Lighting (Angel Eyes) wiring for factory switched operation.
 

On the LCM (located in the passenger's right kick panel)

Look at the top connector.

Fourth pin down on the left side is a brown wire with white stripe.

This is the +12V tap for the relay's trigger wire, so that your lights (Angel Eyes) will come on with the running (parking) lights.

Here are details specifically for DEPO (speedster source) pre-facelift Angel Eye installs.

1) This is where your trigger wire (red with white stripe) goes. Fourth pin down on the left is the brown/white wire. Tie it in as mentioned in my first post.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...lknap/LCM1.jpg

EDIT: HERE ARE BETTER PICS OF THE LCM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...5/60e418c8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...5/619493d8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...5/6036ffc0.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...5/36f8f3f3.jpg

2) Pull out the other "red with white stripe" wire from the center pin of the AE relay. Throw it in the trash.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...p/IMG_1570.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...p/IMG_1573.jpg

3) This is where the red wire with ringed terminal goes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...p/IMG_1574.jpg

4) This is where the black wire with ringed terminal goes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...p/IMG_1575.jpg

'grats, you're done wiring the DEPO (speedster source) Angel Eyes to your E53, and you can turn them on when you want, with the factory switch.

Good to know. I just tapped into a switched 12V and fused it under the ECU cover. Maybe that'll stop people from being paranoid about the few fires people had in the E46 now that we know the proper place to tap into.

Hopefully it helps someone.

Oh, and it's worth mentioning, solder and heatshrink.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...p/IMG_1576.jpg

The "pre-connected" AE harnesses are only good in that they show you what is connected to what.

I took those "pre-connected" crap butt splices off and threw them in the trash.

Solder and heatshrink.

Being as that this install is LED, I am not concerned about any type of current draw heating this gauge of wire up. So long as the connections are professional, and fused. No worries.

I liked the way you worded it better the first time. :)

haha... :)

Well, the truck is clean. Time to take some money shots!

Get those money shots! I think I'll follow your lead here, once I get some time. Quick question though, I'm guessing that you have the same harness as me, and it has 2 smaller gauge red and white wires, right? It looks as if you only put one of those through the firewall for connection. What did you do with the other?

Thanks for posting this. I'm going to do this project soon, I've just been so busy.

Wiring colors vary from year to year, so can you tell us what year your X5 is?

Chris

;)

2003.

Gotcha! Thanks a lot!!