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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Cosmetic and Lighting Modifications (exterior/interior) > Gauging interest of LED tail / brake light



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      11-20-2007, 02:26 PM   #1
x_3spyderman
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Gauging interest of LED tail / brake light

hello, after i search on the forum for a while. I saw that people are quiet interested on LED brake/tail light for E90/92. I was looking forward to make some of that tail light soon. Do you guys want the OEM style or altezza black and chrome style better? maybe smoked? let me know, see what i can do to benefit the forum members. thank you

-Ray
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      11-20-2007, 02:36 PM   #2
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oem blacklines would be cool....
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      11-20-2007, 02:42 PM   #3
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black line? like the outlet?
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      11-20-2007, 02:51 PM   #4
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If you don't know what blacklines are, you haven't been paying very good attention while searching the forum
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34119
From the top post in the very forum you posted in
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      11-20-2007, 02:57 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by x_3spyderman View Post
black line? like the outlet?
you need to do some research about the tail light's if you plan on making led's.

stock oem light:


oem blackline tail lights:



as far as how i think the led lights should look, i would go with how the e46 led tail lights looked:




also, check out the thread:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20624

there's a link to a .pdf document that has a set of e90 led tail lights. this was more then a year ago and i dont think they ever were produced.
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      11-20-2007, 03:16 PM   #6
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thanks for the information, still working on more research, hope it is not bothering u guys, just want to have some basic idea that what u guys will like or have it in your BMW.
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      11-20-2007, 05:47 PM   #7
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are you thinking of making them like the e46 led posted above, or just installing LED bulbs in the current assembly. I've already installed the bulbs in my assembly, but to make it practical, you'll need to bring the bulb price WAY down.

I've found LED's of equal brightness for $20/pair for the reds and $14 each for amber. Problem is, you need 6-7 LED's per side, so the cost is ridiculous. The cheaper LED's don't make enough light, so I wrote those off. You also need to consider resistor packs, and they drive the price to over $200/set using off the shelf components. Then there's the install.

I've done a little bit of market research on this, and if you keep the price under $100 re-using the existing housing, there is interest. For new housings, the limit seems to be about $300, but so many people have bought blacklines that they don't want to buy another set.

I'm sure you can buy LED's cheaper than I can, so maybe you can pull it off. I wish you luck!
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      11-21-2007, 09:18 AM   #8
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I agree with turbo fan, just sell a LED bulb kit rather than an entire tail light housing replacement
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      11-21-2007, 09:42 AM   #9
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before you go any further with your market research, talk to DasBlitz first, he wanted to do the same thing you are thinking of doing back in the beginning of this year, maybe he'll shed some light on why it didn't work out for him:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44141
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      11-21-2007, 03:23 PM   #10
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i agree what turbo fan said. The way i make is like doing as the E46 LED, the whole assembly will be changed. I know as you said people already bought the black line will not get another set. But i only have hook up with lighting company that made the whole set not just the bulbs. Hope u guys know wt i mean. I am still looking at some more example online. Seems not many people have successfully mounted to the car. The most important point that i concern is will the gauge [computer] light light up when the whole set of LED tail mounted in. I have several problems in the E36/39/46 light before but i figure it out later on. Right now i am still focusing on what style u guys may like and make a set for test fit. Most likely i will made the black line with LED. See what you guys think and i have to talk to several manufacture to see if they are possible to get the black line instead of the oem red and white one. Let you guys know. I will try my best to see what i possibly can do. Thanks all.

-Ray
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      11-21-2007, 04:05 PM   #11
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blacklines are already a product out there for the E90s, but there's nothing for the E92s, so why not focus on the E92 first? just my .02
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      11-21-2007, 04:10 PM   #12
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i am trying to do both. E90 Seems more people drive on the road. Still thinking of E92, but i will definitely made them. Let me know if anyone have suggestion on that.
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      11-21-2007, 04:34 PM   #13
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I agree, if you do something for the E92, you will sell a ton of them, simply because there are no other options to compete with!
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      11-21-2007, 04:34 PM   #14
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and why the hell did the e92 not come with LED's, when the e46 facelift years have OEM led's????? makes zero since
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      11-21-2007, 04:36 PM   #15
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i heard the e90 or 92 the OEM tail light is using LED Tube? ..what is that?..can anyone explain a little bit of both the E90/92 OEM tail light? thanks for detail.

-Ray
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      11-21-2007, 07:57 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by x_3spyderman View Post
i heard the e90 or 92 the OEM tail light is using LED Tube? ..what is that?..can anyone explain a little bit of both the E90/92 OEM tail light? thanks for detail.

-Ray
No LED tube on e90 - just a tube illuminated with incandecent bulbs. I've had the entire tail appart on the e90.
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      11-21-2007, 09:51 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by x_3spyderman View Post
i heard the e90 or 92 the OEM tail light is using LED Tube? ..what is that?..can anyone explain a little bit of both the E90/92 OEM tail light? thanks for detail.

-Ray
The horizontal bars in the E92 & E93 tails are LED-driven light pipes. The turn signal, reverse, and brake lamps (primary in the main housing, and secondary / fog in the trunk lid) are incandescent.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...60&hg=63&fg=20

I'd really like to see LED brake lights (so they match the high-mount) and turn signals all around, but if they require mounting resistors somewhere I probably won't bother.
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      11-21-2007, 10:09 PM   #18
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Definitely am interested. I had 04 e46 M3 and the brake and turn signals were LED and look ROCKS!!! If you fab, you need to make the brake and turn signals as well.
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      11-21-2007, 10:09 PM   #19
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if you are making one, then keep the bar in the middle, try and do the Audi A6 way, their LEDs work well but are not like little dots, come to think of it they may be all dots?????
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      11-26-2007, 06:04 PM   #20
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Thanks for all detail, still trying to make both E90 and 92. See if it works fine and if everything good i will have the picture asap. thanks guys
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