LED Everything – Z3 M Coupe

I went on a strange quest to convert almost every bulb on the Z3 M Coupe from incandescent to LED. I think the results look great. Note, I’ve also bypassed the dimmer rheostat, so I cannot attest to any dimming capability or effectiveness. I am also keeping the headlight low and high beam 9006/9005 for now as they work well enough for me.

All the previous how-to guides are now a bit dated, or missing pictures. Below is a running list of LED’s you can use to convert your M Coupe, M Roadster, Z3 Coupe, or Z3 Roadster.

Note: To avoid hyper-flashing turn signals, you’ll either need to spend $200+ on this funky computerized flasher relay, or spend $5-50 modifying your existing flasher relay. See how-to below.

Exterior

LocationDetailsQuantity
Front Turn Signals1157 LED Bulb – Dual Function 27 SMD LED Tower – BAY15D Bulb Amber – 2 Pack1
Rear Turn Signals1156 Boat and RV LED Light Bulb – (18) SMD LED Tower – BA15S Retrofit Base – 325 Lumens Amber- 2 Pack1
Rear Brake Lights1156 Boat and RV LED Light Bulb – (18) SMD LED Tower – BA15S Retrofit Base – 325 Lumens Red – 2 Pack1
Rear Parking Lights67 LED Light Bulb – (12) SMD LED Tower – BA15S Base Red2
Front Bumper194 LED Landscape Light Bulb – 5 SMD LED Tower – Miniature Wedge Retrofit – 95 Lumens Natural White2
Side Turn Signals194 LED Landscape Light Bulb – 5 SMD LED Tower – Miniature Wedge Retrofit – 95 Lumens Amber2
Backup Lights1156 LED Light Bulb – (51) SMD LED Tower – BA15S Base with Lens Natural White – 2 Pack2
License Plate Housing194 LED Landscape Light Bulb – 5 SMD LED Tower – Miniature Wedge Retrofit – 95 Lumens Natural White2
Third Brake LightTo be continued.

Interior

LocationDetailsQuantity
Rear Coupe Cargo6451 LED Bulb – 6 SMD LED Festoon – 42mm Warm White2
Interior Overhead3710 LED Bulb – 6 SMD LED Festoon – 38mm Warm White1
Interior Overhead MapBA9s LED Bulb – 5 SMD LED Tower – BA9s Bulb Warm White2
Gauge Cluster small bulbsB8 LED Bulb – SMD Instrument Panel LED Warm White
*note that you can probably get by with 4 to illuminate parts of the dials, the rest are individual warning/error bulbs. You also have to slightly bend the tabs to make a secure fitment in the cluster.
18
Gauge Cluster Primary bulbs194 LED Landscape Light Bulb – 5 SMD LED Tower – Miniature Wedge Retrofit – 95 Lumens Amber
*note, you may prefer warm white
3x
HVACT1-3/4 Wedge Base Socket – Wired 74 Socket
*note, must cut and solder in. One housing must be shaved down to fit the vertical position.
2
HVAC, Cigarette Light, Headlight Switch74 LED Bulb – 3 SMD LED – Miniature Wedge Base Amber
*two for HVAC, one for cigarette light, one for headlight switch
** you may prefer warm white vs amber
4
VDO Gauges194 LED Landscape Light Bulb – 5 SMD LED Tower – Miniature Wedge Retrofit – 95 Lumens Amber
* you may prefer warm white vs amber
3

Hazard / Flasher Relay

When you switch over to LED lights in the turn signals, you’re going to get hyperflash when signaling. You may like that, or may not. You have a few options to solve this. The modify solution is described below.

How-to: Modify your 7 pin hazard / flasher relay to work with LED

credit goes to this post (and this pdf), but I will repeat it here for internet longevity. If your relay does not look like the one above, well then you probably pulled the wrong relay out from under the hood, or its not an original bmw relay.

Required Parts, Skills and Tools

  • 1 original 7 pin relay
    • Z3 E36 Z3 M Relay for hazard-warning lights K16
    • 61351392414
      61361388533
      61361388547
  • 1 diode. I sourced 10x of these from Mouser electronics
    • Mouser #: 863-80SQ045NRLG
    • Description: Schottky Diodes & Rectifiers 8A 45V
  • soldering iron, solder
  • small flat head screwdrivers 2x, 1x small drill bit, 1x small pliers

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11 responses to “LED Everything – Z3 M Coupe”

  1. Jean Drolet Avatar
    Jean Drolet

    2 questions :
    1- Does the relay mod work if only part of the blinkers are updated to LED ?
    2- What brand and model of headunit are you showing in the photos ?

    Thanks

    1. Andrew Avatar
      Andrew

      I think the modification should work if you only change out some of the bulbs since typically introducing an LED bulb into any turn signal circuit causes a rapid flash, but I didn’t test this specially. The head unit is a Joying unit. It’s held up well, but updating software is tricky over time. https://www.joyingauto.com/joying-newest-carplay-7-single-din-4gb-64gb-android-10-0-car-media-player.html

  2. Chuck Avatar
    Chuck

    Cool work. Thanks for including all the links for reference.

    Did you modify your flasher relay, and do you have any diodes left? I’m looking to update my M coupe to LED flashers but the 8A 45V diode referenced is now obsolete.

    1. Andrew Avatar
      Andrew

      I’m pretty sure that I have three left. They’re “somewhere” in my garage. Still working fine.

  3. Chuck Avatar
    Chuck

    🙂 Would you be willing to part with one of them if you find them?

    I don’t know anything about Schottky diodes to figure out an alternate one.

    Hopefully you have my email and can contact me there.

    Thanks!

    1. Jean Drolet Avatar
      Jean Drolet

      Andrew, there was an update in your web page for the LED, quantity and location have neat white text in white blocks, so barely visible unless we zoom.

      Thx

      Jean Drolet

      1. Andrew Avatar

        Thanks Jean, updated so you can read it 🙂

        1. Jean Drolet Avatar
          Jean Drolet

          Hi,

          Question on the relay modification to avoid the LED hyperflashing :
          I modified the relay, everything works fine except my hazard don’t work.
          So I checked and the flashers all work when I use the flasher stack, so it is not the LED.
          I then installed a non-modified relay (I have 2 stock/non-modified relays in spare) and the hazard are working, so the hazard button works.

          Did you have the same issue ?

          Thanks

          Jean Drolet

          1. Andrew Avatar

            Hmm, not that I can remember. Is there a fuse that’s popped? Did I send you a diode?

          2. Jean Drolet Avatar
            Jean Drolet

            Hi,

            I checked the fuses and the are good.
            You did not send me a diode but I bought the same part number as what you listed on your webpage.

            I wonder if I did not damage the relay, I have 2 spares and 4 more diodes so I will mod another relay.

            I’ll give you some news when I try another relay, may take a few weeks, I have a lot to do on the Z3 while in my garage for the winter.

            Thanks

            Jean Drolet

  4. Jean Drolet Avatar
    Jean Drolet

    Another question, you said to buy 18 mini led to replace the mini bulbs, I just replaced the 18 but the 2 light brown mini bulbs are left to replace, does that mean there is no replacement for the light brown mini bulbs in the gauge cluster ?

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