X3 Rear Fog Lights

[simoncpw]

Originally Posted by d-rive

i have like "standard" both rear fog lights. Weird, they are halogens, not ordinary(21w) bulbs.

Really? That IS weird! Must be a cheap way for the stealer hear to cut cost.

[cdm5go]

I was able to add rear fog lights to my US Spec 2006 325i simply by adding the euro spec headlight switch (with the rear foglight switch) It uses the lights for the adaptive rear brake lights when switched on. So there is no adaptive function when rear foglights are on. That was all I had to do. I wonder if the x3 with adaptive brakelights is similar? Does anybody know? maybe we won't need an LCM. Does the e90 have an LCM? Forgive me if I sound naive, but electrical engineering is not my thing.

[AzNMpower32]

Originally Posted by cdm5go

I was able to add rear fog lights to my US Spec 2006 325i simply by adding the euro spec headlight switch (with the rear foglight switch) It uses the lights for the adaptive rear brake lights when switched on. So there is no adaptive function when rear foglights are on. That was all I had to do. I wonder if the x3 with adaptive brakelights is similar? Does anybody know? maybe we won't need an LCM. Does the e90 have an LCM? Forgive me if I sound naive, but electrical engineering is not my thing.

All BMWs have an LCM. That's the light control module.......without it the light switches wouldn't work properly.

The reason your trick above works on an E90 (i know of this trick too) is because the lights are already installed and work as the adaptive brake lights. On the X3, this is not the case. The adaptive brake lights under the "C-shaped" light that normally works as the brake light. It's documented in your owner's manual. However, the rear foglights are on the round lights on trunklid itself. Thus, they are seperate from the adaptive brake lights.

[STE92VE]

Originally Posted by AzNMpower32

All BMWs have an LCM. That's the light control module.......without it the light switches wouldn't work properly.

The reason your trick above works on an E90 (i know of this trick too) is because the lights are already installed and work as the adaptive brake lights. On the X3, this is not the case. The adaptive brake lights under the "C-shaped" light that normally works as the brake light. It's documented in your owner's manual. However, the rear foglights are on the round lights on trunklid itself. Thus, they are seperate from the adaptive brake lights.

This is true for the first X3's but with the facelift starting with MY2007 vehicles, it's a little different.


There are only 2 bulbs (other than LED) in the lights on the trunk lid. One is the backup light and the other is the adaptive brake light. I don't know if there is a socket for an additional rear fog light, so that would make the adaptive brake light the rear fog as in the E9x's. It looks like Euro & USA spec cars use the same LCM, but there are different part #'s for the light switch. Problem is, US dealers say thay can't order this switch.

[AzNMpower32]

As noted on Bimmerfest, I'm so close to getting a successful retrofit.

The Light Control Module for the X3 is located under the steering wheel column. One only has to remove the plastic panel (3 screws and a plastic turn-screw) under the steering wheel to access it.

It would be extremely helpful, if someone could remove the connectors and see which pin# location the rear foglamps plug into for the X3. I tried pin #49 (as is for a E46) but no electricity flows through the connector when I hit the button to switch them on.

I followed these instructions, skip to the bottom to see how to remove the LCM connector plug.
Diy: Oem "rear Fog Light" Retrofit! - E46Fanatics

It's the last step! I've got the wiring done.