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E46 Stepper Motor Controllers: Layout

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The block diagram shows the stepper motor controller and its connections.

To differentiate between the two headlights (left and right), pin 12 of the stepper motor controller for the LEFT-HAND headlight must be connected to earth. The SMC must be coded accordingly (either by the headlight manufacturer at the end of the production line or in the workshop after replacement).

Fig 1: Identifying Stepper Motor Controller Block Diagram
G00429066Courtesy of BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, INC.
STEPPER MOTOR CONTROLLER BLOCK DIAGRAM LEGEND

Key Explanation Key Explanation
1 AHL control unit 2 Supply voltage
3 Earth 4 Stepper motor controller (SMC)
5 Stepper motor for automatic headlight-range adjustment 6 Stepper motor for adaptive headlights
7 BMW diagnostic system with DISplus 8 Coding pin for right or left
9 Zero-position sensor LIN bus Local Interconnect Network, local bus between AHL control unit and SMC