Hello
When I started my car (mini one 2011, I believe r56), the headlights used to go a bit up, then a bit down, then stop.
I think it is for autolevelling the headlights. Note I don't have xenon and it is an European car.

For a few weeks now, the up and down thing never stops. The headlights are nodding constantly. Even after shutting it down, the headlight go at it for a few minutes and sometimes never stop...

I checked under the wheels and found no sensors ?!
I unplugged each headlights and no matter if the left or right is plugged in, they nod nod nod. So I guess it is not the headlights part or even the cabling.

I heard of the FRM problems, but my headlights go on and off properly, my windows open and close...

I bought a scanner and all it says is I have my reverse headlight problem. (A8A1 Reverse light faulty). It is working fine though.

Should I try a FRM repair?

Thanks a bunch

 

Auto leveling halogen headlights? That’s a new one for me. Can you post pictures and a video? I’d be curious to see what the headlights look like, and what they are doing.

 

The forum does not seem to take mp4 video so here it is :
Now it starts as soon I I start my car. It never stops when I'm driving. When I turn off the car it carries on for a different period of time. Sometime 20 seconds, most time 5 to 10 minutes but one in a while, it never stops. I had a dead battery because of that...

Any help appreciated.
I'm not sure it is autolevelling. But it sure moves.


Sorry both the video and pictures were taken at night.

 

Interesting... I never knew that the halogen lights were available with auto leveling. From my understanding of my car, there are two suspension position sensors, one on the front left control arm, and another on the rear left upper control arm. I would check those to make sure they are still there and connected.

 

I went chasing for those.
I took off all my wheels. The sensors are nowhere to be found. Here a few pix if you see them :

 

I think this is the wiring diagram for the motors:

 

Thank you for your replies and for the diagram.

Yet, I'm not totally sure what I can do with it ?

I understand the motors are attached to the FRM. Why don't I have the sensors ?

 

Weird as the headlights auto leveling sensor is on the rear left upper side, driver side They are part of factory Xenon package. And one on that side in the front. I dont see them.

Suspension New rear Control Arms vs. light leveling (Hotchkis) - North American Motoring




The headlights have these adjusters: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...djustment.html But i dont see anything with headlights itself. My guess is the FRM is doing weird things with the headlights. The FRM has a recall. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...le-recall.html

 

I do not know if I have the adjusters. I'll look into it tomorrow as it is night here.

I had some water problems, probably due to the problem exposed in your link and thank you for that BUT it occured on the passenger side. I understand the FRM3 is on the driver's side?

But the problem still seems to point to the FRM.
The 100000$ question is why don't I have the sensors.

The hallogen/auto leveling may be because it is a " chili" version with some added perks.

 

Further investigation led me to try and check the fuse box relay on the passenger's seat.
Well the foam of the carpet is indeed a bit moist, but no puddle like some people have.
I disassembled the two big plugs that are the lowest. They seem ok. No moist, no green iron stuff. I used a bit of contact spray before putting them in.

I'm not sure if I have the tube that sunroof owners have (mine is a common roof), but I had on the passenger seat a hole that was blocked, just under the windshield, near the battery.
I'll make a picture. Not sure if it could have caused the moist.

Anyhow now the car won't start again. The battery is drained. I'll charge it overnight...

I plugged out the 40A fuse for the headlight whashers but the motors are still on... So it must be another fuse...

I 'm still nowhere...

 

Soooo I sent my FRM3 for repair in the UK. A ebay dealer was offering to reload the software for 40 pounds.
I received it yesterday and BAM it worked!!!
The headlights are no longer crazy. So it indeed was the FRM.
I have no ideas why I don't have the sensor underneath the car. I don't really care anymore

 

Ok great, glad its fixed. Glad i guess right. lol

 

Because there is no auteleveling with halogen lights. There still is a motor for manual leveling, though. When lights are switched on, the motor is checked by the FRM, resulting in a single movement to the top (furthest) setting and from there to the current setting (according to the position of the headlight range control switch at the steering column switch cluster). The driver has to manually set the switch (settings 0, 1 or 2) on the steering column switch cluster depending on how the car is loaded.

In your case, the damaged FRM apparently circled through the initial test continuously (presumably due to memory damage over time).

Do you know whether the dealer simply reloaded the software or whether s/he identified and excluded the damaged memory range?

 

Hello!

Sorry I do not actually have 10000$ but thank you anyway
I guess that since there was a motor it was the same thing as auto level a'd that assumption was wrong.

The FRM company that fixed it said that it "had corrupted data on the boot sector of the eeprom chip which is the common issue with these modules".

I don't know whether it involved reinstalling the software or just fixing the boot (like a bios reset or reinstall, I guess)
I know it was all software, and that the module did not need recoding afterwards.

 

$ 10.000 ?
You pledged $ 100.000 !!!

I'll take cash (preferably samoan tālā but suriname dollars will do, too), a cheque in palau dollars, a lifelong subscription to a local back-massage parlor or an equally lifelong, adequate (!) supply of hot cinnamon jelly beans instead.

I get to define "adequate"!

Yes, the offer to take that cheque is valid. I realize it potentially holds the least value of all other options but wth, one has to deal with what's available...
:-)