Fog Lights not working!

[RTTBMW]

Hi All,

I took the lower dash out and cleaned the fog light switch, still not working! Changed the fuses! No luck either! What is causing the fog lights possibly not work? I tried to unscrew the foglamps at the front, but they won't budge! Any suggestions would be good!

Also what do you call these dash bulbs? I need a few!

regards


Richard

[Foe]

Have no idea about the fog lights, and will keep an eye on this thread until I get round to doing mine.
As for the dash lights;
I'm not sure how to add the eBay link, so here's a picture.

[paultv]

You need to be careful, there are 5 watt bulbs of this style, used for the side markers - but many of the smaller bulbs used for example in the front and rear ashtray - the headlight panel and some instrument panel bulbs are 1.2 watt. and physically smaller: type W1.2W 2721

Also the highest bulb wattage used behind the dash binnacle are 3 watt lamps type: W3W 2821, whilst the 1.2W 2721MF has a plastic twist base and is different to the OP's picture.

Just be aware that you will physically damage the plastic holders by fitting too high a wattage lamp - they will melt - even if you could get them in the socket!!

Paul

[davidt]

LED bulbs are the way to go I have used them with no problems
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-x-286-T5- ... 3345051557

[ChrisHC]

If you have not got the foglights out you do not know whether the bulbs are blown, so you need to do that. It might be that they do not have a good earth, earthing faults are often behind electrical problems, or they may just be completely rusted up, being in a very vulnerable position.

[RTTBMW]

LED bulbs are the way to go I have used them with no problems
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-x-286-T5- ... 3345051557

Won't post to Northern Ireland!

[RTTBMW]

You need to be careful, there are 5 watt bulbs of this style, used for the side markers - but many of the smaller bulbs used for example in the front and rear ashtray - the headlight panel and some instrument panel bulbs are 1.2 watt. and physically smaller: type W1.2W 2721

Also the highest bulb wattage used behind the dash binnacle are 3 watt lamps type: W3W 2821, whilst the 1.2W 2721MF has a plastic twist base and is different to the OP's picture.

Just be aware that you will physically damage the plastic holders by fitting too high a wattage lamp - they will melt - even if you could get them in the socket!!

Paul

I suspected that after I bought them! They are 3w for a reason! The ones in the dash (1.2w) don't work either!. Need to get a few bulbs! I'm currenty refurbishing the headlights!, cheaper than new ones at £228 +vat each!

[Moz]

Removing the foglights is done from behind, they are 8/10mm if I remember correctly. That is where the connector is too, behind the lamp itself. The bulb is replaced by removing a screw from the under side, awkward if still in situ.

Looks like you have a facelift car, my instructions are wrong if pre facelift. The Wiki link below is good for visuals.

https://www.e30zone.net/e30wiki/index.p ... Fog_Lights

Thanks

[RTTBMW]

Foglamps working now after me messing with the switch and connectors. Lack of use to blame I would say!

regards


Richard

[Foe]

Foglamps working now after me messing with the switch and connectors. Lack of use to blame I would say!

regards


Richard

[TheWolfman]

Foglamps is something I need to look into myself,I've got them but they've never worked...I also wierdly have a single switch for my foglights and as far as I'm aware if you have front fogs they have their own switch which isolates them from the rear fogs.Something for another day though I think....probably when the fog starts rolling in

[Contours]

Yeah, looks like someone fitted front fogs for aesthetics but didn't get the double switch.

[TheWolfman]

It's slightly odd because they came with the car as an extra so have always been there according to the chassis number, but I only have the single switch

[Sanchez]

It's slightly odd because they came with the car as an extra so have always been there according to the chassis number, but I only have the single switch

Maybe he previous owner couldn’t fix the problem and fitted a single switch.

Get a double switch, check fuses, then bulbs and come back to use if they still don’t work.

[Stephenmoooore]

Writing on a phone which I hate, so just comments on what I've read in this thread without individual quotes.
With any non working foglight problem, the first thing to do is to pull out the relay and link pin 30 of the socket to pin(s) 87 with pieces of wire. This will determine whether the problem is with the control (switch) side of things or the power (foglight) side.

Bulbs for instrument cluster illumination must be 3 W and not 5W. Leds will not work properly with the summer circuit, won't feed into the light guides as intended, and are frankly of little point, since efficiency isn't important and the life of incandescents is many years.

Facelift foglights are removed in minutes by removing the middle plastic plug on the front, removing the screw behind it and lifting the light out forwards. Bulb changing is then easy.

[TheWolfman]

Got around to checking my Foglights out, I jumped across the relay points and they subsequently lit up so I then removed the Single Rear foglight switch and saw that both cables for both front and rear fogs were on the connector block, but obviously as it's only a single switch it was only the rears that worked.As a quick test to insure their were no issues between the switch end of the cable and the relay I simply removed the connector block and attached it so the contacts for the Front Fogs on the block were now engaged with the switch.

I could have just jumped the connections to test it but I figured I could do it like this and now I have a (admitedly somewhat dodgy...) single switch for my front fogs until I can swallow spending the 50 queens heads for a double switch!

IMG_4125.JPG

IMG_4124.JPG

[Foe]

At least you got to the bottom of why they were not working

[HJ1981]

Yeah, i had to buy a brand new switch from BMW for €80 or so, after checking every tiny detail.

Also found out, the driver's side fog light connector (the welded in pins for the wires) had a lot of corrosion, took me an hour with a tiny wire brush to clean it up enough to make contact again.

[TheWolfman]

€80 for the switch?That's crazy money!At least you got it sorted in the end though,Good work on the scrubbing!

[RTTBMW]

Great to see you have it working. Mine still working! Indicator housing the bulb on one side is loose now, so I have problem to resolve. New housing to go in! I wonder do I have to remove the Mtech bumper to change this!