eMotors.ca and author of the article below cannot in any way be held responsible nor liable for any of the content or for any use or misuse of the information provided in the article. eMotors.ca and the author of the article cannot guarantee the accuracy or correctness of the information provided in the article, therefore, the information provided by the article can only be used at your own risk.
The content and the photos of this article are copyrighted and provided as a courtesy by

Lets Double Up the Brake Lights on My '95 ti

Author : Bob Collins Posted on : 14/05/2004
Model : BMW, 3 - Series (E36) 1991-99, 318ti Category : Lights - Tail lights
Source : http://www.318ti.org
 
After reading about Ron Stygar and others adding brake lights to the non used rear fog lights, I too decided I needed this minor, but very neat modification. I had removed the light assembly before and noticed how easy it would be to add a jumper. I then decided after a quick test of soldering the existing metal conductors, it was going to be troublesome. It was time for some small sheet metal screws and some ring connectors. I ran to Pep Boys and Home Depot to get some parts. At Pep Boys I got the ring connectors #85407 $1.99 and the other bulbs #7506 $1.39. Now to Home Depot for the pan head sheet metal screws and washers. I used #6 x 3/8" screws and 6 x 3.5 medium split washers. Each was $0.78. So far I spent $5.24. I did have some wire and the wire stripper tool and the power drill and metal bits. Once I figured which conductors to jumper, it was a matter of selecting the proper placement of the holes for the ring connectors and the wire route.

The photo shows exactly the conductors to jumper, and the two sides are a mirror image of each other. The wire was less than 4" in length with a ring connector at each end. I used the crimp type connectors. I made two of these and then set up for the drilling. Because of the way the conductors are attached to the plastic assembly, you cannot remove the conductors, so you must be VERY careful to not drill through the conductor and then the plastic! Also when drilling, you must remove all the other bulbs so as to not vibrate the filaments and cause them to break. In the lower locations I used a small block of wood, and the other I just was very careful. I started drilling with a 1/16" bit and made the holes. I worked up to a 3/32" before the screws fit properly. Once that was done I set the ring connectors with a screw and one split washer each. The photos are truly self explanatory. Of course the blue connectors and blue wires...it goes well with the Roundel. ;-)

The additional light is worth the few minutes of time! Many people seem to come too close when they stop behind a ti! Total time of project was one hour. Of course this was my way, feel free to modify as you see fit. I did not upgrade the 15 ampere fuse, but it seems to be holding up well. Ron measured the total current and found it to be ~9 amperes with the added lights.
 

Pictures

Picture 1

Click on the thumbnails to see larger images.

 

References

  • www.318ti.org
    •  


    Fix for "Brake Light Circuit" Message
    Model : BMW, 3 - Series (E30) 1983-93 Category : Lights - Tail lights
    ... the switch in place. The best way to get the old switch out is to grab your pair of pliers and break off the red tab or the entire white button. Then it is easy to pull out once you have the wiring harness disconnected. To make things easier, I would park the car on a lever surface so you can have the car in the on position. In order to get the old switch out, you need to have the brake pedal ... (more)
    Posted : 26 October 2004 Author : Karl Bergmann
     
    Backlight Bulbs
    Model : BMW, 5 - Series (E34) 1989-96, 525 Touring Category : Lights - Tail lights
    ... too hard. Go slowly and gradually work the entire length of the strip out a bit at a time. 7.You should have some 12 volt DC power at your workstation so that you can test the fixture. Apply power to the fixture to verify which bulbs are bad. 8. Using the soldering iron, heat the old solder and remove the bad bulbs. 9. Solder in the new bulbs. Put power to the strip to test it, and repeat ... (more)
    Posted : 2 December 2004 Author : Micah O'C
     
    Red Tail Lights
    Model : BMW, 5 - Series (E34) 1989-96 Category : Lights - Tail lights
    ... you don't need to use a lot. (Black, green, blue, red) available. Cost: Glass paint spray $10 - Polyurethane spray coating $6 (can be found in hardware stores). Procedure Tail Light Tinting Spray. Masking tape and paper. Polyurethane spray coating??? 1. Clean the tail light then use making tape and paper around the area you don't want to paint. 2. Apply thin coats of paint to cover this ugly ... (more)
    Posted : 6 December 2004 Author : Robert Lee
     
    E30 1988-1991 All Red Tail-lights
    Model : BMW, 3 - Series (E30) 1983-93 Category : Lights - Tail lights
    ... and proceed to paint the exposed amber portion using light, even strokes with the nozzle held 6'' to 8'' from the lens. The can recommends 10'' to 12'', but I found it easier to work a bit closer. If you encounter any issues, use the acetone to remove the paint. I used approximately 6 passes for the front of the lens and 3 smaller passes for the exposed edges. Avoid overspraying since the ... (more)
    Posted : 24 May 2005  
     
    E39 Euro-spec CELIS "LED" Tail Light Retro-Fit Kit
    Model : BMW, 5 - Series (E39) 1996-03 Category : Lights - Tail lights
    ... buckets and tape the plastic bag on the inside of the trunk to catch the metal shavings. 2. The tail light buckets require an 8mm and 16mm hole to be drilled (see red arrows, and ''no'' not in his head!) and a crescent-shaped notch to be grinded away (see blue arrow) to allow for the different mounting holes and assembly shape. Be sure to use the exact measurements as outlined in the Hella guide ... (more)
    Posted : 24 May 2005  
     
    Browse by title :
    # | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
    Browse by make :
    A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | M | N | P | S | T | V