Taillight Brain Teaser Puzzle Maze

[TECN1K]

Ha - Ok, so I have a set of 04-06 side tails I wanted to swap on my 02 - to match my new gate tails....


Fitment is tricky, the harness connector is higher on this version, and some trimming is necessary.

ALSO - it's missing a pin, and when connected, parking lamps only illuminate the center bulb - brakes do not work. Turn signal works.

They're totally different.

But all 3 bulb sockets twist and lock in place.

Attached is a picture of the pins and corresponding boards. Wanna try to figure this maze out with me? Perhaps some harness modification is necessary? A jumper wire?

Huge Pics

Pre-Facelift 2002 version

http://i.imgur.com/4sqH2ej.jpg


Post Facelift 2006 version

http://i.imgur.com/35dH7Sc.jpg

[wpoll]

The pre-face lift appears to use a triple connection (twin-filament) lamp in the centre position - there are three connections to it. The post-face-lift uses a single filament lamp in this position.

Did you get the lamp holders with the new tail light fittings? You're gonna need them.

And maybe a new LCM - I can't be sure but it looks like the pre- and post- facelift tail lights are driven rather differently.

Surely someone else has made this swap and discovered all this...

[TECN1K]

Well found the common "burn" on the post-facelift bottom bulb. I can fix that.

These appear to use variable voltage for the bottom bulb. Park lamp on, dimly lit - brakes applied - full brightness.

I'm hoping to fix this with splicing in pigtailed sockets like burn victims have used

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...t-fix-diy.html

[jsoto]

The only thing required is just the pinout swap.
I'm not looking it up , but no jumper needed. Just swap pin within the harness

[Qsilver7]

The facelift tail lights also illuminate 2 bulbs when braking (4 & 2)...see the tail light illustration from the facelift owners manual below:

[wpoll]

Originally Posted by TECN1K

Well found the common "burn" on the post-facelift bottom bulb. I can fix that.

These appear to use variable voltage for the bottom bulb. Park lamp on, dimly lit - brakes applied - full brightness.

Correct - it uses PWM control for the brake lamp circuit - there's another thread about that here somewhere.

Does the pre-facelift use the same system?

[wpoll]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

The facelift tail lights also illuminate 2 bulbs when braking (4 & 2)...see the tail light illustration from the facelift owners manual below:

Not sure that's right - there are two lamp illuminated as tail (marker) lights - 2 & 4 - but only one lights up as a brake light - 4.

This is how I read the manual (shown above) and how my car works.

[TECN1K]

Originally Posted by jsoto

The only thing required is just the pinout swap.
I'm not looking it up , but no jumper needed. Just swap pin within the harness

Spoken like a true New Yorker.

Helpful, with a bit of figure it out your goddamn self.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...il-lights.html

Originally Posted by powers1

Hi m5james,
The problem is ,you have facelift 04+ tail lights and the pin positions are different to the pre-facelift or your 01 X5.
All you need to do is this-
Pins to swap when fitting 2004-06 Tail lights in pre-facelit X5-E53 (1999-2003)

RIGHT TAIL LIGHT
6 TO 4

LEFT TAIL LIGHT
1 TO 3

If you need any pics or more info ,let me know.I do this all the time in clients cars...no need to buy the OE cable adaptors

[TECN1K]

These projects are fun to figure out - and rehash all over again in a new thread. Yeah, it's all been covered before, 5, 7, 9 years ago.

"Burn" Correction

Before, notice hole from arching


Corrected w/solder

[TECN1K]

Now I followed Powers1's advice, and moved pin 1 on my 2002 harness, to position 3 (for left side)

Nope, Ignore all that garbage below. It did not work on my 4.02 build date model. Update a few posts down.

I then noted no illumination on that bulb (middle).  Prior was high brightness (as if brake was pressed)

To correct this, I did use a jumper, from 3 to 5 (left side).   This gives me low brightness on both bulbs with park lamps on - stock behavior.

New behavior - now BOTH bulbs go high brightness with brakes applied.

Note - Using PA Soft, I've disabled all rear bulb monitoring, I'm sure this mod would throw all kinds of errors.

In order to retrofit the 04-06 housing in a pre-facelift body, BMW says you need to cut sheet metal.  What, no shut up.   I just trimmed some plastic from the connector.

Pics soon.