Hey all!

I have an '06 and I want to put clear tails on my car along with the clear third brake light. I currently have the aero bumper with a rear fog light, which has a red lens. I believe it was the '02-'04 model years that had the clear back up light. I'm wondering if I can swap out the lenses! Anyone know?

 

The lens itself does not detach from the lamp fixture, and is not sold separately. Get the '02-'04 backup lamp and use a red bulb instead of the clear bulb that comes with it.

 

Do I have to remove the bumper to swap these out? The rear fog light will still work, right? Are there LED's compatible with the rear fog? Or will it be too light?

 

Nope, I did the red lens to clear as well. Theres 2 clips that secure the rear fog. All you have to do is reach underneath and release. Very easy to do

PS: I got a chrome bulb that emits red for a cleaner look.

 

By the way, the part you need is only $16.00 from the dealership.

 

You don't need to remove the bumper. Just reach under the bumper and press on the tabs on each side of the lamp and it can be pushed out. It's very easy on a Cooper but on an S the exhaust is in the way and there is less space for reaching in.

The rear fog will still work. The '02-'04 backup lamp uses an 1156 bulb, so you can use a red 1156 LED bulb. I would suggest using a bright tower style LED bulb, such as the SMT Tower on this page: http://autolumination.com/1156_1157.htm. If the LED bulb doesn't light, the polarity of the wire harness needs to be reversed -- the connector comes apart and you can swap the pin contacts. Or use a silvered standard bulb like Trip024.

 

Thanks for all the help you guys! Sounds like a relatively easy task. A chrome bulb sounds good to me and $16 for the part sounds very appealing. Anyone have a part number?

 

Part number is 63221477678: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...32&hg=63&fg=20