[mysore]

I had assumed that my LCI x5’s rear turn lights were amber, but I noticed today that it was red at the edges and the middle section did not turn on.. I recall having seen BMW LCI X5 introduction videos that showed amber rear turn lights. What am I missing?

[Chastizer]

Originally Posted by mysore

I had assumed that my LCI x5’s rear turn lights were amber, but I noticed today that it was red at the edges and the middle section did not turn on.. I recall having seen BMW LCI X5 introduction videos that showed amber rear turn lights. What am I missing?

You are correct… amber in Europe and the rest of the world. Only in USA they have completely different taillights module 😩🤦🏻‍♂️. If I recall for them to be amber, you will need to change to Euro spec tailights and code the car appropriately.

[mysore]

Originally Posted by Chastizer

You are correct… amber in Europe and the rest of the world. Only in USA they have completely different taillights module 😩🤦🏻‍♂️. If I recall for them to be amber, you will need to change to Euro spec tailights and code the car appropriately.

Thanks for clarifying. Just curious, why does BMW have different parts for different geos, isn’t it more expensive? The world minus US gets cool stuff, while here in the US we must settle for the second best..😟

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by mysore

Thanks for clarifying. Just curious, why does BMW have different parts for different geos, isn’t it more expensive? The world minus US gets cool stuff, while here in the US we must settle for the second best..😟

Many reasons - regulations, supply, customer preferences, marketing strategies, etc.

[eelnoraa]

The deletion of amber turn signal is entirely because someone at bmw thinks American don’t like amber. What bother me more is the mix of turn signal and brake light in g05. All my previous cars, including a few bmws have dedicated brake lights and dedicated turn signals.

[jad03060]

Some tests imply that amber turn signals are safer as they are distinct from the red that could be brake lights. Why BMWUSA choses to not utilize those, can't say.

Note though, that while it would be unlikely that a US safety inspection would catch it, lamps like the turn signals and headlights must have the DOT indication molded into them, making them indicate they meet US specifications. So, changing yours to the Euro spec could create problems during an inspection...not likely, but possible.

Different parts of the world have different brightness and beam pattern requirements, so the headlamps need to differ to accommodate those. One notable one is LHD versus RHD, but there are other issues as well. Europe allows the beam to be brighter than the US in high beam as well. Last time I looked, there were like 5 different headlight assemblies to account for those differences.

For years, a group has been trying to get a consensus on national approvals...IOW, an agreement that something approved in (certain?) countries, would automatically be approved in others...too much NIH to allow that, but discussions continue.

[mysore]

Originally Posted by jad03060

Some tests imply that amber turn signals are safer as they are distinct from the red that could be brake lights. Why BMWUSA choses to not utilize those, can't say.

Note though, that while it would be unlikely that a US safety inspection would catch it, lamps like the turn signals and headlights must have the DOT indication molded into them, making them indicate they meet US specifications. So, changing yours to the Euro spec could create problems during an inspection...not likely, but possible.

Different parts of the world have different brightness and beam pattern requirements, so the headlamps need to differ to accommodate those. One notable one is LHD versus RHD, but there are other issues as well. Europe allows the beam to be brighter than the US in high beam as well. Last time I looked, there were like 5 different headlight assemblies to account for those differences.

For years, a group has been trying to get a consensus on national approvals...IOW, an agreement that something approved in (certain?) countries, would automatically be approved in others...too much NIH to allow that, but discussions continue.

The amber turn tail indicators look cool, but never realized all the intricacies and complexities that go with it….🙂

[Treeboy]

Could anyone confirm that Canadian G05 LCI comes with amber lights as well, and does not follow US taillights color scheme?
Thanks!

[BeEmVee]

Is the interest in amber lights solely for safety reasons or do people like the amber color more? On pure aesthetics, I think the 3D taillight effect may look better in red since it’s got a larger surface area of red light strips cohesively together. I never thought to care about the color of my blinkers though tbh. Set me up with a tartufo interior however and we’re in business!

[Treeboy]

Originally Posted by BeEmVee

Is the interest in amber lights solely for safety reasons or do people like the amber color more? On pure aesthetics, I think the 3D taillight effect may look better in red since it’s got a larger surface area of red light strips cohesively together. I never thought to care about the color of my blinkers though tbh. Set me up with a tartufo interior however and we’re in business!

I don't know exactly, but it might be a cultural thing, or just the way people learn driving in different parts of the World.
I can see on the roads everyday that drivers in North America care less about blinkers than those in Europe...

[Qsilver7]

Amber turn indicators vs red turn indicators…is it BMW or fickle US market?

I remember when BMW used amber turn indicators in the rear but a lot of BMW owners scrambled to swap them out for all red tail lights or tail lights with a clear turn indicator lens with an amber bulb installed that had a silver coating that would remove the appearance of amber when the bulb was unlit.

Now that BMW gives the US market a mono-colored rear tail light…they want what they don’t have…the Euro version that has an amber lens for the turn indicator.

It’s a no-win situation…what ever they give us…we want we don’t have.

Examples: this is how the rear tail lights came in the 1990s and 2000s on the e38 7 series:



…and the rage was to get rid of the amber lens and go with the Euro version that only utilized an amber bulb:

[BeEmVee]

Originally Posted by Treeboy

I don't know exactly, but it might be a cultural thing, or just the way people learn driving in different parts of the World.
I can see on the roads everyday that drivers in North America care less about blinkers then those in Europe...

Hah. Waiting for the “BMWs have blinkers?” response!

[rabbit1986]

I always thought it was some US regulation that made them chose red turn signals.
There are many EU cars that have red turn lights in the US. Always wondered why