[res_ipsa]

I tried searching for the topic but didn't find anything on this. Anyone know why or care to guess why they didn't go with LED tailights on the E90 sedan? Seems kind of weird to go from LED's on the latest E46 models to not having them on the E90. Thanks.

[E90Fleet]

E46 Sedan never had them

Most peole fin LED's too bright on the car infront of them

You cannot replace single LEDS, so later on some fail and the car look funny, and it costs a fortune to replace the whole unit

Bulbs work well and are cheap

3rd brake light is LED

[romeo26]

what do you mean 3rd brake light is led?

[res_ipsa]

Originally Posted by romeo26

what do you mean 3rd brake light is led?

Third brake light is the horizontal LED brake lights at the top of the rear window.

[Gantra]

I was disappointed that BMW didn't employ LED tail lights as more and more luxury class cars are now employing. BMW does use an Adaptive Brake light system that increases the brightness of the brake light as braking pressure increases and, of course, there are 3 horizontal light strips that are somewhat similar to the angel eye glowing circles on the headlights that add some visual distinctiveness.

E90Fleet:

I'm not sure where you are getting that most people think LED taillights are too bright but i would have to disagree that they are too bright from my POV. Rather than too bright, I would describe them as more effective. They also have the advantage of achieving full intensity instantly rather than sort of oozing on like conventional bulbs.

They are more effective than conventional bulbs and thus safer and that's the whole point – communicating a signal as quickly as possible.

As for the replacement issue with one diode going out before the others, that's a disadvantage, but I’m not sure how frequently that happens or what the typical lifetime is for an LED tail lamp. It may be a moot point.

[fusionnv]

Originally Posted by Gantra

I was disappointed that BMW didn't employ LED tail lights as more and more luxury class cars are now employing. BMW does use an Adaptive Brake light system that increases the brightness of the brake light as braking pressure increases and, of course, there are 3 horizontal light strips that are somewhat similar to the angel eye glowing circles on the headlights that add some visual distinctiveness.

E90Fleet:

I'm not sure where you are getting that most people think LED taillights are too bright but i would have to disagree that they are too bright from my POV. Rather than too bright, I would describe them as more effective. They also have the advantage of achieving full intensity instantly rather than sort of oozing on like conventional bulbs.

They are more effective than conventional bulbs and thus safer and that's the whole point – communicating a signal as quickly as possible.

As for the replacement issue with one diode going out before the others, that's a disadvantage, but I’m not sure how frequently that happens or what the typical lifetime is for an LED tail lamp. It may be a moot point.

I am not really too crazy about led lights. But i dunno that really small fraction of a sec of them turning on really is so much better than normal light bulbs. I seen a lot of post about these lights over the months, but the general agreement is that:

1) Yes they are faster by a fraction.
2) Brighter
3) Angle of them are bad, might have trouble seeing them at different angles.
3) Last longer in most cases.
4) Very expensive to replace in an out of warantee repair.

[Gantra]

In terms of speed, when they turn on, they are on at full brightness at many times the rate of an incandescent bulb. That is why you get the snappy appearance that grabs your attention. This contrasts with the old tech of bulbs based on filaments that are so obviously slower.

In terms of angle, the lamp design must be setup to have LEDs pointing in every direction that requires them to be visible. It is an issue of assembly design, as each LED is just one element in the overall design.

Ultimately, LEDs are the future and the old style filament bulb is old tech and will gradually disappear. This is why all new street lights, lights on trucks, school buses and tractor trailers are using LEDs. LEDs are superior in every way except for price, and that will come down as production volume increases and manufacturing processes improve.

Finally, though some disagree, I’d say on balance LEDs are way aesthetically superior to ordinary bulbs and will be a feature in terms of vehicle design that can’t be replicated using standard incandescent bulbs. Cars of the future will look a lot better as they benefit from the neat design opportunities that LEDs make possible.

[gtaste]

E90 3er has LED taillight. It employed CELIS LED just like those found on e39 5er.

[Broken1]

Interesting...The e46 coupe has led's. I find them alot better, when you start wondering off in your head and then i see these super bright lights, I automatically break :P

It would be cool though, if someone designed a tail out of LED's, so each light surrounded by metal, could be a cool new concept for break lights...instead of clusters

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by gtaste

E90 3er has LED taillight. It employed CELIS LED just like those found on e39 5er.

Only for the 3 stripes, the brake and indicator lights themselves are normal bulbs that shine straight through the lens

Open one upand look

[agarbati]

I really like the LED taillights on the Acura TL. Will be really interesting to see the flashing led's on the Merc S. Apparently they got the go ahead to put flashing brake lights on the S - as you brake the rear LED stop light flashes and I think the flashing is proportional to how hard you're breaking.

[fusionnv]

Originally Posted by Broken1

Interesting...The e46 coupe has led's. I find them alot better, when you start wondering off in your head and then i see these super bright lights, I automatically break :P

It would be cool though, if someone designed a tail out of LED's, so each light surrounded by metal, could be a cool new concept for break lights...instead of clusters

Go aftermarket. There is like a million differenet tail lights for the e46. I am sure they will make one for the e90.

[Robin_NL]

What's the fuzz about

First make the white rear-drive light run through, looks a lot better imho.

[Squawks]

Originally Posted by agarbati

I really like the LED taillights on the Acura TL. Will be really interesting to see the flashing led's on the Merc S. Apparently they got the go ahead to put flashing brake lights on the S - as you brake the rear LED stop light flashes and I think the flashing is proportional to how hard you're breaking.

Excuse my antiqueness for resurrecting such an old thread - but from reading the brochure on bmwusa.com (at least the latest one, that is) ... doesn't the E90 also have adaptive brake lights? I wouldn't be surprised if nobody checked...becauase they'd be behind the wheel!

[deutschmann59]

Originally Posted by Squawks

Excuse my antiqueness for resurrecting such an old thread - but from reading the brochure on bmwusa.com (at least the latest one, that is) ... doesn't the E90 also have adaptive brake lights? I wouldn't be surprised if nobody checked...becauase they'd be behind the wheel!

Yes, the E90 does have adaptive rear brake lights...but I don't think they work by "flashing". I think just more lights light up when you press harder--a brighter brake light. I could be wrong, but this is how they were explained to me. As you say, unless you ask someone to follow you and try them out, you'll never actually see them at work.

[David328M-Sport]

Originally Posted by sharp1183

I think just more lights light up when you press harder--a brighter brake light. I could be wrong, but

you are not.

Quite correct 1183. There are 2 sets of brake lights. One set lights up normally then in the event of heavy braking, the second, inner set lights up.

BMW explain this will intuitatively alert the driver behind you to also brake hard and quickly. Hope fully the system will save a rear end.

On the e46 note, I had one for 6 1/2 years and had to change the tail/brake LED lights - ooops, sorry - I mean GLOBES (now how did that happen?) too many times. cost me all of $0.50 each time but it shouldn't have happened as many times as it did.

Still, beats a LED array replacement for price and ease of installation.

Hopefully my e90 brake/tail light LEDS - I did it again, sorry globes - will last longer.

[RichP]

i think something that is overlooked, especially in the US, is that the E46 sedan is, in some senses, an economy car, as is the 5 Series. These cars, in europe, therefore, need to be designed as for as cheap of production as possible. Hence, I feel this is why we see a smaller overall wheel and tire spec on the E90, incandescant rear lights, and halogen free-form headlights. The E46 coupe (I owned one previously) isnt as economy in the sense that it isnt as practical, and perhaps that is why it can be priced higher and afford LED tail lights.

Hopefully when the m3 comes around, it will be fitted with LED tail lights, and we can retrofit them if so desired.

[ward]

the mercedes adaptive "flashing" brakelights got shot down by DOT

not gonna come to this side of the ocean

BMW just lights up more area of the lights

[agarbati]

Originally Posted by ward

the mercedes adaptive "flashing" brakelights got shot down by DOT

not gonna come to this side of the ocean

BMW just lights up more area of the lights

I thought I read somewhere that they were approved by the DOT and thats why Merc was going ahead with them. But that's news to me.

[UK E91]

Originally Posted by RichP

i think something that is overlooked, especially in the US, is that the E46 sedan is, in some senses, an economy car, as is the 5 Series. These cars, in europe, therefore, need to be designed as for as cheap of production as possible. Hence, I feel this is why we see a smaller overall wheel and tire spec on the E90, incandescant rear lights, and halogen free-form headlights. The E46 coupe (I owned one previously) isnt as economy in the sense that it isnt as practical, and perhaps that is why it can be priced higher and afford LED tail lights.

Hopefully when the m3 comes around, it will be fitted with LED tail lights, and we can retrofit them if so desired.

I would dissagree that the E90 is an 'economy' car in Europe. You can buy a similarly equipped / sized Ford Mondeo for £10,000 less. In the UK, it is known as 'Compact Executive' class with 5 series being 'Executive'.

As for LED's I think that it is a retrograde step not fitting them to the E90 when the E46 coupe has them. They are safer (as they light up quicker) and are a real styling feature. I'm dissapointed that my new E91 touring won't have them.

[Squawks]

LEDs are a ton brighter than the regular bulbs. It's a pain in the ass for the drivers behind you but that's good - if they can notice you easier, all the better. Many drivers out there are stupid - why do you think today there are still so many rear-end accidents? Idiots like those can probably make use of the help of the bright LEDs.

They light up 1/5 of a second faster than regular bulbs. That means on a freeway of speeds of about 80 mph, that 1/5 of a second is equivalent to 23.5 feet...

Pluses of LEDs:
1) They use less energy than bulbs
2) They release no heat compared to bulbs
3) They don't suffer from issues resulting from vibrations (hence why nearly all new trailers use LED tail-lights)
4) A good LED lasts 100,000 hours (20x longer than the best bulbs)...so even if an LED costs 20x more than a regular bulbs, I'd still take that
5) The viewing angle on LEDs are not bad - it's just that there are so many cheap/bad LEDs out there. A good LED will have a huge viewing angle...bright from all practical angles.

I'm an LED nut, and LEDs are especially an insane topic in the world of motorcycles (they want motorists to make sure they're aware of their presence, obviously).

Moral: it's a shame BMW doesn't have the LED lights on the E90 330i...and what makes it worst is that it's available on the E46.

[NaTuReB0Y]

Question of the day: What if LED were an option, let's say $1000, would you have purchased it?

Regarding options: BMW is big on options and little on standards..........