PART 2 - REAR SECTION WIRING
Now with the front wiring complete, it's time to head to the rear of the X5 and remove the Spare Cargo cover:
After removing the spare tire and throwing the tire remover straps over the rear seat backs, I unbolted the 2 nuts & 2 bolts holding the air suspension compressor assembly and put it to the side, holding it in place with a bungy cord:
Now the plastic "BMW" cover that protects the stereo & TCM from the battery is removed by unscrewing 4 screws using a philips head screw driver:
Now with the stereo & TCM is exposed, I located the TCM & the #3 pin location that the TCM Connector will plug into:
As recommended by the DIY I was following, I started the car, turned on the lights, activated the rear fog light switch...then tested the #3 pin with a test light & wallah...there is 12v power!
Knowing that I got power, I started to dissasemble the bottom tailgate. Using a small flat head screw driver, I carefully pryed the top refectors off to expose the screws that needed to be removed.
Also 2 small plastic square tabs had to be removed from the top to expose 2 more screws
From here, the lower tailgate plastic top can be removed:
With the lower tail gate lowered, you pry up the top center plastic part & remove to expose all the screws that need to be taken out to remove the whole plastic backside of the lower tailgate.
With those screws removed, I still couldn't get the piece out because I realized there were still more screws to be removed, that were hidden under the lower plastic part that went between the X5 body & the rear tailgate. So I bungied it out of the way, so I could remove those screws & finally take off the lower tailgate plastic backing:
The middle metal piece had to then be removed by removing 3 torx screws. So a #20 Torx screw driver did the trick...I kept the 3 screws that need to be removed right next to where they for identification. Then I just put it up out of the way:
With the 2 tail light connectors exposed, I disconnected them both:
Starting on the driver's side, the rear tail lights are removed by unscrewing 3 bolts with a 8mm socket:
