E39 - Recap/Rear Plate Lights

After exploring with the FSU (Hedgehog) and replacing it, experimenting with various fuses, replacement battery, new drive belts, checked 90 Amp alternator, I found my problem is with Fuse 4, (front glove compartment) this covers Windscreen Washers, interior lights, trunk lighting and it also touches on reverse sensors and number plate lights it seems. On putting in a reverse camera into one of the number plate lights and replacing the interior bulbs with LEDs, I found the o/s number plate light unit (where one fits in the bulb) would cause the bulb to malfunction. The bulb would illuminate for a split second and then nothing. By Replacing the whole unit using the n/s unit from where the camera was installed, seemed to do the trick and the bulb worked ok. I explored the reverse sensors as they were not working, by taking each one out of the bumper trim and I discovered the ends detached exposing a blue and white wire, so I replaced all of the sensors with a third party cheaper set, they all work now and I have a visual monitor that bleeps, giving green, amber and red bar readings for distance .

(Day 18 Fuse 4 Out - 24th November 2014) The battery has stayed up now for a round three weeks (without fuse 4 plugged in) the only thing I am missing at the moment is the windscreen washer. I am giving the BM a couple more weeks to assess the duration of battery charge (on checking it regularly and with little use, it remains normal .

25th November 2014 - The battery is flat again, this maybe down to not using the vehicle every day.

In the next few days, I will be replacing fuse 4) to see if there is any adverse effects. If so,the problem is most likey soomething to do with the Windscreen Washer System, however this seems to be working ok...

29th November 2014 - Decided to fit the pillar lights in place of the standard number plate lights, another one of those days. I needed to recharge the battery and accidently pulled wiring as I lifted the battery out, (it is a heavy battery) they were connected to the reverse camera and reverse sensors, so needed to repair and tidy them up and put out of the way, I didn't want to repeat the destruction when replacing the battery. On fitting the pillar lights, I also accidently pulled out the wires on the one LED Pillar so that the one was totally U/S. Fortunately the standard factory plate light was still ok and it should make do until I can replace it. However, the pillar light has not gone to total waste as it can be used, (even if glued in) to keep the number plate in place. The camera side is now working, so all meets legal requirements. On reversing at night the standard reverse lights and camera light are not too accessive. The positioning of the pillar lights were not where I would have like them as there is a double skin within the boot lid with no access to the screw thread or wiring once the a hole had been drilled. I decided to move the pillar lights and place them in discuise as numberplate attachment screws/bolts, to prevent the plates being pulled off, as the original plate seemed to only be held on with sticky tabs that had seen better days.

I would have liked to position the pillar lights above the number plate and below the factory standard fitting, (disconnecting the standard) unfortunately at the back of the boot (trunk) panel, there is a large internal membrane. A question of in-accessability once a hole is drilled to allow the thread of the pillar lights to be bolted up. By positioning the pillars either side of the numberplate helped for a more of a shallow drill depth into the membrane, helping to get a better securing access to the thread, note: still having to use extending threads on eitherside for the retainer bolts (longer the better), however the over-all appearance does not look out of place and still conforms with the BM looks.