With all the rain in Houston yesterday, I ended up going through fairly deep standing water on my way home from work. When I exited one puddle, I got a warning that says:

"Right Foglight Malfunction"

When I got home, I checked and the right foglight does not come on. Is this just a fancy way of saying "burned out bulb", or do I have a more serious problem?

 

I'm going to guess that the water shorted out something in the circuit. Assuming you don't use the foglights except when it's foggy and assuming you don't want to start taking things apart, you may want to wait it out and allow for some time for the water to dry up.

If you're inclined to do some addtional troubleshooting, you could take the bulb from the working side and install it in the non-working side to determine if it's just a bulb problem. If things light up, then bingo, it's the bulb. If not, then there may be water inside the connector. Do whatever you have to do to dry it out and try again...

 

That or some short created by moisture getting in.

Just an FYI, be VERY careful going through standing water in the E60, the air intake is very low and it is easy to suck water into the engine. Others here have made that mistake...

 

I have the same malfunction right brake light and it was a burned out bulb. So I change it.
But in your case I don`t think itis a burned out bulb, it could be water shotcircit the wire to the bulb.
I think itis best to leave it for a few days and whait until the water has gone from your car. If it is under warranty! then take it to BMW and get them to fix it. If it is not then take out the unit and buy a new buld and change it to see if it works. this is the cheepest thing to test 1st.

 

I had that malfuntion once. Upon inspection I found someone had kicked my foglight back through the lower bumper. I was really pleased. People are grand.

 

Yes, it is under warranty, but taking it into the dealer is always a pain (dropping it off in the morning, waiting for the shutlle to take me to work, waiting to be picked up again, etc.)

I guess I will wait a few days and see if it dries out, then try changing the bulb, then take it to the dealer if I need to.

Thanks

 

I supose you rigth not worth the hassel to go to the dealer just to change a bulb.
well good luck in a few days time I hope itis just the bulb! If not then you will have to wait for the bus to take you to work.
Don`t worry be happy.

 

Its an 06? I assume you have a warranty. Why not take it in to your friendly BMW dealer. Part of what we paid for these cars covers the warranty, no?

 

To take it in to the dealer requires:

1. Getting up 30 min earlier in the morning to be able to still make it to work late
2. Waiting at the dealer while my SA fills out his w/o forms
3. Waiting in the waiting room for the BMW complimentary shuttle to take me and 5 other strangers to work
4. Driving all over downtown in the shuttle dropping people off (why am I always the last one to get dropped off?)

Repeating the above in reverse order to pick the car back up (including always being the first picked up in the complimentary shuttle!)

From what I have read on this board, it seems like about a 20 min job to change the bulb. That's why I am wondering if people here know if "malfunction" really is just the bulb, cause I hate to do both - try changing the bulb, then have to take it to the dealer anyways!

I was hoping someone would have had a burned out bulb before and said "oh, if it was just a bulb in would say "replace fog light bulb", not foglight "malfunction" - or something similar.

 

This is not wortha little bulb change