[Andy M]

Apologies if this has been posted already. I found one thread but it didn't answer my question.

I have a 2009 LCI 335i xdrive sedan and I bought the Bimmian LED side markers. After installation, I found a 1 mm gap (or slightly smaller, maybe 0.8 mm) I read how other aftermarket side markers have gaps in them but not the Bimmian ones apparently. I called Bimmian and they suggested I reinstall them and push them back all the way to make sure they click but I've done that already and it doesn't seem to help.

I was wondering if anyone had any solutions for this? Maybe readjust the clip? Or some sort of sealant just to fill in the gap to keep the water out? Thanks!

[SV Concepts III]

Hrmm that's odd, these clicked right in for our E92. Have you tried bending the metal retaining clip out a bit?

[Andy M]

Yeah I have. The gap isn't constant along the entire assembly either, it's just on one corner. It fits in, it's just the piece doesn't seem to contour to the body and so there's a gap.

[CPI]

hmm thats weird? do you have any pics?

[Andy M]

Sorry for the bad quality. Didn't have my camera with me and so I used my iPhone. You can see the gap as the black line on the photo (and yes I'm planning on washing my car this weekend).

[Andy M]

I realized there was probably no way to solve this. I think the gap isn't too big to live with and it's probably due to the cold temperature (could be the body is just warping a little bit due to the cold).

Just wrapped the wires in more electrical tape in case the wires get wet inside.

[335iPaul]

Well if you find you can't live with this I will buy them for $20

[pilipnoi]

You're a brave soul..I was meaning to buy these for my LCI E90 but was weary of fitment issues and then having to put my stock ones back on and go through the process of returning them. Guess I'll just have to wait for these too....

[Andy M]

Originally Posted by 335iPaul

Well if you find you can't live with this I will buy them for $20

Well, they're practically brand new so...shipping will be $70.

Actually I searched a bit more on the net and others (on this forum and others) has said that there is a weatherproofing issue with the Bimmian side lights.

In all honesty, I really like the look of these lights since I think the stock ones with the "egg yolk" center makes the car look cheap - moreso on the LCI since most of the lights on this car has been switched to LED's. The stock side marker just looks out of place.

What I'll do is I'll take them off again and put extra wax underneath it. Then I'll try to by some sort of sealer which I can just inject in between or run along the edges. (if anyone has any ideas on sealers, let me know...)

[Andy M]

Just an update.

So I think I've found a way to get this thing weatherproofed. Washed the car recently and right after I took the side markers out and examined the wire - it was wet. So yes, water DOES get in.

Also, I'm a little concerned because stagnant water on metal is never good as it's one of the susceptable rust areas, especially if you get road salt and dirt in there too.

So....

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/s...k=P_PartNumber

That's temporary caulking. It's like bathroom caulking but it has a low adhesion so it won't damage the paint. To be extra cautious, I'm going to clean the area up and add a fresh coat of wax. If there's adhesion, it'll be on the wax as opposed to the clear coat so it won't damage the paint at all.

I'll masking tape the area and I'll squeeze some of that stuff in and then clean off the edges just like sealing any corner. The edge of a credit card works great actually for this type of application. And because it'll be inside the space, it should hold quite well and I won't have to worry about it coming out. When I want to change the light, it's as easy as taking a toothpick or a needle and just skewering a corner out and peeling it.

It's Sunday night right now so I'll pick up a tube after work tomorrow and give it a try. I'll post up better photos of the problem and I'll take photos of my solution to make it a (very simple) DIY.

[shift330]

Maybe silicon like what they use in aquariums would work?

[bulldog_yyc]

so is this for all side marker by bimmian or only for fitment on LCI models?

[E92-Lighting]

we have been fine with our led sidemarkers, two choices of color

[shift330]

Originally Posted by turkish335

so is this for all side marker by bimmian or only for fitment on LCI models?

I got my smoked ones from them and they fit fine. I'm thinking LCI issue or maybe just a fluke.

[pilipnoi]

Originally Posted by E92-Lighting

we have been fine with our led sidemarkers, two choices of color

Can you confirm perfect fitment for the E90 LCI's?

[Andy M]

My thoughts are that it's more of a design issue than anything.

To machine something perfectly flat is tough. So you design to allow for variations - something which the Bimmian side markers don't have. It's a hard piece of flat plastic with no "give". The OEM ones are the same except it has a rubber seal that is flexible which allows for variations to ensure a watertight seal - this allows for some variations in both the body of the car and also the part itself. There is no way the Bimmian ones are watertight since it's nearly impossible to ensure that it's water tight if there's no flexible seal.

Here's another thread: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...bimmian&page=2

On the other hand, the bimmian led side marker really have fitments issue on E92 and also is not weather proof as the oem one! I end up spent 2 hr to sand it down and made my own weather proof strip in order to fit the suckers on my car!

So it looks like it might not be an LCI issue unless a bunch of other LCI's are having the same problem.

I can't conclude that it's a bad set of Bimmian lights since the gap is about the same size on both sides and in the same placement. It could be an LCI issue or just a variation in the body part of my car. Or it could be that most people have a gap but just don't see it or don't care. The gap could be on the bottom which would go unnoticed.

Hopefully my workaround will work because I'm just not comfortable with salt and water getting in through that opening.

[SGxi]

Originally Posted by Andy M

So I think I've found a way to get this thing weatherproofed. Washed the car recently and right after I took the side markers out and examined the wire - it was wet. So yes, water DOES get in.

Also, I'm a little concerned because stagnant water on metal is never good as it's one of the susceptable rust areas, especially if you get road salt and dirt in there too.

I had the same concern myself when I got mine. When I compare the OEM with the Bimmian version, the OEM has a rubber seal around the back of the unit to make sure the hole is sealed property. The one from Bimmian doesn't. I tried to get new ones to see if I can use the rubber seal on the Bimmian but unfortunately, the OEM one is not detachable. In the end, I gave up and decided to stick with the OEM one.

[Andy M]

Originally Posted by shift330

Maybe silicon like what they use in aquariums would work?

I considered silicone too as well as a lot of other sealers including clear silicone for windshields, gasket sealers, even regular white glue. The problem is that they're all bonding agents too and that's what I don't want for these lights.

I want something that will give a good seal, has a bit of flex to it (since there's none with hard plastic on hard metal), and is removable in the future without causing damage to the paint. With anything more temporary, it would involve cutting the seal just to get the side markers off which would leave residue.

Off work in a few hours. I'll probably pick up a tube in the evening though as to not fight rush hour traffic.

[Andy M]

Alright, so as promised, here's my results. It worked quite well and I'm very happy with the results.

The first photo shows a clear photo of the problem - a very small gap in between the body panel and the side marker which allows dirt and water to get in.

I used the Dap Draft Attack Removable Caulking which I bought at Home Depot in the caulking aisle. It won't bond to your paint job and it's also clear as well. You don't have to buy Dap - there were other brands available of removable caulking there too. You'll want to make sure you buy the removable caulking as opposed to regular silicone since the removable type will not bond to your paint and allows you to easily remove it in the future.

In terms of texture and "stickiness" it's like that stuff they use to attach the credit card to the paper when it arrives in the mail. I wouldn't be surprised if they were the same material.

Here are the steps that I took:

1. Remove the side marker and wash the area thoroughly to ensure that there is no salt or dirt in the area or under where the markers will be going.

2. Tape up the area using automotive masking tape. The one I have comes in green and can be bought at any automotive store. (Pictures 2 and 3) When you tape up the area, tape up the side marker and the car body separately. You'll want to leave a space in between the marker and the car body since this is where the caulking will go (see Picture 3).

3. Apply the caulking around the edges just like you would do with a bathroom tile. (see Picture 4) I then used my finger to smooth it out a bit and try to force more caulking into the gaps. I then used a membership card that I hardly use as a squeegie to smooth out the edge.

4. Remove the masking tape slowly. It should leave the body and the marker caulking-free and just leave caulking in the area that was unmasked (the gap in between). (Picture 5)

And there we go, the Bimmian side marker is weatherproofed!! (Picture 6)

I have to say though, the Bimmian LED side markers do look very sharp on my car and so the time spent weatherproofing it was worth it.

[im spencer]

Avoid Bimmian products as best you can they are pretty crappy in terms of quality. I personally regret ever buying anything from their site and I've learned my lesson for that. Good job on your solution looks like a clean and practical solution

[SV Concepts III]

I am very surprised to hear that. As a Bimmian Retailer, we have been very pleased with the quality and integrity of their products. So much so that we run many of these items on our own cars and fully back the fit and finish of their pieces.

[absix]

D'uh!