City lights

[az3579]

Does anyone know what needs to be done to get city lights? I've seen some euro models with this, which is a tiny low-wattage bulb placed in the high-beam bowl and I believe is used instead of daytime running lights. How come we don't have this option? Can it easily be retrofitted?

Looks like this: (crappy pic but it's the only one I found of an E46)
http://img226.exs.cx/img226/5270/citylights21vf.jpg

[pyreguy]

I hated having city lights on my GTI. Just saying. It it makes you happy, then I hope its an easy mod :)

[kayger12]

Is that why I have a hole in my high beam bowl?

[pyreguy]

I wanna see a pic of your hole.

Fellas, fellas.... you know what I mean.

[kayger12]

http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff401/Kayger12/IMG_5096_edited-2-1-1.jpg

[az3579]

I hated having city lights on my GTI. Just saying. It it makes you happy, then I hope its an easy mod :)

I loooooooooved them on my E30. I didn't have very good looking and good quality angel eye options, so I decided to go with something OEM, and it looked amazing, IMO.

Unfortunately this is the only shot I have of them being on, which makes it seem small, but anyway:

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/Automotive/BMW%20E30%20325e%20S50/Exterior/3669768315_922aba5c0c_o.jpg

Keith,
The definitely seems like where they would go.

[pyreguy]

I would roll yellow bulbs if I had them again, so it would be no big deal. I could rock em.

[ryankokesh]

I think I'm going to try this today. When you turn your daytime running lights on in ncs expert it looks like there's a setting for how bright you'd like them. So I figured if they were on the lowest setting this might have a similar effect.

[pyreguy]

That was my problem with them, they were too dim. I would have preferred them a ton brighter.

How cool is it that there is an adjustment for that!!

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

[az3579]

I think I'm going to try this today. When you turn your daytime running lights on in ncs expert it looks like there's a setting for how bright you'd like them. So I figured if they were on the lowest setting this might have a similar effect.

I wanted to fiddle with it but haven't gotten NCS Expert to work yet. Still building my diagnostic/coding machine (slow progress). :(

[ryankokesh]

If you have specific questions feel free to pm me. Honestly there's much more knowledgable people to ask though :) terraphantm and davidmc to name a few...

[gr330zhp]

They are very euro as in Europe people actually use lights like they are meant to be...

In the city you have city lights on during the day, they are very dim, but visible. When you park and are running you have your parking lights on and Headlights OFF. Soooooo many people here in the U.S. dont understand that they blind others. Hazards are used any time you are parked in the way, braking hard, approaching construction, hitting big bumps etc.

You guys know the option on our E46s, where after shutting off the vehicle, you turn the blinker stalk to either position, the one side parking light will stay on. This is one of my favorite features. In Greece people use this function all the time in cities. You basically turn it on, if say you are parked on a corner, your driver side is visible...I wish I could incorporate my A/Es to do the same like on the E39

People think I am crazy that I actually use my lights the right way, but whatever that's what their purpose is for :)

[az3579]

our E46s, where after shutting off the vehicle, you turn the blinker stalk to either position, the one side parking light will stay on. This is one of my favorite features. In Greece people use this function all the time in cities. You basically turn it on, if say you are parked on a corner, your driver side is visible...I wish I could incorporate my A/Es to do the same like on the E39



I like that feature too, but the thing is: I don't see a good way to use it. I mean, if you park overnight on the street and you leave them on, won't that just put more cycles on the battery? That will help it deteriorate faster. I once left mine on in the driveway just to test it and the car still started fine the next morning, but it's the sort of thing that I don't want to risk running out of juice...

[gr330zhp]

Well do you always park in risky places?? It would be a once in a while thing I guess

I can see what you are saying about draining batteries. Most people use it only if they are parking temporarily and in places where it is possible for another motorist to not see them too, not necessarily overnight every day

[adb1028]

Is that why I have a hole in my high beam bowl?

I read somewhere that only ZKW's have the hole for city lights

[gr330zhp]

I read somewhere that only ZKW's have the hole for city lights

That is probably true, because I have ALs and I dont have the hole. My dad's old E46 M3 had Bosch lights and it didnt have the hole either :dunno

[ryankokesh]

I've found the side parking light to be really useful here in the city. People get really confused sometimes, but I still feel it's helpful.

[kayger12]

I read somewhere that only ZKW's have the hole for city lights

I have ALs and I have the holes.

[billschusteriv]

They are very euro as in Europe people actually use lights like they are meant to be...

In the city you have city lights on during the day, they are very dim, but visible. When you park and are running you have your parking lights on and Headlights OFF. Soooooo many people here in the U.S. dont understand that they blind others. Hazards are used any time you are parked in the way, braking hard, approaching construction, hitting big bumps etc.

You guys know the option on our E46s, where after shutting off the vehicle, you turn the blinker stalk to either position, the one side parking light will stay on. This is one of my favorite features. In Greece people use this function all the time in cities. You basically turn it on, if say you are parked on a corner, your driver side is visible...I wish I could incorporate my A/Es to do the same like on the E39

People think I am crazy that I actually use my lights the right way, but whatever that's what their purpose is for :)


This is similar to how I use my lights... in sum, I use my headlights if I'm moving and parking lights when I'm stopped and the engine is on.

However, I am one of those guys using fogs at night on back country roads - it helps me get some additional coverage along the sides of the road in the short distance to see small animals and deer. The new H7's I put in seem to help more and I'm using the fogs less and less. Upgrading the lights is somewhere down there on the to-do list.

I have been reading the DIY's for rear fogs... for both e30's and e46's... and I hope to try the mod out. I-81 north above Harrisburg, PA is notorious for heavy heavy fog. I've driven through where I can't see but ten feet in front of the bumper. Scary.

[iZHP]

I have the holes on my ZKW's and am looking into this and taking out the AE's. Would activating daytime running lamps just use the halogen (bright) bulb that's already in there? I like the look of the city lights, and why do we have that hole if we can't use it?

[az3579]

I have the holes on my ZKW's and am looking into this and taking out the AE's. Would activating daytime running lamps just use the halogen (bright) bulb that's already in there? I like the look of the city lights, and why do we have that hole if we can't use it?

Activating the DRLs would just use the highbeam bulb that's already in there. The hole is there to reduce cost between the US and euro models, so they just use the same housing and don't bother making a special one without the hole for cars without the city lights.

I think I saw options in NCS Expert to reduce the brightness of the DRL even further to a lower percentage, which could potentially make it look like city lights. I'll have to play with it to be sure, but if it works, it's a route you can take that'll make it cheaper (free) for a similar effect.

[johnrando]

Activating the DRLs would just use the highbeam bulb that's already in there. The hole is there to reduce cost between the US and euro models, so they just use the same housing and don't bother making a special one without the hole for cars without the city lights.

I think I saw options in NCS Expert to reduce the brightness of the DRL even further to a lower percentage, which could potentially make it look like city lights. I'll have to play with it to be sure, but if it works, it's a route you can take that'll make it cheaper (free) for a similar effect.

I'm very curious to see how that works out.

[bullfrogs_M3]

There is another discussion some city lights here. Just FYI: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?2400-Euro-only-options

[az3579]

I'm very curious to see how that works out.

I wasn't going to do this, but now curiosity has me by the ear...

[Crestwood1001]

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=usedcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=65753351&listingRecNum=12&criteria=prMx%3D20000%26sf1Dir%3DDESC%26prMn%3D0%2 6mkId%3D20005%26stkTyp%3DU%26mdId%3D20409%26rd%3D2 50%26crSrtFlds%3DstkTypId-feedSegId-mkId-mdId-pseudoPrice-trId-yrId%26zc%3D18707%26rn%3D0%26PMmt%3D1-1-1%26stkTypId%3D28881%26sf2Dir%3DASC%26sf1Nm%3Dpric e%26yrId%3D20199%26yrId%3D20143%26sf2Nm%3Dmiles%26 trId%3D25905%26rpp%3D50%26feedSegId%3D28705&aff=national

Is it just me or does that ZHP have city lights? I would have overlooked that but I just read this thread and noticed that, maybe im crazy lol

[az3579]

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=usedcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=65753351&listingRecNum=12&criteria=prMx%3D20000%26sf1Dir%3DDESC%26prMn%3D0%2 6mkId%3D20005%26stkTyp%3DU%26mdId%3D20409%26rd%3D2 50%26crSrtFlds%3DstkTypId-feedSegId-mkId-mdId-pseudoPrice-trId-yrId%26zc%3D18707%26rn%3D0%26PMmt%3D1-1-1%26stkTypId%3D28881%26sf2Dir%3DASC%26sf1Nm%3Dpric e%26yrId%3D20199%26yrId%3D20143%26sf2Nm%3Dmiles%26 trId%3D25905%26rpp%3D50%26feedSegId%3D28705&aff=national

Is it just me or does that ZHP have city lights? I would have overlooked that but I just read this thread and noticed that, maybe im crazy lol

Maybe; the brightness seems low enough to be city lights. Still looks like highbeam bulbs lit but at reduced brightness, though the angle of the shots makes it hard to determine.

If I had to put money on it, I would say they're just highbeam bulbs on with reduced brightness...

[Crestwood1001]

Yea, iv never seen that before and immediately thought of you guys and this thread when I saw it lol

[az3579]

Here's another though.

The Daytime Running Lights look pretty dim when viewed from an angle, but if you look at them head on, they are BRIGHT! If you are planning on looking at this car, that's how you can determine what they are. Probably just DRLs at an angle.

[Crestwood1001]

That's not the one I'm looking at, just noticed that and thought I'd share