Fog light conversion

[1986series6]

This has been bugging me for 30+ years. That I cannot turn my fogs on with just the parking lights.
So, I presented this to my friend Jody, an electrical Guru and he came up with an easy solution.

The only drawback is when the headlights are switched to high beams, the fogs don't shut off.
I have no problem with that. The fogs will work with park or low & high beams.

If anyone is interested in this conversion, we can supply the conversion harness, schematic
and instructions. This would work for all Bimmers that use the same system as the E24 era cars.

So, let me know if this is a conversion that you would be interest in?

Thanks
Bob V

[DesktopDave]

Sounds interesting...your kit uses the stock US H4 headlight harness? Put me down as tentative if you're thinking of doing a run. I've slightly modified my headlight harness, messing around with LEDs & waterproof connectors, but it's reversible.

I always thought the combined lighting requirement was short-sighted (pun intended). Why else have dedicated fog lights? I believe that's a DOT requirement, possibly misunderstood, but still on the books. While we're on the topic...why no rear fogs? I think that's a BMW choice, since I do see them on some Volvos. Both F&R fogs are superior solutions.

The 80s e-code headlight/halogen lighting issue is another sore spot with me. Sealed beams were downright dangerous, quartz halogens were a slight improvement. Happily, superior lighting has rolled out since the bad old days. I do prefer the daylight running light requirement for newer cars, that's far more effective than I thought it would be.

[RSheiman]

Robert, fogs are on a separate switch, you are saying they go out if you turn on the other lights, be it parking, or H1 etc?

[1986series6]

No Rob,

The fogs are designed to only work with the headlight low beams. I wanted them to work with just the park lights on.

[sofiabghome]

This has been bugging me for 30+ years.

Hi Bob,

Back in Europe all the cars are set in a way that the City light is on at
position 1 and when you pull the fogs and you have city+fogs. Then
you can turn the low beam and then the hi beam and then all 6
lights are making a day light during dark areas.

It always bothered me that the US cars never got the euro configuration.

10 or so years ago I converted one of my M6 I have restored which went
back to Europe and the customer wanted me to convert it back to EU
set up.

I love the set up on late cars with the optical lens inside. In 89' BMW
did it but those lights are now over $1200. I do a conversion using E30
parts.

I am interest in the harness since I really forgot what I have done
to the system been long time ago...I should have put it under notes.

Find on photo bellow the 3 pics and the 3 diff position.

Regards,
Anri

2.jpg


3.jpg

4.jpg

[1986series6]

I've made a correction:

If you don't mind that the fogs are still on with high beams no harness required. Will there be too much electric draw?--I don't know, maybe. Or just turn off the fogs in high beam position. Or, a harness and SPDT switch will be required from the fuse box to dash.

[RSheiman]

I guess mine was wired Euro-style cause it follows Arni's description. I always wondered why my fogs were also amber also. Strange.

[1986series6]

I think the laws were different in the US. It looks like they changed, my 98 E38, 96 MB C220 and my wife's Mercury Mariner work with just the parks.

[TimU]

So, let me know if this is a conversion that you would be interest in?

Yes please.

[1986series6]

First I want to thank Jody Kerton for his schematic and patience until I understood his thinking.

Here's how I wired to get my fogs on with or without the headlights.
You need a 4 pin fuse holder, the same relay as your original fog relay.
The 30,87, and 86 from the added holder will plug into the relay receiver in the fuse box. 85 of the new fuse holder will connect to
the hot side of your parking light wire. The 85 in the fuse box remains empty. This will work the fogs with park or headlights on but
the fogs will not shut off with high beams.


thumbnail_IMG_2777.jpg
Here's a schematic, without the harness just eliminate the SDT switch and connect the park hot to 85 to the new relay base.

thumbnail_Fog mod 2-26-22.png

If you want to have the option of the high beam fog shut off, you'll have to run a harness with a SPDT switch on the dash.
Then you'll have the parking light hot wire connect to an outside terminal on the SPDT switch. The 85 from the added relay base goes to the center terminal on the SPDT switch. The third wire will connect to 85 of the fuse box relay slot and the other outside terminal
on your SPDT switch.

To be on the same page, let's call the terminal male pins left to right any way you hold it 1-2-3
To insure your switch is connected correctly, do a continuity test on the switch without wires attached. The SPDT switches may be different
on how the switch connects between the pins. so clamp your tester to pin (2).What your looking for is the center terminal (2) to light up your tester to an outside terminal (1) or (3), not both. When you throw the switch, the continuity light should now go out on (1) or (3) and light up on the other pin. So, Pin (2) will be the wire that feeds 85 to the new relay holder. Pin (1) or (3) will be the hot from the park
lights and pin (1) or (3) will be for when the low beams are on, and the fogs will shut off with high beams.

The idea is that when the park lights are on, hot will go to let's say pin (1) and complete circuit to pin (2) triggering the new outside relay. When you toggle the SPDP switch, it turns off the hot from park lights pin (1)to pin (2). Now, with the headlights on in this position of the SPDT switch it will connect (2) & (3)
the 85 pin in the fuse box will now get hot from the low beam headlight relay to pin (3) and the switch will send juice to the 85 on the new outside relay via pin (2) of the switch.

thumbnail_IMG_2778.jpg

I think that there's no need to wire a harness. I myself hardly drive at night and can't remember the last time I used the high beams.
If you have to use the high beams for any length of time, just shut the fogs off.


Hope this explains it.

Here is a link to a relay base: https://www.amazon.com/Dolity-Normal.../dp/B074T77LPQ

[1986series6]

I doubled the post and can't delete.

[carsnplanes]

Hi folks. Sorry haven't been on in a while. Bob asked me to help design a circuit that would allow him to have fogs available while light switch is in the "park" position in addition to the normal operation, which in its original form, only available when the Low Beams are on. This was an interesting concept and was happy to "crunch" some circuit designs that would have minimal changes or invasivness to the original circuit. This was to make sure you could go back to original if you wanted to, so this would really just "lay over" the original circuit design. To do this, this required a two position, Single Pole, Double Throw(SPDT) switch mounted in the dash somewhere. If you wanted to use a BMW one push ON type switch that matched the other switches so as to not have an ugly aftermarket two position type switch, then the harness would require one additional relay.

The idea is that the two position switch would have a "Norm" and "Override" positions. NORM would essentially be a position that had the fogs function as original(available only with low beams). In the OVRD or override position, fogs would be available on from the first position "Park", Low beams and high beams. I am not sure of all the regulations and the reasons for them but from what I can gather, there might be at least two reasons; a very bright group of lights to the other drivers, or too much draw on the electrical system.

How the modification would work best is to just go to OVRD when you know you are only going to be using fogs in the "park" position and you want fogs too. Once it is dark out, you'll need your headlights on anyway, so go back to NORM, and you'll now have your original lighting function back (fogs with Low beams on, but off when high beams are selected). If you think you need fogs on even with your high beams on, then go to OVRD.

I was going to make a prototype plug in harness for a cleaner install. It would just require mounting the SPDT switch n the dash somewhere and a tap off from the wire going to the parking lights on the left fender/headlight area. Everything else and all original functions stay the same. As mentioned, if you wanted a cleaner BMW one push ON, one push OFF type switch that you could mount in the blanks under the radio panel, will just need one additional relay as part of the harness.

The idea of adding rear fogs to this, piqued my interest, so I may add that option as well.

If the interest is there, I will make the time to get this going.