BMW 7 Series Headlight Leveling Issues & Warning Light

I have some experience working on cars. Actually, I went through something very similar with my 2011 BMW 5 series (also gasoline). The symptoms were exactly the same, headlights pointing all over the place and that annoying warning light on the dash. Took it to my workshop and they diagnosed a faulty headlight servomotor. The repair wasn't cheap, cost me around 1040 Euro, but it fixed the issue completely. They had to replace the entire servomotor unit. What's the mileage on your 7 series? Also, are both headlights affected or just one side? This info would help me understand if you're dealing with the same problem I had. BMWs from that era can have similar issues with their adaptive headlight systems.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My 7 has 120705 KM on the clock, and yeah, both headlights are affected. Just had my service done last month too, but they didn't catch this issue. The price you mentioned sounds steep, but I guess that's typical BMW repair costs for you. Did you notice if your headlights were acting up more during night driving or was it constant? Mine seem worse after dark.

Hey again! Yeah, the headlight issue on my 5 series was definitely more noticeable at night too. Actually, that's exactly when I first spotted it, the beams would out of nowhere dip and rise, making night driving pretty sketchy. With 120K on your odometer, it's around the same mileage when mine started acting up. Since you mentioned your recent service, funny enough, my regular service didn't catch it either. These adaptive headlight issues can be tricky to spot during daylight inspections. The servomotor tends to fail gradually, and the workshop needs to specifically check the headlight leveling system to catch it. The repair cost does sting, I know. But trust me, it's worth fixing properly. I tried ignoring it for a while, but it just got worse. Plus, having unpredictable headlight beams isn't great for safety. Besides, with both of your headlights acting up like mine did, it's almost certainly the same issue. Quick tip though, make sure they check the wiring harness too when they do the repair. My mechanic found some minor corrosion in the connectors while doing the servomotor replacement. Better to catch everything while they're in there.

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! You've basically confirmed what I was suspecting about the servomotor. Really helpful to hear from someone who's been through the exact same thing, especially with the similar mileage and symptoms. You're absolutely right about the safety aspect, I've been putting off getting it checked but after hearing about your experience, I'll book it in next week. Good call on the wiring harness tip too, I'll definitely mention that to the workshop. Even though the cost is pretty painful, it's better than driving around with dodgy headlights. Guess I'll just have to accept that this is part of BMW ownership! Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it's been super helpful.