E87 xenon to adaptive bi-xenon headlights.

m2fast4u · Sep 13, 2013

Hi to all members here,I am new bmw owner and also new member here on babybmw forum...I have e87 120d from 2006 year, 163hp, and more details I will add when i attach photos of my car.In this post i try to introduce my actual problem with car headlights and i hope we can solve that together.
My car have before I change it xenon headlights with separate position light for angel eyes,and that is work perfect.Now i get bi-xenon adaptive headlights and I have two problems what must solve.When i add new headlights i only attach master connector to him and little connector from early headlights is free,because font have room for him to new adaptive bi-xenon headlights.I not made any coding on headlights,and i have normal working main beam,long beam and indicator beam.Only problem with lights is position light-angel eyes,who only work 4 seconds when I turn on lights and then gone,and after that i get error on dashboard about non working position light.Every new starting car and turning lights gets same problem.
Problems:

1.First problem is position light on new adaptive bi-xenon headlight.As I write upper,position work only 4-5 seconds when i turn on lights and then gone off,then get message on dashboard about that.I made photos of old and new headlights and i will attach that here for better explanation.If someone know how to solve this problem please to help me,I will be grateful.

2.Second problem with lights is adaptive lens setup.How to make that to work in my case?I check and i have on car level sensors,also my bi-xenon have own moduls,Im not sure about my light switch in cabin if i need to change and also not sure what footwell module i have,and what more i need to setup that.If someone want help and if someone made this conversation from xenon to adaptive bi-xenon please to help me.

Here is photos of my old and new xenon lights:

Old xenon headlight with separate position connector:

Front side:

Rear side:

Master connector:

Oem number:

New adaptive bi-xenon healdight:

Front side:

Rear side:

Master connector:

Oem number:

On car side master connector wires:

On car side master and position light connector:

I hope someone can help me about this here.My priority is position lights,after that I can made adaptive lens,not hurry,but what to know how to do and what all I need.Latter I will add photo with error from INPA,about headlights at a moment.
Cheers to all members here on forum and if someone need additional information about this please be free to ask me.Thanks again...

Nyxeris · Mar 29, 2020

BMW-Fun said:
Tell me, please, how was the problem solved? Everything is exactly the same for me. Car E87 Pre LCI, xenon headlights installed from the factory. Now I have installed adaptive xenon headlights LCI, FRM3 Max Brose, connected all the wiring and encoded $524 (CAS, NFRM), than, with empty .MAN FRM and DSC. But adaptive light does not turn. Errors in Rheingold is the same: 009315, 009CBA, 009CBF, 009CCO, 009CC3, 00E59C

When you say "connected all the wiring" what do you mean exactly?

The pinout for adaptive headlights is very different from normal xenons at both the headlight side and FRM side - if you didn't buy the official retrofit kit (which I think sold out years ago anyway) there's a fair amount of re-pinning to do and you'll also need to make a handful of wires from scratch because the redundant wiring isn't up to the task.

If you've plugged the lights in without making any changes it wouldn't surprise me if you've blown up your new FRM; pin 11 on normal xenons is a levelling signal wire to the FRM, on adaptives it's a 12v ground...

BMW-Fun · Mar 30, 2020

I found the cause of the errors 9CC0 and 9CBF myself. The problem was that all the wiring on my car from the headlights was already done, so I thought that everything was in order. I checked the power for SMC blocks, plus it was supplied, but I checked the minus only later and this was my mistake. In my car, PIN 11 on the headlamp connector was connected to X14260 PIN 17 and 30 on the FRM to control vertical adjustments on non-adaptive xenon. I made a wire break PIN 11 at the headlights and connected to minus. The SMC blocks are now working, but I still get the error - "E59C Telegram PT-CAN steering angle angle Timeout" is not signal to the JBE block. Maybe there is another place where I can get a PT-Can Hihg and PT-Can Low connection?
Block DSC and KOMBI i already encoded, did not help.

Also, I tried to connect another FRM3 Max Kuester, having previously encoded it for my car, but I get exactly the same error - there is no connection FRM with JBE.

Information for those who will be wondering, as I did before, whether the Max Kuester unit will work on the E87. Often, on the Internet, you can see information that the unit is suitable for the E81, E82, E88 and E87, E90, but this is not so. FRM3 Max Kuester was produced specifically for bodies E81, E82, E88. The unit also works great on my E87, but only the control of 2 power windows works, since the unit is made for two door cars.

Nyxeris · Mar 30, 2020

You need to make the JBE connection yourself as the wires won't be present at all. The official way is to tap the CANbus wires coming from the JBE. I'm using Posi Taps, part no EX-135R.

Add new wire to FRM X14260 pin 43 > route to JBE > tap blue/red wire from JBE X14271 pin 1 (PT_CAN_H)
Add new wire to FRM X14260 pin 44 > route to JBE > tap red wire from JBE X14271 pin 2 (PT_CAN_L)

Remember they're signal wires so need to be twisted together to reduce crosstalk

This is a pinout I've put together comparing all three headlight connectors - I wasn't going to share it until I'd had a chance to finish the job and test everything but thanks to lockdown that's not happening for a while. Hopefully it helps illustrate the different connections between xenon and adaptive xenon as there's quite a few!

BMW-Fun · Mar 30, 2020

Maybe I put it wrong. I did this a long time ago - I laid two wires from pins 1 and 2 of the JBE block, twisted them, as I said earlier, connected it to the X14260 PIN 43 and 44 of the FRM block, but I get an error "E59C Telegram PT-CAN steering angle Timeout" due to which the adaptive light does not work .

BMW-Fun · Apr 27, 2020

The issue is resolved! There were two problems. Incorrectly connected wiring, I was very tired and made mistakes in the wiring, so on one headlight there was no power to the SMC unit. Before that there was a problem, minus SMC blocks are not connected. He did it all. But besides this, in the left headlight there was an inoperative SMC module. I ordered it with Aliexpress for 42 EUR with delivery. After replacing the SMC, both headlights were encoded in NCS Expert with empty MAN. file without any problems.

Immy · Apr 17, 2025

Good morning I need some help with my headlights

darwin said:
I am trying to retrofit my Xenon OEM AHL and now are working 100% with a FMRII. Only left to install rear Leds and rear sensor level. I have 2 questions.

I see how beamed lights move when parking, does the Xenon also move when parking and turning the steering wheel. Also I need to pass the cable for the sensor level through the trunk. There is a lid, but apparently is glued and not easy to remove. Does anyone knows how I can cross the trunk with the Sensor Xenon level cables?

I need some help with my ahl can you help please

darwin said:
I am trying to retrofit my Xenon OEM AHL and now are working 100% with a FMRII. Only left to install rear Leds and rear sensor level. I have 2 questions.

I see how beamed lights move when parking, does the Xenon also move when parking and turning the steering wheel. Also I need to pass the cable for the sensor level through the trunk. There is a lid, but apparently is glued and not easy to remove. Does anyone knows how I can cross the trunk with the Sensor Xenon level cables?

I’m getting these errors

Brodie H · Mar 24, 2021

Does anyone know the part numbers for the pins and rubber boots that go into pin 6 and 11 on the adaptive headlight for the ground and cornering light power? I also need the part number for the FRM connector pins that i can crimp directly onto the wire at the other end. Thanks

darwin · Oct 29, 2022

I am trying to retrofit my Xenon OEM AHL and now are working 100% with a FMRII. Only left to install rear Leds and rear sensor level. I have 2 questions.

I see how beamed lights move when parking, does the Xenon also move when parking and turning the steering wheel. Also I need to pass the cable for the sensor level through the trunk. There is a lid, but apparently is glued and not easy to remove. Does anyone knows how I can cross the trunk with the Sensor Xenon level cables?

Nyxeris · Oct 30, 2022

darwin said:
I see how beamed lights move when parking, does the Xenon also move when parking and turning the steering wheel.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'beamed lights'?

The only light that moves is the bi-xenon projectors, which will turn up to 8 degrees inwards and 15 degrees outwards depending on the steering angle/vehicle yaw, but only when you're moving (forward speed above 0km/h) and it's fully dark outside (the rain/light sensor must report "dark" not just "twilight/low light"):

The cornering lights (lens closest to the grilles) will activate in the direction you're indicating, but only when your speed is below 40km/h (or 35km/h when reversing). Above those speeds, the cornering lights are disabled.

If you code AHL2_enable to aktiv in your FRM, this will turn on Variable Light Distribution which also moves the projectors to certain positions depending on vehicle speed:

darwin said:
Does anyone knows how I can cross the trunk with the Sensor Xenon level cables?

I drilled a small hole in one of the plastic bungs in the boot floor and poked the wires through. When the wiring was all wrapped, routed and secured to the chassis with cable clips/ties etc. I used black silicone to seal the hole. There are existing cable routing grommets on both sides, but they aren't easily accessible without stripping the interior so I didn't want to risk using these and possibly causing a leak I wouldn't be able to see!

E87 xenon to adaptive bi-xenon headlights.

Our Vendors

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities