My ti doesn't have fog lights and I think the little blank covers look horrible. Is there an oem kit from bmw to install? Or am I going to have to go get some crappy after market kit. I want it to look factory.

THey are all the same for the e36.

BMW oem lights are pretty crappy.. platic lenses etc.

Check the classifieds here maybe you can find a set of stock ones. Or go for something like the depo crystals.

It's a PITA to install them correctly.
I may have used my fog lights 6 times in 7 years.

THey are all the same for the e36.

BMW oem lights are pretty crappy.. platic lenses etc.

Check the classifieds here maybe you can find a set of stock ones. Or go for something like the depo crystals.The subject is FOG LIGHTS, not headlights. ;)

THey are all the same for the e36.

BMW oem lights are pretty crappy.. platic lenses etc.

Check the classifieds here maybe you can find a set of stock ones. Or go for something like the depo crystals.
Depo is not crappy? :D The US got the free form plastic headlights while Europe got the glass ellipsoids. ZKW, Hella and Bosch make a quality version...I will probably go for ZKW in the future and then add an HID kit.

i don't have fogs i just have holes no cover. going to invest in some fogs soon when i get the $$

i think the car looks better at night with them on. Plus I want a switch inside thats looks stock also..not something that doesn't look like it belongs. I'm sure they will rape at bmw to install them. :mad

i think the car looks better at night with them on. Plus I want a switch inside thats looks stock also..not something that doesn't look like it belongs. I'm sure they will rape at bmw to install them. :madThe installation instruction call for 2 1/2 hours but it generally takes longer.

I ran out of room to upload here so I posted the install instructions here (http://www.318ti.org/forum/showpost.php?p=96534&postcount=29) if you are interested.

theres an oem bmw switch. would cost you like 10 or less dollars to cop it from a salvage yard online or find one near you. just do some decent plastic ones, go to auto zone and pick up the film that sticks on it, so it wont crack or whatever once you hit stuff on the road. or do the yellow laminX. will make them clearer during night, and look sweet too. if its not a huge issue, having super quality ones wont make that much difference

HELLA has an entire kit that comes with the switch, wiring harness, fog light, and mounting bracket fo something like 250$

I tried to order that kit from BMP Designs, they only have the lights and the brackets, no harness.

I ended up getting all the remaining parts from BavAuto. They just used the instruction manual to buy each individual piece.

Finishing up the install this weekend.

HELLA has an entire kit that comes with the switch, wiring harness, fog light, and mounting bracket fo something like 250$

shoot Bill a PM, he can get you Depos with a complete wiring harness if you need or hella replacements.

BMW does sell a foglight retrofit kit including a factory button.

choose your method and enjoy.

-Ron

Depo isn't crappy. I just bought a set on eBAY for $60 plus $15 shipping. The brackets are much more heavy duty than the OEM's. The lenses are also better in quality and strength, I replaced the originals because they were glass and the driver's side had a hole in it from where a rock hit it. I think the Depo's are made of Lexan or some other hard plastic but they're much thicker and less likely to break if you kiss a curb in say a parking lot. Sure they might take on a little gravel pitting over the years but thats my point, they'll last long enough to do so. And so will your entire front bumper for that matter. I'm still rockin the original plastic headlights on my car and they're just now beginning to show a little age after ten years and 140k mi. How long does something have to last to earn the right to be called good? They look just like the OEM's not the cheap clear over chrome altezza look. They were pretty easy to install considering my car was already wired, however the kit did come with all new wiring with a built in fuse. It also included brackets, switch and H1 bulbs. I recommend removing the splash guard under your bumper for better access. The 4 screws are slightly difficult to get to. As for switches, the OEM one couldn't look uglyer. I hate the location, it should have been built into the headlight switch or atleast on the left hand side of the cluster. But then again that switch sucks too. Both of my euro spec e36's the 320 and the 318, had a knob similar to the climate controls which actuated the headlights and a button similar to the A/C which actuated the front and rear fogs. Both were located on the left knee pannel. Why spend $250 for glass lenses or elypsoids when they're more likely to break. $75,eBAY,had them in two days,installed in 30 minutes,look like OEM's,DONE!

Man that was a long reply

Depo isn't crappy. I just bought a set on eBAY for $60 plus $15 shipping. The brackets are much more heavy duty than the OEM's. The lenses are also better in quality and strength, I replaced the originals because they were glass and the driver's side had a hole in it from where a rock hit it. I think the Depo's are made of Lexan or some other hard plastic but they're much thicker and less likely to break if you kiss a curb in say a parking lot. Sure they might take on a little gravel pitting over the years but thats my point, they'll last long enough to do so. And so will your entire front bumper for that matter. I'm still rockin the original plastic headlights on my car and they're just now beginning to show a little age after ten years and 140k mi. How long does something have to last to earn the right to be called good? They look just like the OEM's not the cheap clear over chrome altezza look. They were pretty easy to install considering my car was already wired, however the kit did come with all new wiring with a built in fuse. It also included brackets, switch and H1 bulbs. I recommend removing the splash guard under your bumper for better access. The 4 screws are slightly difficult to get to. As for switches, the OEM one couldn't look uglyer. I hate the location, it should have been built into the headlight switch or atleast on the left hand side of the cluster. But then again that switch sucks too. Both of my euro spec e36's the 320 and the 318, had a knob similar to the climate controls which actuated the headlights and a button similar to the A/C which actuated the front and rear fogs. Both were located on the left knee pannel. Why spend $250 for glass lenses or elypsoids when they're more likely to break. $75,eBAY,had them in two days,installed in 30 minutes,look like OEM's,DONE!
check your depos again, they are glass....and thinner then the OE lights. also, the brackets are not heavier duty.

check your parts again and you'll see what I mean.

I had ZKW fogs and replaced them because i cracked them like 4 times and was wasting too much money on fogs. So i bought the depos cause they were cheaper and got lamin-x for them. I'm very dissapointed in the depos and the next time they break i'll buy the zkw's again and switch out the brackets.

Well you were right about them being glass. However, the plastic parts seem to be made of a more durable composite material. They also feel more positive going in. Overall I think they're the same if not better quality than OEM's and for $75 shipped to me in just 2 days with a complete install kit (wiring,fuse,switch,brackets & H1 bulbs) you can't go wrong.
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q122/cooljess76/th_5a75ee0c-3.jpg (http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q122/cooljess76/5a75ee0c-3.jpg)
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q122/cooljess76/th_5a75ee0c-2.jpg (http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q122/cooljess76/5a75ee0c-2.jpg)
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q122/cooljess76/th_5a75ee0c-1.jpg (http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q122/cooljess76/5a75ee0c-1.jpg)
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q122/cooljess76/th_5a75ee0c.jpg (http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q122/cooljess76/5a75ee0c.jpg)

I had ZKW fogs and replaced them because i cracked them like 4 times and was wasting too much money on fogs. So i bought the depos cause they were cheaper and got lamin-x for them. I'm very dissapointed in the depos and the next time they break i'll buy the zkw's again and switch out the brackets.
But you never said why you were dissapointed with the Depo's. What more should one expect from OEM replacement foglights? Unless you're smacking curbs or tailgaiting someone through gravel you should be alright. I suppose PIAA's HELLA's or good ol' fashioned KC lights might work better if you're into rally racing and you have $250+ to blow.

Depo is not crappy? :D The US got the free form plastic headlights while Europe got the glass ellipsoids. ZKW, Hella and Bosch make a quality version...I will probably go for ZKW in the future and then add an HID kit.

Well but glass get scratch too. Not to mention all the stone"chips" damage too. Plastic is much cheaper to replace and nowadays all cars seem to have the 100% clear plastic glass, although now it's the polycarbonte stuff, don't know what old cars material for the plastic is.

And again...why is everybody so fond of elipsoids? And folks, let's not forget....elipsoids were only used up to (I believe) the facelift date.

I have a facelift model and on these units, there's no elipsoid lense a anymore. And winddeflector "blobs" were added.

My car with fogs.. but no wiring or switch. I guess the previous owner liked the looks but could not have been bothered to wire them in.

I picked up a cheap wiring hit on ebay before it hit me. The stock headlight switch and the fog light switch are almost identical. They even have the same mounting tabs and the wiring harness hooks in the same same way. So instead of using the stock foglight switch, I bought another headlight switch and used that..

An addition two hours worth of wiring.. and now I have rear fogs too. First pull is the fronts, second pull activates the fronts AND the rears.

My car with fogs.. but no wiring or switch. I guess the previous owner liked the looks but could not have been bothered to wire them in.

I picked up a cheap wiring hit on ebay before it hit me. The stock headlight switch and the fog light switch are almost identical. They even have the same mounting tabs and the wiring harness hooks in the same same way. So instead of using the stock foglight switch, I bought another headlight switch and used that..

An addition two hours worth of wiring.. and now I have rear fogs too. First pull is the fronts, second pull activates the fronts AND the rears.
if you're one of those guys that runs around with your rear fog on for no reason(like every audi driver); let me know so I can hunt you down and tear out your tail lights. ;)

nope, that is why I ran a stock headlight switch for the fogs. They only come on in the rain, snow, or fog.. they also work well if somebody is too close and I need to hit the brakes.. doubles up the lights on the rear.

I may also be wrong.. but I am not sure that on Audi's you can run just the front fogs without the rears coming on too

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I may also be wrong.. but I am not sure that on Audi's you can run just the front fogs without the rears coming on too

Don't know about US/Canada fog regulation, but every Euro country I know off, the front and rear fogs are ALWAYS seperated.

Since you are only allowed front fogs when you can see a certain distance, but visibillity had to be almost zero before you can run the rear fog.

Also, rear fog light should only be on one side, depending on what side of the road you drive. It should always be on the driver's side so cars know what sides to pass you. (but if you need to have the rear fog on, no one should even think of taking over.) At least it will give an indication where the middle of the road is.

2 fogs on the rear, can't do for obvious reasons. People can easily mistake them from brakelights that are on and would people hit their brakes.....no need to tell you what will happen then.

Don't know about US/Canada fog regulation, but every Euro country I know off, the front and rear fogs are ALWAYS seperated.

Since you are only allowed front fogs when you can see a certain distance, but visibillity had to be almost zero before you can run the rear fog.

Also, rear fog light should only be on one side, depending on what side of the road you drive. It should always be on the driver's side so cars know what sides to pass you. (but if you need to have the rear fog on, no one should even think of taking over.) At least it will give an indication where the middle of the road is.

2 fogs on the rear, can't do for obvious reasons. People can easily mistake them from brakelights that are on and would people hit their brakes.....no need to tell you what will happen then.
brit cars (jags etc) use dual rear fogs.

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audis, like all other euro cars, use a seperate switch for rear fogs. I just find it annoying as hell when the moron runs around with them lit in good weather. they serve no purpose other then to annoy other drivers.

ah.. see, every audi I have seen has them on too.. so I just thought they came on with the fogs here in the US. I see quite a few jags that way too.