bruce_miranda

Nick I think we need to rewire this a bit again for LCI standards but I'm sure we'll loose the Adaptive Braking as a result.



This is how my pre-lci taillight works.

On normal taillight option all 3 lights are on but dim. The circle becomes a bright red light on FOG, the outer light become a bright red on Brake and the middle light become a bright red on Adaptive.
Also the way you've wired the taillight LEDs I wonder what will happen if the LCM tries to make the LEDs brighter!!

nicke60gre

Bruce,

The new LCI taillights are functioning EXACTLY like the pre-LCI ones. The only difference is the (modified in our case) additional LED bars and side marking LEDs.
These additional LEDs on LCI are leaded independently (with their own wiring) by the LCI light module.

The red lighting in the videos I've posted, is way overexposed. They are much "cooler" red when you see it in person

This Ninthswat pic below, shows how they look like

bruce_miranda

I understand, but what will happen to the LEDs on Adaptive braking when the pre-LCI LCM tries to send a higher current to Brighten up the taillight.

Also thought of another idea. If the US cars don't have fog lights we could use the fog light feed for the LEDs only and parallel up the fog light with the bulb Tailight. That way the adaptive braking will hit only the real bulbs.

nicke60gre

That's a serious question

Lucky US guys, what about us Europeans?

Edit: Bruce I think that the adaptive braking (brake force display) affects the fog light bulbs, not the standard tail lights

RootKit

i don't think LCM will make LED brighter. the LED driver is most likely used over a resistor circuit.
since it will vary voltage spikes to keep a consistent current for the tail light LEDs.
even if the taillight LEDs use resistors....we will not see the brightness of LED change much at all.
Once an LED turn on fully....additional current will not make a noticeable increase in brightness. however, the
LEDs might prematurely die out. so it is very unlikely that BMW are using a resistor circuit in the tail lights.

i thought that the LEDs were wired with the light bulbs...that's why we don't get the "lamp out" message?
initially we see the faint blinking, i can speculate it is sending voltage or low power to test for resistance.
maybe, to get rid of blinking or make it even lesser noticeable....is to stick a diode (or few of them in series) from the pin
to act as a blocking low voltage. a silicone diode will cause a voltage drop of ~0.7 volt.

nick, if you have a voltage meter...can you check out the peak of the voltage was send out during the 5 seconds blinking?

is it possible to just have only the light rods light up in normal headlight on position?
maybe by playing with the pins? or is the light rod LEDs tied to the light bulbs tail light?

bruce_miranda

If you read the manual is states that on adaptive braking more of the taillight is lit brighter. Also if you think about it it makes sense that BMW choose that one for adaptive braking because its got the largest surface area. Also its the only bulbs that doesn't have two intensity lighting under normal circumstances. If the fog lights are the adaptive lights as well then what happens when the fog lights are on! I remember seeing an image with the Brake Force Lighting lighting up the middle section.
I don't think we have too big an issue here but its something that we will need to test out.

Nick what happens if you parallel the LEDs with the Brake light. What happens with the LED. By definition the LED should not go brighter but it'll be a good test to see. Also apparently on normal Taillight mode all bulbs are powered to +6V volts, the LCM pumped +12V to make them brighter i.e. their normal rating.

Its possible to make on the LED rods light up.

EDIT : I was wondering where I saw the picture of the Brake Force Display and then I remember and pulled out the brochure of the pre-LCI car. Its as I mentioned, look under Brake Force Display. On the LCI they seem to have put it the other way around where the outer light is the Brake Force light see http://forums.e60.net/index.php?act=attach...st&id=39865

katheikia

Since all of us that did the group buy got the Euro Spec lights, what does this mean for the U.S. guys, will we know have rear fogs???

bruce_miranda

No you won't get Fog lights. Fog lights is a feature of the LCM in that it will send a full +12V to your bulb in the circle so that it lights with a higher intensity. The US LCM are not programmed to do that and I suppose you don't have the fog light button too.

nicke60gre

Yes you can, as thay have independent pins, but what about the bulbs?

katheikia

But that bulb in the circle will light up right?