Hello all -- will hope for some help here.
I was eagerly looking to install the LCI Black Lines, which seemed, at first glance, a straight forward plug and play facelift part for my 2008 135i (Xenon equipped, of course), but, in contacting Schmiedmann (I contacted them because they have a better price than ECS, for the same part # 63212225282), I have been told I DO need a footwell module, converter cable, and I am guessing also coding.
But aren't the Black Lines supposed to be complete plug and play on the 135i? Anybody know what gives on this?
I see ECS, despite having a big red "no coding required" cheer on their site, also has fine print at the bottom that some additional wiring "may" be required...so is this a hit and miss, depending on production date of the car? I've emailed them also, but thought direct experience from owners might be more helpful, since other vendors I've asked, who sell these, can only tell me that "maybe" they work, or that they "should" work.
Hours of research and searching on forums hasn't clarified this too much, with conclusions pretty hard to pin down, and I even see where some places sell these as a kit, with the module and converter, telling me that these apparently are not always plug and play....
Yet, I see some 2008 folks on here, who have done this....
Anybody run into this problem, that some E82's can't do this, without the module/converter/coding?
Apparently I can do the non-Black Lines, the non-tinted ones, which are a different part number, and are US Spec, but not the Black Lines...meaning I either don't get these nice tinted ones, or else invest probably more time and money than I want to in trying to make it happen.
If it's helpful, my production date is 2008-02-15
This was the reply from Schmiedmann, to my inquiry on fitment, having provided my VIN:
HI Michael,
Funnily enough, BMW do not inform of the light mod under your chassis number
They inform of
1) 61122219698 Bmw OE retrofit cable set
2) Foot-room module 3 (newest number 61359390483)
And the selection of the facelift lights (high version)
We have to look under the LCI variant of the E82 (blackline)
And here we find the 63212225282 unit set.
So it is possible, but in addition of the wiring and FRM3 unit.
This is as prescribed from BMW
Kind regards
Andrew
Not that I shouldn't just trust the expert there, haha, but I really want these, and just am wondering if it's a computer glitch of some sort, or if anyone else has come up not able to direct fit, pnp these...
Of those who stated they were not pnp for their car, I could not find someone with my same year and model, so it's all a bit confusing, especially when I am seeing 2008 rides here that seem to have done it, no problem...
Any help is hugely appreciated!