Boot light

L

Lazza

Member
 Wokingham
Has anyone improved the lighting in the boot? My 09 35i just has the one light in the front of the boot and it doesn’t really doa good job once much is put in the boot.
In my MX5 I fitted a halogen (would probably use LED now) bulb with a mercury tilt switch on the underside of the boot lid. Does anything like this exist for the Z? I have had a look but can’t see anything.
With MX5s, as they are cheap, popular and almost every one is modified, there are a number of companies that sell a lot of spare/upgrade/tart-up parts for them but I don’t think there is anything like that for the Z other than BMW themselves.
 
I dont think so.

I know where your coming from alot of my friends have the mk3 mx5 and all they seem to do is mods. As for the e89, maybe now that the new z4 has come out and the e89 price to drop. I dont know but tasteful, cheap mods for the e89 ..... yeah niche market to be honest
 
I bought an LED for the boot-light on my E86 on Amazon for a few quid and it's so much brighter. :)

Surely if you just remove the fitting and see what bulb is in there you ought to be able to find a can-bus free LED alternative?
 
Hi there,

I was also looking at this.

I came across: https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=94728

Which reccomends this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-SMD-LED-42mm-264-CANBUS-NO-ERROR-XENON-WHITE-NUMBER-PLATE-LIGHT-FESTOON-BULB-/300614535046?nav=SEARCH

worth a punt for £2.75
Im gonna order one.
 
The switch that powers the light is connected to the left draw down motor on the boot lid. So could fit a light say behind the trim on the boot lid to come on when the boot is opened. The material would be easy to cut out. Would be useful project, buy a door puddle light and fit.
Got me thinking now, always thought the boot light was near useless.
Have a look at the circled part on wiring diagram.
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=91766&hilit=E89+soft+close+problem
Wires on switch are different colour to wires that it plugs in to.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-BMW-E60-E61-E63-E89-E83-LED-Courtesy-Door-Footwell-Puddle-Boot-Light/163477538141?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3D073ab3bebc51498b918e831f135c7d76%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D163477538141%26itm%3D163477538141&_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-Luggage-Trunks-Footwell-Door-Courtesy-Light-Error-Free-For-BMW-E39-E60-E65/202610355069?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D55e3a8c749b3418da3ec0d0a2f746077%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D163477538141%26itm%3D202610355069&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
 
Deepseaskateboard said:
Hi there,

I was also looking at this.

I came across: viewtopic.php?t=94728

Which reccomends this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-SMD-LED-42 ... nav=SEARCH

worth a punt for £2.75
Im gonna order one.
Click to expand...

I got my LEDs from that supplier, and they were fine.
 
Having had a look in the boot, something i never really noticed was the recessed hand grab. I think i might fit a light in there.
 
Mr Tidy said:
Deepseaskateboard said:
Hi there,

I was also looking at this.

I came across: viewtopic.php?t=94728

Which reccomends this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-SMD-LED-42 ... nav=SEARCH

worth a punt for £2.75
Im gonna order one.
Click to expand...

I got my LEDs from that supplier, and they were fine.
Click to expand...

Cool, It should be arriving soon.
Pretty decent mod for £2.75
 
flybobbie said:
Well in my car it's a different bulb. Looks like the wire ended glass bulb rather than fuse shaped.
Click to expand...

This was my next question!

Got to fitting, and the bulbs are nothing alike!

I have never seen a car in my life with fuse shaped bulbs!!

For anyone attempting, it needs an E2 2J6 bulb with wire terminals.
 

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Deepseaskateboard said:
flybobbie said:
Well in my car it's a different bulb. Looks like the wire ended glass bulb rather than fuse shaped.
Click to expand...

This was my next question!


Got to fitting, and the bulbs are nothing alike!

I have never seen a car in my life with fuse shaped bulbs!!

For anyone attempting, it needs an E2 2J6 bulb with wire terminals.
Click to expand...
Go for the complete housing change in my links, ok £10 but are nice and bright good quality.
I retro fitted them as footwell and puddle lights.
 
flybobbie said:
Deepseaskateboard said:
flybobbie said:
Well in my car it's a different bulb. Looks like the wire ended glass bulb rather than fuse shaped.
Click to expand...

This was my next question!


Got to fitting, and the bulbs are nothing alike!

I have never seen a car in my life with fuse shaped bulbs!!

For anyone attempting, it needs an E2 2J6 bulb with wire terminals.
Click to expand...
Go for the complete housing change in my links, ok £10 but are nice and bright good quality.
I retro fitted them as footwell and puddle lights.
Click to expand...

Is that:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-BMW-E60-E61-E63-E89-E83-LED-Courtesy-Door-Footwell-Puddle-Boot-Light/163477538141?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3D073ab3bebc51498b918e831f135c7d76%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D163477538141%26itm%3D163477538141&_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042

This one?

Does it just clip in where the old one was?
 
well i just tried one of those i received from ebay today.. it physically fits, but plus and minus wires are reversed on mine I suppose on a filament bulb it makes no difference.
new lamp works as i've tested it but the lead to the existing fitting is so short i cant do anything about swapping over the wires until its light out and i can remove the boot panels to reach the wires.
 
The wire for the light runs under the pull out boot floor to access the battery. You might be able tease the wire to get more up to the cut out.
 
Dr-Jon said:
well i just tried one of those i received from ebay today.. it physically fits, but plus and minus wires are reversed on mine I suppose on a filament bulb it makes no difference.
new lamp works as i've tested it but the lead to the existing fitting is so short i cant do anything about swapping over the wires until its light out and i can remove the boot panels to reach the wires.
Click to expand...

I have ordered a new LED bulb!
Ill try my luck with that first.

I hate removing trim.
 
Ok so this morning I have found the cable, thanks to flybobbie, pull a bit through and changed the pins over in the plug, all good. :)
this is where the problems start.. but this is expected its a Z4 after all. The new led light fitting is the wrong shape :(
the opening in the boot is not completely rectangular the corners opposite the cable end are tapered a bit and to get the new light to fit in the opening it will need to be cut down as per the picture. Obviously only the back of the light needs cutting not the front face
when the corners are cut off right back to the aluminium heat shield it will fit. a bit of a work up all in all but the new light is a lot brighter.
 

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I think flybobbie has got the point of what I was asking about. I’m talking about either moving the existing light or better, adding an extra light somewhere better.
The existing light isn’t that bright but I don’t really have a problem with that. If I stick my gym bag in the boot, it generally blocks the light then the whole boot is just dark. If there was a light higher up, such as in the boot lid, that would work much better.
 
Lazza said:
I think flybobbie has got the point of what I was asking about. I’m talking about either moving the existing light or better, adding an extra light somewhere better.
The existing light isn’t that bright but I don’t really have a problem with that. If I stick my gym bag in the boot, it generally blocks the light then the whole boot is just dark. If there was a light higher up, such as in the boot lid, that would work much better.
Click to expand...

In the link I posted it has some solutions which people have done with lightstrips.

Probably takes the power from the existing light.

Check it out.
 
I discovered the cable for the boot light after i attached a led light strip for a while, but couldn't find a suitable place to fit it that had a standard look.
I will shortly have a look at fitting a light in the boot lid near the hand grab.
 
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