Bi-Xenon Retrofit DIY Instructions

Models: Facelifted E46 with halogen lights fitted as OEM.

NOTE: To get pre-2002 cars this functionality, you need to see the
amendment.

NOTE: Compliments of ScottZHP from Bimmerfest:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46813

Parts:

BMW OEM parts:

61.13.8.365.348 (qty 2) basemen shutter socket $0.96
61.13.0.006.665 (qty 2) contact bushing for socket $1.68
61.36.8.373.700 (qty 1) relay $7.92
61.13.0.008.998 (qty 1) contact bushing for LCM $1.00
63.12.8.362.473 (qty 2) warning label xenon lights $2.59

The next three part numbers were sourced from Radio Shack:
2701079 (qty 1) 5 amp blade fuse $1.39
2701213 (qty 1) blade fuse holder $2.29
6403039 (qty 2) female disconnect lugs $1.69

The remaining bits were found laying around my garage:

¼ ring terminal for 16 gauge wire, found in toolbox.
Copper crimping lug, see above.
Misc lengths of 16gauge stranded wire (about 20 feet).
Misc diams of heat shring tubing, 2 ft of corrugated wire wrap.
Epoxy, Electrical tape, solder, wire ties, double sided tape.
¼-28 chrome plated acorn nut, ¼ star lock washer.

Tools: Various hand tools, (see photo #1). Install time is about 1.5
hours, depending on your skill level.

Prep work:

1. I was after a stealth looking install – I wanted an OEM appearance.

Take your time and the dealer will never notice the additional wiring.

2. Remove drivers side under-dash panel (3 Phillips-head screws, 1

twist nut near the pedals , 1 weird push pin at right knee, 2 slide clips
under the steering wheel).

3. Remove the trim piece surrounding headlight switch (gently pry it

off from the drivers side using a rag around a thin blade screwdriver).

4. Remove the fuse box/relay rack cover under the hood on the drivers
side using a ? mm hex key, 5 mm maybe? (see photo #2).

Wiring:

The relay leads are as follows:

87 – power output to shutter solenoid.

87 – power output to shutter solenoid. (relay has two pins labeled 87)
30 – power input for the relay
85 – ground lug for relay coil; stud near air box.
86 – bi-xenon activation for the relay coil; lead from pin 2 on the LCM

1. Carefully insert the contact bushings into the shutter socket plugs –
they only go in one way. (see photo #3). Use a magnifying glass if
need be. Cover the leads with heat-shrinkable tubing, leaving about 6
in exposed. Shrink the tubing, but don’t melt the wire. Set aside.

2.Solder a 2 ft long 16 gauge lead onto the LCM contact bushing end.
This eventually connects to pin 86 on the relay. Cover the solder joint
with heat shrink tube and shrink it. The shutters are controlled
separately at the LCM, however we’re only using a single relay for both
shutters, so for our purposes we only need one lead.

3. Cut the cap off the fuse holder. Insert a 5 amp blade fuse. Epoxy
the fuse-holder to the side of the relay with the part number on it (see
photo #4). Cut one of the fuse holder leads to length of 4in. Slide heat
shrink tube over the lead. Solder a female lug onto the lead. Slide the
tube over the solder joint and shrink it. Plug this lug into pin #30 on
the relay. Leave the other lead for later.

4. Prepare the remaining relay leads as follows: solder a female lug

onto two 8ft lengths of 16 gauge wire. Don’t forget the shrink tube.
Connect both of these to pins #87 (the relay has two 87 pins). Solder
another female lug onto a 4ft long 16 gauge wire. Connect this to pin
85. You should now have a harness that looks something like photo
#4.

5. Set the harness aside. Have a beer.

Install

1. With the dash trim removed, unscrew the Phillips head screw
securing the LCM and pull out the light switch module. Wiggle/pull as
necessary, it will eventually come out.

2. Release the white clip holding the multi-pin connector to the LCM.
Unplug it from the LCM.

3. Set the LCM aside.

4. Gently pry the sides of the LCM multi-pin connecter apart.

5. Slide the blue/brown plugs out of the plastic retainer (see photo
#5). NOTE WHICH SIDE GOES WHERE in the connector.

6. Set the retainer aside.

7. CAREFULLY insert the LCM contact bushing into PIN #2 on the blue
plug – (see photo #6) – insert ONLY as shown. Double check that it
goes to pin #2.

8. Route and wire-tie the contact bushing wire lead into the LCM
harness and fish it back into the foot well.

9. Reassemble the blue/brown plugs into the retainer. THEY ONLY GO

IN ONE WAY, make sure to match the pin/plugs to the retainer. See
photo #5.

10. Plug the retainer into the LCM and snap the white collar over the
connector.

11. Install the LCM; waste 10 minutes searching for the screw.

12.Fish the contact lead down into the drivers foot well and out the
firewall adjacent to the harness, to the left (see photo #7, little red
wire, right side halfway up). Be patient, it will eventually reappear in
the relay rack under the hood.

13. Open the hood and remove the fuse box cover on the driver’s side
(if you have not done so already).

14. Gently wiggle the plastic tray upward in the relay rack. (see photo
#8).
15. Loudly curse the insane Bavarian engineer who designed this
!@#$% tray.

16. Locate the lead you just fished from the LCM and tape it to the
side of the plastic tray near the front of the car.

17. Retrieve the relay from wherever you have stored it. Tape the 87
and 85 leads the entire length to make a cool looking harness.

18. Fish the two 87 leads and the 85 lead under the tray and out the
corrugated rubber boot toward the headlights. See photo #9 . I used
the nipple underneath the rubber boot, as it was unused on my car..
First cut an X with an exacto knife. Tape the leads to MIG welding wire
(or a coat hanger), and push them out the nipple. Pull remaining
harness through leaving about 6 in to work with. (see photo #10).

19. Plug the sockets into the bi-xenon shutters on the ballast.

20. Cut the drivers side bi-xenon lead to length and solder it to one of
the 87 leads. (see photo #11). Seal the solder joint with heat shrink
tube (you did put the tube on, right?).

21. Remove the air snorkel and set is aside (pry the 3 pins upward and
remove the pushpins and the retainers).

22. Insert the other lead 87 into a 2ft section of wire-wrap tubing. (see
photo #12).

23. Fish the wire wrap tubing ABOVE the radiator, but underneath the
radiator support brace (see photo #13).

24. Secure the wire-wrap tube with 3 wire-ties into the cutouts on the
brace.

25. Reassemble the air snorkel.

26. Cut the passenger side bi-xenon lead to length and solder it to the
other 87 lead; seal the solder joint with shrink tube. (see photo 14).

27. Locate the body jig stud adjacent to the airbox – this will be the
ground for the relay. Cut the 85 lead to length and solder a ¼ in round
lug; seal the solder joint with heat shrink tube (see photo #15).
Secure the lug with a ¼-28 nut and a star washer. Double nut it with a
chrome plated acorn nut if you are a detail freak like me.

28. Have another beer and congratulate yourself; as you are nearly
done.

29.Untape the LCM lead from the relay rack, trim to length and solder
a female lug onto it. Connect this to pin 86 on the relay. This is the
+ve lead to the relay coil.

30. Locate the 4 red/white wires crimped together in the fuse

box/relay rack. Crimp the lead from the fuse holder (remember that
lead?) to these (see photo #16#). I used a copper crimping connector
because I had one laying around, but you may be able to just solder
them together. Tape the connections (see photo 17).

Testing

31. Get out your multimeter. ( a cheap meter is $10 from Harbor
Freight, buy one, it is extremely handy).

32. Set the scale to 20vDC. Connect the ground lead of the meter to
the lug near the airbox. DISCONNECT PIN 86 ON THE RELAY and
connect it to the +ve lead on the meter.

33. Turn on the meter; it should read 0 volts.

34. Start the car and turn on the headlights.
35. Switch on the high beams.
36. The meter should read 12 volts.
37. If so, shut off the car. If not, you have a wiring issue. Retrace your
connections, especially the ground.
38. Reconnect the LCM lead to pin 86.
39. Repeat steps 33 and 34.
40. Watch in awe as the bi-xenons operate.
41. Tidy up the leads in the fuse box/relay rack and reinstall cover
(see photo #16).
42. Have another beer and admire the install (see photo #18)

Enjoy
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