[Wunsch]

Can anybody here who's received their i4 in the US or Canada tell me if BMW is still doing the silly thing where they build us a different tail light than the rest of the world, with no orange turn signal segment in it? It's a minor thing, but it bugs me.

 

[dspevack]

The change may be due to regulations, rather than BMW choice. Also remember that in the USA we don't have rear fog lights. (Actually, we do, but they are deactivated in software and we get a blank switchplate. It's an easy no-cost job to add them but not a thing in the USA)

 

[pjbm4]

The change may be due to regulations, rather than BMW choice. Also remember that in the USA we don't have rear fog lights. (Actually, we do, but they are deactivated in software and we get a blank switchplate. It's an easy no-cost job to add them but not a thing in the USA)

You can activate the rear foglights with the bimmercode app. I did it on my 2017 M4.

 

[Wunsch]

Yeah, I've activated the rear foglights on my current car too. But the red turn signals still bugged me enough that I actually swapped in a set of Euro taillights. I just wanted to see if I should plan on doing the same with an i4.

 

[dspevack]

Yes its easy to activate with bimmercode. But you also have to pull off the button cap and file down the spacer, so it becomes a pushable button.
Did this on my 2016 435i. Then I tried to get a european switch for the car because it would have the backlight for the button and the graphic, but my car's computer went apeshit.
Eventually I just transplanted the button to my original switch so I had the graphic.

Dan

 

[SloppyNoppy]

Turns out they are different. Not sure how hard it will be to get euro spec and I believe a harness will be required. I found these online and they come with a harness GTS OLED Tail Lights - BMW G82 / G83 M4 & G22 / G23 / G26 4 Series

 

[gsbaker]

Can anybody here who's received their i4 in the US or Canada tell me if BMW is still doing the silly thing where they build us a different tail light than the rest of the world, with no orange turn signal segment in it? It's a minor thing, but it bugs me.

Here is my US tail light.

All red.

 

[Techwhiz1]

Turns out they are different. Not sure how hard it will be to get euro spec and I believe a harness will be required. I found these online and they come with a harness GTS OLED Tail Lights - BMW G82 / G83 M4 & G22 / G23 / G26 4 Series

On my E90 going to shadowline lights required no coding or harness. Even going to led with orange didn't require changes. In my experience, tail lights are an easy swap as even the euro rear fog function required nothing more than a new switch.

Waiting for my M50......

 

[SloppyNoppy]

On my E90 going to shadowline lights required no coding or harness. Even going to led with orange didn't require changes. In my experience, tail lights are an easy swap as even the euro rear fog function required nothing more than a new switch.

Waiting for my M50......

Euro spec for m50 requires harness because the blinker extends into the light on the trunk as well instead of us version being only the light on the quarter panel

 

[Wunsch]

Turns out they are different.

Do you have part numbers for the North American and European lights?

 

[Wunsch]

Here is my US tail light.

All red.

It is all red, but the part that makes me suspicious is that the region where the European light lights up amber, doesn't light up at all on the US lights. That makes me wonder if the LEDs are there, and it's just a matter of coding that has them turned off.

 

[gsbaker]

It is all red, but the part that makes me suspicious is that the region where the European light lights up amber, doesn't light up at all on the US lights. That makes me wonder if the LEDs are there, and it's just a matter of coding that has them turned off.

There is a triangular reflector at the front of the lamp, facing mostly sideways. Is that what you mean?

 

[SloppyNoppy]

Do you have part numbers for the North American and European lights?

I dont have part numbers yet. Im very from from delivery of my car so ill worry about it when the time comes. Either going gts retrofit or euro spec retro fit. Coding will probably be required. You can try realoem.com with your vin and try to find part numbers but idk if this car is in their database yet. Its. G26 chassis which shares the taillights as ALL new gen 4 series cars. Coupes and sedans so it makes it easy

 

[Wunsch]

Its. G26 chassis which shares the taillights as ALL new gen 4 series cars. Coupes and sedans so it makes it easy

Oh, does the G22 coupe use the same tail lights as the G26 Gran Coupe?

 

[SloppyNoppy]

Oh, does the G22 coupe use the same tail lights as the G26 Gran Coupe?

Upon research i did. I found yes

 

[taiwan882]

here’s what the Amber turn/hazard signals look like.
Anybody ever find out if the US models even have the Amber LEDS there or not? I’d imagine if you shined a flashlight into the assembly it’d be relatively easy to tell if anything was in there.

 

[issa_ev]

Okay, so I work at a BMW dealership as a service advisor and here’s what I found after some digging. Yes, they are different physical parts, however the connectors are not different between EU and NA spec vehicles. That being said, there is an extra conductor in the connector, so at the bare minimum, you’d have to add a pin and wire to run to the appropriate location on the BDC. In addition to that, there are noise interference filters on the upper part of the rear hatch that the taillight wiring runs through, so you’d have to bypass those, do the appropriate coding, pin the connectors, run the wiring, then fit the EU lights. I’m toying with the idea of doing so myself since I have the technical documents showing wiring, pinouts, etc… my M50 arrives here in about a month or two. Made it to Bremerhaven today and missed the boat, so it’ll sit for the next 3 weeks till the next gulf-bound ship makes it over there to pick up mine

 

[Joro8]

Go for it! And then I'll follow in your hopefully-well-documented footsteps.

 

[issa_ev]

Go for it! And then I'll follow in your hopefully-well-documented footsteps.

I’m horrible at documenting my steps lol, but I’ll try when the time comes haha

 

[Wunsch]

Okay, so I work at a BMW dealership as a service advisor and here’s what I found after some digging. Yes, they are different physical parts, however the connectors are not different between EU and NA spec vehicles. That being said, there is an extra conductor in the connector, so at the bare minimum, you’d have to add a pin and wire to run to the appropriate location on the BDC.

Oh man, I wasn't counting on them actually changing the wiring for North American cars. That might be getting into more than I want to deal with just to get rid of the stupid red turn signals.