# Rear fog light?



## rost12 (Dec 22, 2001)

Just picked up a 2002 3-er brochure at local dealer.

On a pic in interior there's that lights console, but the normal (american?) button for fogs is split in two and the pictogram of the light on one of them is turned the other way.
I'll scan it on the weekend if somebody can't imagine what I'm talking about 

Anyhow, I don't think that we here (Canada) get European brochures. So what gives?


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## Toast (Jan 9, 2002)

AFAIK, the Canadian Brochure is almost identical to the European one (I have both of the 2001 ones sitting on my desk now, they're identical except the Canadian one excludes specs for 316i and 318i). All of the pictures in the Canadian brochure are taken directly from the European one, so its not suprising to see the rear foglight switch in the Canadian Brochure. Hope this helps!


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## rost12 (Dec 22, 2001)

And I though ....
Nevermind 

Thanks!


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## jeffmc (Dec 20, 2001)

On my dash I have a light next to my fog light indicator that is turned the other way. Is that for rear fog light? Is there any dash indicator for DRL?

Thanks!


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## rost12 (Dec 22, 2001)

Is it like the button for the fogs is split in two ?

There is an indication for front fogs, but I have no idea about the rear ones (don't have 'em  )


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## Alex Baumann (Dec 19, 2001)

Here's a pic of my car. (German version)

Note the two buttons on the dash. the one on the left side is for the front fogs, the other for the rears


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## rost12 (Dec 22, 2001)

Thanks for the pic Alex, that is exactly what I was talking about.

And that is exactly what we are missing out on


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

Rear fogs? Hmmmm...what a great way to piss off a tailgater! Do they come in Xenon?  If ya angle them up just a bit......


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## Alex Baumann (Dec 19, 2001)

in_d_haus said:


> *Rear fogs? Hmmmm...what a great way to piss off a tailgater! Do they come in Xenon?  If ya angle them up just a bit...... *


Looks like this


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## bmw325 (Dec 19, 2001)

*The US brochure is also nearly identical to the German one*

They re-arrange some stuff - but use the same pics. I think they actually digitally alter the images-- for example in the 2001 brochure they had a 325i on the cover and in several shots. In the German brochure, the car had chrome trim (as all 6 cylinder models do there). On the american brochure it was black- as is the case for our 325i's. But the pictures were identical otherwise-- the license plates were also the same. I'm surprised they didn't doctor the light controls as well-- only the europeans gets the rear fogs. They also get this nice storage compartment undernetath the lgith controls-- on the underside of the dash. Can't figure out why they omit that on US spec cars.


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## rost12 (Dec 22, 2001)

You still get a US spec. car with EuroDelivery, right ?

BTW, anyone know if ED option is available in Canada ?


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

Alex, do you not have Xenons? I don't see the 2nd dial control next to the dash dimmer for the (once again euro only) manual Xenon height adjuster.


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## Alex Baumann (Dec 19, 2001)

Kaz said:


> *Alex, do you not have Xenons? I don't see the 2nd dial control next to the dash dimmer for the (once again euro only) manual Xenon height adjuster. *


I do have Xenons, but never heard of manual height adjuster for Xenons. (in German versions) It's self-leveling.


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## LilEccentricJ (Dec 19, 2001)

IMO Us Americans are too stupid to have rear foglights, I mean we leave them on night and day and it is real annoying to drive behind a car that looks like it has 1 brake light on all the time. .02

Wise up Volvo and MB and others!


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## Scotes (Jan 12, 2002)

I'll give you that too many people would probably end up leaving them on when they shouldn't but coming back from Bakersfield on CA 99 a few weeks ago I had a real #$%&@! of a time keeping the taillights of the car ahead of me in sight through the fog. At some points visibility dropped down to less than 10 feet and the faint glimmer of their taillights (which I could make out about 50-75 feet ahead of me one lane over and was the only thing I could see aside from the 10ft of road right in front of me) was the only thing assuring me that I wasn't about run into something.

Things would have been a little easier had they had a rear fog that I could have seen better - and the same would go for the people that were behind me. So there's definitely a good use for them - the problem would really lie in getting people to use them correctly.


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## Alex Baumann (Dec 19, 2001)

Here's a close-up pic of the fog light switches on the dash (330ci/i - Euro Version - Xenon)










Left switch - Front Fog lights
Right switch - Rear Fog lights


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## dtlee (Jan 12, 2002)

Alex,

Is it possible for you to post the part number (p/n) for the Euro light switch and the p/n for the light bulb holders (left & right)?

Thank you very much.


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## LilEccentricJ (Dec 19, 2001)

dtlee said:


> *Alex,
> 
> Is it possible for you to post the part number (p/n) for the Euro light switch and the p/n for the light bulb holders (left & right)?
> 
> Thank you very much. *


I don't have the part numbers to help you dtlee but I do know that the switch is more than what you see on the surface. The "module" that includes the light switches on an e46 also include an interface and memory to the info cluster and have redundant info like mileage and VIN codes so that the cluster can not be tampered with. The point being that replacing said "module" may be far and away cost prohibitive.


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## Alex Baumann (Dec 19, 2001)

check this link rear fog lights DIY . The guy did it on an E39.


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## steve (Jan 7, 2002)

rost12 said:


> *You still get a US spec. car with EuroDelivery, right ?
> 
> BTW, anyone know if ED option is available in Canada ? *


Yes, ED in Canada exists, but isn't well publicized, and a lot of Canadian dealers aren't all that well informed about it. You also don't save a lot of money (except the cost of rental, which is now outrageous in Canada), and a little on the GST/PST hit, depending on how long you're out of the country for. (It comes in potentially as a "used" car, so you pay on a devaulated amount). There is still a duty of 6.1% to be paid, and, unlike the US, leased and financed cars aren't eligible. I'm not sure if too many banks are too eager to have their security running around in Europe. Also, BMW Canada requres a 20% deposit, on top of paying for the car to ensure that you come back with it to Canada. However, the dealer doesn't charge the GST/PST or the duty amount.


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## Magna (Jan 4, 2002)

On a 330Ci (US model), I have seen two red lights at the bottom of the rear bumper. What are those? I have a 2000 323i and I don't have those and it was never an option.


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## LilEccentricJ (Dec 19, 2001)

Magna said:


> *On a 330Ci (US model), I have seen two red lights at the bottom of the rear bumper. What are those? I have a 2000 323i and I don't have those and it was never an option. *


i's differ from Ci's in that the i's have the required amount of reflectivity/area of rear taillights. Since the Ci's was lacking the required amount of read taillight area, per the DOT, BMW installed the rear red reflectors on Ci models.


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## LilEccentricJ (Dec 19, 2001)

Alex Baumann said:


> *check this link rear fog lights DIY . The guy did it on an E39. *


GREAT write-up but the switch on e46's is completely different now. You would have to look at a Bentley manual to fully understand the complexity og the current switch module.


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## rost12 (Dec 22, 2001)

steve - thanks for the info 
I'm not very interested in saving money - I'm interested in driving in Europe  Although I grew up in Russia, I never got to drive myself in any other european country 



> I'm not sure if too many banks are too eager to have their security running around in Europe.


I probably would go with BMW Financing anyway. That should help, right ? 

About that deposit to BMW of Canada ... I'm mathematically challenged, if my car was 100,000 I would have to give them 120,000 ? Now that's a bummer


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## Wingboot (Jan 8, 2002)

*for LilEccentricJ...*

LilEccentricJ, how do explain the lack of reflectors on the rear of the M3? They have the same tail lights as the Ci right? I don't think that there is some D.O.T. requirement. Please correct me if I'm mistaken. Also, you can get a Ci with the "M Aero" kit which has a different rear bumber with a black section at the bottom and lacks reflectors. It looks much better than the rear with the reflectors in my opinion. 
By the way I agree with LilEccentricJ about rear fog light misuse in the U.S. It's obvious that the majority think it's better to drive around with their front-end fog lights on. It's just a sign of their ignorance and or selfishness and their lack of concern for the other drivers. I have just returned from Germany where I lived for 3 years and it was rare that I saw a German driving in normal conditions with his fog lights on. I'm sure many people here would leave the rears on because they would think it would be safer for them. This lack of driver education is the trade off we, the public, accept in order to obtain extremely inexpensive driver's licenses. It's been previously mentioned on the board that Germans have to go through a rigorous and expensive training program in order to be issued a license.


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