Today I got a "dipped beam failure" error on the instrument panel. It did so, after my passenger side beam light started flickering is slow cycles. The passenger side xenon will flicker 3 times (2-3 sec cycles) and then it stays on for much longer. On the third time the error is logged. I went outside of the vehicle to inspect and strangely noticed that the bulb that flickers is more blueish than the other one (yellowish).

At the time we had gotten some heavy rain so I thought it was a short circuit causing it. I have leak problems from the sunroof sometimes, so some water did made it down to where the FRM is located. I inspected the cables and dried the wet areas.

So, would this be a dying xenon bulb or a FRM/electrical problem? I will swap the bulb modules tomorrow just to reduce the possibilities...

 

Check the connection at the headlight from the harness, since you are geteting a dipped beam failure. Its not happening on both headlights , is it ? Be careful not to have the lights on or the battery on. When the xenon bulbs are on there way out they get more purplish and less blue / white. Then they get pink , then they go .

Let me know what you find.

 

Thanks for the reply... It was only happening on the left beam, just after the rainstorm. However a day later, the flickering stopped. I did check the cables, but found no water in or around them. I also checked the ballast underneath the headlight, but it was also clear.

I think it might have been the FRM, as some water was dripping from the sunroof down the left A-column (like in the UK, our steering wheels are on the right so this means passenger side where the FRM is located). I have now fixed the drain tubes, by using plastic collars and tying them at the connection points.

In regards to the colour, the one that flickered is blueish, while the other is much more yellow.

I think the problem is now past, for the last two days I had no flickering at all, but the colour difference remains.