# replacing incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs?



## P.o.t.u.s (Sep 7, 2014)

Hello, I have a 2012 X6. I'm curious if anyone has tried replacing all of their incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs? I'm talking about the brake lights, turn signals etc. I know people do this frequently with the HID angel eyes, but I am interested to know if anyone has done this with good results on their other bulbs.

If so, any suggestions on brand and where to buy would be greatly appreciated!

I saw that on carid.com, there appear to be LED bulbs that are a simple swap out to the stock bulbs. I have no idea about the bulb quality or if the brightness would be improved. http://www.carid.com/2012-bmw-x6-led-lights/

The bulbs there also come in colors, white, amber and red. I assume I should get the color that corresponds to the gel cover?

Anyone have any experience with this?


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## Rsnic (Sep 7, 2013)

Hi,

Several posters, including myself have changed out rear turn signal bulbs and back up lights with LEDs (there are several threads here).

I purchased the WeissLicht LEDs from Bimmian; for the turn signals, I installed Amber LEDs (Bimmian item no: WTS302RAY) and white LEDs (Bimmian item noL LVL302VWY) for back ups. While these are not cheap, they are error free and have a car life-time replacement guarantee. Also, have read that several other posters have replaced break lights and front turn signals with LEDs -- also Daylight Running Lights.

Regardless of what brand you buy, make sure that they are CAN-bus error free and probaly best to have this built in, rather than add resistors.

Having said that, there are three items for *each* bulb that have to be coded:
XXX_X_KALTUEBERWACHNUNG -> nicht_aktiv
XXX_X_WARMUEBERWACHNUNG -> nicht_aktiv
XXX_X_IS_LED -> aktiv
where the first three Xs define what light and the fourth is for L or R (left or right)

Attached is my bulb reference chart which you may find helpful


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## P.o.t.u.s (Sep 7, 2014)

Rsnic,

Thanks for the reply! Is there a reason you did not do your tail lights?

I looked at the WeissLicht LEDs on bimman.com and the video there claimed they are error free. What is the reason for the coding? Would this coding still be required on the WeissLicht LEDs?


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## Rsnic (Sep 7, 2013)

P.o.t.u.s said:


> Rsnic,
> 
> Thanks for the reply! Is there a reason you did not do your tail lights?


Think eventually I will, but for now, it's kind of down there on my priority list



> I looked at the WeissLicht LEDs on bimman.com and the video there claimed they are error free. What is the reason for the coding? Would this coding still be required on the WeissLicht LEDs?


LEDs are very sensitive to current changes; basically there are two aspects that by getting error-free and coding you overcome:
First is the error-free LEDs. As I said, there are always changes in current in a car and the resistors (again, I prefer built in to the LED unit) "tamp down", if you will, this variability.
Second is the coding. At start up, the car checks if the bulb is good (Kalt Ueberwachnung is cold check) to see if the bulb is good. Every couple of minutes (I think it is 5), it does a warm check. Either of these checks are momentary spikes in current. BTW, the car does this so that it can proivde some message when an incandescent bulb is out.

If you go with Weisslicht they are error free, but you still have to do the coding; this coding is not critical, but will overcome the periodic flicker -- I know as I went a couple of weeks after installing my LEDs before I got around to coding.

Hope that clears things up!


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## northeast22 (Jun 9, 2009)

Hi..I know this is a bit old, but I am also looking at those same LED bulbs to replace the $3 amber bulbs that are oem. How have they been? Any issues with codes? Thanks for your info!!


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## Rsnic (Sep 7, 2013)

NorthEast22,

First off, I changed out the white incandescent bulbs for the rear turn signals (wnet with Amber) and back up lights.

Once I coded, absolutely no flicker and have them in since my original post and have been trouble free.

Hope that helps


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## northeast22 (Jun 9, 2009)

It does. Thanks for the reply back.


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