[sinbad4]

Now and again, I will return to my car some hours later and headlights, parking lights and tail lights. The only way it seems I can get them to go off is to get into the car, close the doors, start it and stop it. Wait a few seconds before exiting.

This has happened to me in 3 different BMW X3 M40i's.

I suspect I open door and then power off car and exit quickly. I think if I slow down, turn off car, then open doors and exit, I don't have this issue. I have had the issue less, as I try to slow my exiting down to avoid issue. I used to be a pizz driver and the quick exit and quick starts are still ingrained.

I see this as a significant design flaw. At first I thought my car had issue, but then it happened in a loaner, and continues to happen in my new M40i.

Anyone else see this issue?

[BobsM3Coupe]

I'm on my second G01 M40i (18 & 19)and haven't experienced that issue yet.

[MechX3M40i]

Never happened to me either. I always lock car after exit to activate the alarm even in my garage. With comfort access I don't need to leave my car unlock for any just-in-case convenience.

I also adjusted headlight courtesy delay to a minimum so the lights should turn off shortly even If I leave the car unlock.

If you come back to your car 'hours' later and find the lights are on, is it possible that you press any buttons on your remote by accident? (Do you use a key fob case?) Almost all Modern cars have a battery saver feature that shut off all lights after maybe 45-60 min to preserve the battery, even if you manually turn their switches on and leave them on intentionally.

[sinbad4]

Originally Posted by MechX3M40i

If you come back to your car 'hours' later and find the lights are on, is it possible that you press any buttons on your remote by accident? (Do you use a key fob case?) Almost all Modern cars have a battery saver feature that shut off all lights after maybe 45-60 min to preserve the battery, even if you manually turn their switches on and leave them on intentionally.

No, no way I touched keyfob.

I have comfort/keyless entry. I also leave car unlocked - it's garaged.

[mde83]

I'm sure you have the iDrive setting to "turn off car upon door opening" checked?
If so, an you are NOT locking, then you should hit the start/stop button before opening the door...
If both of those things are true, and it still happens, then something odd is happening (pocket remote button pushes, etc.)

[Joann]

Yes! This happens in my new 2019 X3 and it drives me nuts. I also thought it was the sequence in which I turned off the engine and opened the door, but that's not it. Like you, I garage my car and don't want to lock it to turn the lights off. I scoured the manual, reading everything about lights and stopping the engine, and finally pieced together a solution. After you put the car in park, remove your foot from the brake and THEN hit the stop engine button. If you hit the stop engine button with your foot ON the brake, the car goes into "engine ready" mode and the lights stay on. Let me know if this solved the problem.

[TXSchnee]

I always lock my doors, and yes the car is garaged, I have never had this happen. BMW took away the double hit of the start/stop button on the G series cars (apparently it confused people), and if you don't lock it, they don't ever fully turn off it seems.

[MechX3M40i]

I don't quite understand... What's the downside of having the car locked inside the garage? Locking the car also activates the alarm, and is this bad? :

To each their own, but I always have my car locked inside my garage and I like to see the alarm indication red light blinking slowly inside my car whenever I take the trash to the collection bin inside my garage.

[johnnj]

Originally Posted by MechX3M40i

I don't quite understand... What's the downside of having the car locked inside the garage? Locking the car also activates the alarm, and is this bad? :

To each their own, but I always have my car locked inside my garage and I like to see the alarm indication red light blinking slowly inside my car whenever I take the trash to the collection bin inside my garage.

It's a common courtesy. If a burglar goes to the trouble of breaking into your house, then they should have access to everything in the house, including the contents of any vehicles located in a garage within the house structure.

I lock my car because my garage is a separate non-locking structure, so it's not included in the house break-in. They need to break into my car separately.

[MechX3M40i]

Originally Posted by johnnj

It's a common courtesy. If a burglar goes to the trouble of breaking into your house, then they should have access to everything in the house, including the contents of any vehicles located in a garage within the house structure.

I lock my car because my garage is a separate non-locking structure, so it's not included in the house break-in. They need to break into my car separately.

[superken]

I have a 2020 X3. 3 or 4 times my wife has entered the garage an hour or so after me and she asks why I left my lights on. Like previous posts I have no idea what is causing this. Like others I have tried different sequencing etc and seems to work then a week later, lights stayed on.
Twice have taken my X3 to BMW and they advise that they cant find anything wrong. Last visit they said that when i'm in garage with car off then turn radio off and that will turn off lights. Yes that works, so does locking the car. There's nothing in manual about that and who would ever think that turning off the radio and/or locking the car is only way to turn off your lights,
I think ALL cars (except maybe BMW X3) today will automatically turn off the headlights after so many minutes no matter what condition you have left it in.

Does BMW read these posts? Have they ever advised their dealers on a fix for this?

[brettl]

My 2019 has done it a couple times too. Just parking lights, the headlights turn off with the engine when I press start/stop. And if I walk up to the window and look in, all the electronics are off but the lights, including ambient lighting is still on. At that point I open the door and press the radio pwr for a second, that shuts them off.

[sinbad4]

So.. I originally posted this over a year ago. I've taken the time to be careful and watch. I am still careful to turn the car off before I open the door.

What I think the real problem may be is that I don't actually turn the car off. The engine shuts off in Eco/Comfort/Automatic by itself; but that is "ready state", not "off", but it can feel like off because.. well, the engine is not running.

I have never found the lights on when I have been sure to shut the car off.

If I happen to open the door before shutting car off, I shut the door, start the car, turn off the car, then open the door.

So.. it could be a sequence thing, or it could be that occasionally I forget to stop the car.

[superken]

Hello all
Again I ask the question:
“ Does BMW read these posts? Have they ever advised their dealers on a fix for this?”
It doesn’t appear to be a hardware problem, it appears to be a software issue. A few lines of new code or revision that essentially say “when vehicle is in park and turned off followed by opening of drivers door all lights (headlights, parking, dash, interior, etc) shall turn off.
None of us is a software engineer, we are simple customers that have enough money to buy a fine automobile. Surely there’s a better answer then standup, sit down, turn yourself around then turn the radio off!!!
Why did we buy a BMW? I suspect it was because we previously owned a fine BMW or a friend has had one for years and loved it. Did the lights on your last BMW turn off after you parked it? If they didn’t you would not have bought this one!
BMW should software engineers

[hoonu]

I have the same issue with my 2019 X3. I’m glad I’m not the only one. I’ll have to add it to the list for my next service.

[clivem2]

The lights staying on I assume doesn't happen if the car is locked. I'm reasonably sure that a European OEM expects the car to be locked. In BMW's case they shut down most of the car once it's locked.

There have been things I've found strange about some US cars in the past...ie how easy it was to lock keys in the vehicle. Different strokes and all that...

[AcidLotus]

This happened to me yesterday when I had accidentally left the rear passenger door slightly ajar. The car locked (and might have even made the locking beep, I don't recall), but the light was on inside. It wasn't until I remembered that the door might be open that I closed it and relocked it, then it was back to normal.

[TJNies]

I guess I don't understand opening the door before shutting the vehicle off?

BTW, I've never had this issue occur.

[sinbad4]

Originally Posted by clivem2

The lights staying on I assume doesn't happen if the car is locked. I'm reasonably sure that a European OEM expects the car to be locked. In BMW's case they shut down most of the car once it's locked.

There have been things I've found strange about some US cars in the past...ie how easy it was to lock keys in the vehicle. Different strokes and all that...

I never lock my car at home. I have a locked, secure garage. What would the point be.

As to TNJies "I don't understand opening the door before shutting the vehicle off".

I used to be a pizza driver in college. People would joke that I would be out of the car before it stopped moving! To this day, I still take my seat belt off a 1/2 block early and put in on a 1/2 block late (after starting to drive). Time is $$ !!

[clivem2]

Originally Posted by sinbad4

I never lock my car at home. I have a locked, secure garage. What would the point be.

One point would be to fully shut down the car

In the UK..it seems the US is different...you’d be on dubious ground if your car were stolen or items were taken from inside it when unlocked, even if it was in a locked garage. Insurance companies here try to get out of paying out, you might at least be deemed partially culpable as you didn’t fully protect your car...as possibly proved by BMW data, which might admittedly be difficult to get BMW to provide.

[M3coco]

Can someone confirm, are headlights supposed to turn off once I open the car door (2020 x3)

[rob175]

IF you have your headlights switch (left side of steering wheel panel) set to "A" for automatic, then the headlights should turn off after the car is turned off and the drivers door is opened.......or also the front passenger door is ALSO opened IF you have a front seat passenger.