"Broken" auto-high beams fixed - user error

[riverchi]

Okay, so I'm a little embarrassed to post this, but since I've gotten so much help from the forums over the years I thought I would throw out there in case anybody else makes the same mistake.

Ever since I took ED delivery of my M3 (with LED lighting package) in Munich last fall, I've been amazed by how good the lights were and also by how terrible the auto-high beam function worked. Every time I tried it, it responded so slowly that I was constantly getting flashed back or honked at by other drivers. I gave up on it after only a few tries and wrote it off as tech not ready for the real world. But after reading a message about them working well, I decided to try them again this week. But this time I got a "camera fault - auto high-beams disabled" message (after pissing off a couple more drivers).

So when I went to take a look at the camera (on the back of the rearview mirror) I noticed the nice autobahn vignette sticker stuck on the windshield right in front of rear-view mirror, where I always put it on my rentals to keep it out of my line of sight. Now, it nicely blocked the camera. Head slap moment followed, and removing the sticker enabled a pretty amazing system to work again.

Cheapest BMW repair I've ever made

[huatian]

You're not alone, I've got a binder full of things like that I've done. Like wondering why the dam car won't start. Spending an hour in the manual under the hood talking to the dealer. Only to find out I've got the wrong dam key. Doh

[Lups]

I slid for few thousand kilometers cussing the tires and never checked the bloody pressures. A good fuckup is the best teacher we all can have, and others can laugh at us till they join our ranks.

[BhamDavid]

Back before I became ecologically conscious many years ago, I dumped my hot oil from an oil change into a dumpster full of garbage only to realize the oil drain plug was in the bottom of the oil drain container. I had a wade around in a mixture of hot oil and smelly garbage until I found the plug.

[jewels]

Originally Posted by BhamDavid

Back before I became ecologically conscious many years ago, I dumped my hot oil from an oil change into a dumpster full of garbage only to realize the oil drain plug was in the bottom of the oil drain container. I had a wade around in a mixture of hot oil and smelly garbage until I found the plug.

Once did an oil change on my car...putting new oil in with out realizing I had not replaced the plug in the sump...that wasn't very ecologically correct either

[Merli]

Once, as a young, brand new licenced driver, i was detailing my pride and joy meticulously in my parent's driveway.

I purchased every single cleaning product my auto shop sold. Picture.... Money23474838274's cleaning product collection. Yup. They loved me.

Wash, clay bar, cutting compounds, polishes, waxes or every kind.

.......... And rubber protector. Armor-All Plastic, Rubber and Vinyl Protector. "Cleans and Protects all plastic, rubber and vinyl surfaces on your vehicle" it said.

So around the car i went. Applied it to all the rubber parts on my front and rear bumpers, side rubber guards, dashboard, door trims, glovebox, center console.......... And windscreen wipers.

Car was shining like a beacon of hope and i was so proud you could use my smile to guide ships into the harbour.

That was, until i turned on my windscreen wipers and proceeded to cover my entire windscreen with thick, oily streaks. I spent hours trying to clean my windscreen and wiper blades, and had to eventually throw out and replace those wiper blades.

I've only ever told this story to a few people.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by Merli

Once, as a young, brand new licenced driver, i was detailing my pride and joy meticulously in my parent's driveway.

I purchased every single cleaning product my auto shop sold. Picture.... Money23474838274's cleaning product collection. Yup. They loved me.

Wash, clay bar, cutting compounds, polishes, waxes or every kind.

.......... And rubber protector. Armor-All Plastic, Rubber and Vinyl Protector. "Cleans and Protects all plastic, rubber and vinyl surfaces on your vehicle" it said.

So around the car i went. Applied it to all the rubber parts on my front and rear bumpers, side rubber guards, dashboard, door trims, glovebox, center console.......... And windscreen wipers.

Car was shining like a beacon of hope and i was so proud you could use my smile to guide ships into the harbour.

That was, until i turned on my windscreen wipers and proceeded to cover my entire windscreen with thick, oily streaks. I spent hours trying to clean my windscreen and wiper blades, and had to eventually throw out and replace those wiper blades.

I've only ever told this story to a few people.

Bahahahaaa this is epic Merli!

The last time I washed our Audi (I've done it twice in the last year, that's how much I hate the car) it took me an hour to acknowledge I had let the damn machine to take off both of the wipers. It took me two weeks to go get new ones, since I didn't want to accept I could do that.

Oh, I still don't understand why exactly it felt like a good idea to add a drop of fairy to the washer fluid. My list is pretty bad and I never own up to these in real life.

[riverchi]

Thanks for the stories everyone, I feel better now

[Lups]

Originally Posted by riverchi

Thanks for the stories everyone, I feel better now

Haha, thank you! I loved your story. Its so classic, the simplest thing going unnoticed.

I know a bloke who thought his white car was boring till his kids/ wife (the investigation never got a result) decorated it with crayons.

I also,know a bloke who screamed like a baby when someone crashed into his car before he remembered he was in the wife's car, not his.

No matter what I've fucked up, and what ever will happen, as long as I don't scream I consider it a win.