Fitting Pre Facelift Tail Lights To Face Lift Model (Different Conectors)

[E46 Coupe]

Hi guys,

Literally just fitted rears ambers (pre facelift) to my face lift coupe with LED rears. Fitting was not a problem straight bold on.. However I noticed that the connect on the car which goes into the blub holder will not fit.

As the LED rears are much smaller pins where as the connect on the pre facelift bulb holders are much bigger pins. To make the lights function will I have to manually wire them?

Any help will much appreciated as I am bit stuck currently!

Thanks

[mintimperial]

Yep, they're totally not plug and play as far as I know mate..

[Jeffchiz]

why anyone would want to change led rears to pre face lift ones is beyond me lol im sure its supposed to be the other way round

[E46 Coupe]

I know lol.. Currently building a US E46 project. I found a way how to do it, does anyone have a wiring diagram for the rear lights on a face lift and pre face lift so I knw what wires are what.

Cheers

[RickyZ]

You can get amber and red LED rear lights FYI

Edited April 12, 2012 by Trickster

[Gaz]

I know lol.. Currently building a US E46 project. I found a way how to do it, does anyone have a wiring diagram for the rear lights on a face lift and pre face lift so I knw what wires are what.

Cheers

Can't help with your issue, but can't wait to see this

[E46 Coupe]

Cheers Gaz, will post some pics up of my progress at some point.

Right picked up some connectors with the wiring locally from a pre facelift. Just need a wiring diagram so I know wire to connect etc for everything to light up correctly.

[JasonR]

I know you can get adapters for going from normal to led as im in the middle of this you will probley need to get some rear plugs of a loom try some brakers .

Ha you beat my post

p.s if you don't want the old plugs I might be intrested

Edited April 12, 2012 by JasonR

[paulyb]

Seen a facelift saloon with ambers front , side and back yesterday.

It looked bloody awful, don't do it dated and aged the car in my opinion.

[RickyZ]

Can you not just get the wiring conversion kit and reverse it so you can fit non LED to LED instead of LED to non LED ?

[E46 Coupe]

Do you know where I can get that kit from? In terms of reversing it would I need to carry out any wiring or would it be just plug and play?

[JasonR]

nope because the plugs are female to male so the wont go in to the normal plugs

BMW do the retro fit cables for about 35 quid normal to led

Edited April 12, 2012 by JasonR

[marc l]

Hi mate when I fit oem led rear lights to my pre facelift coupe I used the adaptor loom

Genuine BMW part and can obviously be used the other way round!

I'll find the part number for you

[JasonR]

As i said above you need a male plug to go into the rear of the light not a female which you get with a retro harness

[marc l]

Oh sorry fella you are right wasn't thinking!

Go to a BMW breaker and cut off the bit of loom you need then?

[JasonR]

[Wash]

Why not cover the white bits in your LED lights with orange film instead? :/

[paulyb]

Why not cover the white bits in your LED lights with orange film instead? :/

Good shout, nice easy fix

[Vas]

http://www.bmminiparts.com/PartDetails.aspx?InventoryId=C3BF38DF-08B1-4916-82FE-100E63DE4ED7

[E46 Coupe]

Vas you are a legend!

Well ie been tweaking with the wiring tonight and no luck. Not enough voltage to power the amber prefacelift lights.

Just to clarify I have a 320cd msport coupe 04 plate. Will the light vas has posted straight plug and play? I see that has connectors but guessing they are for pre facelifts?

Thanks

[RickyZ]

They look like genuine BMW items to me, if so fitment will be easy

[JasonR]

Should do cause you have already leds on the back

[E46 Coupe]

Just looked more closely at the pic of the light vas posted and the connect at the back of the light is the same as my genuine led rears on the car so should be fine.

Looks like the US project could be back on!

Everyone has been very helpful so just want to give a big shout out to you all!

[Wash]

Genuine, new LED rear lights for £137? That's really cheap

Don't aftermarket ones cost around that much? :/

[RickyZ]

Good point Wash, maybe just good aftermarkets then ?