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BMW G22 / M4 Pre-LCI to LCI Conversion Guide: Arrow-DRL Headlights, CSL Laser Taillights, and What the 2024 Facelift Changed
The G22/G82 facelift changed both ends — arrow-DRL headlights and the M4 CSL's laser taillights. What a 2021–2024 4 Series or M4 can convert with no bumper work and no coding, what Laserlight owners give up, why LCI owners still replace headlights, and the front/rear/both routes compared.
Related Products
SKU: BMW-G22-05819
SKU: BMW-G22-05814
The 2024 facelift changed the 4 Series and M4 at both ends: the vertical arrow-DRL headlights up front — the "Snake Eye" signature that divided the forums and then spread across BMW's whole lineup — and, at the back, the laser-lit taillights first seen on the M4 CSL. For a 2021–2024 G22, G23, G26, G80 or G82 owner, that means a "pre-LCI to LCI conversion" is really two decisions, and each has a purpose-built answer. This guide covers exactly what the LCI changed, what a pre-LCI car can convert, the honest trade-offs (including what Laserlight owners give up), and the routes — front, rear, or both — with no bumper work and no coding.
The 60-second version
The G22/G82 LCI (production from March 2024) brought arrow-DRL headlights, laser-accent taillights on the higher trims, a revised grille, and an iDrive 8.5 cabin — bumpers largely carried over. Front: Arrow-DRL headlights exist for every pre-LCI factory type — Standard LED (5A2) and Laserlight (5AZ) — as a plug-in swap with no coding, and also for LCI Standard-LED cars that want switchable DRL colors. Rear: CSL laser-style taillights bring the LCI/CSL rear signature to pre-LCI and LCI cars alike, a 45-minute swap through the trunk. Together they're the complete visual conversion; the cabin is the part nobody can convert.
1) What the G22 / G82 LCI actually changed
A moderate facelift by BMW standards, but the two things it touched most are the two things everyone sees:
| Area | Pre-LCI (2021–2024) | LCI (2024+) | Convertible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headlights | Twin hex / inverted-U DRLs; Standard LED or Laserlight (blue inlays) | Vertical arrow DRLs; single LED module for low and high beam; adaptive version with blue accents; Laserlight dropped | Yes — section 3 |
| Taillights | L-shaped LED signature | Laser-lit filament taillights from the M4 CSL on M440i / M4 and as an option; base LCI cars keep the pre-LCI lights (same part numbers) | Yes — section 5 |
| Grille | Vertical-bar kidneys | Revised inserts (mesh on 430i), matte-chrome surround; illuminated option | Yes, minor |
| Bumpers | — | Largely carried over with trim changes — no G20-style bumper redesign | Not needed |
| Interior | iDrive 8 (curved display on later cars), gear lever | iDrive 8.5 with QuickSelect, toggle selector, new steering wheel, climate controls moved into the screen | No |
The M4 LCI added power and options on top, but visually the story is the same as the 4 Series: lights front and rear. That's the whole conversion, and that's what the rest of this guide covers.
2) First: which factory headlights do you have?
The headlight harness differs by factory option, and the arrow-DRL headlights are built in a version for each. Three you can convert, one you can't:
Standard LED (pre-LCI, 5A2)
2021–2024. Twin hex / inverted-U DRLs, no blue accents. Convertible.
Laserlight (pre-LCI, 5AZ)
2021–2024. Blue inlays, "BMW Laser" on the lens. Convertible — with a trade-off, section 4.
Standard LED (LCI, 5A2)
2024+. Vertical arrow DRL, no blue accents. Already the LCI look — upgradeable to switchable DRL colors.
Adaptive LED (LCI, 552)
2024+. Arrow DRL with blue accents and matrix internals — a different architecture. Not supported.
The identification method for any BMW — VIN option codes, the two-minute swivel test — is in our headlight identification guide, or send us your VIN.
Which route is mine? Tap your situation
Five cases cover almost every G22, G23, G26, G80 and G82 on the road.
Pre-LCI with Standard LED — I want the LCI look
Pre-LCI with Laserlight — I want the LCI look
I already have an LCI with Standard LED (arrow, no blue accents)
I have an LCI with Adaptive LED (arrow with blue accents)
I only want the rear — the CSL laser look
3) The front: arrow-DRL headlights
One housing, the LCI signature, built in three harness versions so it plugs into whichever factory type you have — pre-LCI Standard LED, pre-LCI Laserlight, or LCI Standard LED. The same bumper stays: unlike the G20, the 4 Series' facelift didn't reshape the front end, so this is a straight headlight swap.
- Bi-LED projector, ~6,000 lm, single module for low and high beam — the same architecture as the factory LCI unit.
- Cornering lights on every version — a static inner LED lit with the indicator, which the pre-LCI Standard LED headlights never had.
- Auto-leveling retained: the factory leveling-motor connector is carried over.
- DRL in three configurations — White (fixed), White/Yellow, or White/Yellow/Amber — switched from the high-beam stalk; details below.
- Zero coding, no adapters. Bumper off, plug in, test, bumper on.
- Fits G22 Coupé, G23 Convertible, G26 Gran Coupé, G80 M3 and G82 M4 — same mounting points and harness design.
Some sellers market this DRL shape as "Snake Eye"; it's the same 2024+ arrow signature.
DRL switching — from the stalk, no app
- White / Yellow: flash 6× for yellow, 5× back to white.
- White / Yellow / Amber: 5× white → yellow, 6× yellow → amber, 4× amber → white.
- White single-color: fixed, nothing to switch.
White is the everyday mode; yellow and amber are the signature you select when the setting calls for it. The legality logic behind switchable DRLs is in our CSL DRL guide.
Already driving an LCI? Here's why this still matters
On the LCI, BMW sealed the DRL modules inside the housing — there's no DRL board to swap without breaking the seal and inviting condensation. So for a 2024+ Standard-LED car, a complete headlight is the only practical route to a switchable yellow or amber signature. The LCI harness version plugs straight in, keeps the arrow design your car already has, and adds the colors it can't.
4) Laserlight owners: what you gain and what you give up
Pre-LCI Laserlight is the one factory headlight that's better than the LCI unit at its own job — BMW dropped laser from the facelift's front end, and the pre-LCI Laserlight's high-beam reach is superior to any LED unit, factory or aftermarket. So the honest framing for a 5AZ owner is a trade, not a pure upgrade:
You give up
- The laser high-beam booster — the extra reach above ~60 km/h.
- The AFS swivel — replaced by a fixed, wide bi-LED beam plus a static cornering LED lit with the indicator.
- The blue "L" inlays of the 5AZ housing.
You gain
- The LCI arrow signature — the current BMW face, on a pre-LCI car.
- Switchable DRL colors — something no Laserlight, pre-LCI or otherwise, has ever offered.
- Plug-and-play fitment on the Laserlight harness, no coding, auto-leveling retained.
If the laser reach matters more to you than the look, keep your Laserlight — and get the CSL yellow signature the other way: our switchable DRL modules for the pre-LCI G22 Laserlight swap only the DRL board and leave everything else factory. We'd rather you make that choice here than after the bumper is off.
5) The rear: CSL laser-style taillights
The intersecting laser filaments debuted on the M4 CSL, then became the LCI's headline rear feature — standard on the M440i and M4, optional elsewhere. Base LCI cars didn't get them; they kept the pre-LCI lights, part numbers unchanged. So the "LCI rear" is specifically this signature, and it's the half of the conversion the front-only write-ups forget.
- Complete four-piece set — outer quarter-panel units plus the inner trunk-lid (or Gran Coupé tailgate) units.
- Sequential indicators and a startup animation on unlock — moving signatures the pre-LCI lights never had.
- Red or Smoked housing; EU and US harness versions; LHD and RHD.
- Fits G22, G23, G26, G82 and G83, pre-LCI and LCI alike — one design covers the 2020–2025 run.
- 45–60 minutes through the trunk trim; no bumper removal, no coding.
- Honest on the name: BMW's factory laser taillights use laser diodes; these recreate the same filament look in LED — same signature, lower draw, no retrofit cost.
A side benefit for older cars: condensation inside the factory G22/G82 taillights is common enough that BMW issued a service bulletin — new sealed units retire the problem along with the old look.
Prefer a different rear? The Smoked OEM+ and GTS OLED styles fit the same cars — both in the G22 / M4 taillights category.
6) Routes compared: front, rear, both, or OEM
| Front only | Rear only | Both — the full conversion | Genuine BMW LCI parts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you fit | Arrow-DRL headlights | CSL laser-style taillights | Both | OEM LCI headlights + OEM laser taillights |
| Bodywork | None | None | None | None, but harness adaptation |
| Coding | None | None | None | Required — different-generation electronics both ends |
| Switchable DRL colors | Yes (W/Y or W/Y/Amber) | — | Yes | No — white only |
| Time | 2–4 h (bumper off) | 45–60 min (trunk) | An afternoon | Days, with a coder |
| Cost picture | One pair of headlights | One taillight set | Headlights + taillights | Highest by a wide margin — genuine laser taillights alone are a major line item, before the headlights, adapters and coding |
| Reversible | Yes | Yes | Yes | Hardest |
Genuine LCI parts are the right call for one buyer — the all-OEM purist with a coder on call — and BMW's own retrofit is real, if expensive. For everyone else, the purpose-built route delivers the same face and tail for a fraction of the effort, with a bonus the factory parts can't offer: the switchable DRL.
7) Fitment & OEM numbers
| Your car | Headlights | Taillights |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-LCI 2021–2024, Standard LED (5A2) | Arrow-DRL, Standard LED version | CSL laser-style, EU or US version |
| Pre-LCI 2021–2024, Laserlight (5AZ) | Arrow-DRL, Laserlight version — or keep Laserlight and add DRL modules | CSL laser-style, EU or US version |
| LCI 2024+, Standard LED (arrow, no blue) | Arrow-DRL, LCI version — for switchable colors | CSL laser-style, EU or US version |
| LCI 2024+, Adaptive LED (arrow with blue accents, 552) | Not supported | CSL laser-style, EU or US version |
All rows: G22 Coupé, G23 Convertible, G26 Gran Coupé, G80 M3 (headlights), G82 / G83 M4; LHD and RHD. Taillights are chosen by the market the car was built for — a US import registered in Europe takes the US version.
OEM part number cross-reference (tap to expand)
Match the number on your lamp's housing sticker to confirm your factory type and version.
Headlights
| Factory headlight | OEM part numbers |
|---|---|
| Pre-LCI Standard LED (5A2) · 2021–2024 | EU: 63119851035 (L) · 63119851036 (R) · US: 63119851039 (L) · 63119851040 (R) |
| Pre-LCI Laserlight (5AZ) · 2021–2024 | EU: 63119851045 (L) · 63119851046 (R) · US: 63119851041 (L) · 63119851042 (R) |
| LCI Standard LED (arrow) · 2024+ | 63115B35E01 · 63115B35E02 · 63115B35E03 · 63115B35E04 · 63115B35E11 · 63115B35E12 · 63115B35E15 · 63115B35E16 |
Taillights (outer = quarter panel, inner = trunk lid / tailgate)
| Factory taillight | OEM part numbers |
|---|---|
| EU · outer · pre-LCI and LCI Standard LED | 63217477603 (L) · 63217477604 (R) |
| EU · inner LHD · pre-LCI and LCI Standard LED | 63217477607 (L) · 63217477608 (R) |
| EU · inner RHD · pre-LCI and LCI Standard LED | 63217956629 (L) · 63217956630 (R) |
| EU · outer · LCI factory laser (552) | 63215A37AB3 (L) · 63215A37AB4 (R) |
| EU · inner · LCI factory laser | 63215A37AC1 / 63215A37AB7 (L) · 63215A37AC2 / 63215A37AB8 (R) |
| US · outer · pre-LCI and LCI Standard LED | 63217477605 (L) · 63217477606 (R) |
| US · inner · pre-LCI and LCI Standard LED | 63217477609 (L) · 63217477610 (R) |
| US · outer · LCI factory laser | 63215A37AB5 (L) · 63215A37AB6 (R) |
| US · inner · LCI factory laser | 63215A37AC3 (L) · 63215A37AC4 (R) |
The identical part numbers for pre-LCI and LCI Standard-LED taillights are the proof that base LCI cars kept the old rear lights. Gran Coupé tailgate references can differ from the Coupé numbers — number not shown? Send us your VIN.
8) Install: front and rear
Front — 2 to 4 hours, bumper off
Show the five steps
- Remove the front bumper: top bolts under the hood (8 mm), wheel-arch liner screws, undertray fasteners; disconnect fog and sensor wiring before pulling it forward.
- Unbolt the factory headlights (10 mm — typically two on top, one each side, one below) and disconnect the main plug.
- Plug the new headlight into the factory harness.
- Test before reassembly: low, high, indicators, cornering lights, auto-leveling, DRL switching.
- Refit the bumper; set beam height with the integrated adjusters — our aiming guide covers the wall method.
Painter's tape along the fender edges before the bumper comes off; a magnetic tray for the bolts.
Rear — 45 to 60 minutes, no bumper removal
Show the six steps
- Remove the trunk's inner trim panels to reach the taillight hardware.
- Unbolt the outer quarter-panel units, disconnect the factory plugs.
- Unbolt the inner units — trunk lid, or tailgate on the Gran Coupé — and disconnect.
- Plug in and mount the new outer and inner units.
- Test before reassembly: lock/unlock for the startup animation, running lights, brake, reverse, sequential indicators.
- Refit the trim.
Anything odd after either install — warnings, flicker, fast indicators — start with the CANBUS guide; the first three checks resolve most cases.
9) FAQs — G22 / M4 LCI conversion
Can a pre-LCI G22 or G82 get the LCI arrow headlights?
Did the G22 LCI change the taillights?
I have pre-LCI Laserlight. What do I lose by converting?
I already have an LCI. Why would I replace the headlights?
Are the laser-style taillights real laser?
Does any of this need coding?
Does this fit the Gran Coupé, the Convertible and the M4?
Do I need to change the bumper, like on the G20?
Front, rear, or both
Every set is configured to your exact car — factory headlight type, market, driving side — and bench-tested before shipping, with a 2-year warranty and 14-day free returns. Not sure whether you have Standard LED, Laserlight or the LCI adaptive unit? Send your VIN and we'll confirm.
© Eleron Lights — Lighting built for clean output, tidy fitment, and real-world usability. More articles · Sister guide: G20 LCI conversion.
