Lights - 10-Watt Rear Bulb Failure

Group 63
Lights

Bulletin Number
63 01 94 (4091)

Woodcliff Lake, NJ
January 1995
Product Engineering

SUBJECT:
10-Watt Rear Light Bulb Failure

MODELS:
E34

Situation:
The 10W BMW bulbs from supplier "Osram" fail shortly after installation.

Cause:
The bulbs have not had the filament hardened correctly, and the filament breaks at one or both ends.

Correction:
Corrected replacement bulbs are now available from Parts.

Parts Information:
Description Part Number
Corrected 10W Osram Bulb 07 50 9 063 575

Note that potentially defective 10W replacement bulbs can be identified by the manufacturing date code located on the bulb socket, left of the OSRAM lettering. The manufacturing codes "n3V, n3W, n3X, n3Y, n3Z, n4a, n4b, ... indicated the bulb was not manufactured properly and should NOT be installed. Note that "n" designates the manufacturing plant, "3" the year (1993), and "V-t" the week (weeks 48-20). Refer to the following chart:

1st digit: n manufacturing plant

2nd digit: 3 or 4 1993 or 1994

3rd digit:
a through z Calendar weeks 1-26 (lower case letters)
A through Z Calendar weeks 27-52 (UPPER CASE LETTERS)

10W bulbs manufactured from week 21, 1994 (indicated by a "4u" for the last two digits of the date code) have been corrected. BMW Parts has purged stock of the affected 1993 and early 1994 bulbs.

Affected parts in Dealer stock can be returned to their facing PDC using Tech Return Code 9.

Warranty Information:
Parts and labor covered under the terms of the applicable BMW New Car Limited Warranty.

Defect Code: 639990 1300

Labor Operation: 6399315 or 6399318
6399790 or 6399791

Labor Allowance: Refer to flat rate manual