Most owners of this generation of 3 Series start with the same handful of jobs: black kidney grilles and mirror caps, a boot lip spoiler, LED bulbs, and replacements for the interior parts that wear out, mainly the door pulls and button faces. At the time of writing, bulbs and small interior fixes start from around €9, grilles and mirror caps run from around €55 to €75, boot spoilers from around €40 to €125, and diffusers and front lips from around €100 to €180.
Everything below comes from our E90, E91, E92 and E93 parts collection.
Which car do you have
Four bodies share this generation: the E90 saloon, E91 Touring, E92 coupé and E93 convertible. The saloon and Touring arrived in 2005, the coupé in 2006 and the convertible in 2007. The coupé and convertible have their own front and rear panels, so grilles, headlight trims, spoilers and bumper parts do not swap between them and the saloon or Touring. If you are not sure which code applies to you, read how to find your BMW chassis code. The 1 Series of the same era (E81, E82, E87, E88) shares mirror caps and many lighting parts with these cars; see the 1 Series E8x buying guide.
Next is the facelift, which BMW calls the LCI. The saloon and Touring changed in autumn 2008 for the 2009 model year. The coupé and convertible changed in 2010. Grilles, mirror caps, headlight trims and front lips are different before and after, and the listings say which one they suit. Our LCI and pre-LCI explainer shows how to tell them apart. Cars registered around the changeover can be either, so compare yours with the product photos.
Last is the bumper. M Sport cars have differently shaped bumpers from standard cars, and diffusers and lips are moulded for one or the other. Most of the rear diffusers we list for the saloon and Touring need the M Sport rear bumper.
Exterior styling
Kidney grilles
Swapping chrome grilles for black ones is the most common first change. The grilles are held by plastic tabs. Release them with the bonnet open, push the old pair out and press the new pair in until every tab clicks. Keep the originals and the job is fully reversible.
Check the body and the facelift before ordering. For the early saloon and Touring there is a gloss black double-slat grille pair for the pre-LCI E90 and E91 at around €74. Facelift saloons and Tourings need the grille set for the E90 and E91 LCI at around €59. For later coupés and convertibles, use the double-slat grilles for the E92 and E93 LCI.
Mirror caps
The mirror housings changed with the facelift on the saloon and Touring, so there are two versions at around €56 each: M-look caps for the pre-LCI E90 and E91 and M-look caps for the E90 and E91 LCI. Work slowly around the clips and protect the mirror glass with a cloth.
Boot spoilers
A lip spoiler sits on the trailing edge of the boot lid and is fixed with adhesive tape, so there is no drilling. Clean and degrease the paint, fit it on a warm dry day and mark the centre with masking tape before you peel the backing. The shape of the boot lid differs by body, so order by chassis code: the M Performance style spoiler for the E90 saloon is around €106 and the same style for the E92 coupé is around €84. Several spoilers are also offered in carbon look. That is a printed finish, not real carbon.
Diffusers and front lips
The gloss black rear diffuser for the E90 and E91, around €100, is made for the M Sport rear bumper and will not sit properly on a standard one. Check the cut-outs match your tailpipes too. On the coupé and convertible, the M Performance style front lip for the E92 and E93 LCI is around €172. Front lips are usually screwed into the underside of the bumper, which means small holes that stay if you remove the lip later.
Lighting
The 6000K angel eye marker bulbs, around €39, replace the yellowish halo ring bulbs with white ones. Headlight units vary by year and by halogen or xenon, so match the listing to yours before ordering.
At the back, LED number plate lights at around €14 swap in as complete units: lever the old lamp out, unplug it and click the new one in. Inside, a CANbus interior LED bulb kit at around €9 replaces the cabin and boot bulbs. Test each bulb before clipping the lens back. For any exterior lighting, check local rules on colour and brightness.
Worn interior fixes
The soft coating on these door pulls goes sticky and peels with age, and button faces wear through. All of it is cheap to put right.
- Door pulls: the door pull handle and cover kit, around €22, replaces the handle and its trim cover. The cover prises off and the handle underneath is held by screws. Check the side, the colour and whether your car is left or right hand drive.
- Gear selector surround: a black gear shift panel cover at around €14 sticks over a scratched panel. Check it matches your gearbox type.
- Start button: a start-stop button cover at around €14 goes over a worn button face.
- Boot release: if the rubber pad on the boot lid has split or stopped responding, the boot lid release switch at around €17 is a plug-in replacement.
Quick comparison
| Part | Typical price | Fitting | Reversible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior LED bulbs | From around €9 | Easy, 15 minutes | Yes |
| Door pulls and button covers | Around €10 to €22 | Easy, basic tools | Yes |
| Kidney grilles | Around €58 to €74 | Easy, no tools | Yes, keep the originals |
| Mirror caps | Around €56 to €64 | Moderate, fragile clips | Yes, keep the originals |
| Boot lip spoiler | Around €41 to €124 | Easy, but careful preparation | Yes, with heat and patience |
| Rear diffuser | Around €73 to €178 | Moderate, under the car | Depends on the fixing method |
| Front lip | Around €172 | Moderate, two people | Screw holes remain |
Where to start
Our view: fix what is worn before you add anything. A sensible order on a budget looks like this.
- Replace sticky door pulls and worn button faces.
- Fit interior and number plate LEDs.
- Change the grilles, then the mirror caps, once you have confirmed pre-LCI or LCI.
- Add a boot lip spoiler for your body.
- Leave the diffuser and front lip until last, when you know your bumper type.
Some of these parts ship from our EU warehouse and usually arrive in about 4 to 8 working days within the EU. The rest ship from Asia and take longer. If you are unsure about fitment, our fit guarantee explains what happens when a part does not suit your car.
FAQ
Will pre-LCI grilles fit an LCI E90?
No. The grille openings changed with the facelift on all four bodies, so order the version that matches your car.
Do I need an M Sport bumper for a rear diffuser?
For most of the saloon and Touring diffusers we list, yes. They are shaped for the M Sport rear bumper, so check your bumper against the product photos before ordering.
Will LED bulbs cause warnings on the dashboard?
These cars monitor their bulbs and can report an LED as a failed bulb. Choose bulbs listed as CANbus where that option exists, test every light before refitting the trim, and get in touch with us if a warning appears.
Can a stick-on boot spoiler be removed later?
Yes. Warm the adhesive with a hairdryer, work fishing line or dental floss behind the spoiler, then clean off the residue with an adhesive remover that is safe for paint.