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      05-26-2021, 11:07 AM   #1
auburnf30x
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Lights randomly flashing?

Disclaimer - I have yet to see this for myself, so I don't know exactly what is going on.

A few times now, and a few minutes after parking and going in the building, my coworkers will come and tell me that my lights are flashing, but no honking from the horn or other alarm sounds. When this happens, the keys are not on me and I don't have the BMW apps open on my phone. By the time I get the app pulled up and go outside to see for myself the flashing has stopped.

I back into my parking space so it is the front lights doing this, but the rears could be also as well. I have made no modifications to the front lights, just have the factory LEDs & fogs. I have used Bimmercode but have not messed with any of the front or rear light settings except to code in my LED reverse lights (change bulb type to LED, turn off warm and cold checks). I also coded in rear brake force display (5 flashes per second, medium braking), turn on hazards after emergency stops, activated the front cornering lamps, and set it so that the fogs don't go off when the high beams come on.

It would help a lot if I could see it for myself, but any ideas what this might be?
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      05-26-2021, 11:17 AM   #2
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All I can think of is that it's related to power shut down, which occurs about five minutes after the car is locked. I'm aware of this as I added LED strip lights to the cowlings where the fog lights are, wired to the console outlet fuse, and they stay on that length of time after locking. But otherwise I have no idea.
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      05-26-2021, 01:08 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Billfitz View Post
All I can think of is that it's related to power shut down, which occurs about five minutes after the car is locked. I'm aware of this as I added LED strip lights to the cowlings where the fog lights are, wired to the console outlet fuse, and they stay on that length of time after locking. But otherwise I have no idea.
Interesting, I think I know the process you are talking about, when the iDrive shuts down after a while once the engine shuts off (and car left unlocked). Does it still do that shut down process five minutes later if the doors are locked?

I need to catch it for myself, unfortunately it happens at random and I'm never there to see it.
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      05-26-2021, 01:36 PM   #4
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The shut down takes much longer if the car isn't locked. I don't know about the iDrive, but my add-on lighting stays lit for at least a half an hour if I don't lock the car, five minutes if I do lock it.
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      05-26-2021, 01:58 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Billfitz View Post
The shut down takes much longer if the car isn't locked. I don't know about the iDrive, but my add-on lighting stays lit for at least a half an hour if I don't lock the car, five minutes if I do lock it.
Five minutes would put it right around the time they come tell me that my car is possessed. I'll have to see if there is some way I can catch it happening myself. Unfortunately, my coworkers are not car people and 'it's flashing' is about the only description I can get!
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      06-21-2021, 10:16 AM   #6
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Resurrecting this...

Same as before, just got into work and my coworkers told me my car was flashing again. I actually caught it this time. It's not making any noise, but it's like the hazards are flashing. Both turn signals and the front DRLs were basically flashing on and off like hazards. Again, no issue noted on my remote BMW app, no codes on the car, or any other outward indication of a problem. I was able to get it to stop by unlocking the car and locking it back.
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      06-21-2021, 10:53 AM   #7
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I'd say it's the alarm, although that should sound the horn as well.
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      06-21-2021, 11:22 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Billfitz View Post
I'd say it's the alarm, although that should sound the horn as well.
I think you're right, I just thought of something...

I didn't realize these cars had interior motion sensors to trigger the alarm. I have a sunshade I put in my windshield to keep the car cool, it's held up top by suction cups. They don't really hold on all that well and sometimes when I come back later one side will have fallen down. I bet that's triggering the motion sensor.

I'm going to see if I can find a better way to secure it, and I bet it'll stop.
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      06-21-2021, 03:02 PM   #9
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Look in your manual, there's a way to disable the motion sensors with the fob as I recall.
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      06-22-2021, 09:06 PM   #10
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Believe if you hit the lock button twice it disables the interior sensors
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      06-23-2021, 02:09 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Billfitz View Post
Look in your manual, there's a way to disable the motion sensors with the fob as I recall.
Yes i think you press the lock button a 2nd time within 60 seconds of the initial lock as noted above. I would check the manual for the exact timing/procedure though.
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      02-10-2022, 06:18 PM   #12
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Similar thing just happened to me. I shut the car locked it and went inside ups when I walked out 5 mins later my lights were flashing as if the alarm was going off but no honking sound.
My dog was inside the car and I suspect the motion sensor picked him up while moving inside the car after I locked it. I thought that was super strange but that seems like logical explanation.
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      02-11-2022, 07:11 AM   #13
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As a follow up on this, the falling sun shade was the culprit. I bought the BMW specific one for the F30 and it never happened again.

Well, aside from my daughter sometimes intentionally setting it off in the garage.
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