X5 -00 changing the LCM & trunk lid problem

[RitaR]

Hello,
I've done a few searches but still decided to post my own questions... So, I bought this -00 e53 from the US a few years ago and had it recently shipped to North Europe.
I read from the articles section that the rear fog light installation (legal requirement here) should be doable to any X5 manufactured after 11/01, the older ones don't have the rear fog light capable LCM.

So...my first question is, is it possible to change the whole LCM so that it would recognize the rear fog lights (once wired, I know that I need a euro-style light knob etc. too) and handle the instrument cluster (light up both front and rear fog light indicators)? Or do I need to change the whole instrument cluster as well? In that case I might end up doing some ugly non-retro-fit installation for the rear fog light switch...

And the second question: after driving a few weeks in this lovely snowy / muddy/ cold weather, my trunk lid has a life of it's own . Occasionally, when I shut down the engine, X5 decides to open the trunk lid (I hear the unlocking sound) but when I go and try to actually open it (lift the trunk lid) it stays closed. The only way to open it is to use the button in the key. The "normal" way of opening it via pressing the switch in the lid doesn't work.

People start to think I'm crazy, I go to the trunk, open it, close it and never take anything out of there

Any ideas, do I need a new switch or can I just clean the old switch?

Cheers,
Rita

[Zulu95]

LCM needs to be changed and that will have to be programmed to the vehicle. The cluster may already have the light in it.
It may be better to just change out the trunk lid switch. Sound like it is faulty.
An aftermarket rear fog light solution would be a whole lot cheaper. You might be able to make something to fit in the rear light unit??

[RitaR]

Hi Zulu95 and thanks for the reply!
So you mean that the LCM is "empty" out of the box and I need to take it to the local dealer in order to get it programmed so that it knows how to handle all "my" lights?

The aftermarket solution probably is cheaper, but not as elegant as I'd like ;-) But, as said, if it seems that I need to change the whole instrument cluster, I will rather go with some not-so-elegant-but-cheap solution...

My trunk lid switch has behaved herself for a couple of days (knocks on wood) so I won't touch that thing yet :-)

By the way, is there any way of testing whether the instrument cluster already has the light option for the rear fog lights?

Cheers,
Rita

[Zulu95]

You should be able to see the light when you first start up. And, yes the LKM is "empty" and needs a long programming session to link it into the vehicle. In my case something like 18 hours of computer time. Glad BMW picked up the tab for that one.

[RitaR]

OK, but if I could see the light already (with the old LCM) wouldn't then switching the LCM to the newer model be obsolete?

Or did you mean that the people that have activated the rear fog lights, did see the instrument cluster lights before they actually started changing the LCM / reprogramming the LCM / installing the actual bulbs etc. to the rear?

Rgds, Rita