How to completely turn off the lights on a BMW?

[StStella]

Lock the car or keep the engine running, then release the brake and press the ignition switch twice. Wait for about 5 to 10 minutes. The vehicle will then enter a complete power-off state, and all interior/exterior lights, dashboard lights, and button lights will turn off completely.

[DeLily]

As a long-time BMW owner, here's my experience: After getting in the car, first check the light control stalk on the left side of the steering wheel. Rotate the top knob - there's an automatic position marked with an 'A'. Turning it clockwise all the way puts it in forced-off mode. But note that most new BMW models have daytime running lights enabled by default, and completely turning off the lights requires accessing the central control screen settings. In the central display, find [My Vehicle - Vehicle Settings - External Lighting], where you'll find the daytime running lights switch option. However, I recommend not turning off the lights when driving on highways - the automatic mode can activate lights based on tunnels or weather conditions for better safety. Once when driving through mountainous areas at night when sudden fog appeared, the automatic headlights came on faster than I could react.

[BeckettDella]

Last week, while helping a friend adjust the lights on his BMW X3, I noticed an interesting phenomenon: even with all the lights turned off, the breathing light and welcome light carpet would still illuminate during charging. BMW designers explained that this is a safety feature. To achieve complete darkness, one would need to enter the engineering mode, but it's advised not to tamper with it. I found the most practical method is to adjust the dashboard brightness as an alternative to turning off the lights: press and hold the trip reset button to enter the settings menu, then reduce the brightness to minimize glare during night driving. However, when driving on highways, the dim dashboard light actually helps protect the eyes. Once, during a 4-hour long-distance drive, my eyes didn't feel strained at all.

[BellaMarie]

A relative asked the same question when picking up the car. BMW's lights don't turn off completely for a reason: EU regulations require daytime running lights to stay on for vehicles produced after 2011. But there's a trick to temporarily turn them off: Park the car in P gear, rotate the light knob to the manual off position before turning off the engine, then power down. This way, the lights won't automatically turn on next time you start the car. Just remember to switch back to auto mode before driving—once I forgot to turn them on when entering an underground garage and almost scraped a pillar. Safety tip: Fog lights can be turned off separately by pressing the button at the end of the turn signal lever to the 0 position.

[StDominic]

From a professional auto modification technician's perspective: For older BMW owners who want to completely turn off the lights, circuit modification is required, but it's not recommended. Nowadays, the headlights are connected to the vehicle's onboard computer, and forcibly cutting power will trigger error codes. The correct method is to enter the hidden menu using the BC button on the left side of the steering wheel within 10 seconds after starting the car without pressing the brake. But honestly, there's no real need to turn them off. Look at the Swarovski crystal daytime running lights on the new 7 Series – it'd be such a shame to disable them. My suggestion is to lower the automatic headlight sensitivity: Go to the iDrive's [Vehicle Settings - Lights] option and drag the sensitivity slider to the far end. This way, the lights won't turn on even when driving under tree shades during the day.

[ODonovan]

A friend of mine struggled with this when he first bought his 5 Series. Experiments showed that complete darkness is only achievable in underground parking during the day. The method involves three steps: 1. Park, turn off the engine, open the doors, then close all doors again; 2. Power on the electronics without starting the engine; 3. Enter the lighting settings and turn off all illumination options. However, the ambient lights will light up again in welcome mode after the vehicle is locked. Later, he realized: BMW's lighting design is like a phone screensaver—completely turning it off actually feels abnormal. When a truly dark environment is needed, covering the dashboard with a light-blocking cloth is more practical. For everyday driving, turning on the automatic high beams and letting the system switch between high and low beams is the real convenience.