Clicking noise coming from my Headlamp

[Harlowm1]

Hi all, i'm looking for a little advice before I approach BMW and commit to what will most probably be a big, but worthwhile bill!!

My drivers side headlamp, when it is switched on to main dipped lights "clicks", it's as if something is catching or as if there is a there is a power overload, it's very confusing. The strange thing is it only started happening last week and at the same time the fuel gauge needle has begun to flick from full to empty, if I tap the dash it rectifies itself, but then drops down and flicks about (there is a solution to try on the forum which I am going to test tonight which will hopefully fix that!?)

Can anyone assist??

Many thanks

Martin

[Mugs]

I am by no means an expert but I had something similar on a different car and it turned out to be a bad earth on the headlight motor which was trying to move up but was already at fully up position.
if this is the case it may have taken out the voltage regulator on the clock cluster?.

[BladeRunner919]

I'd say headlight height adjuster too. If you put your hand down the back of the light you'll probably be able to fell the adjuster clicking - they're easy to unplug which will prove one way or the other. The adjuster is number 3 in this picture:




I'd be surprised if this is in any way linked to the fuel gauge problem. That sounds like a loose connection if banging the dash helps - the cluster is really easy to remove, so might be worth popping it out and just reseating all the connectors behind the cluster.

[Southernboy]

If your car has been recently washed or standing in the rain, it could be as stated above a headlight motor adjuster...remove the motor, and clean etc. may as well check all the connections for correct weather sealing on both sides.
Re the fuel guage...could also be the connection, and according to your account, that seems most likely...however, I had a similar issue some while back which turned out to be the fuel sender located inside the fuel tank. It has a small float attached which actuates the signal to the fuel guage to describe the current fuel level. It has a small copper arm which should maintain contact on a coil...this wears, and contact becomes erratic. I removed the part, cleaned and made a minute adjustment to the arm so that it once again keeps contact...
The diagrams below show the fuel tank and the fuel pump and the long arm with the little float which activates the sender... The fuel pump is accessed by removing the driver seat, behind which you will see a marked section of the carpet which needs to be opened to find the fuel pump / sender with its connections etc as per the second diagram below. If you go in there, it is imperative that your fuel level in the tank is close to empty as fuel will pour out the tank when you remove the pump unit if you have sufficient fuel to be above the level of the pump apperture. (I siphoned all the fuel out of my tank before I removed my fuel pump)

[Southernboy]

PS. If you do end up removing the fuel pump, make sure you have sufficient rags / towels etc to soak up any fuel when removing the 2 pipe connected to the outside of the fuel pump (you can see the 2 little nozzles on the 2nd diagram). Also you will need 2 x 15mm hose clamps to replace the ones you remove to get the hoses off... Make sure the hoses go back onto their respective nozzles when replacing

[Harlowm1]

Thank you all!!! I am going to spend some time on it later this week. Looking at your diagrams of the the headlamp it is indeed coming from the headlight height adjuster, so I will see what happens, the switch in the car no longer works to adjust the lights, so this is already on the list to refurbish, but in the meantime thank you all for your help.

Regarding the fuel tank, I have run the diagnostic check on the instrument panel last night and weirdly it seems to have fixed it for the time being so I am guessing the problem is probably the sender unit??? I will add that also to the list of jobs!!!

Again thank you for the help!!!

Martin