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Rear Light Facelift Update Cheap How to

Great job on the write up. I read all through it despite the fact I have no intention of ever doing it to my Z4 - I much prefer the prefacelift rear lights...
 
Agree I think if they had stuck with the old design (the circles) but made it smooth without the plastic painted piece in the middle along with the curve shape of the new bumper it would look better.... I dont know why but the new lights seem to make the rear of the car 'fatter' despite the bumpers being the same size.

I have been experimenting with LED bulbs, would be nice to get them all LED in there, up to now... 3w Luxeon, SMD, and normal cluster LED ones... will post a new thread when I come up with the best for each application. Up to now, no LED is as bright as the stock 21w brake lamp bulb so therefore not good enough! However, there are a couple more to arrive yet! :-)
 
It looks fatter due to the led strip running horizontal across the back of the car, visually looks wider. as for the the pre-facelift, the round lenses make the car look more rounded. suppose thats the reason i like te newer style?.
 
Intersting in particular seeing the lights on a prefacelift Sterling grey.

For me when I compare the new and the old there is no doubt the standard orange and red prefacelift lens look dated. That said the facelift light to me just looks like a change for the sake of change and has no character. The 4 white spot is what suits the car and matches all its curves and contours.

Beauty of this though is the customisation and getting what we each like and enjoy :thumbsup:
 
Does anybody know the part number for the factory light control module so that I can forgo splicing and soldering wires?

Thanks,
David
 
dyerkes said:
Does anybody know the part number for the factory light control module so that I can forgo splicing and soldering wires?

Thanks,
David
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You do know how much this option would cost you dont you?

I think you will go for this work around when you find out. :wink:
 
Theres the programming issue aswell, if you have updated rear lights aparently the newer light control modules expect the newer front xenons so it needs to be programmed to accept new rears and old fronts so I am told. You also need to run 2 wires from the light control module to the back of the car through the correct channels where bmw run the wires.... that sounded like a nightmare to me, if you dont want to use soldering iron use some automotive push connecters, just make sure you tape them up so water cant get into them.... Based on the fact it took sytners 3 attempts to get my doors to lock when I drive off and disable the alarm flash on disarm/arm I couldnt imagine explaining the extra programming to them. I mean you could prob get one from breakers like quarry motors bmw cheaper than sytner but you still need someone in the know to program it.
 
For me when I compare the new and the old there is no doubt the standard orange and red prefacelift lens look dated. That said the facelift light to me just looks like a change for the sake of change and has no character. The 4 white spot is what suits the car and matches all its curves and contours.
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I think they did it to bring it inline with the rest of the lineup if you look they all have the long tail light along the top of the light, 5,3,6 at least, not looked at 1 and x series. Those LED tail light bars within it are pretty sexy at night but having said that the round ring on the preface lift looks great too, like 2 afterburners! Its in the daylight I just cant get on with all the different lines around that area but each to his own... the clear pre facelift white version I would say equals the looks as the facelift as long as you source the opposite white so they are symertical like most of you have done :-)
 
have now fixed the broken images and loaded to a new server - how do i put this post in the how to?

I have yet to add on the surround pieces and under bumper support, will get round to this during the week. I have yet to also make the modifications so the brake light each side does not light up at half brightness as a taillight. I intend to sort this by taking a feed from the centre brake light and using a relay OR integrating high brightness LED bulbs and taking the feed straight from centre brake light to run them (so no relay needed as not much of a load) will repost when I am done :-)

B51.71.7.167.256 LEFT FRAME £36.34
B51.71.7.167.256 RIGHT FRAME £36.34
B51.12.7.158.875 SUPPORT - £44.81

Daylight robbery if you ask me, to be honest if I was to do this again and I prob would not bother, the old support can be cut to fit, and the frame surrounds just hide a little of the gaps on the lights, see pics above... however at least it is all done properly :-)

My next project will be clear fronts.... cutting open those headlights like cj10jeeper has done....

Thanks
 
hi all,
may i just introduce myself briefly - I'm Nam and I'm a happy Z4 owner coming from Germany. I was very impressed when I found this article because I was very keen to upgrade my prefacelift z4 with the new tail lights.
without your post i haven't tacled this project because on the german z4 pages i just read several times that you need the light control module from facelift which is very expensive.

just to contribute. i found elegant solutions for your issues:

1. the tail lights and break light is on
well, to prevent the "t" effect, you just have to code your light control module - in german the code is:
BREMSLICHT_ALS_STANDLICHT
nicht_aktiv

this means the breaklight should not longer work as your side markers and then they are off. everything works as intended (break, tail light..)

2. flickering of taillight / 6V issue
well, you took the power of the light of your plate sign - you can also program your light control module as follows:

PWM_ANSTEUERUNG_SL_RE_HI
wert_01

PWM_ANSTEUERUNG_SL_LI_HI
wert_01

this gives 12v to the tail lights without further modications.

this works out perfectly with my 2003 Z4 - hence no really need to buy the new light control module.

3. bulbs in the cockpit / dashboard
just deactive the checkcontrols and everything is fine.

this week, i bring my new bumper to the body shop and then i can finalize my project :-)

thanks for your great post!
cheers Nam
 
p.s. I do write a post on our german z4 website...

http://www.motor-talk.de/blogs/audi-a3-codieren-umbauen-tipps-und-tricks-fuer-einsteiger/projekttagebuch-umbau-bmw-z4-e85-vorfacelift-auf-facelift-rueckleuchten-t3319777.html
 
Thanks nahodo. Do you need a GT1 to reprogram the LCM?
I'd like to do this project too... found someone who crashed their Z4 Coupe and is parting it out. Could take the whole rear end from them.

Also for the rusting rebar in the original pictures. A good sanding, then coat it with truck bed liner, or waterproof wheel well liner, let it harden over night. Then remount the bumper.
 
hey guys, you use an interface cable and the software "ncsexpert" - very common for coding BMW.
It costs me only 20 euro... and it's great, I can adjust several options in my z!
 
nahodo nice job, just wondering what interface cable you used? and where you managed to get it and the software from? Thanks
 
hey dreamer,

i had the same problem but each time when i see my car i'm so glad that I did this mod.

it's an interface cable like this and using ncsexpert software.

393.jpg


so really a small issue to adapt rear facelift lights to prefacelift.
 
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