Need opinion on aftermarket smoked LED rear light

stabmacho90 · 12-11-2012, 06:53 AM

hi all. I am currently dealing with this guy wanting to sell his smoked LED rear light for e90. but the thing is his LED is aftermarket (im not sure whether BMW did produce LED rear light tho). Is it okay to buy aftermarket rear light? Will it pose a problem like any error etc? And also, will the fitment be okay just like OEM does? really need answer ASAP though. thanks!

dotmit · 12-11-2012, 06:55 AM

I had aftermarket smoked LED rear lights on my E46. The fitment was about 0.5mm different from the original but with both sides fitted you couldn't tell the difference even against another car.

Aftermarket ones will either have a ballast resistor that fools the CANBUS sensors into thinking there is a regular bulb there, or they will be the same as LCI LED rear lights and you'll need to get your car coded for them.

stabmacho90 · 12-11-2012, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dotmit

I had aftermarket smoked LED rear lights on my E46. The fitment was about 0.5mm different from the original but with both sides fitted you couldn't tell the difference even against another car.

Aftermarket ones will either have a ballast resistor that fools the CANBUS sensors into thinking there is a regular bulb there, or they will be the same as LCI LED rear lights and you'll need to get your car coded for them.

Hi thanks for your response. The guy told me it comes with resistor and should be no prob as it's just plug and play. I asked most sellers on ebay too and most of them said the aftermarkets come with resistor which is just plug and play without any error.

Im just curious if this fits my 320i perfectly well since it came off a e90 330d? I tried to google for OEM, but most of LED smoked light I found on website are all aftermarket. Haven't heard of smoked OEM LED light for e90 pre LCI, unless its modded.

Also, very noob question, what's the difference between smoked LED and blackline/darkline rear?? Which one is more sought after? I'm after the darkline too but they are way too expensive..

dotmit · 12-11-2012, 07:17 AM

As long as yours is a saloon it will still fit. If it came from a coupé or convertible and you have a saloon, it won't fit as the shape of the lights is different.

Smoked LED is just a generic term. The clear parts that usually have the yellow indicators are a more smoked grey colour. If you have dark coloured paint it looks pretty cool.

Blackline is just the official BMW name for it, for the ones they supply as an option on some cars.

Not sure what Darkline is. Not heard that one used yet, but I'm relatively new to the E90 myself so maybe someone else can help with that!

stabmacho90 · 12-11-2012, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dotmit

As long as yours is a saloon it will still fit. If it came from a coupé or convertible and you have a saloon, it won't fit as the shape of the lights is different.

Smoked LED is just a generic term. The clear parts that usually have the yellow indicators are a more smoked grey colour. If you have dark coloured paint it looks pretty cool.

Blackline is just the official BMW name for it, for the ones they supply as an option on some cars.

Not sure what Darkline is. Not heard that one used yet, but I'm relatively new to the E90 myself so maybe someone else can help with that!

Okay many thanks for your reply! At least you helped me in some way

yeah maybe no darkline, my bad. It's blackline

stabmacho90 · 12-11-2012, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dotmit

As long as yours is a saloon it will still fit. If it came from a coupé or convertible and you have a saloon, it won't fit as the shape of the lights is different.

Smoked LED is just a generic term. The clear parts that usually have the yellow indicators are a more smoked grey colour. If you have dark coloured paint it looks pretty cool.

Blackline is just the official BMW name for it, for the ones they supply as an option on some cars.

Not sure what Darkline is. Not heard that one used yet, but I'm relatively new to the E90 myself so maybe someone else can help with that!

also is there any problem with your aftermarket LED?

dotmit · 12-11-2012, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stabmacho90

also is there any problem with your aftermarket LED?

Mine were on my E46, not my E93, but I never had any problem with them. Actually I gave my old E46 to my brother and was driving behind it on Saturday thinking to myself that they still look great (I had them for 5 years)!

They were made by a company called Eagle Eye and I bought them from khoalty.com (I am in the UK and imported them from USA because back then you couldn't even get them here). Not sure where yours will be from but generally most people have been fine with the aftermarket options from what I know.

A_P · 12-11-2012, 09:26 AM

Does it have to be LEDs mate? You know BMW did produce a "darkline" performance rear light for the E90. I think you get Darklines online for around 160ish new.
Used for much cheaper. 80 to 100? maybe.

dotmit · 12-11-2012, 09:29 AM

I'd be wanting LEDs if I were changing mine... otherwise you could get the same effect as blackline/darkline (whatever it's called) using a spray tint!

A_P · 12-11-2012, 10:01 AM

I dont know about that mate. obviously its comes down to personal preference, in regards to what actually you want. As it is your car.

What I do know is that a lot of members on here have run and do run Dark lines and they love them.

dotmit · 12-11-2012, 10:29 AM

http://www.bmwgenuineparts.co.uk/pro...ne-rear-lights

stabmacho90 · 12-11-2012, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A_P

Does it have to be LEDs mate? You know BMW did produce a "darkline" performance rear light for the E90. I think you get Darklines online for around 160ish new.
Used for much cheaper. 80 to 100? maybe.

I know that BMW produces darkline and I really want them. But RRP in UK is around £250-£280 IIRC. Also, the bidding on ebay I watch recently also ended at £200. The cheapest can get is from eBay Germany for £180 new. That is too much I think for just rear light. There are some choices in ebay Germany but most private seller I asked dont want to send to GB even if I offered to pay the courier cost. dont know why

Darkline is always in my priority list but the price is just way too much (considering it's just the smoked version of the normal ones) and the used ones are rare to be found like horse sh*t.

So, I was looking to the next alternative-which is the smoked LED. I quite like the look of it. Here is the thread which I like so much :

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=633917

It was Shades' e90 pre lci. I really think it looks awesome! The whole car is just brilliant!

12-11-2012, 06:53 AM	#1
stabmacho90 Private First Class 3 Rep 176 Posts Drives: BMW 320i 2005 55 plate black Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: London iTrader: (0)	Need opinion on aftermarket smoked LED rear light hi all. I am currently dealing with this guy wanting to sell his smoked LED rear light for e90. but the thing is his LED is aftermarket (im not sure whether BMW did produce LED rear light tho). Is it okay to buy aftermarket rear light? Will it pose a problem like any error etc? And also, will the fitment be okay just like OEM does? really need answer ASAP though. thanks!
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12-11-2012, 06:55 AM	#2
dotmit Private First Class 4 Rep 143 Posts Drives: E93 325i \| K46 S1000RR Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: EC3 iTrader: (0)	I had aftermarket smoked LED rear lights on my E46. The fitment was about 0.5mm different from the original but with both sides fitted you couldn't tell the difference even against another car. Aftermarket ones will either have a ballast resistor that fools the CANBUS sensors into thinking there is a regular bulb there, or they will be the same as LCI LED rear lights and you'll need to get your car coded for them.
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12-11-2012, 07:17 AM	#4
dotmit Private First Class 4 Rep 143 Posts Drives: E93 325i \| K46 S1000RR Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: EC3 iTrader: (0)	As long as yours is a saloon it will still fit. If it came from a coupé or convertible and you have a saloon, it won't fit as the shape of the lights is different. Smoked LED is just a generic term. The clear parts that usually have the yellow indicators are a more smoked grey colour. If you have dark coloured paint it looks pretty cool. Blackline is just the official BMW name for it, for the ones they supply as an option on some cars. Not sure what Darkline is. Not heard that one used yet, but I'm relatively new to the E90 myself so maybe someone else can help with that!
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12-11-2012, 09:26 AM	#8
A_P Lieutenant Colonel 58 Rep 1,698 Posts Drives: E46 M3 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: South East iTrader: (0)	Does it have to be LEDs mate? You know BMW did produce a "darkline" performance rear light for the E90. I think you get Darklines online for around 160ish new. Used for much cheaper. 80 to 100? maybe.
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12-11-2012, 09:29 AM	#9
dotmit Private First Class 4 Rep 143 Posts Drives: E93 325i \| K46 S1000RR Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: EC3 iTrader: (0)	I'd be wanting LEDs if I were changing mine... otherwise you could get the same effect as blackline/darkline (whatever it's called) using a spray tint!
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12-11-2012, 10:01 AM	#10
A_P Lieutenant Colonel 58 Rep 1,698 Posts Drives: E46 M3 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: South East iTrader: (0)	I dont know about that mate. obviously its comes down to personal preference, in regards to what actually you want. As it is your car. What I do know is that a lot of members on here have run and do run Dark lines and they love them.
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12-11-2012, 10:29 AM	#11
dotmit Private First Class 4 Rep 143 Posts Drives: E93 325i \| K46 S1000RR Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: EC3 iTrader: (0)	http://www.bmwgenuineparts.co.uk/pro...ne-rear-lights
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