BMW 5 Series F07 GT F10 F11 Angel Eyes Side Daytime Lights Fault and Vertical Aim Control Failure

The BMW 5 Series is specifically popular for models such as F07, GT, F10 and F11 as being high-performance cars, and other versions. However, there are common issues that the users of these models face in relation to their lighting system.

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If you own any of the above-mentioned models, it is likely that you have had to deal with or are dealing with the error message pop up indicating a “Vertical aim control failure” or an “Angel eyes side daytime lights fault.” Yes, these are precisely the issues we will be talking about in this post.

In BMW we have the TMS Headlight Driver Module, which in particular is responsible for light leveling (or what we call vertical aim control), daytime running lights (DRL) and proper functioning of LED angel eyes. It is super crucial that this driver module works fine and efficient; failure to which the system triggers the error message even when there is no physical evidence of something wrong.

Can these problems be resolved?

Well, although in rare cases, when a loose connection is a culprit triggering the fault error pop message, a broken bulb or some setting issues with the driver module; you can resolve the problem by taking the necessary action.

You can replace the broken bulb, or conduct a troubleshoot test to check if the working bulb is the issue by replacing it with different makes – although this hardly solves the problem.

For the majority of cases, the only way to resolve the angel eyes side daytime light fault and vertical aim control failure is by replacing the TMS Headlight Driver Module with an improved version. That is, if your BMW is an F07, a GT, F10 or an F11, and has a LEAR part number reading bmw 7258278, 7304906 or 7267045; you can replace it with the new factory improved and approved BMW 63117304906 ballast TMS module.

Why you should not go on driving with an angel eyes side daytime lights fault or vertical aim control failure

For BMW owners and drivers, unstable low and high light beams can be a difficult problem to bear. As it is obvious, driving with a faulty headlight is not only unsafe but also not allowed by law.

The simple reason is that it is unsafe for night driving as well as during severe weather conditions -like during rainy days. In fact, if arrested, the traffic police would have a watertight case against you if they confirm to the judge that either one or both of your headlights have their low and high beams malfunctioning; has vertical aim control failure or the daylights are nonfunctional.

There is a pretty long list of things that point to a faulty module, so let us be specific:

Angel's eyes side daytime lights fault

An angle eyes side daytime lights fault can mean many things and it may not necessarily stem from a faulty driver module. In rare occasions, it could be a faulty bulb and changing it might resolve the issue, or it could be a certain ring inside the module - which of cause would take disassembling the whole headlamp to check the ring’s actual state and whether it is the culprit.

On the other hand, it could be an issue with the power supply unit, a wiring or connection problem, which you can fix once you identify it. Or in most cases, it could be software/hardware related which can best be resolved by getting a new module.

Vertical aim control failure

Via bimmerfest.com

In case you have wondered why you got or keep getting the error pop up, indicating “Headlight vertical aim fault or failure, yet you do not see any visible problem in terms of performance from your headlights, just know there is a developing issue and will soon show up.

However, for visible cases, some of the indications that point out you could be having a module hardware, software or connection issues are as below:

Persisting trouble with the way the headlight levels adjust. Normally, after you turn your BMW vehicle on, what should happen is the lights should aim downwards and the angle should then change slowly so that the focus comes up to normal.
Adjusting but at an irregular pace. On starting your car the headlight acts okay, in that it levels quickly but them becomes unstable and begins to move up and down at irregular and somewhat disturbing pace.
The lights seem not to shine as they should, or begin to flicker.
You find that that the lights cease to work as they should when you make right and left turns on your steering wheel.
The angel eyes (halo rings) cease to light up and can’t turn on anymore.
The turn front signal indicator suddenly stops working.

Faulty light control unit ballast

Mechanics can tell you that a faulty light control unit ballast can be the culprit when you get the error message pointing to an angel eyes side daytime light fault. Most experts relate this malfunction to a faulty ballast which is the same thing but said slightly differently.

In the description, the control unit ballast looks like a square or rectangular box placed at one side of the headlight housing. Well, of cause there is some distinction in how the little box is attached for the different models of the BMW Series, but in general, whether your model is an F07, GT F10 or F11, the little box should be somewhere there or at the bottom of the headlight housing.

So to troubleshoot the faulty ballast, the first thing you need to do is get a working HID bulb. If you don’t have an extra in hand you can use the other one from the other side of the car that is functional.

If after replacing the bulb the light does not work then it is likely that the control unit is the culprit. Other signs pointing to a faulty ballast include irregular, frequent flickering and blinking, sudden blacking out of the lights and coming on after re-Turing or complete shutting down of the lights.

Water Damage

When you are having a problem with faulty angel eyes side daytime lights, the other place you may want to check is whether the module is intact. Some of the signs that show the module is not in good working condition could be water-damage.

Water damage can easily be identified by searching to see if you can see any signs of dirty water stains that should suggest water could have seeped through into the headlight, or if the compartment is cracked. Problems with the module can also manifest as vertical aim control failure or a faulty bulb.

Blown fuse

A blown fuse can be tricky to relate or conclude as being the main reason you are getting a vertical aim control failure error or angel eyes fault error message, but that doesn’t mean it is off the hook.

Basically, when both of your car’s headlights stop working at once or at the same time, a blown fuse could be the culprit.

BMW 5 Series models are designed in a way that if there is too much current or the wrong wattage in the system, the fuse blows up to shield the wiring from electrical damage. So in such a case, you need to check why the fuse blew, correct the problem and replace it.

Broken headlight bulb

It is easy to relate the breaking of a headlight bulb to some external impact that may have hit the bulb, but besides that, it is important to know that headlights have a life span limit.

Once the limit hours get used up, the bulb becomes prone to what is called Gas discharge – hence the fault. The same life span characteristic is also applicable to halogen bulbs. In other words, the onset of a broken bulb can cause the angel eyes to side daytime lights fault error.

Conclusion!

While there are chances that you can try to correct the faults by working on what you suspect to be the culprit and restore the headlights to the initial working state; it is not always a guarantee you can get it fixed. A good way to end the errors and malfunctioning of your vehicle’s TMS module, in general, is simply getting the improved version; - the BMW 63117304906 ballast TMS module.

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