2004 E53 X5 4.4i Rear Fog light Install...COMPLETE!

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by TerminatorX5

I am still working on the parts and wiring... from what i have found out so far, the original write up where pin 3 off the trailer module was used, is designated for non-US distribution for a TRAILER single rear fog light, not for the actual dual rear fog lights... thus, in the original write up the single wire from pin 3 was crimped into two wires, one for each rear fog light.

if our wiring works out as we hope, the LCM will be individually powering each rear fog light and accordingly, will monitor them as well, both cold and hot monitoring, assuming that we will activate those functions in the programming.

so far i can't find connection to the connector X393, i even pulled my cargo floor to take a look...

still working on it...

take your time the ebay seller said my switch shipped yesterday from Lithuania so I have some time before it arrives

And yes theoretically the wiring as we are proposing it will power each rear fog light individually, is warm and cold monitoring automatic once they are working or is it something we have to manually enable via coding?

Also, I'm assuming no activation should be necessary in NCSExpert to enable the rear fog lights, since we know that once pin 45 is tapped at the LCM that we should in theory have voltage at X609 pin 10 and 12?


I just thought of this last night before bed (yes I think about these things before bed) and wouldn't it be easier if we did have 12v at pins 10 and 12 of the X609, to manually remove those pins from the X609 connector, and use a crimp or butt connector on them? I don't mind splicing the two wires together at the rear if its easier and just run each wire to the respective harness in the tailgate if we can't find the proper connector to keep them in their current harness.

[Ricky Bobby]

OK Terminator (i should probably just start calling you by your real name now lol:

Analyzing the picture of the X609 connector from page 1 of this DIY and from my previous page where I found the picture of it unplugged, this is the type of pin that fits into the X609:




Looks like its not too special, and a round male pin might just fit in there? maybe something we can do universal, or like I said I could just remove pins 10 and 12 from harness, snip off the female pin, and connect with butt connectors or solder.

[TerminatorX5]

it seems that part # 61131376191 is a male pin that would fit into the female pin from the above picture.

The male pin would have to go into the receiving part of the X609 connector (normally those male pins are integral part of the A6, trailer module). I have two conflicting diagrams for the X609, one is stating it is a 20-pin connector, and the other one indicates it is a 15-pin connector. The only sure way to find the correct information is to pull the cargo floor and take a look - i will try that this weekend, hoping that the weather is good...

An option when these two pins are pulled from the X609, the femelas cut off and the wires are further spliced to extend them to the tailgate - this is a very feasible option as well... The rear fog lights are fed into the trailer module in order to provide the rear fog ability for the trailer itself, when the two lights are fed into the A6 module, through pins 10 and 12 of the X609 and ONE feed is pulled out from the A6 module on the pin 3, traversing to the connector X393 pin 2 (the X393 is another trailer harness connector that is located on the backwall of the car, close to the grommeted hole, through which the trailer harnsess is passed in from the outside, and that harness is plugged in to the X393).

so, if the pins 10 and 12 are not coming to the trailer module, they are not being processed for the trailer fog light.
if they are not processed for the trailer fog light, no trailer fog light can be activated
chances are, if the rear fog lights are not fitted onto the car from the factory, there is no requirement for the trailer to have fog lights either.
bypassing the trailer module and wiring the pins 10 and 12 of the X609 directly to the rear fog light connectors will not have legal or operational effect on the car unless...

unless that car is being used in multiple jurisdictions where the rear fog lights are NOT required and other locations where those lights ARE required.

percentage of the vehicles in such a predicament is very low, almost non-existant...

therefore, if we don't find a connector that will mate to the X609 for a clean install, it is possible to take your proposed route and remove the pins 10 and 12 from the X609 and wire them into the rear tailgate directly. the only thing that I would propose in this case, source a complete set of one 2-pin male/female connector (could be OE BMW, or anything like 9005, 9006 connectors widely available online) and make the connection as OE as possible, without soldering and /or crimping...

Just thinking out loud... lol...

[TerminatorX5]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

take your time the ebay seller said my switch shipped yesterday from Lithuania so I have some time before it arrives

And yes theoretically the wiring as we are proposing it will power each rear fog light individually, is warm and cold monitoring automatic once they are working or is it something we have to manually enable via coding?

Also, I'm assuming no activation should be necessary in NCSExpert to enable the rear fog lights, since we know that once pin 45 is tapped at the LCM that we should in theory have voltage at X609 pin 10 and 12?


I just thought of this last night before bed (yes I think about these things before bed) and wouldn't it be easier if we did have 12v at pins 10 and 12 of the X609, to manually remove those pins from the X609 connector, and use a crimp or butt connector on them? I don't mind splicing the two wires together at the rear if its easier and just run each wire to the respective harness in the tailgate if we can't find the proper connector to keep them in their current harness.

the Hot/cold monitorings will have to be activated but they are not imperative - the setup will work with or without the activation of monitoring (and reporting).

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by TerminatorX5

it seems that part # 61131376191 is a male pin that would fit into the female pin from the above picture.


Just thinking out loud... lol...

Here is pic of male connector, judging by pic above of female connector that goes into X609, this is definitely the male connector "circular contact".

So in our efforts to keep this as clean and OE as possible of install, I will order 2 of these for pins 10 and 12 of X609, leave the pins in the X609 connector, crimp onto an 18 gauge wire and run each individually to the tailgate, and taping to the OE harness so it looks clean and not aftermarket.

All I need is my bushing contact for the LCM and S8 light switch which is on page 1 of this thread, and 2 bushing contacts for the tailgate harnesses on the left and right side. No soldering should be required here which is great, and it should be a clean and OE looking install when I am done.


T, not sure what you were talking about with the legal ramifications of bypassing the trailer module above, I kind of got lost in that thought!

[TerminatorX5]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

Here is pic of male connector, judging by pic above of female connector that goes into X609, this is definitely the male connector "circular contact" (ECS pictures wont post

now, if we could find the connector housing to stick this pin into!!! either 20-pin or 15-pin housing, depending on what is actually fitted into the car... lol...

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by TerminatorX5

now, if we could find the connector housing to stick this pin into!!! either 20-pin or 15-pin housing, depending on what is actually fitted into the car... lol...

Dr. Watson, I think is 15 pin housing, if you look at the TCM electric kit and see the module that plugs into X609 I see 15 pins here! You are right if we could get the blank connector we could put two male pins in it and really have a plug and play connection at the X609!

[TerminatorX5]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

Dr. Watson, I think is 15 pin housing, if you look at the TCM electric kit and see the module that plugs into X609 I see 15 pins here! You are right if we could get the blank connector we could put two male pins in it and really have a plug and play connection at the X609!

nice - saves me on pulling crap out the cargo area to pull the floor and the panels!!!

15-pin connector... ok, the search for the mate is on...

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by TerminatorX5

nice - saves me on pulling crap out the cargo area to pull the floor and the panels!!!

15-pin connector... ok, the search for the mate is on...

Thats what I was trying to do, save you time for crawling around, leave that up to me when I hook all this crap up!

[TerminatorX5]

here is a better picture of the trailer module (15 pins indeed), and the connector shows some stamping on it - unfortunately, i can't make out what those stampings are... i was hoping to see if a part number is embossed on that connector...