LED tail light DIY

[mtX5]

Installing the sonar LED tail lights on the e53 is very easy. it may appear difficult at first if you have never done any work back there (like me) but once you take a look its all simple. This should help give you an idea of how easy it is and convince you to order them


-Step One:

pop out reflectors on both sides to reveal the screws, and remove them



- Step two:
pop out plastic caps to reveal two more screws, and remove them as well



- Step three:

open lower trunk lid and pop out the black plastic covering. you can start at the arrows or the opposite side, i found the arrows easier.



be careful not to break the plastic tabs!




- step four:

once the plastic covering is removed, begin to remove the bolts holding the trim/insulation. you do not have to remove the insulation.



push the other plastic part up to reveal more bolts to remove:





-step five:

remove the three bolts holding the cargo tail lights, and unplug the connector for the reverse light. dont forget to remove the reverse bulb and put it in your new unit (and rear foglight bulb for european models)



reattach everything and test to make sure the reverse lights work before putting everything back.



step 6:

remove three bolts holding the tail light in and connector, and replace with the new sonar led tail lights. don't forget to put in your turn signal bulb (only bulb you will need). and if you have a cd changer/nav/amp on the drivers side be careful not to let the bolt drop, its a hassle to get it out.



OEM unit to give you a better idea of what three need to be removed.


Test to make sure everything works, and your all set!

A few things to look out for:
-damage to the tail lights (mine as well as another members arrived chipped)
-LEDs do not flicker (shouldnt happen on models 02 or before, for later models a capacitor is needed)
-LEDs light up! (the pins in the LED connector might not all be exposed, causing the unit not to work. I also had this issue as well)
If you do have any issues, the sellers usually have great service and will ship out new units (hopefully) lol.

Step 7:
ENJOY your new, updated look