Euro City Lights

[E30Bimmer]

I recently installed the city lights in my euro headlights and installed them to run only when the engine is running. The key is that they only run when the egnine is running and not when solely in the run key position. I notice everyone wires theirs in with the parking lights which is not how they come from Europe. If there is any interest in the way mine are wired I can post up some detailed pictures as to how mine are wired. By the way I am selling her for anybody interested.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/E30Bimmer/HPIM1092.jpg

[Paul in NZ]

In a euro car the "city" lights are also the parking lights so they do come on without the engine running(or at least they will stay on when the engine is turned off)

[MTechnik540i]

I recently installed the city lights in my euro headlights and installed them to run only when the engine is running. The key is that they only run when the egnine is running and not when solely in the run key position. I notice everyone wires theirs in with the parking lights which is not how they come from Europe. If there is any interest in the way mine are wired I can post up some detailed pictures as to how mine are wired. By the way I am selling her for anybody interested.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/E30Bimmer/HPIM1092.jpg

Did the same thing with our's...

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/bmwm3n528/BMW540imsportatmitty062.jpg

Now, just top it off with some Euro molding to rid those sidemarkers.

[MTechnik540i]

In a euro car the "city" lights are also the parking lights so they do come on without the engine running(or at least they will stay on when the engine is turned off)

Yeah, what you've done (same with us) is actually create a DRL (Daytime Running Light).

[Yiorgos]

Sorry to hijack this thread a bit, but this question has been brewing in my head for some time.

Many years ago (more than 10) when my family and I were in Europe, we had bought an E21 to get around. There was a feature in the E21 (I assume Euro spec) that had a type of parking light that you can turn on when you're parked on the side of the street, it would light up the lights only on one side. So if you are parked on the right hand side of the street, you can turn on your parkers but for the left side only (right side stays off), presumably to inform other motorists that there is a car parked here etc.

Is there any such feature in the E34? I can't find this in my service manual, and I'm very very sure that my Australian spec has no such feature -- most Aussies would get confused if they see a car with only one side of the lights turned on.

[Paul in NZ]

yes my car does this and i would assume aussie ones do too
when you are stopped engine off push the indicator stalk to one side or the other further than usual and only the parking lights on that side will come on ie one "city light" and one tail light.I cant quite remember if you have the light switch in position 1 or not.

[MTechnik540i]

yes my car does this and i would assume aussie ones do too
when you are stopped engine off push the indicator stalk to one side or the other further than usual and only the parking lights on that side will come on ie one "city light" and one tail light.I cant quite remember if you have the light switch in position 1 or not.

Wow! I've never heard of this.

[angrypancake]

i saw that when i was in paris. weird, but cool

[Yiorgos]

Just went to my car to test out what Paul in NZ had posted earlier. I had my dad as 'observer' to let me know if I had them on or not.

The Aussie spec E34 does have support for the 'city light' feature. The car must be turned off (ignition in position 0), and you use the indicator stalk to turn on whatever side you want. There is an extra level of resistance with the indicator stalk (the extra push for the stalk to go further than usual), which is a switch.

Press the lever further than usual, then let the lever go back to its natural position (not back to no indicator). One side of the city lights should turn on. To turn off, turn off the indicator lever.

No lights have to be on, position 0 on the light switch.

Paul in NZ, you're a champion with your post. I'm pretty happy about this feature (not that there's any real need for it here in Australia), but this "quirk" is something that my dad and I miss from the E21 we had in Switzerland. I remember my dad asking me when I first got my car if it has this feature and at the time I was certain it didn't, which made him sigh a bit, something we sorely missed.

[liquidtiger720]

What wires did you tap into?

[xsidewinder]

I'd like to see some pictures or a description of how the city lights are wired for DRL, seeing that I'm a wiring dummy!!! Any help is much appreciated.

[Paul in NZ]

there seems to be some confusion here,but its not really of any importance.
In a euro car the "city lights" ie the 5w bulbs in the top of the headlights And the 5w tailights will come on any time the light switch is moved to position one,key in or not.Also (most if not all) euro e 34s have the one side parking light function.Any time the indicator switch is pushed to one side or the other (and the key is in 0 or out)past a "detent" the parking lights (as above) will come on ,but only on that side.If you already have the light switch in position one obviously the one side function is overridden.If you have activated the parkig lights o one side,as soon as turn on the key the indicator on that side starts flashing.All this is std,no extra wiring or relays reqired.DRLS are another thing completely,I gues Canadian and Swedish? models are the ones to copy.

[xsidewinder]

I'm installing the Euros on a US version, and was just hoping e30bimmer would post some pics or an explaination of the wiring for the city lights. I do not want to wire them to the parking lights. I would rather have them as DRL's.

[JerseySi]

Just to say - Paul in NZ is correct - the 'city lights' are just sidelights, position 1 on lightswitch, and key in 'off' or '1'.. soon as key goes to '2' (run), dim-dip headlights come on as well..
I learnt of the parking lights back in the day whe i had my old E30, the e34 is just the same :D
Otherwise sorry - no useful info to add as such!

[angrypancake]

Matt's car is wired so that the lights come on when the ignition is turned on, even with indicator in the off position. I'll get some pictures for you guys.

[E30Bimmer]

The city lights aren't wired to turn on when the ignition is running. The engine has to be running and as a matter of fact unless you tap the pedal for the altenator to come on, the lights won't turn on. They are wired into a wire off the Data plug under the hood which only recieves power when the altenator is running. I will get pics tomorrow when it stops raining.


Matt's car is wired so that the lights come on when the ignition is turned on, even with indicator in the off position. I'll get some pictures for you guys.

[angrypancake]

The city lights aren't wired to turn on when the ignition is running. The engine has to be running and as a matter of fact unless you tap the pedal for the altenator to come on, the lights won't turn on. They are wired into a wire off the Data plug under the hood which only recieves power when the altenator is running. I will get pics tomorrow when it stops raining.


i really knew that, but just said ignition running. this rain sucks dude, it keeps 218 closed, yet the pool was packed today :(. I talked to Jasmine though, I think she's gonna call you ina couple days.

[E30Bimmer]

i really knew that, but just said ignition running. this rain sucks dude, it keeps 218 closed, yet the pool was packed today :(. I talked to Jasmine though, I think she's gonna call you ina couple days.

Sounds good to me man. Definately will be taking pics for everyone coming up this weekend.

[MTechnik540i]

there seems to be some confusion here,but its not really of any importance.
In a euro car the "city lights" ie the 5w bulbs in the top of the headlights And the 5w tailights will come on any time the light switch is moved to position one,key in or not.Also (most if not all) euro e 34s have the one side parking light function.Any time the indicator switch is pushed to one side or the other (and the key is in 0 or out)past a "detent" the parking lights (as above) will come on ,but only on that side.If you already have the light switch in position one obviously the one side function is overridden.If you have activated the parkig lights o one side,as soon as turn on the key the indicator on that side starts flashing.All this is std,no extra wiring or relays reqired.DRLS are another thing completely,I gues Canadian and Swedish? models are the ones to copy.


I think it's understood that it's not 'proper' Euro spec but it's kind of nice to have DRLs.

The E34 has them, the E30 has them wired the proper way...as a parking light. I think it's just a matter of preference.

[DABIMR]

Just went to my car to test out what Paul in NZ had posted earlier. I had my dad as 'observer' to let me know if I had them on or not.

The Aussie spec E34 does have support for the 'city light' feature. The car must be turned off (ignition in position 0), and you use the indicator stalk to turn on whatever side you want. There is an extra level of resistance with the indicator stalk (the extra push for the stalk to go further than usual), which is a switch.

Press the lever further than usual, then let the lever go back to its natural position (not back to no indicator). One side of the city lights should turn on. To turn off, turn off the indicator lever.

No lights have to be on, position 0 on the light switch.

Paul in NZ, you're a champion with your post. I'm pretty happy about this feature (not that there's any real need for it here in Australia), but this "quirk" is something that my dad and I miss from the E21 we had in Switzerland. I remember my dad asking me when I first got my car if it has this feature and at the time I was certain it didn't, which made him sigh a bit, something we sorely missed.

My '02 ///M3 had this feature so does my wife's '01 Mercedes ML320.. :) I need to check to see if my E34 has it too.. BTW, all USA vehicles...

[Yiorgos]

DABIMR, interesting. It would be nice to know if this feature is global or just "European" spec. Let us know what you discover.

[Thayne]

Pretty nice!