DIY: How to install E82 LCI LED Tail Lights

This weekend Hubs installed the OEM E82 LCI LED tail lights. These tail lights were introduced with the 2011 BMW 1-series.

For comparison, OEM LCI LED on top, stock tail lights on the bottom. 

LCI LED Tail Lights installation on BMW E82 135i:

Installation time: 15 minutes

1. Remove the truck liner panel. 

2. Use a trim removal tool to remove the panel fasteners.

3. Remove the fasteners from the rear truck trim. This is optional for those who don't want to crease the paneling.

4. Carefully loosen the gasket.

5. Bend the truck liner to reveal the back of the tail light.

6. Remove the tail light bolts with a 8mm socket.

7. Remove the light connectors.

8. Remove the stock tail light. 

9. Replace the stock tail light with the LED tail lights and replace the gasket.

10. Screw back the bolts with a 8mm socket.

 11. Fasten the light connectors.

12. Pull back the truck liner panel and reattach the panel fasteners.

 

LCI LED Tail Lights vs. Stock Tail Lights

Before

After

Here's what the lights looks like at night:

Pre-order CA Legacy Plates

As of January 1, 2013, the California Legacy Licence Plate Program went into effect. California residents can apply to the DMW for one of three vintage plates from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. More information about the program can be found on the DMV website.

I definitely like the vintage black plate with yellow lettering. As soon as I receive my personalized license plates, I will probably apply for the vintage ones. Unfortunately, there is a minimum 7,500 threshold before each plate goes into production. This threshold needs to be met by January 1, 2015 or the plates will not be produced.

I always considered the BMW 1 series a successor to the BMW 2002 Turbo due to its mod appeal and race car history. I think the legacy plates on my E82 would give the modern car a vintage feel.

I hope the plates go into production soon. Pre-order the plates here.

Additional details: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/legacyplates/faqs.htm

Füllgewicht

   

The LCI LED tail lights arrived. I was surprised it came in a big box. Once I saw the word Füllgewicht, I knew it was for my car. More installs later this week.

Füllgewicht = net weight

Personalized License Plate

When I bought my car, I didn't bother checking if it had two license plates. I knew the registration was valid until February 2013.

In case I ever got pulled over by the cops, I figured I should have two license plates for the front and rear. Rather than ordering a duplicate plate, I decided to order personalized plates. It didn't take long to come up with what my plate number should be. I need to make sure the car lives up to its name (I didn't use my surname btw).

I hope the plates come in before my registration expires. It's already been three weeks and it's supposed to arrive within 8-12 weeks.

DIY: How to install Angel Eyes and Side Marker Lights

This afternoon Hubs (aka MarcGuyver) installed the LED Angel Eyes lights (headline bulbs) and Smoke White LED bar side marker lights. These lights are simple to installed yourself and it only took less than 30 minutes of time.

Angel Eyes installation on BMW E82 135i:

1. Open the hood and locate the headlight housing cover at the back of the headlight.

 2. Pull down the clip holding the housing and slightly remove the cover. Keep the bottom of the cover in place so that it can be easily put back.

3. Pull out the bulb from the housing. 

4. Replace the stock light bulb with the Angel Eyes light bulb. As you can see, there is a major difference in the size and design of the bulbs. 

5. Before putting the bulb back into the housing, turn on the headlights to ensure the connection works. Next, close the housing and pull the clip up to secure the cover in place.

 Before

 After

Here's a side by side comparison. Angel Eyes on the left and stock light bulbs on the right. Angel Eyes lights provide a super bright LED white light compared to the stock lights which look orange.

Smoke White LED Bar Side Markers installation on BMW E82 135i:

1. Remove the side market light by sliding the light toward the front of the car and lifting the back part of the light.

2. Remove the stock side market light from its housing by lifting up on the lock with a screwdriver and twisting the light free.

3. Remove the stock bulb.

4. Attach the new LED connector to the light connector Then plug the light connector into the housing. Turn on the hazard lights to ensure the connection works. Next, put the light back in place by pushing the light toward the front of the car and allow the back of the light to clip in.

 Before

 After

 It was hard to photograph the side markers so I took video instead.

Products:

BMW 10w Cree-IC Angel Eyes E82 LED Marker Light - Price: $56.95

BMW 135i Smoke White LED Light Bar Side Marker Lights - Price: $38.95

Wish List: Performance

The whole point of getting a 2010 BMW 135i was Performance. I want a fast car. My previous car fit the bill. It was a great ride until I sold it two years ago. For some, it's their dream car. To me, it was a hassle and it caused me to be more paranoid than ever. I always had to valet it, park it at the far end of the parking lot plus it drew too much attention. I remember driving it to work one day and the COO of our company caught me driving around the parking lot looking for a parking space. This guy drove a $500K Porsche and he looked at me like I was getting paid too much. Obviously, I stopped driving the car to work.

Since then, I wanted a less pretentious car. Something I can drive around anywhere I want without having to worry about dings, dents or be afraid to be car jacked. I also wanted a car that can be modded for performance. This brings me back to my college days where I was heavily into the import car scene (damn rice rockets).

The car I really wanted was the 2011 BMW 1M. Unfortunately, it was a limited release so it was impossible to find and very expensive. It's no longer in production now but I do find them on Autotrader for around $65K. Crazy! The next best thing was the 135i. But not any ole 135i. It had to be specifically the model years with the N54 engine (3.0L twin-turbocharged engine). It's the same engine used in the 1M.

Now that I got the right car, what am I gonna do to it to make it the way I want it to be...lots of torque and really really fast. The one complaint I had with the M5 was torque. It wasn't the same as driving Hub's older M5 (a few years ago we had His and Her M5s). At that time, there wasn't a solution for that issue so I dealt with the fact that it wasn't what I expected from a car like that. When it was time to let it go, I didn't shed a tear.

So what's my plan? Hub's did some research and came up with this setup:

JB4 PNP (N54 Stage 3) plus BMS USD Cable Combo by Burger Motorsport - Price: $509.00

Stage 3 BMW N54 Boost Cooler by Snow Performance - Price: $738.55

BMS N54 Methanol Elbow - $59.00

AFE Power 31-10156 OER Pro Dry S Air Filter for BMW E82 - Price: $84.95






If I install all of these add-ons, here's the result:

Video:
BMW 135i (with JP4 FBO + Methanol) on the left
vs.
Supercharged E90 M3 on the right



Yup, that will do it.