subsonicbassist

Hey guys,

I recently had a parking light go out on my 2007 pre-LCI 530i and instead of replacing with the OEM bulbs (more yellow in color and not very bright), I opted for a set of 40w Cree LED bulbs. They appeared legit and had solid reviews from a lot of people, so I ordered up a set. When it came to actually installing them, they were a pian in the butt because you have to take out the whole headlamp assembly to see what you're doing. When hooking them up, I realized the 2 prongs in the blade-like connector were a slightly thinner than the stock bulbs, which means that I had to tape the connectors together. It looked really secure and I gave it some pretty hard tugs without moving so I put them back in the car. Now when driving, the parking light malfunction light still comes on sporadically but usually turns itself off but now it is showing a malfunction on the left side, which never occurred before I replaced that bulb. Did I just get a bad set of eBay LED's or is there a way to reset these warnings so they won't come on again? BTW I know how to do the service reset for oil changes, brake pads, cabin air filters etc. and this option isn't on there. Here is the link to the bulbs I got:
For BMW 80W Error Free LED Angel Eyes Halo Ring Bulbs E39 E60 6000K White | eBay
Thanks for any help!

seanjordan20

It seems to me you wasted your money. I would not have bought those for the car. There are some proven ones out there that owners on the forum have used. Take them out because they are your issue and invest in some good quality ones that are proven to work.

E60Japanese

I had exactly the same problem
I like using LED lights in my car but I got some many fault codes that I changed them back to normal globes

The only LED globes that work really well on my car with never a fault code is the interior lighting

It makes me think that they are not fitted to give a fault code at all

Seanjordan20 is right
Go back to normal and take it as a good learning curve

JayArras

You shouldn't be getting codes replacing the parking lamps with LEDs. I replaced mine on my pre-LCI a couple of years ago without issue. I agree that you should research for bulbs that others have said will work.

subsonicbassist

Ok, so I went ahead and spliced the wires directly from the stock parking light wires to the new bulbs and they don't cut out intermittently, but the right bulb still shows an error on startup every time, then goes away. Does anyone have a recommendation of a good brand of lights to try? Or can disconnecting the battery for a short while help? Some have said that can help but I'm hesitant as disconnecting the battery in other cars I've worked on often leads to more problems showing up. I'm sick of trying to make this thing work!

seanjordan20

There is no need to disconnect the battery. The error is an active error which mean as soon as it see an issue it sets off. Disconnecting will not help. I don't know why you are splicing anything. It should be plug and play. I know I bought some a while back with error cancellation and it worked. I think they cost around $50. Just search and read reviews. The market is forever changing so the brands change. There are 2 out there that have been good from the beginning but I can not remember there name since it was more than I was willing to pay for. I can find them and post if you'd like.

subsonicbassist

It seems that a few spirited driving sessions that let my battery get fully recharged did the trick I wish they were plug and play, but the plug was just slightly too small for the stock bulb socket and it rattles around so much that no amount of electrical tape or duct tape could keep them from intermittently going off. Will report back if anything changes but for now they are good