BMW Interior Light LED Adapter

These are adapters for three types of BMW festoon interior lights. They use a 26mmx36mm LED panel as a replacement for the incandescent bulb.

The lights involved are the hatch door light, the rear passenger reading light and the glove box light in a 2004 318Ti, but the lights are likely used in other places in the E46 Series 3, and similar models.

The 12V LED panels are widely available on ALI , EBay etc. They often come with adapters for the festoon sockets, but they can also be connected directly to the existing plug if the pins in a 3-pin Dupont connector are moved to the outer two positions. The interior lights are not monitored by the vehicle management system and the difference in current draw does not create a system warning.