BMW X5 E53 DIY OEM Hitch Installation Notes and factory installation PDF

[omgwtf]

Originally Posted by wpoll

Trailer module may not detect LED trailer lights correctly. Try a trailer with incandescent lamps.

I will give your recommendation a try

Originally Posted by Effduration

Are you using an oem wiring harness?

No, I made my own.


I installed a pair of 50W 6 Ohm resisters on the the trailer turn/brake light, only the park brakes work.

[semcoinc]

Originally Posted by wpoll

Trailer module may not detect LED trailer lights correctly. Try a trailer with incandescent lamps.

With the factory trailer module and factory wiring harness installed, I got hyper flashing when connected to the newer U-Haul trailer with LED lighting.



Mike

[wpoll]

Originally Posted by semcoinc

With the factory trailer module and factory wiring harness installed, I got hyper flashing when connected to the newer U-Haul trailer with LED lighting.



Mike

Normal - the factory setup cannot deal with LED lighting. Depending on the exact LED wiring and load it will either report failed trailer lamps (but they will work) or they can flash weird/fast etc.

Only way around this is to either avoid trailers with LED lighting or modify the trailer lighting and put high-wattage resistors across all the lamps, which isn't an option with hired trailers!

Actually, I guess a third option would be to make up an adapter lead to go between the car and the trailer that had the resistive loads in it. That would work and be very flexible (in turns of usage).

[Effduration]

Can we go into the LCM module using PA Soft or INPA and turn off hot and cold checks (or monitoring) for brake lights, turn signals and backup lights?

[semcoinc]

Originally Posted by Effduration

Can we go into the LCM module using PA Soft or INPA and turn of hot and cold checks (or monitoring) for brake lights, turn signals and backup lights?

This would be a great software add for the iBus app if possible.

Mike

[wpoll]

Originally Posted by Effduration

Can we go into the LCM module using PA Soft or INPA and turn of hot and cold checks (or monitoring) for brake lights, turn signals and backup lights?

Sure can and that will sort the dash warnings but it may or may not deal with odd flash rate issues etc.

But I gotta say, I haven't tried any of this.. I simply avoid any form of LED lighting in relation to my E53... incandescent is so much easier to deal with, is what the car was designed to use, it's cheap as hell and it works

[omgwtf]

I installed load resistors on each light and still have the same issue.
I have to look into it some more and try it on a incandescent trailer and see if works.

[sroth004]

I bought an LED adapter plug from U-Haul a few years ago after having this issue with OEM hitch/harness but have not towed since and cannot confirm the adapter solves the problem. Reviews are positive though. Also, it converts to a 4 pin plug which may or may not be appropriate for your use.




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[Effduration]

Originally Posted by sroth004

I bought an LED adapter plug from U-Haul a few years ago after having this issue with OEM hitch/harness but have not towed since and cannot confirm the adapter solves the problem. Reviews are positive though. Also, it converts to a 4 pin plug which may or may not be appropriate for your use.

One of the reviewers has an E53 X5 and says it fixes the flashing but not the dash error. It's too bad it restricts you to a 4-pin plug.

It looks Like Curt #57003 is what you want to adapt to LED lights and keep a 7-way plug.

https://www.curtmfg.com/part/57003

[TerminatorX5]

this is not a solution, just an explanation...
the LCM puts out cold monitoring and hot monitoring along with Pulse Width Modulation. All of the are strings of quick pulses coming from the power transistors in the LCM, and the slow incandescent filaments of old bulbs don't have an opportunity to react to the pulses in time. the LEDs are much much faster reacting devices, and will react to all of those pulses.