[dreamcheng]

random updates

got some random refresh for the E91. dynamic side turn signals, black kidney grille, M style mirror caps, ZHP shift knob, M performance shift boot, CF handbrake lever, blue start/stop button.





I also tried to install "error free" LED front turn signal bulbs. it worked for a few min after installed and it just stopped working. once the car is off and turned back on, it will work again for a few min and stop working, again.

anyone put LED turn signal bulbs on their pre-lci E9X? I'm getting another pair of bulbs to see if it's the bulb but i suspect it's probably not. it's probably worth mentioning that my car does not have the updated FRM2 module.

I did install all LED bulbs on the taillight (rear turn, reverse, standing and brake light). they all worked fine.

[dreamcheng]

Gauge options

I wanted to get an obd gauge to monitor water temp. the most obvious choice would be P3 gauge. however their v3 gauge hardware only works for 08+ E9X and will not work on my 07 E91 due to the lack of canbus on the obd port for earlier E9X...

therefore, I began my search for a worthy replacement. i want a simple and clean looking gauge that can give me a clear readout of the water temp thru the OBD port. obviously there are a lot of cheap options from amazon but these offers way too many features (at least from the pictures) and they are all bulky. no matter where I mount these gauge they just look so tacky and out of place...

then i came across this option:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BN45XPG7...roduct_details

this looks to be everything i wanted. small, clean looking, has enough features and the RGB can be changed to orange to match the BMW backlight. not much reviews but looks very promising (also free returns if it fails). unfortunately, this also does not work for my E91. probably the same issue with the P3 gauge, my car does not have canbus at the OBD port. the gauge itself worked great. i connected to other newer cars and it all worked great. it just won't work with my E91 so i have to return it.

after a few days of searching, i FINALLY found a good solution. i found this gauge:


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VX2NOK2...roduct_details

and immediately purchased it. this isn't as cool as the previous one but it looks to have all you ever need. it is on the bigger side but i can still fit it onto the car without looking out of place. I finally got it and IT WORKED!!!!!!

the backlight is customizable and the texts are easy to read. you can have 4 gauges on one display. I have rmp, water temp, intake air temp and calculated instant hp. there's a lot more you can do with this gauge like fuel saving, fuel cost calculation, performance monitors etc... but for now, I’m just glad I have a cool solution to read water temp without adding some out of place gauge.

here are the gauge after install:

[M-technik-3]

Where are the Blue Tags from? Don't recognize them.

[dreamcheng]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

Where are the Blue Tags from? Don't recognize them.

on the wall? that's a chinese licence plate.

[M-technik-3]

Ah gotcha. Keep the updates coming, I haven't done much to mine in awhile.

[dreamcheng]

Fog Light Upgrade

the OEM halogen fog light is next to useless. I can hardly notice it at night. also the actual fog light lens on the car have seen better days so i decided to replace the housing and the bulb.

Obviously the new bulb will be LED but the question is what color? Since the headlight HID bulb is not pure white going with a 6000k white fog light will actually have a slight color differences between the fog and the headlight. it's hard to notice it but once you do you can't un-notice it. I always liked the yellow fog light color but in some cases it draws too much attention at night.

Naturally, the best solution will be a color changing LED bulb. I have been using deautokey's color changing LED bulb on my GTI before so i know they are super bright, super durable and the color change works really well. they are expensive but I have not found a better bulb that offers the same quality and the same features. you can change color from 6000k white, 3000k yellow and like 4300k for halogen. to achieve the color switching, they actually use different diodes on the bulb. one set for white and one set for yellow. the "halogen" color is just turning both diodes on. to switch color, simply turn your fog light on for white. turn off and on again (within a few sec) for yellow, then again for halogen. to reset it, leave the fog light off for a few secs and then turn it on again to return to white.

I also opted for the flash and strobe function. this is fun to play around off-road. they have videos online showcasing this feature. i almost will never use this but it's fun to have.

they have this LED for almost all bulb type. they are very well known in the VW community but these bulbs work just as well on any BMW. here is a link to those bulbs:

https://deautokey.com/product/dual-c...low-at-anytime

here are some pics on the E91:





the halogen color is hard to showcase on a photo but it's very similar to the color a halogen bulb would give (duh). very low key and OEM if white or yellow isn't your thing.

[rothwem]

Originally Posted by dreamcheng

Gauge options

I wanted to get an obd gauge to monitor water temp.

You can actually program the MPG meter in the cluster to be an oil temp gauge, that way you don't have to have an aftermarket gauge on your car.

[TyroneShoelaces]

Originally Posted by rothwem

You can actually program the MPG meter in the cluster to be an oil temp gauge, that way you don't have to have an aftermarket gauge on your car.

OP could also buy protools and just live data to a small tablet mounted to the dash. With multiple BMW's it would be the way to go.

[E91 Hoarder]

Originally Posted by rothwem

You can actually program the MPG meter in the cluster to be an oil temp gauge, that way you don't have to have an aftermarket gauge on your car.

Can you share more info how to do this?

[dreamcheng]

Originally Posted by rothwem

You can actually program the MPG meter in the cluster to be an oil temp gauge, that way you don't have to have an aftermarket gauge on your car.

Interesting.. i might have to look into this.

[dreamcheng]

Originally Posted by TyroneShoelaces

OP could also buy protools and just live data to a small tablet mounted to the dash. With multiple BMW's it would be the way to go.

that's another good option. tho tbh all i need is water temp since the car is NA. if i ever do an N54 swap, i might find a way to integrate that into the car's headunit. I currently have an AVIN android headunit in the car.

[dreamcheng]

teaser on what's coming

[BReif61]

Originally Posted by dreamcheng

teaser on what's coming

Brand new OEM? Or refurbed/rewrapped?

[dreamcheng]

Originally Posted by BReif61

Brand new OEM? Or refurbed/rewrapped?

Not brand new. Rewrapped with buttons and airbag

[BReif61]

Originally Posted by dreamcheng

Not brand new. Rewrapped with buttons and airbag

Do you mind posting or PMing who did it? The leather on mine is breaking down and needs redone.

[dreamcheng]

Originally Posted by BReif61

Do you mind posting or PMing who did it? The leather on mine is breaking down and needs redone.

i bought it from ebay and i guess the seller sourced and rewraped the wheel before shipping it to me so i have no idea who actually did the reconditioning.

here is the ebay link if you want to ask the seller, they are outside of the US.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144650683902

[dreamcheng]

Front LED turn signal bulb update

Finally found a LED bulb that works!!!!

I tried various canbus LED bulbs on amazon and no luck. the bulb will function after installation but once the headlight turns on or off, the turn signal immediately stopped working. there's no warning on the dash as i disabled all cold and warm bulb check message.

i thought resistor is what i needed so i installed a 6ohm resistor. still no luck. so I removed the resistor. I read somewhere that 06/07 E9X is the worst years for LED bulb replacement. i was ready to give up. then i stubble upon this bulb:

https://undergroundlighting.com/prod...rn-signal-bulb

i honestly was not hopeful at all but i figured what the hell. if it doesn't work ill just return it. to my surprise, it actually worked!!!! the bulb has canbus and a build in resistor. there's also a small fan to cool the bulb.

there is a potential problem with this bulb. since E9X uses the turn signals as side markers, the turn signal bulb is constantly on when the headlight is on. I was concerned that the bulb may overheat. yes there is a fan but it's very small and it's located at the tip of the bulb which is in a enclosed space. I ran the bulb for about a week and drove for about ~2hr continuously a day with headlight and side markers on. there doesn't seem to be any issue. the fan is running and the bulb is working. tho you can def feel the heat of the bulb.

to be on the safer side, I decided to code out the US side markers and have the turn signal turn on only when indicators are used. Thankfully this can be coded without FRM2. Side markers will only be turned on for inspection.

[dreamcheng]

front lip?

test fitting some cheap gloss black front lips. thoughts?

[rothwem]

Originally Posted by dreamcheng

front lip?

test fitting some cheap gloss black front lips. thoughts?

Enh.

For me, I scrape enough already so have no desire to add more stuff under the bumper. Its only a matter of time before you scrape those off of your bumper I think.

[dreamcheng]

Originally Posted by rothwem

Enh.

For me, I scrape enough already so have no desire to add more stuff under the bumper. Its only a matter of time before you scrape those off of your bumper I think.

lol I absolutely agree. the car already has some scrapes under the front bumper.

tho the lips are only ~$50 and it's taped on so i can remove it any time i'm tired of it. from the front it looks good but from the side the black is kinda weird.

[dreamcheng]

Steering wheel ON

pic says it all. feels much better. around $400 for airbag + rewrapped wheel is not a bad deal.

[dreamcheng]

it's been a while. not much update for the past few month but back at it again. a lot of parts are going in:

Turner N52 exhaust
Turner N52 intake
Corbeau rrx racing seats
Dinan pedals
Burger motorsport clutch stop
Motorsport Hardware stud conversion kit
PS4 tires