I got a major problem, i turned my car on today, turned the lights on. they started to flicker and all shut off. i checked the fuses, and there all fine!
none of the lights work on the exterior.

Maybe its your electrical wires. I recently had the same problem on my MB CLK430. Except half of my lights didn't work. I thought it was bulbs, but it turned out I needed all my electrical wires re-wired.

It's the elusive electromagnetic flux capacitor.....&)

LOL

jake

What model and what production year do you have?

Uups, sorry,
just found the info

What model and what production year do you have?

Uups, sorry,
just found the info

2001, e38 april?

Did this just happen out of the blue? Are there any details that might point us in a direction like...have you recently "washed" the engine bay?...has there been excessive rain?...perform any recent mods or upgrades that may be electrical in nature?...or did it just happen "out of the blue" and unconnected to any natural or unatural event?

this just happend out of the blue. it was raining the night before, i parked in the garage. I played with it more last night. If i start the car and leave the lights off, the xeonon, and brake lights work. no turn signals, no reverse lights, no interior lights, (nav, computer workd). once i turn the lights on, everything flicks and then shuts off.

hmmm, the LKM/LCM (light control module) is in the passenger side front footwell between the trim panel & exterior. I wonder if water has gotten in from either the sunroof drain...or check the water runoff trough that moves water from the passenger side microfilter (under the hood)...over the fuse box, off to the side of the car, to the ground. Maybe water is inadvertantly collecting in that side panel shorting out some electrical stuff.

Good luck in hunting down the problem.