Taillight Code!

[soundqdoug]

So I put these clear/smoked tails in my 95 coupe, and now it reads a 'Taillight Failure' code on the display. I've taken it to my dealer, and they've replaced a couple bulbs, but it still reads the code. It only does it with the headlights ON. With the headlights OFF, it's fine. The weird thing is that all the bulbs work correctly.

[soundqdoug]

nobody?

[///w3fl3x]

Are they depos/ebay or oem tail lights?

If they're the depo or ebay kind be prepared to live with it. There's a messed up solder somewhere from what i've heard.

I know umnitza was working on a fix for it but not sure if it's done yet.

[LuxoM3]

Well your issue is probably the 4 tail-light bulbs that go on when the headlights go on. Pull the bulbs and take a look at them. The dealer offers no help on matters like that.

I got the same message when I had my Depo tail lights in. And guess what.
I had 2 bulbs on the edge of dead.

But also as a caveat, pull the lights off your car and watch how the bulbs seat. Sometimes, their connectors don't seat when you twist screw them in. A pair of needle nose pliers fixes that.

[soundqdoug]

I would have no problem with taking the Depo's out, except for the fact that I HAVE to have smoke and red tails, not clear and red tails, eventhough the red & clear would be stock.

[yod88]

i have DEPO clears all around
i too got the taillight failure..its because if you look at the stock ones, and the DEPO ones..there are extra pins on the the DEPO...the stock ones have blank spots which trigger a circuit that say they are stock taillights (basically)

i stupidly was experimenting and used electrical tape to block off the extra pins (thinking maybe it would do something similar to a corner light delete) i turn the lights on...the tape covering the pins sent a surge to the neighboring pins..blowing the bulbs...i replaced the bulbs and made sure i installed everything correctly..all bulbs work, and i havent gotten a "tail light failure" since then..so i dunno what i did but it fixed it..and im not complaining..its been a few months

you can attempt this at your own risk..im not responsible for any damage

[Rockenreno]

I would have no problem with taking the Depo's out, except for the fact that I HAVE to have smoke and red tails, not clear and red tails, eventhough the red & clear would be stock.*cough* red and amber is stock

[soundqdoug]

I meant newer stock tails that were red/clear combo. But good job on the extremely precise BMW knowledge skills.

[soundqdoug]

I wonder what the hell Depo was thinking w/ the extra PIN thing.

[Daved]

Maybe the extra PIN is for the rear fogs which the US cars aren't wired for?

[edvaracing]

wired wrong

[umnitza]

Well your issue is probably the 4 tail-light bulbs that go on when the headlights go on. Pull the bulbs and take a look at them. The dealer offers no help on matters like that.

I got the same message when I had my Depo tail lights in. And guess what.
I had 2 bulbs on the edge of dead.

But also as a caveat, pull the lights off your car and watch how the bulbs seat. Sometimes, their connectors don't seat when you twist screw them in. A pair of needle nose pliers fixes that.
Guys, listen to NO other advice.

Don't listen to anything else, this is IT!

[nickdrivesm3]

anything from ebay is usually wired incorrectly. Just rewire and go.

[LuxoM3]

Thanks for the vote Matt, I think from reading his posts he has the DEPO Diamond Smoked clears versus the OEM Style. I had those too for a while and mine worked fine. Hmmm....

[slammedE36M3]

depos and after market taillights suck major ass. I have OEM clears all around and have no such issues. OEM FTW Also you get what you pay for.

[umnitza]

Thanks for the vote Matt, I think from reading his posts he has the DEPO Diamond Smoked clears versus the OEM Style. I had those too for a while and mine worked fine. Hmmm....

They always will. A good company will always improve their products. DEPO does it. Their new stuff is great. That's what we're selling and we're very happy with it.

[soundqdoug]

so what do you have to rewire?

[SAL's M3]

I just bought Smoked Depo Tailights and i installed them and i got this code. Please let me know what i can do to fix this. Thanks