Retrofit: BMW E38 Illuminated Door Handles to E39
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- Опубліковано 28 січ 2018
- This DIY demonstrates how to retrofit the BMW E38 7-Series's illuminated door handles to a BMW E39 5-series.
Retrofit Parts:
(Qty 1) 51218215617 Left Cable (Only for cars built before 3/2001) bit.ly/2wVISTu
(Qty 1) 51218215618 Right Cable (Only for cars built before 3/2001) bit.ly/2NYaE8e
(Qty 2) 51218239475 Left Handle - Illuminated bit.ly/2N18S9R
(Qty 2) 51218239476 Right Handle - Illuminated bit.ly/2wYOT0T
(Qty 4) 63316975019 Door Handle LED Bulbs bit.ly/2x2qM1s
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.
Cars built BEFORE 3/2001 do NOT need to have the front door handle cables changed.
Gray/red wire in window switch / memory seat panel is positive. Brown wire in same harness is ground.
E39Source WEBSITE: www.E39Source.com
BMW M3Source: / e65source
BMW E46Source: / e46source
BMW Reviews: / steptronic87 - Авто та транспорт
![BMW Wireless Charging Retrofit | 540i [E39]](/img/n.gif)
Thanks for helping me with this retrofit! It's so nice to reach for the door handle at night and see the amber LED glowing :)
i did this a year ago and did it the same way as you guys. Nice DIY :)
Great video Ryan. A couple of DIY suggestions: illuminated exterior doors handles and push button trunk - both available on e38.
Many thank's from Germany, this issue bothers me since 4 years on my M5. I wasn't able to find a simply solution. e38 opener - perfect idea!
A very useful guide as always. And that is one very clean 530 I must say.
Thank you Danne!
Haha, thanks! I wish I could say the same for its title! I bought it salvaged and repaired minor rear end damage.
Those Bowden cables ALWAYS creak, even new, it's so strange. Good retrofit!
Good job guys! Definitely a future mod for my 540i.
Nice F355 Spider!!
working electrical stuff with battery still attached :)
i also like to live dangerously
Ins Tall We did disconnect the battery when dealing with the airbags. Don’t mess with them, as they can cause serious injury (ask Takata). But the lights were wired with the battery connected, yes. It won’t cause any problems; the wires are tiny.
Great video and absolutely love the mod. I've only owned my e39 for about 4 months so at night I struggle to find the handle. Video is also great timing because I think my lock actuators in the rear are going so i'll need to swap them out before they are permanently locked
Thanks Joe! Now is definitely a good time to retrofit these handles while you're in there doing actuators. Good luck!
where would you recommend buying replacement actuators ? i've seen prices that seem to vary by over a hundred dollars and im worried im missing something
I would buy used ones on Ebay or from people like Adam (Clemster, M5Board). Just make sure they're for an E39 and are in working condition.
-Ryan
thank you so much Ryan. you guys are literally 50% of the reason i stepped up and bought my girl. without this resource, i neverrrrrrr would have gotten into a 17 year old M car
I have already done that :))
My e34 530i touring had this illuminated door handle stuff.
Nice video. Always thorough and clear. Suggestion.. if ever difficult to see because of shade or darkness, have a little flashlight at the ready
The problem with the flashlight in this application was with the white balance. It was also reflecting off of the metal door shells and was actually harder to see on camera. But thanks for your feedback! We will work on having better lighting in the future.
Great video!
Only you don’t have to lose the doorlock. If you pull on the cabel and hold the cabelholder stock with a screwdriver,you can take the old cabel out and the new in.
Than lose the cabelholder 😉
Thank you for sharing this video. It sends viewers to our Channel. Nice video tho💪💪💪
Nice 👍
I had to do something similar when fitting chrome handles off a Z3 into my E36, the piece the hook connects to was reversed. I ended up removing that rod from the handle and put it in upside down. This should be an option here as well.
My e39 doesn't have a memory seats so can I take the positive and ground from window switch harness, it also illuminates with lights turned on
Nice Batman GMT
Can you do a mod for the automatic headlight switch
I thanks for the vídeos! It is possible to have 1 vídeo whith the exterior handle door remove? Other question, there are any way to reset the airbag light whithout hardware? Thanks
Until I have to remove an exterior door handle on somebody's car, I will not be able to do a video. In the event that I have to, I will film it. To reset the airbag light, you need a scanner.
Couldn't you add the wires into the factory harness with pins and solder the connections? There has to be some sort of wiring diagram available right? I suspect the e38 has them connected to that black connector by the latch as you showed in the video. I hate those scotch lock connectors.
The factory harness was probably different, and it probably stemmed from the same place where the window switch power comes from. The snap on connectors are honestly just as effective though, just not as pretty. Do the job right with the taps and it'll never be a problem.
Does that part number for the door handles also include the bulb, bulb socket and pig tails?
Actually no, you'll need 4x of 63316975019 for the bulbs. Video description updated.
This is neat, I want to do this mod to my '99 model along with the illuminated gear knob :-) How much did the pair of front handles cost?
Nate got the handles used for a fair price. Check Ebay for a set of E38 used handles, they aren't bad.
What voltage this leds operate at? Have similar in my e53, but want to add amber lights for compartments. Unfortunatelly I live far far away from my car, and want to make everything ready beforehand. I mean when you dimm or brighten on interior lights this little amber leds gets shiny or dimm. Though i could just tap in directly to led door handle led? But is this 3v or 13.5v?
The interior lights all run on a ~12v.
Are the rear door handles that you used from the E38 Rear door handles or E38 front door handles?
jambles3 They are all the same, so it doesn’t matter.
👍
does it fit on E46? thanks
Thats why I bought an E38.........Just to get the illuminated door handles.....
I'm about to do this myself but I don't have electric seats, is it fine to hook the LED up to the power and ground for the window button panel?
Yes, that would work fine!
@@E39Source great! Thank you for the guides, they're good!
il cavo per la luce di cortesia sotto la porta è presente anche su una e39 che non ha la lampadina ma ha la predisposizione? grazie
Only the E38 has the cable for the illuminated door handles. In this video, we show how to tap another switched light line for power on the E39.
@@E39Source io non intendo le luci per le maniglie ma le luci di cortesia sotto la porta, la mia non le ha e volevo sapere se nella portiera è comunque presente l'impianto per collegarle
@@giovanninocito4666 All E39s came pre-wired for the puddle lights, as far as I know.
So are you going to do the same retrofit to your M5?
If I could do it in a way that would allow me to keep my Titan line door handles, I would be interested. I don't think the handle itself can be moved though... so I'll probably hold off on this for now.
things only BMW owners care about.... illuminated door handles haha
Steven Marino it makes a difference.
As you can see it is also a F355 owner :)
And the outside?
We do not yet have a retrofit video for the exterior illuminated handles.
@@E39Source Is it being planned? I have the ones for the outside of the e38, but the handles are a little narrower than those of the e39
Not in the short term. They don't fit in the door cut outs? Sounds like some modifications will be required then. @@LichtNero
@@E39Source Yes, the ones from the e38 are a little narrower in height and create an unsightly gap at the top and bottom. You would have to convert the one from the e39 for the lighting, but I don't know how to attach it, i.e. the lighting. In addition, the holding device on the E38 is slightly offset.
Of course they had to change it :/ So it'd be a custom job then. @@LichtNero
Lame. it's just more weight to the car