Retrofitting automatic high beams (a.k.a. high beam assist, a.k.a. FLA [fernlichtassistent]) is actually surprisingly easy on a BMW E60, E61, E63 or E64, especially if your car has automatic lights (automatic low beams). It is also completely reversible, without requiring that any wires be cut. All you need to do is:
- Prepare a splitter wiring harness (from original BMW parts)
- Swap the rear-view mirror for one that has an FLA camera
- Code a few electronic modules
The wiring harness
The FLA camera needs a CAN-BUS signal (from somewhere) and the most convenient place to tap into it is the rain-light sensor (RLS), which is right next to the rear-view mirror. If you don’t have that sensor, you have to run wires from one of the modules behind the glove box, but in this tutorial we’re assuming you have automatic headlights (low beams), which means you have a rain-light sensor.
Instead of “tapping” into existing wires, we’ll just make a splitter harness adapter that makes this completely plug-n-play, and also completely reversible. Here’s the diagram:
Pins 3 and 4 of the RLS connector are the CAN wires. They must be twisted along each other in your new harness. Another set of wires from those same pins goes to pins 1 & 2 of the new 3-pin connector; those must be twisted as well.
And here are the BMW part numbers for the parts that I used:
- 2x 61130005197 – wire with pin, female
- 4x 61130005198 – wire with pin, male
- 1x 61138377072 – 3-pin plug
- 1x 61136925611 – 4-pin socket
- 1x 61138380696 – 4-pin plug (kit w/ 10 female pins)
Swapping the mirrors
Watch the video above – it explains and shows how to replace your old rear-view mirror with one that has the FLA camera, and how to plug in your new adapter harness. Basically, the steps are:
- Pry open the plastic mirror covers and remove them
- Unplug the mirror’s wiring connector
- Rotate the mirror counter-clockwise around 60 degrees and remove it
- Unplug the rain/light sensor connector at the top
- Install the new mirror and lock it in place by turning 60 degrees clockwise
- Plug in wiring adapter harness into the existing plug for the RLS, as well as into the RLS itself at the other end. Plug in the new 3-pin connector into the new mirror’s 3-pin socket. Also plug in the main mirror connector.
- Tuck any loose wiring behind the mirror, but keep the area around the mounting point clear
- Install the new mirror covers (they should easily snap closed when positioned correctly; if it’s taking some force, that means there’s something in the way)
Coding
Add $5AC to your VO (vehicle order) and then VO-code the following modules: FLA, LM (or FRM), KOMBI, CCC (or CIC). If this sounds like Chinese to you, look up how to do VO coding – there’s lots of info on that online and it’s outside the scope of this tutorial.
