An RGB DRL kit swaps the daytime running light LEDs in your factory BMW headlight for colour-changing ones, so the same housing can run white on Monday and purple at a show on Saturday. The rest of the headlight stays as BMW built it. Picking the right kit comes down to two things: your chassis, and whether your headlight is the pre-LCI or LCI version. Get the second one wrong and the boards will not sit where the factory LEDs did.
What an RGB DRL kit is, and what it is not
The daytime running light is the lit graphic you see on a BMW in daylight: rings on older cars, hexagons or slim strokes on newer ones. On the cars covered here it is made of LEDs on small boards inside the sealed headlight.
An RGB DRL kit replaces those boards. On our F80, G20 and F30 kits they are RGBW boards: red, green and blue LEDs that mix into almost any colour, plus a separate white channel, so the white setting is a true white rather than a mixed one that can look slightly blue. Each of those kits comes with a controller and a plug-in harness, and the G20 LCI kit adds a remote. The listings do not say more about how you change colour, so ask us if that matters.
The G87 and G42 kits are RGB DRL LED modules with app control, adjustable brightness, and effects and patterns as well as solid colours such as amber, blue, red, purple and green.
What a kit does not change is the rest of the headlight. Projectors, beam pattern, turn signal and the adaptive function on cars that have it all stay factory. That is the main reason to choose a kit over a replacement housing, compared further down.
Which RGB DRL fits your BMW
Find your car, then your headlight generation. Near a changeover year, or on a car with replaced headlights, do not trust the year alone.
| Your car | Headlight | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| F80 M3, F82 M4, F32 4 Series | Pre-LCI, rounded DRL rings | F80 RGB DRL Pre-LCI | $225 |
| F80 M3, F82 M4, F32 4 Series | LCI 2018 on, hexagonal DRL outline | F80 RGB DRL LCI 18+ | $225 |
| G20 3 Series | Pre-LCI, 2019 to 2022, ring-type DRL | G20 RGB DRL Pre-LCI | $225 |
| G20 3 Series | LCI, 2023 on, two slim strokes | G20 RGB DRL LCI | $225 |
| G20 and G2X, including Laserlight | Pre-LCI or LCI, chosen as an option | JCX G20 DRL modules | $126 |
| G87 M2 | Single listing | JCX G87 RGB DRL | $240 |
| G42 2 Series coupe | Single listing | JCX G42 RGB DRL | $240 |
| F30 3 Series | 2012 to 2015 or 2016 to 2018, chosen as an option | F30 RGB DRL 2012-2018 | $220 |
Everything above sits in the Lighting department, where you can also filter by chassis.
F80 M3, F82 M4 and F32: pre-LCI or LCI 18+
The F80 kits cover three cars because the M3, M4 and 4 Series share the headlight. They are split at the LCI (Life Cycle Impulse, BMW's mid-cycle facelift), which on the M3 and M4 arrived for the 2018 model year with a hexagonal DRL outline in place of the rounded rings. The DRL boards in the two housings are different shapes, so neither kit fits the other headlight.
The year is a guide, not the answer. The F32 took its LCI in spring 2017 outside North America, some cars have had headlights swapped, and pre-LCI M3 and M4 headlights came as xenon or optional adaptive LED, which are different lamps. The DRL shape tells you the generation; a photo of the lit headlight and its connector lets us confirm the type.
The pre-LCI vs LCI post has the model-year tables, the build-date sticker and the checks for every chassis here.
G20 3 Series: two kits and a module listing
The G20 is the easiest car to place because the headlight itself changed shape at the LCI. A pre-LCI car, 2019 to 2022, has a taller housing with a small notch in its lower edge and a ring-type DRL. An LCI car, 2023 on, has a slimmer housing with two thin inverted-L strokes and no ring. Ring means the pre-LCI kit; strokes mean the LCI kit, which is the one that includes a remote.
The JCX G20 DRL modules cover pre-LCI and LCI headlights, with Laserlight versions of each, in yellow or RGB. Start there if your G20 has Laserlight headlights (a hexagonal ring on pre-LCI cars), because the module listing has laser options and the RGB kits do not mention lasers, or if you want a fixed yellow DRL. The listing names 2020 to 2025 G20 and G2X models; for a 2019 car or a G22 4 Series, send your build month and a headlight photo and we will confirm.
G87 M2, G42 2 Series and F30 3 Series
The G87 M2 and G42 2 Series coupe each have one listing with no year or headlight option. These are the app-controlled kits with effects and adjustable brightness, so they suit owners who want to change the look often or match the DRL to a wrap. If you are unsure which headlight your car left the factory with, send a photo of it lit and your build month.
The F30 kit is one listing with two options, 2012 to 2015 and 2016 to 2018, because the pre-LCI and LCI headlights take different boards. The quick tell on the car: on a pre-LCI F30 painted bodywork sits between the headlight and the kidney grille; on an LCI car the headlight runs right up to the grille surround.
The kit replaces LED DRL boards, so if your F30 has halogen headlights, send a photo of the lit DRL first and we will tell you whether it applies.
Does the headlight have to be opened?
For the F80, G20 and F30 kits, yes. Each listing says the RGBW boards replace the factory DRL LEDs inside the headlight, and BMW headlights are sealed units. The job is: remove the headlight from the car, open the housing, swap the boards, run the harness, then reseal it so it does not fog or take on water. On the F30 and F8X, most removal guides have the bumper off or loosened to reach the headlight fasteners.
Opening a headlight is patient work with heat and plastic trim tools. If you have not done it before, a headlight retrofit shop can fit the kit for you.
For the G87 and G42 kits and the G20 module listing, the descriptions do not say how the modules go in, so ask us before you plan the install.
Are coloured DRLs legal on the road?
This is where the RGBW kits earn their keep: with white on its own channel, the daily setting looks like a factory DRL and the colour waits for the show.
RGB DRLs vs RGB headlights vs switchable headlights
A DRL kit is one of three ways to change DRL colour. The other two replace the whole headlight.
The F80 Ikon RGB headlights are full replacement housings for the F80, F82 and F32 with colour-changing RGB DRLs, sold as a pair at $1,050. Nothing is opened: the factory headlight comes out and the new one plugs in, provided you order the pin count that matches your connector, and you get a new DRL graphic as well as colour.
Switchable headlights, such as the F8X Snake Eyes switchable headlights at $900, are also full replacements but switch between set colours: 2 way is yellow and white, 3 way adds a third. The Snake Eyes post explains 2-way against 3-way and how to count your pins.
| RGB DRL kit | RGB full replacement | Switchable headlights | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you replace | DRL boards in your headlight | Whole headlight pair | Whole headlight pair |
| DRL colours | Full colour range | Full colour range | Two or three set colours |
| DRL shape | Factory | New graphic | New graphic |
| Low beam, high beam, adaptive | Stay factory | Whatever the new housing has | Whatever the new housing has |
| Ordered by | Chassis and headlight generation | Pin count | Version, then pin count where listed |
| Opening the headlight | Yes on the F80, G20 and F30 kits | No | No |
The switchable housings are not sold with the adaptive swivel function, so ask about it before replacing adaptive headlights with any full housing. If you like your factory light and want colour, the kit is the better route. If you want a new look without opening anything, a full housing is.
Not sure which yours is? Send your car's year, model and a photo of the lit headlight through the contact page and we will match the kit before you order. The check is free.
FAQ
What is an RGB DRL?
It is a daytime running light that can change colour. On a BMW, an RGB DRL kit replaces the LED boards that make the factory DRL graphic with boards that mix red, green and blue, often with a separate white channel, run from a controller or app.
Can an RGB DRL kit look like factory white?
The F80, G20 and F30 kits use RGBW boards with a dedicated white channel, and their listings say you can run factory white. The G87 and G42 listings name a range of colours but do not mention white, so ask us if that matters to you.
Will a pre-LCI DRL kit fit an LCI headlight?
No. The boards are shaped for one generation of headlight, so order by the DRL shape on your car, not the plug or the year on your paperwork. The pre-LCI vs LCI post shows the shape for each chassis.
Do RGB DRLs need coding?
The F80, G20 and F30 listings describe a plug-in harness and controller and say nothing about coding. Tell us your car and light package before you order and we will say what to expect for that car.
Do I need to open the headlight to fit RGB DRLs?
For the F80, G20 and F30 kits, yes, because the boards fit inside the sealed housing. For the G87, G42 and the G20 module listing, ask us. If you want colour without opening anything, the F80 Ikon RGB full replacement headlights avoid it on the F80, F82 and F32.
