BMW Announces E46 tail light recall -- finally

Do you guys think they'll give those of us with aftermarket tails and or rewired/cut harnesses a tough time?

Great, I guess. Where the hell is the recall on the ZKW lights

and my luck I recently ordered a set of EE red/smoked led tails, hoping it would fix the intermitent light out...

Guess I'll be selling my red/clears :/

They're about 3 years too late...morons

Originally Posted by 500rwhp

Do you guys think they'll give those of us with aftermarket tails and or rewired/cut harnesses a tough time?

I'm sure.....look how long it took for the recall.
Most people with this problem already fixed it.

Originally Posted by farmdog

I'm sure.....look how long it took for the recall.
Most people with this problem already fixed it.

that's what I was thinking... I fixed it and haven't had any problems since

but this is good to know if/when the problem happens again!

well damn
i just added the ground wire to the driver side tail last month
now i have a bulb out light on passenger side after replacing a burnt out bulb with one from a dealership, was going to add a ground to it then purchase LED tails...
wonder if i should check into this first or if this will even be available for repair in Canada yet

I'd bet that if you have modified the harness, or gone with modded lenses they won't fix it. Not their problem.

Thank you for the post!! My stealership doesn't know about this yet but I plan on calling repeatedly until they satisfy the recall.

Now they need to recall the wiring harness to the trunk lid.
Mine was a mess....

Originally Posted by GoingNuts

Like I have been suspecting for some time, BMW's for the US are made of the cheaper stuff that craps out on every turn:

I filed an online NHSTA complaint about the burnt ZKW projector bowls. I could not claim that any accident or injuries resulted from my dim projector headlight problem, at least not yet, but dimmer headlights are definitely a safety risk. If you have burnt ZKW projector bowls, I suggest you file a complaint too. If enough BMW E46 owners do so, it might prompt a recall on those, which would be nice because the OEM fix is so expensive.

Originally Posted by jiggz

Great, I guess. Where the hell is the recall on the ZKW lights

Announced the day after I fix mine, figures. Car will be gone by the time they get around to accepting vehicles for it anyway so I guess its no biggy.

I have a '00 323ci with the connector melted on my tail light, since I'm not covered does anybody have a part number for the repair kit???

I haven't had the bulb out warning on mine except when they are burnt,, but i do have the ground wire melting it self, still havent done the diy (have the wire ready) just waiting for that sh*t to totally melt (i know, why?). How do they notify the owners if im the 3rd owner, or does it go through the registry?. Im calling them, if i get in they'll see my cheap clear smoked aftermarket tails.Wondering if i should put on my factory ones when i take it in. Def. a recall on the zkw needs to be done as they are crap, the light output is sh/t.

Originally Posted by TiAgXi

Yeah right. Cuz prefacelift haven't had this issue, right? The reality is you've been left out.

Apparently not enough to warrant a recall. My tails are changed and the DIY has been done, so I could care less either way.

Originally Posted by Bemwe_03i

I haven't had the bulb out warning on mine except when they are burnt,, but i do have the ground wire melting it self, still havent done the diy (have the wire ready) just waiting for that sh*t to totally melt (i know, why?). How do they notify the owners if im the 3rd owner, or does it go through the registry?. Im calling them, if i get in they'll see my cheap clear smoked aftermarket tails.Wondering if i should put on my factory ones when i take it in. Def. a recall on the zkw needs to be done as they are crap, the light output is sh/t.

Returning to stock is probably a good idea, but I suspect, as someone said, if the wiring is messed with, they might say, rightly so, "it's not our issue."

Also, I'm reporting my broken driver seat heating grid to nhtsa. If I'm shaking while driving when it's cold, I could veer out of my lane and hit a dog.

WTF I have a 2000 328CI coupe WITH THE SAME PROBLEM! had to do the wire fix to BOTH SIDES! Yet I'm not included?

Odd coincidence. Just saw this happen for the first time today.

Glad to be here and to participate n the E46 fanatic / antics. I had seen some of the Q.&A's and was pleasantly surprised at the concern of the "fanatics" as to resolving problems.

I'm in the Northern 'lower' Michigan area; Traverse City,MI and am still driving my first BMW; a 1995 325iS with 216,000 miles. Body is great (always touch it up in the early spring and NEVER let those mini-bumps go anywhere. The engine and drive train are excellent and I follow a religious maintenance schedule.

Just finished a carnuba wax (Meguires) job and an interior detail.
BTW: Anyone know where I can get a front seat (back portion, black leather)? Everything else is fine except the left arm-back side which is worn.
I'll take the whole seat providing the price is....well.....y'know.

Anxious to see and hear from other 'fanatics' regarding parts, upgrades, where-to-buy items for the Bimmer.

Thanks to Tim Jones for getting me started.