LED Taillights on X5
 

Does anyone here have LED taillights? I know they are never OEM on X5 therefore looking for after-market but I had no luck. Talked to few vendors who make LED Tails for 3 series and they will only do for X5 if they have enough buyers. So are any members here interested before I make any efforts?

Below are few pics of LEDs taillights on 3 series.

http://www.bmwusa.com/NR/rdonlyres/D.../0/0434_04.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ightsLitUp.jpg

What do you think estimated price will be?
You think there will be options to get them in various styles such as tinted, all red, avail with the clears.. stuff like that?

Depending on the price, I'm down for it since I have gobs of birthday money :)

I am not looking for colored yet....vendors will make anything if there is demand. Price will most probably in the same range as for E46 tails, but no firm details there yet.

If anyone can get them and they are oem quality i will buy a set. Let me know

i hope the price for the x5's should be close to those for the 3 series.
how much for the 3 series anyway?

Count me in.

By the way i always thought it was weird that the X5s never got leds after 2004 when every othe BMW got LEDs. I wonder why. Even the E46 got them and that car came out in 99.

:iagree:

the OEM led tails for a bmw 3series coupe is around 400-500$. So if we can get that price, and it will be an OEM look with clears im in.

Count me in also!!!

same here! :thumbup:

The new Honda Accord has them, it sucks when you are behide someone has that damn light, too damn bright....

I'm down. :thumbup:

if priced right i`m in

Do they even make led rear lights for the X5 does anyone know for sure. ?I was thinking about it and i really want them know

Count me in, for sure.

I'm in as well...
I installed a DEPO kit on my wife's coupe, it's really close to OEM I paid about 50% of what the stealership would've charged me. I had an issue with the LCM though, I took it to the dealer for a flash and solved the problem. I hope that a kit for the X could become available soon :thumbup:
Here are some pics of my wife's ride with the aftermaket LED kit

I would take a set too..as long as they have the clear turns....

Depending on the final price, I'm game!!

Looks like there's a high level of interest here. LeMansX5, let's get the ball rolling. :thumbup:

yea whos in charge of this group buy. Any volunteers

I'm in :) if priced under $400.

LeMansX5 is in contact with the vendors who make E46 LED rearlights. If we have a high enough interest they'll make LED for our X5s as well.

I'm in if they will ship.

count me in as well!

I would get LED tails for my X.

Let's Get This Going!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

i wanted to post this up aswell great your getting it done...
COUNT ME IN

Do you think they would work in some X3 led tails as well?

add 1 more.

Any word yet on if this is possible

led tailights
 

count me in also
but one thing to consider is that will it work without giving that beloved "check the tailight message" being that led's draw less current than the standard light

If there are enough buyers for a product, there will be sellers. The vendors I have talked have said that if there is enough demand then they will make it. Keep the count coming...the more the better.

Yea i did not think of this. It may be a problem.

The manufacturer, if they know what they are doing, can build in a resistor pack that make it look like the same current draw as the OEM lights. Not an insurmountable problem, but definately something that needs to be shared with the manufacturer before they go to production.

OK, I'm down if they're clear and plug-and-play.

Personally, I'd rather find someone to make clear euro-version headlights at an affordable price.

LeMansX5 -

Thanks for chasing this.

I just looked through eBay. I didn't realize how big the BMW LED tail lamps market has become. There was no market at the beginning of last year. I'm amazed there are LED's for even E34's and E38's - must be the German guys pimping out these cars.

Anyways, I'm in. Since there is no production spec, do you have any input into design? If I read the description right, these E46 tail lights from www.carmatrix.de are LED on the top, Cellis on the bottom.

Regards, Mike

So how much of a demand do we need to get this going?? What's an estimated amount of people that need to sign up for this???

Count me in...but they would have to be clear

I am talking to few vendors. Some want more buyers than others. According to them they need more buyers to more than break-even the cost of moulds. Bavauto has also told me that they will try this from their suppliers as well. The vendors are watching this thread as well. We still need more people.

being clear is a must.
i wouldn't mind seeing them tinted either.
:2thumbs:

If it hasn't already been mentioned, contact www.autowerks.com (800.221.2262) they build LED's for all E46 models, which are plug and play. I'm sure they can to the X5's.

What do you guys think about red LED turn signal instead of the usual amber? Ala new 3 series.. This is the new trend among car manufacturers now.

I really didn't like the mostly-red tails. I prefer the half-clear, half-red setup we currently have.

Autowerks is one of the vendor I am talking to and they are watching this thread.

Good company, I truly hope they can make this happen :)

:iagree: - but it would be interesting to see a photoshop of what the all red would look like, if someone wants to take a crack at that.

What if we all sent in $50 deposit to Autowerks to get the ball rolling...wife's 2005 coupe has the LEDs and they make a huge difference...maybe the 2007 will have them.

I'd be in on this if it happens

I'm in
 

Tell me when and where to send the deposit to get things rolling...

At last count there're 23 peeps interested. :thumbup:

Count me out BreytonX5, at a few hundred bucks (ie: more than 200$) I can't justify it.

If you need help organizing it though.. I'd love to help! :D

rear leds
 

i would buy two sets . These moulds would be made in china a set of moulds would cost $15000 and r&d on toparound $2000 for a company set up for this,the plastics and leds would cost around $60 and labour $20.I think you would be looking at min order of 200 and a cost of $250 a set after taxes import duties testing

I'll buy..plz let me know~~

:iagree: and at an affordable price :D ... we neeeeeeeed more people!!!!

I am not sure about that. The new 3 series does not have it. But the new Honda Civic and Accord has it. Don't feel good when the guy in Murano has LED's and is in front of me.

Well so much for AutoWerks doing the LED's.

Here is an e-mail I received from them:

-------
Ryan,

As of right now, LEDs for the X5 is out of the question. Starting a production run on LED Tail Lights for the X5 would prove to be highly costly, so if we were to ever consider it, we would probably need thousands of orders.

If you have any more questions, let me know.

Thanks,

Chris
AutoWerks.com

boo!!!!!:thumbdown

Autowerks should know this group will get the ball rolling for them. Eventually there will be "thousands" of buyers but they've got to show the masses the products first. But to expect thousands initially is crazy. :tsk:

Look for 2007 X5 to have LED guys (from what I see from spy pics)

ahhhhhhhhh dammit, so AutoWerks is out. :thumbdown Would other vendors have the same mindset as them?? I hope not...

All I can say is AutoWerks responsed very quickly, less then 24 hrs. So at least they didn't keep us waiting.

I agree... it's like please market our product and sell them for us and in return we will make them.

Chris is the one I talked to. And he also owns a X5. :tsk:.
I will keep chasing vendors till I find one.

Bavauto's response:
********************

I read through the thread and yes it does seem like there are a number of interested people. I will pass the word on. However we do not manufacture the lights that we sell. Currently none of the vendors we currently deal with are offering any LED lights for the X5. I don't doubt that these may already be available somewhere, but we are very picky with the items we offer. Unless something meets our standards, we will not carry it. As far as the issue about the check control, those are very valid concerns. This is a problem with the 5 series retrofits, which is why the kit we sell comes with resistor packs. If one of our vendors decides to offer these lights, you can bet we will have them available. The best way to check on things like this in at our online catalog. New stuff appears there first.

Feel free to contact us if you have further questions.

Bavarian Autosport Web Services

Apparently he has no intention of building the product. I use to believe that the reason you paid the rediculous price for the aftermarket parts was the fact that R&D had to go into it and you were paying for the lower quantity of sales.

So are we still getting these leds or what i want them really bad

Looks like we're fighting a losing battle here. :(

^ yah..unless someone here ownes a manufacturing fab shop.

I am also trying vendors abroad. They may have cheaper initial costs. You never know. May be I should make a trip to China and start my own thing. ;)

it just puzzles me that no one is already making these taillights never mind wont make them if they already have buyers lined up. Meanwhile they make them for every other bimmer out there all the way back to the early 90s

Is this project DOA or are there signs of life? Last night, I saw a brand new Toyota RAV4 (or is it RAV6) with LED taillights. Life is not right when a RAV4 makes me jealous. :mad:

The US vendors need atleast 500+ orders to even think about it as they have very high initial costs for moulds etc. I am sure cost of these are much less if we get from overseas. Trying vendors outside of US and that process is very slow. If some members from overseas can help in process than this project can move forward.

Count me in. Let us know when you get a price.

any updates? im in if it's at a fair price (under $400)

I might be able to help you out. I have a good friend who is a buyer for a couple of retail stores and splits his time between Ohio and Asia. I'm also Chinese, but I don't speak the lingo too well (3rd gen Chinese American).

I actually think it would not be difficult to get one of the Chinese manufacturers to agree to making LED tail light sets. All they need is one or two sets of OEM tail lights, and they'll find a way to clone it. The question is the cost of R&D and what the final per unit price will be.

We'll probably find out that these Asian made E46 LED tail lights that we see on eBay selling for $300 actually cost $100 per unit. I've seen clone E39 and E46 bulb style tail lights going for as low as $25 per pair, so $100 for LED wholesale price is not completely out of the question. What we don't want obviously are tail lights that are going to crack or turn yellow after a couple of years in the sun.

Anyways, IM me if you need help.

Regards, Mike

$145 for a set of LED tail lights for an e36 - http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/92-98...43117231QQrdZ1

So is anyone here still working on the led tail lights groupbuy. Is it getting close.

I'd go for it if the price is right

First I see a new Rav4 with LED's, then last evening I was following a new Murano, also equipped with LED's. I'm getting a case of tail light envy. I've been sending emails out to Taiwanese manufacturers and eBay vendors with no success. We definitely need an overseas representative.

last night I saw a W210 E-class mercedes with LED taillights .. I think I have a case of taillight envy as well :tsk:

yea i want these damn lights badly. Ive seen them for sale for every other bmw out there all the way back to the early 90s. Whats up they think X5 owners dont buy this kind of stuff or what.

Tell me about LED tail light envy. :tsk: My wife's car has LED tail lights. I have talked pretty much every vendor selling tail ligts I have seen in Bimmer, Roundel, European car and othercar mags. For asian vendor I have asked my contact in Asia to find someone as I can't speak the language. So that's slowing down. But if you guys can help in any way iwth your overseas contacts, I appreciate that.

The US vendors say that the moulds cost $15000 and therefore they need a lot of serious buyers so as to invest in the project and make it feasible.

We still do not have enough buyers to have the US based vendors start on this.

Count me in!!!
 

Waiting for the group buy to begin!!!!:thumbup:
Just trying to stay positive!!! It's the least I can do knowing you guys are trying really hard to get this going so that we can all have LED's like the rest!!!

anything yet? Good luck guys

I believe this topic is very much dead. No?

Good idea - any messages will be of the "any news yet?" variety... Close it down until a someone can post a new development.

for the right price im in as well

Also in!!

Don't think this will happen till we have at least 400+ buyers.

How many buyers do we need then?

How about extending it to X3 owners too. That could increase your count.

X3 will be a separate mould as its different design, don't think vendors will count them together.

We need more people for X5 and X3. We don't even have 100 buyers yet.

I'm in for LEDs for the X5!

We need a design and a manufacturerer before we can even discuss any type of order, including a group buy.

Here are some interesting Clear X5 Tail lights that I have not seen before;

http://cgi.ebay.com/BMW-X5-E53-CLEAR...QQcmdZViewItem

Maybe we could track this manufacturer down for some custom LED ones? Anyone want to give it a shot?

Autowerks.com is big seller of LED tail lights for E46 and i have talked to them. I have also taked to bavauto.com for this. They will do if there are enough buyers. Still need more people to be in group buy.

We need a design. Unless we come up with specific requirements, we could end up with a very poor interpretation of what an X5 tail light should look like.

I like the bars like on the 6 with leds behind them

Im in

AS A P-MEMBER... COUNT ME IN....:thumbup:

I'm in!

Please add your name to the group buy list in this thread

im in as well i'v been looking for led's for some time

Isn't it kinda ironic that the new X5 (E70) has LED Taillights standard?

How many signatures do you need lemans, just wondering?

300+ . ChinaMan will talk to DEPO owner on his visit to Taiwan this month, if they can start with current list.
We have 74 and counting in this thread.

i'm in

im in

Any action? Curious as to the current manufacturer point of view on producing LEDs for the X5.

Not gonna dew it. Why would they at this point, there is the E70 with LED's. I doubt they will manufacture anything for a model that is no longer built, wasn't built in HUGE numbers and had a production run of 6 years. :(

Well, hopefully, we will see them on ebay one day.

Sure, from Hong Kong :rofl: