How do you clear the brake light out indicator light on a 2001 BMW 325i?

Answer 1

After a combined 10 - 15 hours working on this issue I have found the fix for the ill fated Brake Lamp Out indicator on BMWs. My wife has a 2002 BMW 325Xi but from what I understand most BMWs have the same issue from model to model and year to year. In short... There is no resetting this. You either have a tail lamp out or you don't. If all your lamps appear to be lit then you have a wiring fault. Now, some will tell you to go buy a brake switch... And that might fix it... But from what I saw on mine I'll gamble on a strangely poor design by BMW. Here's the problem. BMW use a "ground plate" to make contact with all the bulbs in the rear. You can actually take out the whole assembly (And should) to check your bulbs. Then look at the connection/connector. Now look at it with a magnifying glass! Mine had melted "Pin 3" (Ground, on mine anyway) on both sides though the driver's side was worse. This contact needs to be cleaned or replaced depending on how bad it has melted. You may need to run an additional ground wire. I think I read where BMW will charge to do this for you. But any competent person can run a ground to the brown wire on pin 3 to a ground on the frame. My theory is that the resistance of having all the current pass through that little ground pin makes it heat it up and it melts the surrounding pin holder. This allows the pin connector to come off in the main connector housing. When you take it off to check or change your brake or tail lights... The little connector is just forced up into the housing when you go to plug the loom back in to the back of the lamp assembly. This ends up with either having an intermittent connection or a total loss of connection. My wife's was intermittent leading to a total loss with the light always staying on. This may have been because I kept taking the light assemblies off to try to figure out the problem. THE FIX! - Use a jeweler's screwdriver to scrape the burned plastic off of the connection in the end of the plug. Force the brown wire forward through the plug until it is even with the front of the connector. Scrape the inside of the connector with the screwdriver to roughen it up. Do the same to the tab that is in the lamp housing... You may even need to straighten up the tab with a pair of needle nose pliers. Plug it all back in and enjoy not having to stare at that stupid Brake Indicator Light! Rick Kirby Pasadena, MD