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Thread: e36 Lighting FAQ and TROUBLESHOOTING guide

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    --97 SC'd ///M3--04 ///M3 VERT--07 ESCALADE--

    e36 Lighting FAQ and TROUBLESHOOTING guide

    PNP- plug n play harness.
    E36 Headlights
    PNP ZKW/BOSCH/HELLA:
    Clockwise:
    Pin 1 = Ground @ 12 OClock
    Pin 2 = City Light @ 3 OClock
    Pin 3 = Low Beam @ 6 OClock
    Pin 4 = High Beam @ 9 OClock
    PNP WIRING
    Ground = Brown or Black
    City Light/Angel Eyes = Grey or White
    Low Beam = Yellow or Green
    High Beam = White or Red

    PNP DEPO ZKW-LIKE/Projector36
    See PNP Instructions for ZKW - Pin locations vary with each headlight,
    therefore, find each pin number on the back of the headlight first.
    PHOTO FOR PIN NUMBER - This is an illustration, your DEPO will vary:


    Additional Depo tips:
    start by doing your install, connect the angel eyes to your parking lights (grey/yellow stripe on one side, grey/purple on the other).

    install your hid's(if equipped), mount the ballast in your bumper support using good quality double sided tape.

    last you will need to properly connect the pin end of the plug and play to your headlights, first find your ground(brown) connect it to one of the pins in the back of the headlight and then proceed to find the correct pin for the highs and angel eyes, this may take a few tries as the ground pin may be any one of the 4, once you have everything figured out and working repeat the same steps for the second headlight, don't assume the pin configuration to be same, it probably isn't.

    __________________

    1. Q: after installing my new ellipsoids headlights my fog aren't working.
    Q: after installing my new ellipsoids headlights my high aren't working
    A: check and make sure you have bulbs in your high beams and the white lead is connected to the back of the bulb.
    __________________

    2. Q: what bulbs do my ellipsoids need?
    A: zkw, bosch, hella and most depo(non chrome face) all require h1 bulbs.
    __________________

    3. Q: how do i connect my angel eyes?
    A: connect the angel eyes to your parking lights, grey/yellow stripe on one side, grey/purple on the other.
    __________________

    4. Q: my new ellipsoids are fogging up, what gives?
    A: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...79&postcount=3
    __________________

    5. Q: with hids do i need to replace my stock fuses?
    A: no, your stock 7.5A are more then enough.
    __________________

    6. Q: my hid bulb stopped working, how do i find out what's wrong?
    A: swap bulbs from side to side and see if the problem follows the bulb, if it does the bulb is bad.
    next swap igniters(if equipped)
    next the ballast, the problem will follow the bad part.
    __________________

    7. Q: can i add hids to my new ellipsoids? how hard is it to install?
    A: yes you can, install is not very hard and the result are incredible.
    http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=838691
    _________________

    8. Q: do i need a relay for my hid kit?
    A: not at all, new hid ballast have a wide operating range, most operate in the range of 9-16v eliminating the need for a relay.
    _________________

    9. Q: what is the temp/color of OEM hid kits?
    A: most use 4100-4300k, the difference in color is a direct result of the optical qualities of each company's projector.
    _________________

    10. Q: what so special about digital hid kits?
    A: The days of the old humming, magnetic core & coil-type ballasts have come to an end.
    The digital (electronic) ballast is the latest in ballast innovation. Digital ballasts are more efficient, quieter, cooler, and softer/easier on the bulb all the while allowing for a much smaller and neater package. Digital ballasts do not have any of the usual transformers or capacitors, instead these ballasts have electronic circuitry doing the same job, only much more efficiently using significantly less current.
    they have the capability of self diagnostic and reset, including specific protection circuits to detect various lamp- and ballast-fault conditions allowing to safely shutdown or reset the ballast.

    when the ballast fires the bulb it sends full power to the cold bulb, Over time, this shortens the bulb life and reduces the output and life span of the bulb, Digital ballasts start by sending a low amount of power to the bulb and steadily increases the power over the next few seconds until the bulb has reached full brightness, This is also known as soft starting, which minimizes the damage to the bulb and increases its life.

    After one year of use the usable light coming from bulbs that are run on digital ballasts has decreased significantly less where as the same bulb being used in the coil type ballast would have lost over 10% more usable light over the same period of time.
    _________________

    11. Q: how do i configure the PNP on my depo?
    A: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...&postcount=263
    _________________

    12. Q: how do aim my headlights?
    A: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

    _________________

    13. Q: what is the socket under the high beams for?
    A: city lights socket which uses a small 5w wedge bulb.

    _________________

    14. Q: i searched and came up with nothing...
    the question is are e36 m3 foglights different than regular foglights?

    A: All the same

    1) E36 M3 Link

    2) E36 328 Link

    3) E36 318is Link


    Last edited by habbie; 04-07-2008 at 03:48 AM.

    -zkw- -hella- -bosch- -depo- -prolumen- -kwd- -bbs- -predator chromium- -predator ice- -simota- -ecis-

    //-install guides-//-total lighting group buy-//-zkw group buy-// -exhaust group buy-//-ellipsoids+hid group buy-//-led tails group buy-//

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    Socal
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    E46 325ci & Wide E36
    thank you for making this thread.
    i was considering making a thread for all the e36 headlights and comparing.
    every single person makes the same thread asking the same headlight questions.

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    it's no E30 :/
    at first I read fag instead of faq

    lol


    good thread
    R.I.P. Louie: TehPandaShow gone but not forgotten

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    --97 SC'd ///M3--04 ///M3 VERT--07 ESCALADE--
    Quote Originally Posted by The-Great-328ic View Post
    at first I read fag instead of faq

    lol


    good thread

    leave it to you...

    -zkw- -hella- -bosch- -depo- -prolumen- -kwd- -bbs- -predator chromium- -predator ice- -simota- -ecis-

    //-install guides-//-total lighting group buy-//-zkw group buy-// -exhaust group buy-//-ellipsoids+hid group buy-//-led tails group buy-//

  5. #5
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    92 BMW 325IS
    very helpful

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
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    White Bluff, TN
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    95 BMW 318ti
    Great writeup, but I have a question...my left (driver's side) headlight's beam is shining on the road, like I can see the beam pointing off to the left. What can I do to fix this? I didn't have much time to mess with it today so It will have to wait until this weekend.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Canada
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    BMW 328is

    parking / city light

    I was just looking at the wiring diagram, and still unclear about the terminal that the grey (parking light) wire connects to. does anyone have an actual photo?

    Thanks

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    SF BAY AREA
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    97 m3/4
    what do you do if your depo headlights are aimed too high, you try to adjust it, and the adjusting knob comes out and wont go back in?? do i just continue to blind people?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    Edmonton AB Canada
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    1993 BMW 325IS
    How do you get the foglights out? 93 BMW 325IS .. I've searched .. nothing came up .. and I've been through about 10 pages of the lighting section and can't find anything.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
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    Walnut, CA
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    98 M3
    If you get HIDs installed into euro headlights do you still get an error message on your OBC?
    98 M3

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
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    Alexandria VA
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    99 M3, 06 Evo MR #7 STU
    I picked up a set of Bosch headlights from m3f.

    They're pretty clean and the price was right. However, the driver's side high beam doesn't work. I have tried switching the bulbs, and switching the PNP harnesses. The "city light" works if I switch the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock and then push the high beams. And if I plug an old high beam from the OE headlights in it works.

    So, somewhere between the 9 o'clock pin and the high beam, something is wrong. It's kinda hard to get in there without totally disassembling the lights. Is there some way to bypass this and just run a wire straight from the PnP harness to the little clip that sits on the high beam? I'm not especially good at the whole wiring thing.

    thanks
    john
    project:BDR | 1999 M3 | 2006 Evo MR (STU #7)

    Me at the Nurburgring (in someone else's E36)

  12. #12
    Join Date
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    Castle Rock, CO
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    1989 325is
    Wow this was incredibley helpful. When I got my car the passenger depo ange-eyes with hid was smashed and I couldn't figure out what all of the wires went to for the life of me.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    Ontario, Canada
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    1998 BMW 328i
    WOW! I knew somethhing was wrong, I randomly connected my DEPO's PNP wires at random and now my low beams come on when I engage my hi-beam... and my DRL stays on everywhere, even when I turn on lo-beams ..

    QUESTION: When I plug in my wires for the "12oclock=ground..." do I hold the headlight as if it were to be installed on my car? Im guessing logically speaking yes? We shouldnt hold it upside down? Thus resulting in 12oclock really being 6? ._. Anything is possible .. :'(

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Newport Beach, CA
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    '94 325is,'01 330i sedan
    Installing DEPO Ellipsoids w/ built-in AE's- The power/ground/fusebox harness: WTF?!

    OK, I've seriously looked everywhere & can't find any answers to this question about the DEPO's: The power wires & plugs coming out the back of each housing, the matching plugs with the fusebox & power/ ground battery connections... WHAT ARE THEY FOR??? Do I really have to run wires thru the firewall, all under the carpet & into the trunk where the battery is?! Every set of install instructions I've read doesn't mention anything about this power cable scenario... Can someone please help me out with this one?

    Maybe I should ground it to the engine compartment, butt-connect an extension of the power wire, board Lufthansa & run it to Europe where I can plug it into a 220v standard outlet?

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Ridgeway, VA
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    1995 BMW 318iC
    This ALMOST worked for me, but when installed per drawing, I got nothing but the bright light when I flicked the switch ... let me add, right now I only have bulbs in one headlight, would that matter? Should I wait until my bulbs come (ordered) and try with all four installed, try switching the harness to see if that may be the problem, or does anyone have any idea what may have happened?

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Ridgeway, VA
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    1995 BMW 318iC
    SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!!! I realize this is an old thread and I am sorry for bringing it up again but my lights appear to be screwed. I have the DEPOs without Angel Eyes (my Angel Eyes were purchased separately). I have the lights wired up and they ALMOST work. NOW, when I turn my switch to the Parking lights, the low beam illuminates dimly. When turned to full on, it seems to double power.

    Now the problem ... I don't want them on with the parking lights. Could this be caused because the ground (grey) wire is tapped into the ground light for the parking lights? If so, where would you all suggest I ground it to?

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Apple Valley, CA
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    1998 BMW M3 Sedan
    when you tap the angel eyes into the parking lights, im assuming they only come on when you have the lights switched to parking lights or headlights on. if so< how do you wire them up to run during the day?

    I have headlights from DDM tuning have not installed yet

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    ramtein Germany
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    1997 328i vert
    You can tap into pretty much any fused ignition 12v power... I have mine wired through the windsheild wiper power supply. I also have an extra fuse between the angle eyes and the wiper supply just to be safe. This way they are on while the car is on and off while the car is off. I used a 10 amp fuse even though it calls for a 15. But that is just how I did it.... Someone else might have a different way. The O is the angle eyes below.


    It is wired like this
    O-----fuse----wiper fuse ignition wire in the fuse box.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Montana
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    My Cars
    97 M3/4/5 F31 328i Wagon
    I'll add my two cents when I did my Depo + HID install (sourced from BavToys)

    1. The random pin-out on the Depo lights is easy to solve for. Obviously there is an order of pins (mentioned above), but you need to find your ground first. To do this without trial and error, first pop the back cover of the high beam off (what you would do to replace the bump). Then take a multimeter and set it to "continuity." With one lead from the multimeter, touch the brown/ground wire in next to the highbeam bulb. With the other lead from the multimeter test each pin in where you would connect the PnP connecter. Once you find your continuity, you have found your ground and can thus connect the PnP connecter based on the ordering mentioned above.

    2. One high beam didn't work for me on my first go. I checked bulbs, I checked PnP wiring, no luck. What happened for me was at the other end of the PnP connector - the 9005/9006 plug. It was a little hard to get snapped together the first time. Well after checking from the bulb back, I decided to pull the 9005 connector apart again. I must has misaligned it when first connecting, because clearly I had bent a pin. That is why it was difficult to click together, and that is why the high beam didn't work. So once i aligned the pin the 9005/9006 connector clipped easily and the high beam worked.
    Current: E36 BMW M3/4/5, F31 BMW 328i xDrive M Sport
    Past: Mk6 Golf R APR Stage 2, E30 325i/4/5, E36 328iS/2/5

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