FIRST NOTE: Please note I cannot respond to this post so if you have questions please PM me. If I am able to help solve it please post your problem and how we fixed it so we share with others.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: There has been a number of incorrect comments popping up about LED rear lights. The pre-facelift cars had two options, halogen lights, and a 3d LED/halogen blend artwork. Please see the link below to compare to your car. To be sure, if you have LED front lights, you have LED rear lights.
Pure Halogen (on right) vs. LED package (on left)
credit to gwernerjr

NOTE: Pre-facelift halogen cars use the same wiring harness connection, but only use 5 pins instead of 6 which requires a change to the wiring in order to retrofit. Therefore, you must relocate one of the pins to another location on the connector in order to output to the running lights. The instructions can be found on a post in this thread - Pre-facelift Halogen Retrofit Instructions
Credit to Czptp Px

NOTE: Post facelift cars now use the same connectors regardless of whether they are LED or halogen. Credit for this information and the specific additional coding required (seen below) to JonnyUSA.

Preface: This post is designed to cover all issues with installation/retrofit of the LCI Union Jack (UJ) tail lights in pre-facelift cars. There are two forms: the US part uses red-colored LEDs in all locations, with the verticle brake line and the horizontal rear turn signals integrated into one light. Meanwhile, the EU part has amber-colored LEDs in the horizontal turn signal and the vertical brake line is separate. Each coding is slightly different since the US brake/turn signal is hard-wired together. And the brake force display coded for US brakes would light up the turn signals amber, which does not suggest emergency to me, so one must reprogram it to work in the European way. It has come to my attention that the US cars no longer use BFD, and it has been turned off. I believe the process for the EU part should work to set the BFD for US parts as well. I will define the process using BimmerCode as I am going to make the assumption anyone willing to use ESYS will be able to work their way through this.

Install: (Cars with the LED exterior package) The physical install is extremely simple. Gently pry the chrome (or black) rings around the lights off the light by finding the points that clip in and applying pressure to pop them out. There are two points around the hatch door which can be used to start the process. Once this is off, you will see a set of 4 or 5 torx screws which hold the light in place. These screws are not and do not needed to be torqued hard. However, I believe mine had a small amount of standard thread locker. You can then pull, or push through the service door in the hatch the light out. Moving to the wiring harness, it is a basic BMW clip which once again is not hard to determine. The new parts, whether they are US or EU, use the same connector as is already installed.

Initial Coding: Once the lights are installed, there will be an immediate error on the car. In order to code these errors out. One must enter BDC_Body. and enter expert mode. Once in expert mode, you will be presented with a number of modules, enter 3061. Once there change the following settings to the correct value where x is L and R. After you make the changes move up to the BDC_Body level (but do not exit it) and hit code to complete the coding.
BL_x_IS_LED - aktiv
BL_x_KURZSCHLUSS - nicht_aktiv
BL_x_WARMEURBERWACHUNG - nicht_aktiv
BL_x_KALTEURWACHUNG - nicht_aktiv
FRA_H_x_IS_LED - aktiv
FRA_H_x_KURZSCHLUSS - nicht_aktiv
FRA_H_x_WARMEURBERWACHUNG - nicht_aktiv
FRA_H_x_KALTEURWACHUNG - nicht_aktiv
For everyone's information, telling the car the light is LED will allow the system to correctly send the signal. Kurzschluss is the short circuit check. and the warmerber/kalteurwachung stops the lights from flickering on startup.

Additional Coding Required for Facelift Halogen to US parts: The secondary output for the rear blinkers must be coded to output to the correct location to work correctly. Without this, the car thinks the blinker/brake combination does not work correctly. Under 3065, please change.
MAPPING_BLINKEN_2_H_x_OUTPUT - bl_x

Coding Specific to US parts: I have been informed this has been wrong this whole time. When the US lights are installed in the pre-facelift car, the turn signal works separately from the brake light; however, when both are applied at the same time, the light stays on regardless of the turn signal to solve this. Under BDC_Body enter expert mode and enter 3064 and change. After you changed this setting, code it again.
MAPPING_BREMSL_2_x_OUTPUT - off fra_h_x
What is actually happening to the US lights is that the car is outputting brake signal to two locations and the second one outputs through the turn signal (which is the same physical output), so even though the turn signal output overwrites the brake output, that output is still always on during braking.
what has actually happened is that two digital outputs are physically wired together, so that both bfd_x and fra_h_x output to the brake lights. While this mapping goes to bfd_x it overwrites fra_h_ x output and you lose the turn signal. With both going to the same output of fra_h_x it prioritizes the turn signal.

Coding Specific to EU parts: The BFD must be coded to European style or turned off completely. Enter expert mode in BDC_Body and enter 3068. Change:
ESS_AKTIVIERBARER_AUSGANG - bremslicht_blinkend
Just doing this will cause an error any time you brake hard and the car will return to operating without BFD. Return to the list of numbered modules and enter 3064 and change:
MAPPING_BRAKEFORCED_1_x_OUTPUT - bl_x
The above will remove the error message. This is because the output at bl_x is an appropriate output. However, this output does not output to anywhere on the lights so the vertical brake lights on the UJ taillights will turn off completely during hard braking. Therefore, you must go back to the upper level and enter 3065 and change:
MAPPING_BRAKEFORCED_2_x_OUTPUT - bfd_x The outputs of bfd_x is the actual outputs that run to the vertical brake lights on the UJ lights. Code the system again.

 

Got the British lights installed on my car, too, so I'm interested in getting the necessary parameters set up for the Brake Force Display. Currently, got the warning lights coded out. When I attempted to code for flashing BFD, I received a bulb error. So, I went back to the Extended display, which lights up the 2 indicator lights along with the normal brake lights during heaving braking. I'd like to do something that would allow flashing.

 

I have solved the problem tentatively. I will confirm and do a write up tomorrow!

 

MINIs do not have a second set of brake lights as a BMW to activate, hence MINI activates the turn signal bulb to expand the brake lamp area (area enlargement)
In a BMW that second set of brake lamps also flash during ABS braking.

What you are not aware of, is that during an accident (in a MINI) the turn signals flash automatically.
Setting the BFD to flash interferes with that function, hence the error.

 

Do they use the turn signals as BFD in Europe/UK? That wouldn't make sense since the turn signals on that side of the Atlantic are amber.

 

In US BMWs the second set of brake lights are actually the unactivated rear fog lights. Which is one of the major reasons BMW does not offer rear fogs on their cars in the US.

Also, it is not just that that causes error but also setting the brake force mapping to the taillights, what comes on when you turn your lights on. I believe it is because the setting for bremshlicht_blinkend literally specifies brakes.

 

No, they change the extended area to flashing and the brake lights flash.

 

I tried changing mine to flash - I have the European UJ version, and it indeed flashes the turn signals for the Brake Force Display. The problem I have is that it throws up an bulb failure error on my center screen, and I don't know why. I've coded out all the other bulb failure errors based on the LEDs installation. Wish I could figure this one out. Probably something I need to do in expert mode, but I don't know what it is.

As it is now - If the brake force is activated - it lights up both turn signals as solid along with the brake lights since I set it back to extended area.

 

I have figured it out. I am actually in the middle of writing up the required steps and making sure I cover everything as I am always a bit hesitant to put coding like this out on the internet. I should get it posted tonight. (Wanted to yesterday but was pulled too many different directions.

 

you rock! out of curiosity did your car have LED or halogen tails?

I saw references to the UJ tails having two separate part numbers. Which did you get?

 

Updated the original post.

As a note, I have the british part numbers. ending in 3 and 4, I believe.

 

To clarify, you retrofitted the UJ lights into a US car that had the old LED lights? And, now that you've coded everything, the lights function as they do in Europe/UK; i.e., the turn signals and brake lights are separate functions? And, you've got the brake force display working properly?

 

Yes, to all.

 

Did you make the coding changes with E-sys, or Bimmercode?

 

E-sys, but I am guessing expert mode in bimmercode can do this as well.

 

Where is the best place to get the new taillights?

TIA

 

That would entail coding BFD 2.

Now did you code the 3rd brake light for blinken on BFD 1?

I know this is Gen3
As a reference, I CAN confirm my previous Gen2 blinks hazards after a collision!!!
Even without bags deflating.

 

One more thing, have you done a full on panic stop from over 45 mph?
Using ABS to come to a full stop.
To see if the hazards activate?

I remember something about WB_GB_ENABLE is set to aktiv.
3060 or somewhere there.
Programming my Navy Daughters US BMW when she was stationed in Naples.

 

I have tested and it does not. That is what I will look for when I get a chance to code again, possibly tonight.

 

It is already turned on under BFD 1 because bfd represents a different output from braking, it has to be programmed in already or your 3rd brake light would not come on at all.

Changing the code to bremschlict_blinkend already applies to the middle light.

 

I installed my US Version Taillights and coded using Bimmercode.
I attached 2 images from coding and found that changes you stated were in a different file. I have a 2017 MCS. I just want to confirm the location of the changes that need to be made.

 

Using only this coding above.
In theory for the NON UJ taillights, this reroutes the blinkend to the turn signals.
It disables the brake lights from flashing and makes the turn indicators flash.
Thus removing the error.

 

I was just out working on this.
I have the running lights working correctly.
The Brake Lights are Inner ( -l ) portion of the lights.
Is that correct?
The Turn Signals flash the ( -l ) section correctly.
But the Brake Lights over Light the Turn signals when the brakes are applied.
The Turn Signal is still flashing but the brake light is brighter.
Shouldn't the brake light function be disabled when a turn signal is operating?
Should the Brake lights be the same as the running lights but only brighter ?

 

I understood the vertical was brake light the horizontal was turn signal.
Brake lights don't go off during signal.

 

Hey,

I apologize, it looks like you caught a miscopy in my typing.
so
"Then 3064 and change
MAPPING_BRAKEFORCED_1_L_DISABLE_OUTPUT from fra_h_l (back blinker) to bl_l (brake light?)
MAPPING_BRAKEFORCED_1_R_DISABLE_OUTPUT from fra_h_r"

Should read

"MAPPING_BRAKEFORCED_1_L_OUTPUT from fra_h_l (back blinker) to bl_l (brake light?)
MAPPING_BRAKEFORCED_1_R_OUTPUT from fra_h_r to bl_r, "

I have also edited my original post as well.