Replacing tail light bulbs with LEDs

[YMB-M3-J2]

I will have to code out the error check for the reverse lights even though they have a decoder. That just stops it from saying there is a bulb out...the error check the car does will still cause the bulb to flicker like a strobe light every few minutes....there is never a way around that in Fxx cars.

the Bimmian bulbs have the decoder in them already but I put cheaper bulbs in my spouse's X4 and they did not have the decoder and i didnt get a hyper flash...I just had to do the same coding as above. Those bulbs are Ebay item#310970505328. To be honest the cheaper bulbs look the same as the Bimmian...no point in spending the extra dollars.

[MPNGAO_M4]

Originally Posted by YMB_M4_j2

here is the rear turn signals...they look a kind of amber in the video but they are not in person. They are the same brightness as the original bulbs so no real improvement there.
I will post one of the reverse lights once i get them installed.

I dont have one of the brake lights as i was in a hurry and already took them back out.

Do you have a video with the LED brake lights by any chance?

[Vectors2final]

The look nice and crisp. I like it! Substantial improvement over the OEM incandescent.

I will say that Bimmian touts better than OEM brightness and a lifetime exchange should any issues come up. I know they're LEDs, but you never know what could happen with shit from eBay.

[YMB-M3-J2]

Originally Posted by SuzukaGRY

Do you have a video with the LED brake lights by any chance?

I dont...i put one in and it was so dim in comparison to the standard bulb i took it right back out and didnt bother doing both.

[YMB-M3-J2]

Originally Posted by Vectors2final

The look nice and crisp. I like it! Substantial improvement over the OEM incandescent.

I will say that Bimmian touts better than OEM brightness and a lifetime exchange should any issues come up. I know they're LEDs, but you never know what could happen with shit from eBay.

agreed on Bimmian..they have great products but cost of $10-15 vs $89 is hard to swallow for 2 small bulbs..i could buy 8-9 sets of the eBay ones for the price of bimmian.. Surprisingly i had eBay bulbs in my E90 and F30 for 3 years each for a total of 6 years and they are still good to go.

[Vectors2final]

Yeah, but if the brightness is better it seems like it would be worth it to me.

[YMB-M3-J2]

thats the thing it wasnt a noticeable difference to me..which is why i put the cheaper ones in the X4...they looks the same in the end.

[Vectors2final]

Ahh, I see.


There was another website that I can't think of now... I'll have to look it up, but they offered some pretty kick ass LEDs for BMW/VW/Merc.

[BRM6]

Originally Posted by YMB_M4_j2

Ebay item # 291215686944

Are they working fine or flickering/must code?

[YMB-M3-J2]

Originally Posted by BRN55

Are they working fine or flickering/must code?

They work great but will flicker without the coding. They don't hyper flash though so if the flicker doesn't bother you then you are good.

[YMB-M3-J2]

update on the reverse lights... They didn't work

First they didn't fit and one came damaged.. Got my money back and haven't really had the time to search for better options..but I'm not giving up yet.

[ericlinvio]

Has anyone tried this on their M4s?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TJ9ROOI/...I3FFOJKL8QIVUL

If it works I'm thinking about getting one for my M3 as I looked up the owner's manual of both M3 and M4 that they use the same reverse bulbs.

[TonySCV]

Originally Posted by chilee0222

Has anyone tried this on their M4s?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TJ9ROOI/...I3FFOJKL8QIVUL

If it works I'm thinking about getting one for my M3 as I looked up the owner's manual of both M3 and M4 that they use the same reverse bulbs.

The manual for the F80 is incorrect in some cases where it talks about replacement bulbs. Details here:

http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...1&postcount=49

Basically for the F80 it's pretty simple. Most of the bulbs that need replacing are P21W's. The Philips 1156 red LED's will replace the outer brake lights and turn signal bulbs. The 1156 white LED's will replace the backup lights. The inner brake lights are different. They are halogen (H21W's) and require a different replacement LED bulb that I haven't yet researched. It's the same halogen bulb that is giving F82 owners grief.

You will have to have someone code off the bulb checks and code on the LED flag for any bulbs you replace, as the flickering for the bulb check at startup and every 5 minutes is incredibly annoying and very noticeable. Can't be good for the new LED bulbs either.

[ericlinvio]

Originally Posted by TonySCV

The manual for the F80 is incorrect in some cases where it talks about replacement bulbs. Details here:

http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...1&postcount=49

Basically for the F80 it's pretty simple. Most of the bulbs that need replacing are P21W's. The Philips 1156 red LED's will replace the outer brake lights and turn signal bulbs. The 1156 white LED's will replace the backup lights. The inner brake lights are different. They are halogen (H21W's) and require a different replacement LED bulb that I haven't yet researched. It's the same halogen bulb that is giving F82 owners grief.

You will have to have someone code off the bulb checks and code on the LED flag for any bulbs you replace, as the flickering for the bulb check at startup and every 5 minutes is incredibly annoying and very noticeable. Can't be good for the new LED bulbs either.

That's very helpful! Thanks so much.
I have ordered these cheap LED bulbs and we'll see how that works out.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[gvan1998]

Originally Posted by chilee0222

That's very helpful! Thanks so much.
I have ordered these cheap LED bulbs and we'll see how that works out.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Any update?
This might work better http://www.ebay.com/itm/2pcs-High-Po...5UMAVx&vxp=mtr
LEDs are projecting backward so it can reflect off the factory housing

[beyondtheabyss]

Originally Posted by YMB_M4_j2

I will let you know as soon as get them. I want to say it should but who knows until they are in.

Just curious, were you able to get the LED reverse lights? And if you did, how are they? Significantly brighter? Do they help with the back-up camera visibility? Or do you have a video? Sorry, I'm just interested in getting them as well. I just want make sure they're worth it.

[smr123]

Originally Posted by YMB_M4_j2

They work great but will flicker without the coding. They don't hyper flash though so if the flicker doesn't bother you then you are good.

The rapid slight flicker ever few minutes does not bother me, vs coding the ability to know a bulb is out. Love the bright led sigs

[YMB-M3-J2]

Originally Posted by beyondtheabyss

Just curious, were you able to get the LED reverse lights? And if you did, how are they? Significantly brighter? Do they help with the back-up camera visibility? Or do you have a video? Sorry, I'm just interested in getting them as well. I just want make sure they're worth it.

Never got them. The ones I ordered didn't fit right and only found some for upwards of $100, I don't even remember where because I wasn't going to spend $100 on them. Just seems a little crazy for two little bulbs. Now I'm 10 months away from trading for an M3 so I'm not really going to bother.

[YMB-M3-J2]

Originally Posted by smr123

The rapid slight flicker ever few minutes does not bother me, vs coding the ability to know a bulb is out. Love the bright led sigs

I had it on my other cars and it never really bothered me but I did code it out on the M4 because the LED 's don't really burn out. If anything it would be one bulb out of the many which wouldn't trip the sensor anyways.

I actually don't know if the bulb check even works when an LED no longer works anyway. Never thought about it in that way.

[AustinGelbM4]

I changed to rear LED turn signal bulbs yesterday based on YMB_M4_j2 info. Good info. Quick assessment. Just as bright as OEM incandescent. Sharper on/off unlike glow on/off OEM which is slightly out of sync with side indicators. Every 80 secs there is that quick flicker which bothered me so I removed them. I'll go back to them after I've coded out flicker.

[YMB-M3-J2]

Originally Posted by AustinGelbM4

I changed to rear LED turn signal bulbs yesterday based on YMB_M4_j2 info. Good info. Quick assessment. Just as bright as OEM incandescent. Sharper on/off unlike glow on/off OEM which is slightly out of sync with side indicators. Every 80 secs there is that quick flicker which bothered me so I removed them. I'll go back to them after I've coded out flicker.

[TayF80]

Originally Posted by YMB_M4_j2

they will flicker without coding. i dont have the reverse lights in yet. i still cant find ones that i like..F82 has a very odd bulb that is hard to find.

Did those reverse lights from bimman work? what is the Bulb size?