I think this video is a good guide as well:

 

Hi Doug,

I’m looking to do this as well, did you need to do any coding after installing the leds?

I’m in Canada and Amazon.ca doesn’t have the same brand of bulbs you have listed. Do you have any other recommended brands?

thanks

 

Just did this on the driver's side. Started the car to test it and immediately have a "Left brake lamp malfunction error". Swapped the original bulb back in and left brake light still doesn't work.

Scan with Carly:
00A8B6 Left brake light is defective
009CB1 Unfortunately, no error text available / Dimmer potentiometer defective
006EC4 Steering angle sensor
0046B4 NOx sensor before denox catalytic converter
00A55F HW error steering column switch (LSS)
00A559 Terminal 30g f cutoff / Terminal 30g f shutdown / KL.30g f shutdown
0055D0 Can message steering wheel angle, C4
00E2D6 Message 0x330 mileage flawed
00A4E8 Button (on/off) / Switch (on/off), overvoltage or undervoltage
00DE8B Bus LIN communication error for rain light sensorS 0xDE8B / LIN error 0xDE8B
00AA0E Software reset
00E150 Ring break diagnosis was performed (error ring diagnosis). / CAN bus: message error

After recovering from my heart attack, I cleared all the codes and scratched my head. The car was running fine before today. I checked both the brake light and running light bulb filaments and both looked good. They are the same bulb type so I swapped them and went for a tour around the block. All three driver's side lights (running, brake and reverse) are illuminating properly. Scanned again and only got the first code (00A8B6). Cleared it again and it didn't come back and no more warning from the car.

Now I'm afraid to try again. I think I'll be returning these LED bulbs to Amazon.

2013 X5d.

 

 

After driving a couple days, now the left turn signal doesn't flash. "Left rear turn signal malfunction".

Carly scan shows only one code: 00A8B2

 

Exterior lights are monitored for open circuit - broken filament - by JBE and malfunction signaled. Lights’ circuits are protected from short circuit high current by the FRM but not notified.

 

I'm going to try this sequence today:

If that doesn't work, I'm going to buy two new incandescent bulbs.

If that doesn't work, I've read that you can code out the FRM current check. Not yet sure if this is something Carly can do.

Doesn't the turn signal use the same bulb as the running light? There are only three bulbs in the assembly...(1) brake, (2) reverse and (3) running/turn. Bulbs one and three are the same model (part number 7506).

 

Well after pulling the bulbs re-inserting them (swapped upper & lower again, now back to original positions) and doing the insert key/remove key sequence, things are back to the original errors. No left brake and no left reverse. The markings on the bulbs are actually GE 1057LF. I believe 7506 is the Osram/Sylvania equivalent 12V 21W bulb.

There is no evidence of burning or any other defects in the assembly. The top bulb does have a tiny bit of wiggle if I push on it.

I'm going to buy two new bulbs and see what happens.

 

The FRM protection cannot be coded out. That’s like putting a penny in a fuse socket. The JBE current check cannot be coded out.

 

Cleared codes, put in two new 7506 bulbs and still get reverse light error. Cleared codes, replaced reverse with new 921 bulb that I picked up just in case while I was at the auto parts store. Everything works (at the moment). I went for a drive, used the turn signal often. Stopped, started, shut motor off, turned motor on, went in reverse, went in forward...everything is working. We'll see what happens in the next few days.

 

newTIS.info beta
Home / BMW E70 X5 xDrive35d SAV / Repair Manuals and Technical Data / 63 Lights / 63 21 Rear light cluster /
63 21 180 Removing and installing/replacing left or right rear light (in side panel)

newTIS

NewTIS instructions worked perfectly as I replaced the incandescent reversing lights bulbs with LED. I might add the note for the connector that there is a catch on the underside of the connector that needs to be moved towards the wires upward just a bit to release the very tight connector. (if I can find the connector details then I'll post them). The three nuts' torque specification is 2.5 Nm or about 3.3 pounds force on the end of the wrench that I used.

I spread a clean white cotton towel closely beneath the work area so that any dropped nuts could not escape.

By mid-winter 1600 is fully dark and 4X bright reversing lights will be nice. I compared left changed to LED with right not yet changed and the LED is very obviously much brighter.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SZN7LZ8?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e70-x5-xdrive35d-sav_201202/components-connectors/plug-in-comb-type-solder-connectors/connectors-from-x3/x318-x318/CTITDRVm

View attachment 1011668

Installed these during the weekend and there is a significan difference vs the bulbs that were there.

Good upgrade and easy to complete. Took all of 10 minutes.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

+1

My incandescents are tucked away under the right fuse block.

Part of my right headlight replacement experience was the pro forma Free Twenty-One Point Inspection recommendations report from my dealer. I understood all of their recommendations except the $600 Electrical System Diagnostic. I thought that might be due to my LED taillights upgrade, hopefully not. When I inquired of my body shoppe manager - most trusted at the dealership - he averred that it was the diagnostic that determined that the module controlling look right or left needed replacement ~ $1000.

 

newTIS.info beta
Home / BMW E70 X5 xDrive35d SAV / Repair Manuals and Technical Data / 63 Lights / 63 21 Rear light cluster /
63 21 180 Removing and installing/replacing left or right rear light (in side panel)

newTIS

NewTIS instructions worked perfectly as I replaced the incandescent reversing lights bulbs with LED. I might add the note for the connector that there is a catch on the underside of the connector that needs to be moved towards the wires upward just a bit to release the very tight connector. (if I can find the connector details then I'll post them). The three nuts' torque specification is 2.5 Nm or about 3.3 pounds force on the end of the wrench that I used.

I spread a clean white cotton towel closely beneath the work area so that any dropped nuts could not escape.

By mid-winter 1600 is fully dark and 4X bright reversing lights will be nice. I compared left changed to LED with right not yet changed and the LED is very obviously much brighter.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SZN7LZ8?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e70-x5-xdrive35d-sav_201202/components-connectors/plug-in-comb-type-solder-connectors/connectors-from-x3/x318-x318/CTITDRVm

View attachment 1011668

Doug,

Have you noticed any radio interference from the LED replacement bulbs? Check on the AM broadcast band (0.53-1.71MHz analog) and the FM broadcast band (88-108MHz analog). Sirius XM Satellite Radio won't be affected (S Band 2.320-2.3325 GHz digital).

The LED bulbs you are using have an inverter circuit switching at about 1 MHz and are notorious for generating lots of RFI extending well up into the VHF portion of the radio spectrum. Whether or not they create an RFI problem in a particular installation depends on a lot of factors but they represent potent broadband RF noise sources. I have tried the same sort of LED bulbs (festoon style) as replacements for the license plate lights in my 2005 VW PD Jetta Wagen TDI (sold the car in 2014). I had to remove them after finding they totally trashed my FM broadcast band reception. Strong local FM stations were noisy and weaker stations were totally buried in broadband noise. As an EMI/EMC Engineer, I should have known this beforehand, LOL. The LED replacement bulbs I ended up using for the license plate lights were just an LED and current limit resistor in the bulb assembly. It was a passive LED replacement instead of an LED assembly with active circuitry. The LED+resistor passive replacement put out less light but generated zero RFI. The passive LED solution was more than good enough for the license plate lights.

I will not use LED bulbs as replacements for incandescant bulbs if they contain any active circuitry because of the RFI they are known to generate. As an EMI/EMC Engineer and an FCC licensed Amateur Radio operator (N1DAS), I love how bright they are but I don't want the RFI from them. I recently replaced all of the incandescant bulbs in the rear of my X5 35d with new incandescant bulbs.

 

I have not noticed, neither have I looked around the bands, but I will.

My impression has been that I live in distant marginal reception area and that as I drive towards populated areas my reception improves - except while I am near poorly maintained power lines. Then I get aggravated and switch to recorded media.

Yes, I am aware of the switching noise problem of digital power supplies.

 

How are the bulbs working so far? I bought the same bulbs but I haven't installed them because of concerns with having the same problem as Deptrai.

Doug and Argento, everything working normally with these LEDs installed? My car is an 02/11 production date

 

They work great for me, to the point that I realized last night that my garage door opener has a burnt lightbulb and I don't need to change it!

I pay no attention to radio, so I can't help on that front.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I have noticed no issues so far.

I hope that my BMW Service Center looked rather closely at the conditions reported by my external lighting system as part of the recent headlight casualty replacement.

 

So the question remains, if swapping the reverse bulbs to the ones you listed.... Did you have to code out for an error with an app like BIMMERCODE?

 

Thank you all for the feedback. I'll try to do these bulb replacement this weekend. Besides disconnecting the taillight harness, any other tip?

 

Nothing to it... 3 bolts... Pull the housing, unclip the holders and swap the bulb. Reverse... Took me 15 minutes... Start to finish..

Heck while I was there I moved the rear tailgate latches to tighten up the rear door so it didn't squeek as much. Easy fix as well... Mark them first... Loosen the bolts, move them back a lil bit retighten and make sure it shuts tightly....

Good luck

 

Torque limits and plasticiser for the waterproofing gasket.

2.5 Nm ~ 1¾ lbf-ft

 

I stalled the LEDs last week, everything went smooth .

 

How are these bulbs going for you all?

Lately I've been getting a "Reverse Light Malfunction" on both sides at the same time and in other times it jumps between left and right sides. I noticed it happens usually in the morning when I turn on the car and I go in reverse. Most of the time it clears after driving a while but many times it comes back if I need to go in reverse even if it cleared after a driving the car.

In the past it just to happens maybe once in a while that I received the message about the reverse light malfunction but now it is everytime. I've had the bulbs for 1 1/2 years. I had reverse LEDs in my E46 and they never failed and lasted until the car's last day.