Be Seen !! ...and put that rear fog light to use...as a brake light

[ganzibye]

very nice diy.thats what i am going to do next

[fragzem]

Did this once.. Did it again just now on my latest e39.

[tmvE39E53Z32TT]

I need help with part number for fog light bulb socket on US Celis tailight. Look like they are different from the brake light bulb sockets. RealOEM only has the ones for brake light bulb.

[f355spider]

I just found on BMWtips.com a post that the 2001 and later cars, the rear fog socket takes the same bulb holders as the brake/back up:
63-21-1-379-399

I would like to see how that looks when you are done. PM me when completed.

[Petes540i6]

I just found on BMWtips.com a post that the 2001 and later cars, the rear fog socket takes the same bulb holders as the brake/back up:
63-21-1-379-399

I would like to see how that looks when you are done. PM me when completed.

I baught NA spec CELIS lamps, which had the black plastic covering the holes for the rear fogs. I could cut the plastic, but there is no good way to cut in the "notches" that hold the bulb holders in place. To deal with this problem, I have the rear fog bulbs tacked in with hard glue from a glue gun. This means that if a rear fog bulb goes bad, I will have to take the lights out, break the glue, and replace the bulb and reglue, and put the lights back in, but I think it is worth it to have the rear fogs. I don't have a good picture of them but will try to get one.

[f355spider]

Here is the post from the BMW Tips page:
Phase One Mods - The rear light assemblies are slightly different. Although pre-wired for fogs, I’ve found no elegant way to mate the connector to the US assembly. On one I simply broke out the plastic with a screwdriver, on the other I carefully used a dremel tool trying to match the contours of the backup and brake light orifices. No dice. Once you are able to fit the bulb into the housing, ensure the socket can make contact with the assembly; then call this step done. We will wedge the sockets in place after they are reinstalled into the car.

[Xeniczone]

You should make the fog lights strobe like police lights. That will get people to pay attention when you stop. Because other people on the road are no smart and can't drive. Earlier this year our 08 Town and Country got rear ended. The women (obviously ) that hit us said she didn't see the turn signal. Well apparently she didn't see the three brake lights either.

[Petes540i6]

Here is the post from the BMW Tips page:
Phase One Mods - The rear light assemblies are slightly different. Although pre-wired for fogs, I’ve found no elegant way to mate the connector to the US assembly. On one I simply broke out the plastic with a screwdriver, on the other I carefully used a dremel tool trying to match the contours of the backup and brake light orifices. No dice. Once you are able to fit the bulb into the housing, ensure the socket can make contact with the assembly; then call this step done. We will wedge the sockets in place after they are reinstalled into the car.

Yeah, mine will stay in pretty well just due to friction, but in an abundance of caution I have them tacked in with glue.

[e34m50tu]

After being rear-ended a couple weeks ago, I did this mod. Best thing I've ever done for visibility.

[jamesdc4]

With the value of our cars dropping daily, this mod is even more relevant!

[EditTim]

What an awesome, yet free (except for time) and easy to do mod. Thanks to whoever started this idea.

After being rear-ended a couple times in my e32 years ago, I've been particularly paranoid about it happening again. Especially since one of those times the rear-ender's insurance company f'd me and told me to sue 'em. A-holes, I WAS REAR-ENDED by their customer.

Anyhoo, just did this mod today. Brilliant!!! (pun intended)

[Messercrew]

Awesome Mod!! I did this yesterday and it works perfect. Now to figure out how to change it all over to LED's. LOL!!

[Camarok]

There are a couple of other neat things you can do with this to.

First if you install a diode in the line from the original brake light and the new brake light you can still connect it to the fog light system as well. Then if you turn on the fogs only the fog light will light but if you hit the brakes they will all light up.

Second when I used to play around with Fiero's more(i only have one now) they had a mod where you built a circuit that would turn on the brake bulbs in progression from left to right on the drivers side(in quick succession of course) and vise0versa for the left. SO essentially you could make the inner brake light come on a second after the first or say do a double flash upon application of the inner bulb.

Do you happen to remember how you did the fiero mod with the brake lights? Sounds like a cool idea.

[baggins]

Is there a DIY somewhere about getting the rear fogs to work on a us car as they do on a Euro car?
I have an 02 E39 wagon (US spec.) Although we do not get much fog here in sunny San Francisco, it seems like a bright idea.

http://jadeturtle.com/bmw/

I was looking in DY list under “electrical”
There is another heading also - “lighting”
DUH

[5i5so]

That's an excellent idea!

[koach]

just went to perform this great mod on my 2003 540i/6 M-sport and it was immediately apparent that my lights are different. meaning, there's no center wingnut to unscrew and remove all the bulbs at one time on one self contained circuit card. removed the panel to access the cd changer and there are individual twist tabs for each bulb...? the added difficulty here is that the rear fog lamp hole won't be as easy to modify because the metal circuit sheet is installed and blocks access for removal.

oh yeah, it also appears i'll need to acquire a bulb holder. well, that's if i can ever get the plastic cut just right for a bulb to insert correctly...

anyone performed this mod on an 03? your input is greatly appreciated.

[Big Chaze]

Im still confused at where to solder on the metal backing.. loland how many wires are used? Is it one wire that needs to be soldered per side?? Nevermind...Im blind!

[tmvE39E53Z32TT]

Did this on my Celis taillights. I used "drill and screws" method as I am not good with soldering.

[jamesdc4]

Did this on my Celis taillights. I used "drill and screws" method as I am not good with soldering.

[ajtish]

I scored the metal before soldering to it with flux and I think there was a pretty solid connection.

[tortoracer]

Just did this on my '99.

Notes:
Use a heat gun or similar while drilling the hole. Mine cracked making it look messy. No harm other than that, but i diddnt like it. I was using a standard drill bit, not a cutting bit.

Also, is the bulb the same as the parking light bulb (the smallest one in there), or the brake light bulb. I have the smallest ones in there currently.

There is a very slight difference between the time they shut off and the time the regular light shuts off. Any way to fix that? May be the bulbs being different.

[Russellll]

Excellent mod, looks good AND is practical.. I shall do it soon!

[MarlberCruz]

Nice thread, I'll be doing this soon!

[Five30Eye]

Just wanted to give a heads up warning for anyone doing this mod.

This is on an '03 US car with CELIS tails. I used a socket the correct size, to knock out the blank plastic disc behind the bulb location. Worked like a charm and a light hit from a rubber mallet was enough. I had the light on a shop stool, with a padded seat. Bad news is after I did this, one of my CELIS elements stopped working. The force must have jarred the LED circuit assembly enough to break it, seems like a cold solder joint someplace in the light assembly. Only the lights on one side of the CELIS strip would come on. It did come to life briefly while I was messing with it in the trunk, but never again. In the end I had to source a replacement used tail light.

I also never got the mod to work, even after I had the bulb sockets in place. I may revisit this at some point in the future, but for now I'll leave it alone. I guess my advice is try to avoid jarring the light assembly too much, perhaps dead blow hammer would've been a better choice?

John

[BavarianE31]

I have a '03 E39 and was wondering if a mod can be done to light up the CELIS LED portion AND the usual brake light bulb when the brakes are depressed? Like this:



But in daylight WITHOUT the driver turning on the headlights.

There are two potential problems I see:

1. I doubt that the voltages for the LED bulbs and brake lights are the same so jumping a cable/alligator clips may not work.
2. If jumping the two does work, you'll need some sort of one-way diode in place to prevent your brake lights from illuminating when you turn on the headlights (otherwise it'll seem that the car has always on brake lights when driving at night).

At least this mod would require no drilling, gluing, purchasing extra bulbs and housings. Plus it looks 10x better IMHO.