I was about to wash the bimmer when I noticed the abnormality below. The key was out of the ignition, and the light switch was set to the OFF position. I hurried into the house and took a shot of it. It's very rare to catch her acting bad (glitches), but I got her on camera this time. It didn't turn off until I restarted the car. Has this ever happened to anyone?

Please sure any "bad acts" of your e60 with a pic if possible. Otherwise, we won't believe you.

 

I hate to say this, but I think it is normal. Just happened to me yesterday. The car has a featuer where after the car is off you can turn on one headlight/taillight - for example if you are parked on the side of the road you may only want to light up one side of the car.

I think you activate it by pushing up (for right) or down (for left) the stalk that controls the brights.

The rear light should aklso have been on - if not, then it is a computer glitch. I did not have a computer glitch. I let my 4 year old sit in the drivers seat - she disocered it - actually my wife did about anhour later when she called and said - my headlight was on - then I read the manual.

 

Most European cars do this. It's not a glitch. It's designed to allow you to park on a narrow european road and leave the road-side light on so you don't get 'rubbed'. You initiate it by turning the signal light at a certain point. You probably did this unknowingly.

 

Yes I've done this with my 5, only I think sometimes when your exiting the car you accidentially hit the turn signals which cause whichever signal you brush against to light up that side of the car. Each and every time it happened to me all I did was unlock the car and put the signal back to center position, headlight went off.

 

weird...so much stuff to learn!!

 

It's a glitch. The rear light was not on and the signal stick was not moved. I got into the car to turn the key and turned it off without touching the signal stick.

Shucks, are you guys defending her? I should have taken a rear photo too.

 

It's a glitch. The rear light was not on and the signal stick was not moved. I got into the car to turn the key and turned it off without touching the signal stick.

Shucks, are you guys defending her? I should have taken a rear photo too.
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That may be the case in your instance, but it's also true that having only the left (or right) parking lamp on is a feature for parking on narrow (particularly European) roads. I don't actually know offhand if US E60s support this feature.

 

The photo may took like the headlight is on, but it is only the parking lights (the ring lights) that came on.

 

The E39's do support this in the US too but only the right/left parking lights light up to save the battery. I'm sure it's the same in the E60.

In this case I think the headlight is also on. I don't know if this was the issue here but on my E53, external light entering the ellipsoid sometimes made the light look like it was on when it actually wasn't. This wasn't something I ever noticed in my other BMW's with ellipsoid lights.

 

yes this is Normal. My 530i has this same feature as does my 330i.