BMW, everything has always worked. Someone suggested that I buy the BimmerCode App. I did, but it is pretty much worthless as it will not code, but just changes settings on a lot of things. I WAS able to change the headlights to LED and I guess that is worth something. Other than that there is noting on it that I am interested in.
I have been contacted a few times by other members that are offering help. The best thing about these forums is that members try to help out others that want to learn, or can't afford to pay BMW shop repair prices, and that is terrific! My thanks to you and all the others. I need all the help I can get.
RE: BMW F10 Headlight initializing / coding help - hurst01 - 07-06-2025
OK, A bit of an update. Last evening I was fooling with the headlights and took both back out and switched some modules around. Still, not Angel Eyes and no turn signal on Driver side. I have had the suspicion there was a problem with the connector I had to re-pin and replace on the drive side. I took it all apart gain and found that one of the pins in the connector had come loose causing the Angel Eye and Turn Signal problem. I still have the ERROR messages about the Adaptive headlight malfunction and headlight aim. I have the ENET cable and adapter ordered and should be here today. I downloaded the ISTA+ day before yesterday, waiting for the cable to get here so I can try and program the errors out. Thanks to those that sent me a yell to help me out.