[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by hb7779

Just finished installing my US spec lights following these directions. One thing I would like to add is that you definitely need a jumper as described in the retrofit bulletin issued by BMW. Without the jumper wire, US spec lights will NOT work as described in this post and video. My lights are installed but they are behaving like EU lights except for the amber color. My coder tells me that I need to have the jumper for them to work as the US spec light. Here is my wiring without the jumper.
I am really confused and can’t find any official source to clarify whether a jumper is required or not for US spec cars with US spec LCI lights.

Hmmmm....if you read the first 10 pages or so of this thread, the installers were predominantly installing US LCI lights on US cars before we all discovered that the Euro's didn't have welcome light issues, but required extra wires from the BDC, which serves the same purpose as the jumper. None of the folks installing US lights on US cars needed a jumper wire.

Who is your coder? If it is not Vic, then my hunch is they don't know what they are doing. I have seen this many times. They are unable to resolve the coding needed and they start guessing at wiring issues.

Reach out to Vic. You will have the welcome light error and will have to shut it down in iDrive like others.

[hb7779]

That’s what my suspicion is. I read through this threat multiple times and came to the same conclusion. I got the coder from one of the G30 forums on Facebook. He is sticking to his view that I need a jumper where I cannot find any evidence of this claim. Inly evidence he can provide is bulletin from EU BMW which I know doesn’t apply to US. I am at a loss how to prove it to him that he needs to look at his coding. I have also sent a message to Vic.
Strange thing is my lights are behaving exactly like an EU car.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by hb7779

That’s what my suspicion is. I read through this threat multiple times and came to the same conclusion. My coder is Brandon Lewis from Nevada. I got his name from one if the G30 forums on Facebook. He is sticking to his view that I need a jumper where I cannot find any evidence of this claim. Inly evidence he can provide is bulletin from EU BMW which I know doesn’t apply to US. I am at a loss how to prove it to him that he needs to look at his coding. I have also sent a message to Vic.
Strange thing is my lights are behaving exactly like an EU car.

My money is on Vic to get you going in 15 minutes. Story, Vic coded my lights and then coded my rear fog light/switch. I noticed a minor anomaly (can't remember what it was) several months later when I was backing up in a parking lot at night and could see my brake lights reflecting off store window glass.

I reached out to Vic and he was out of pocket for the next week or so. In my impatience and off the charts OCD, I just wanted it fixed and made the mistake of having a different coder who said they knew what they were doing go in. He totally fucked up my coding and I was literally in the garage connected with him for 3 hours until 2AM when he declared it had to be a wiring issue.

I paid him and What's Apped Vic and came clean. Ironically he was available. Back in the garage at 2AM, he went in and fixed his mess and corrected the anomaly I was having in 15 minutes.

Lessoned learned. I reached out to the coder and told him Vic fixed it 15 minutes and he pleaded with me to let him go in and see the coding. No dice, that is Vic's intellectual property. He refunded my money.

Facebook is not the best place to find a coder. They are vultures on those groups looking for business.

It's 100% a coding issue if you wired it according to Euro's DIY.

[hb7779]

Great advise. I have own Bimmers for long time and been part of lots of groups. You are absolutely right. I will get it sorted out and report back. This exercise also took a long time. 😊 The reason I went with this coder was that US to US wasn’t a big coding job and there was a recommendation on G30 USA Group. .

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by hb7779

Great advise. I have own Bimmers for long time and been part of lots of groups. You are absolutely right. I will get it sorted out and report back. This exercise also took a long time. 😊 The reason I went with this coder was that US to US wasn’t a big coding job and there was a recommendation on G30 USA Group. .

Definitely report back. Yeah, I was a member in that Group for a while but left about a year ago. As the cars get cheaper, the audience/owners are hard to identify with. Lots of newbies looking to rice out the car, go catless and fight with you over the B58 being better than the N63 and the N63 crowd claiming that "basically have an M5".....the M550 ain't no M5.

Good luck.

[hb7779]

I am happy to report that Vick came to the rescue and proper coding was done. Tail lights work perfectly now except for the expected Welcome Lights. He was quick and things went without a hitch.
Lesson learned.
Thank you for the group members (Joe) for guidance.

[M5_1of400]

Got this done Monday, looks SOOO much better. Big thank you to the OP, Bure and Vick

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by hb7779

I am happy to report that Vick came to the rescue and proper coding was done. Tail lights work perfectly now except for the expected Welcome Lights. He was quick and things went without a hitch.
Lesson learned.
Thank you for the group members (Joe) for guidance.

Nice! Yeah, the guy is super talented.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by M5_1of400

Got this done Monday, looks SOOO much better. Big thank you to the OP, Bure and Vick

Woah, you got the frozen anniversary 2018 M5! Sweet. Looks great.

[hb7779]

Finished product

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by hb7779

Finished product

Stunning. Such a rewarding modification that brings the G30/F90 to current design.

[hb7779]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Stunning. Such a rewarding modification that brings the G30/F90 to current design.

Indeed!

[eecsdude]

I feel like I'm going to be burned for bringing these up. But have folks looked at the Chinese knock offs with clear elements ? I still need to see this on a youtube video or something to understand how it'd look. Can potentially look pretty nice. Reminds me of the clear Porsche tail light look that's optional on all the modern Porsches.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by eecsdude

I feel like I'm going to be burned for bringing these up. But have folks looked at the Chinese knock offs with clear elements ? I still need to see this on a youtube video or something to understand how it'd look. Can potentially look pretty nice. Reminds me of the clear Porsche tail light look that's optional on all the modern Porsches.

If I am being honest, the only thing worse than Chinese knockoffs are riced out smoked ones. It's just advertising cheap knockoffs. Yeah, I am burning you up, at least you saw it coming.

[hb7779]

Hi guys,

Something strange has happened and I would like see if anyone has experienced it. About a month ago I got my US spec LCI tail lights installed. They were coded by Vick who did an excellent job. Everything was fine until this afternoon. While driving when I used my turn signal I notice it was hyper flashing. I got out and checked and saw my outer lights on both sides were not lighting up. When I turn the lights on they did came on but signal were still only flashing the interior part. They also don’t light up when I step on the breaks. Does anyone know why? Is it a coding issue or wiring? I mean wiring was nice and tight. I just want to ask before I go tearing up the trunk again which is pain.

Thank you for your thoughts and ideas in advance.

[hb7779]

***UPDATE***

I locked the car for 15 minutes and let it sit. After 15 minutes everything started working fine again. Both inner and out lights are behaving as designed.
Now the question is what caused this and how do I prevent it from happening again. 🤔
Seems like a coding issue to me but I am not sure. Advise needed. 🙏

[eecsdude]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

If I am being honest, the only thing worse than Chinese knockoffs are riced out smoked ones. It's just advertising cheap knockoffs. Yeah, I am burning you up, at least you saw it coming.

Fair enough. Don't get me wrong, I too think certain things move into the realm of cheap/tacky, but perhaps my taste is changing (especially when I see OEMs doing this). Specifically would you consider the following riced out as well:

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by hb7779

***UPDATE***

I locked the car for 15 minutes and let it sit. After 15 minutes everything started working fine again. Both inner and out lights are behaving as designed.
Now the question is what caused this and how do I prevent it from happening again. 🤔
Seems like a coding issue to me but I am not sure. Advise needed. 🙏

Coding. Your blinker pull triggered a fault. I would start with having Vic take a look before ripping up the trunk.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by eecsdude

Fair enough. Don't get me wrong, I too think certain things move into the realm of cheap/tacky, but perhaps my taste is changing (especially when I see OEMs doing this). Specifically would you consider the following riced out as well:

Ok, I’ll bite. Nope, because Porsche offers those as an option and they are presumably OEM lights. They don’t scream Honda mod like they do on the G30/F90. You asked, that said, it is your car, you can do whatever you want. This is an OEM LCI thread.

[hb7779]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Coding. Your blinker pull triggered a fault. I would start with having Vic take a look before ripping up the trunk.

Thank you. That’s what I thought. I have sent a message to Vick yesterday. I am waiting for him to respond.
I hope he can fix it.

[M5_1of400]

I replaced my tails a few weeks ago and just I noticed a crack on the inner light by the edge, it wasn't there when I installed the lights, so I assume this happened a few days after installation, any of you experienced this? Is there a way to fix it, some sort of magic glue I can put on it? Not the end of the world, I can replace it for $150-250 just want to see if I can fix it and not spend that money.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by M5_1of400

I replaced my tails a few weeks ago and just I noticed a crack on the inner light by the edge, it wasn't there when I installed the lights, so I assume this happened a few days after installation, any of you experienced this? Is there a way to fix it, some sort of magic glue I can put on it? Not the end of the world, I can replace it for $150-250 just want to see if I can fix it and not spend that money.

$150-$250? Are they knockoffs?

Didn’t you over tighten them? The stress of that could cause this. Assuming they are OEM, they should be under warranty.