R1250RT 2019 headlight problem: both low beams out at startup

[TGA57589]

I pressed the start button on my 2019 R1250RT and the low beam headlights went very bright in my garage, I then pressed the start button and the motorcycle started with no issues as per usual. I noticed I had the bulb on the instrument cluster which I though was a blown bulb as per all my other BMW RT's have done. I notice riding in very dark hours of my commute that all I had was the driving lights added by the dealer from new. When I got to work all that was working was the ring lights around the low beam and the lower driving lights that were dealer added on my purchased package. I ask for some help with this issue because I have read it can be the CAN BUS system having an issue or voltage regulator. I called the dealer where I purchased asking some simple questions and he cheerfully told me I can't troubleshoot electrical issues over the phone for you. I said I'm 120 miles from you and I was hoping you could possibly discuss what has happened with other machines with similar issues. Well he said you have to bring it in.

I'm going to put it on the GS-911 to see if it can give me a code or solutions to this issue. I shined a bright light on each low beam and the bulbs look like they are good to go. I would appreciate any advice anyone has to find a solution. Thank you in advance!

 

[fmdualexhaust]

Sounds like a dealer I might not buy from again.

 

[tx_mike]

If your 2019 headlight functions like my 2016, which I believe it does, then you have one low beam (H7) in the center and 2 outer high beams (H1).

When the low beam bulb goes out, 1 high beam (right when sitting on the bike) lights up and the “angel eyes” or rings are both on. Both high beams come on when switch the headlights to bright.

The headlight warning symbol should be on page 36 of the OM.

 

[WWeldin]

H7 bulb (low beam) is out. I average about 12 -13 k miles out of a bulb. Some say the LL bulbs do last longer, but I have yet to see any results. Your mileage may vary, though.

 

[TGA57589]

Low beams out continued

Well, I bought 2 H7 bulbs yesterday and got them home to find out they are both H1's on my 2019 R1250RT and the manual gives me instruction how to change H7 bulbs. That being said I took each speaker out to reach the bulbs to change them, and in doing so found both were in fine shape. So I then put my GS-911 on the machine and had many codes which all cleared at that time. I started up and the headlights did not come on. I then ran another diagnostic which said I had a
0x800E81 code Low-beam headlights, open circuit. So in searching the net I found a few people who had this with 1600 machines whereas some changed the ballast for the lights and there was some success and some intermittent failure as well. I'm probably taking a 300 mile ride to Salt Lake City to get a huge bill with this thing. Las Vegas BMW doesn't want to offer anything at all to help me so they can be happy to know I would never buy anything from them again.



I'm now thinking after having 4 BMW machines this may be the last straw with their dumba$$ engineering our way out of cash. My 2007 ate headlights and was roasting the wire harness to the point of failure so I traded and bought this 2019. As you can see I do my homework and am competent mechanically. I called the purchasing dealer yesterday and they just want the machine to diagnose it further to rack up a bill. I had a bunch of Honda's over the years but I had to have a BMW years ago and they ride great and are comfortable but they are wearing me out with their dumb $hit to keep me from riding. It may be time for a fire sale of all my accumulated BMW servicing tools and dump this machine and go get a Gold Wing and just ride. I hope the nit wit BMW engineering group reads these threads how they can have a big smile how they have engineered a cash cow.

 

[strataj]

Well, I bought 2 H7 bulbs yesterday and got them home to find out they are both H1's on my 2019 R1250RT and the manual gives me instruction how to change H7 bulbs. That being said I took each speaker out to reach the bulbs to change them, and in doing so found both were in fine shape. So I then put my GS-911 on the machine and had many codes which all cleared at that time. I started up and the headlights did not come on. I then ran another diagnostic which said I had a
0x800E81 code Low-beam headlights, open circuit. So in searching the net I found a few people who had this with 1600 machines whereas some changed the ballast for the lights and there was some success and some intermittent failure as well. I'm probably taking a 300 mile ride to Salt Lake City to get a huge bill with this thing. Las Vegas BMW doesn't want to offer anything at all to help me so they can be happy to know I would never buy anything from them again.



I'm now thinking after having 4 BMW machines this may be the last straw with their dumba$$ engineering our way out of cash. My 2007 ate headlights and was roasting the wire harness to the point of failure so I traded and bought this 2019. As you can see I do my homework and am competent mechanically. I called the purchasing dealer yesterday and they just want the machine to diagnose it further to rack up a bill. I had a bunch of Honda's over the years but I had to have a BMW years ago and they ride great and are comfortable but they are wearing me out with their dumb $hit to keep me from riding. It may be time for a fire sale of all my accumulated BMW servicing tools and dump this machine and go get a Gold Wing and just ride. I hope the nit wit BMW engineering group reads these threads how they can have a big smile how they have engineered a cash cow.

The H1 bulbs are the high beam. The low beam is in the middle and doesn't required speaker removal. Only one H7 bulb.

 

[52184]

Well, I bought 2 H7 bulbs yesterday and got them home to find out they are both H1's on my 2019 R1250RT and the manual gives me instruction how to change H7 bulbs. That being said I took each speaker out to reach the bulbs to change them, and in doing so found both were in fine shape. So I then put my GS-911 on the machine and had many codes which all cleared at that time. I started up and the headlights did not come on. I then ran another diagnostic which said I had a
0x800E81 code Low-beam headlights, open circuit. So in searching the net I found a few people who had this with 1600 machines whereas some changed the ballast for the lights and there was some success and some intermittent failure as well. I'm probably taking a 300 mile ride to Salt Lake City to get a huge bill with this thing. Las Vegas BMW doesn't want to offer anything at all to help me so they can be happy to know I would never buy anything from them again.

Do you have the list of codes, or a saved copy of the GS-911 initial scan? Those would be potentially useful. Also, does the bike still have the OEM battery? In this age of increased computerization of vehicles a failing battery can induce a lot of annoying minor failures. It’s possible there is nothing wrong with your lights but possibly have a loose connector or a failing battery causing the CanBus-connected control module to shut down the lights until the issue is corrected.
Both are worth investigating further before hauling the bike 300 miles for dealer service.

Best,
DeVern

 

[TGA57589]

And the BMW saga continues

BMW dealer said they don't have a recall on the headlight issue but they do after me asking many questions know there is a problem with the low beam wiring and ballast of the lights. Incidentally, the ballast is $570 and there are 3 in the US at dealers or they have to come 5 weeks out of Germany. Apparently, there was a change over of model year specifics for the lights and they are H1 low beams and an H7 high, the microfiche shows those parts on my machine as per the dealer and I told them its not like the 2007 having H7 bulbs on the low beam. I'm more than a little concerned that this machine had a bunch of codes that did clear and the only one to come back was the Low beam headlight code 0x800E81 open circuit. It gives me an idea that this thing had a voltage surge on startup and had a voltage regulator issue that may lead to splitting the engine case to get to the great idea of moving the alternator inside the engine cases. $27 grand for a nice motorcycle and it's now not so nice.

 

[tx_mike]

…Apparently, there was a change over of model year specifics for the lights and they are H1 low beams and an H7 high, the microfiche shows those parts on my machine as per the dealer and I told them its not like the 2007 having H7 bulbs on the low beam…

I believe you have a burned low beam H7 in the center of your headlight assembly.

You have 1 low beam (H7) in the center and 2 high beams (H1) on the outside (with the “angel eyes” or rings). The attached are from the R1250RT OM, showing the page number.

 

[Rainman48]

There is a parts microfiche problem that both an uninformed owner and an inexperienced BMW parts person might run into that hasn't been corrected for any of the years from at least 2016 through 2019 that I've checked.

The issue is, there are two headlight models shown in the BMW fiche (at least the one shown at A&S BMW Motorcycles).

• Type I is the setup without the angel eyes, no ballasts for the LED angel eyes, but has little parking lights. It correctly shows a single H1 for the center, singular LOW beam, and shows the two outer HIGH Beams with the correct H7.
• Type II is the setup WITH the 2 LED angel eyes and ballast, but no small 5w parking lights. It INCORRECTLY shows a SINGLE HIGH BEAM in the center as a H7 bulb, and TWO LOW BEAMS on the outside with H1 bulbs. This is the version of the headlight module that is usually shipped, because it is more popular, and nets dealerships higher dollars.

If the OP is an original owner, and he has the Owner's Manual for his bike, it shows the correct information in it. I just can't believe he hasn't turned on the bike and stood in front of it while it was new to him to visualize what and where the high and low beams are. That's inexcusable in my book. Little room for blaming a dealership 300 miles away for now solving this mess if you haven't bothered learning your bike after this long. And, there have been plenty of replies that pointed him in the right direction, and still he refers to multiple low beams on his 2019 RT. Wake up sir. This isn't your old RT, this is a newer RT and things change.

 

[Omega Man]

Every now and then people forget that many times they need to have the bike running to get a good reading on which lights are working and which are not.

OM

 

[tx_mike]

Not that the RTs with the Type I headlight assembly are not out there in the USA, but the RTs I see all have the Type II with the deluxe headlight option, with the angel eyes.

 

[TGA57589]

saved by the guys on BMWOA

I have been saved again by the BMWOA. You guys always come up with a solution. was completely wrong with the outer to H1 bulbs being the issue. It was in fact the H7 that is blown. I did find many codes when I ran the scan that cleared and the only code that came up was the Low beam after I cleared them. I did however find out after keeping my cool with this dealer that they hadn't changed me as the owner of this machine and there are two recalls that need to be done. I get the prize this week for being out of control thinking I'm screwed.

 

[Omega Man]

I have been saved again by the BMWOA. You guys always come up with a solution. was completely wrong with the outer to H1 bulbs being the issue. It was in fact the H7 that is blown. I did find many codes when I ran the scan that cleared and the only code that came up was the Low beam after I cleared them. I did however find out after keeping my cool with this dealer that they hadn't changed me as the owner of this machine and there are two recalls that need to be done. I get the prize this week for being out of control thinking I'm screwed.

Very nice!

OM

 

[lee]

I have been saved again by the BMWOA. You guys always come up with a solution. was completely wrong with the outer to H1 bulbs being the issue. It was in fact the H7 that is blown. I did find many codes when I ran the scan that cleared and the only code that came up was the Low beam after I cleared them. I did however find out after keeping my cool with this dealer that they hadn't changed me as the owner of this machine and there are two recalls that need to be done. I get the prize this week for being out of control thinking I'm screwed.

Thanks for the update and good to hear it will be a easy fix.
Maybe not real easy. I helped a friend change the low beam on his Wethead RT and it was hard to reach in there and still see what we were doing.

 

[tx_mike]

It’s great the board was helpful for you. It’s a valuable resource with a lot of knowledgeable people.

Now you have a spare H7, which you will need. Guaranteed the light will always go out at the most inconvenient time!

Not fun to change, especially the 1st time, but you will get a little quicker each time.

 

[mikegalbicka]

It’s great the board was helpful for you. It’s a valuable resource with a lot of knowledgeable people.

Now you have a spare H7, which you will need. Guaranteed the light will always go out at the most inconvenient time!

Not fun to change, especially the 1st time, but you will get a little quicker each time.

And you may even learn to schedule it proactively for the most convenient time.

 

[TGA57589]

Humbling repair

And you may even learn to schedule it proactively for the most convenient time.

This is a perfect line for my self caused four alarm fire of a bad bulb. My 2007 had H7 bulbs that blew quite frequently, I remember riding from Pennsylvania to Utah and while going through Colorado Springs I had a bulb go. I changed in the hotel parking lot in Salida, Co. and I have changed quite a few of this whereas the 2007 has a wire harness that was just about melted from the bulb heat and I traded it on a 2019. I ride every day and my RT that I sold my truck that just sat all the time during the covid deal where prices were crazy on used vehicles. Close to retirement so we're down to one vehicle besides a motorcycle and side by side that has street legal tags as an option for work travel. As you can see I get quite bent up when my 9,600 mile RT has a hiccup that I think this top notch newest technology is on the fritz.

 

[mikegalbicka]

If it is any consolation most of us have done everything you are beating yourself up over a time or two ourselves. It is always easier to preach it than to practice it. And now as we age even some of those lessons we thought we learned the hard way get to be experienced again because we forgot them. Duh!

 

[tx_mike]

And you may even learn to schedule it proactively for the most convenient time.

Why would anyone do that?

Cuts down on the story telling.