Rigging lights for daytime running

[BennyM]

I want to wire the LKM to turn on the low beams right after the engine starts and to just keep them on until I turn it off again (ie: daytime running lights). Has anyone done this? Is it a lot more involved than it sounds? Is there a canadian LKM out there that does this already, maybe? Thanks.

[SharkmanBMW]

use the search on this one.....

I know awhile ago it was discussed... someone imported a US e34 to canada and needed DRL to get it passed inspection.

I believe that it is a relay that you need to get - I did a search for "daytime running lights" and found nada! but search around the posts and you will find it!

good luck

[Javier]

(Hot in run and start), contact should connect Fuse F2 to pin 3 of LKM connector. Said pin 3 is the Head light Low Beam request. You can catch the wire to pin 3 also at the Light switch (Yellow wire that gets 12 volts when low beams are turned on). Caution, this will also turn on High Beams if lever is in the corresponding position. If you want to avoid this, you will have to tap to the LKM yellow wire very close to terminal 3 and prevent back feeding installing a diode in the proper direction in the yellow wire just before the tap (1N4004 is OK, arrow to point to LKM).

This is not the Canadian version, but turns on only Headlight low beam when the key is in Run or Start. No park/tail lights.

Javier

Edit: Forgot to mention, no special LKM for this. Also engine may not be running, you will have lights as long as there is key in and turned. If you really want to interlock to engine running, you can use fuel pump relay contact to feed the new auxiliary relay coil. I do not justify this though.

[Incantation]

when i imported my e34 from hawaii to canada.. i had to have daytime running lights installed. unfortunately. why don't we just swap cars and both our problems will be solved.. i'd much prefer the option to turn them on myself..

[infinity5]

is there a way to get the parking lights to come on as well? thanks for the information javier. let me clarify, so you'd need to wire fuse two to pin 3 and thats it? OR you can wire pin 3 to the light swtich yellow wire?. but either of these methods will result in your highbeams comming on if you move the headlight selector switch?

if i wanted my lows/parking/taillights on anytime the engine was running could i just wire somehting, from like you mentioned, the fuel pump to the selector switch in the cabin? that seems like it would much simpler

[winfred]

as a mechanic i hate drl's, if you need to have the key on to work on something the %$#@ing lights are on and sucking the battery down, these same cars usually have shift locks (my other favorite inovation) and to have the steering unlocked or have the tranny in something other then park you need the have the key on

[Javier]

if you forget about engine running, and consider only low/high beam, as fuse F2 (Low/High beam control circuit) turns off with the key out.

For Park lights, their fuses are F4 and F5 and as they are hot at all times, they will never turn off if you simply connect its fuse straight to the switch output wire (happens if you leave your light switch on). For them, you will need something to turn on/off the circuit for you. This "something" is the relay; it should be "Energized" under some event. The question is when should the lights come on, you mentioned the "Engine" running, I personally do not like it, nor BMW Canadian models. They turn on parking lights when you turn the switch to run (keep them wile on start).

Then the relay must energize when you turn the key, so if you wire the Fuse F2 to + terminal of the relay coil, and ground the - terminal, it will energize when you turn the key (F2 gets power only in Run and Start). If you insist in having the lights on when the engine is running, then you may use the Fuel pump power to turn on the relay (not the lights, as it is not wise to mix the fuel pump fuse circuit with lights fuse circuit). Note I mentioned fuel pump power, not the fuel pump relay signal from DME, as you can damage the DME if improper relay is used.

Now what will the relay do? The idea is to power the lights, just as you would do manually, so relay contact (or contacts) connects the fuse output wire to the corresponding lamp circuit.

This array I mentioned yesterday just turn on the low beams for you, just as if you would have step the switch trough the second position, but only affecting low beam lights. If you recall, in this position you also energize the High beam system, so if you operate the lever, you will also have High beam lights. Personally, I feel this is the normal way to go, as if you never else operate the switch to step 2 for low beams, then there should be no reason to have to do it just for high beams. For fog lights you will have to manually operate the lights switch to step 1 (or 2), and then the fog lights switch.

Applying the same concept, you can do whatever you want, you just need more relays or a relay with multiple contacts. Again it is not wise to mix circuits. The Light switch has five different poles as follows:

Yellow wire energized (from F2 Green/Blue) in step two for Low/High beams, all the rest energized in step one and two as follows: Yellow/Violet (from F3 Green/Yellow) for fog lights; Gray/Black (from F5 Red/Blue) for License plate lights, and interior device indicating lamps, including those controlled by the thumbwheel dimmer; Gray/Yellow (from F5 Red/Blue) for Right park lights, and Gray/Violet (from F4 Red/Gray) for left park lights. Note I also indicated the corresponding circuit fuse and its wire color at the Light switch.

So if you want your car to behave just like if you step the light switch to position 2 when you turn on the key switch, just make a) a jump from Green/blue to Yellow; b) another from Green/Yellow to Yellow/Violet; buy a relay with 2 contacts or two relays with one contact and connect + coil (coils) to Green/Blue; - coil (Coils) to ground (Car body); c) Contact 1 terminal 1 to Red/Blue; Contact 1 terminal 2 to Gray/Black and Gray/Yellow; d) Contact 2 terminal 1 to Red/Gray; and finally Contact 2 terminal 2 to Gray/Violet. All wires available at the Light Switch.

a) turn on Low beams, b) energizes Fog light switch, c) turn on right park and interiors, and d) turn on left park.

If you insist in "Engine running" then you need a relay with four contacts or four one contact relay, forget about straight connections from F2 to Yellow and F3 to Yellow/Violet and use the two extra contacts to make these connections. + coil (coils) would have to be wired to fuel pump + power feeding wire.

All mentioned contacts are normally open (Closes when energized).

All this info should be verified specifically for your car, as I have notice huge variations from one year to another (thougg I used 1992 diagrams) and from one country destination to another. You can use jumper wires in the suggested connections and verify that corresponding lights come on.

I prefer to have the power to decide when to turn on and when to turn off, you will never be able to turn off lights in emergency conditions (Low battery no alternator?), unless remove the fuse, not handy if you suddenly needs them.

Javier

[winfred]

that's why having a diesel use to be so cool, just don't shut it off, the head lights get so dim you can see the coils of the filament. my parents had a peaugot diesel with a manual tranny, vacuum wipers were handy, geez that thing was a turd

I prefer to have the power to decide when to turn on and when to turn off, you will never be able to turn off lights in emergency conditions (Low battery no alternator?), unless remove the fuse, not handy if you suddenly needs them.

Javier

[Steven G]

On my E34 Canadian version, DLR Lights are setup to be "on" all of the time, including tail lights and dashboard lights. This is worse than the E36 setup (DLR only turns headlights on nothing else). One day I hope to disconnect this on my E34.

[Javier]

automatically, no mater if light switch is off?

The Canadian wiring for Lighting system is a mess, but I understand by the drawings that only parking lights (Front and rear) are turned on with the ignition key.

Javier

Edit: No low beams I mean.

[Steven G]

automatically, no mater if light switch is off?

The Canadian wiring for Lighting system is a mess, but I understand by the drawings that only parking lights (Front and rear) are turned on with the ignition key.

Javier

Edit: No low beams I mean.

With the ignition key turned on and the headlight switch in the off position, the low beams come on full strength along with the parking lights, tail lights and dash board lights. The only time I have to turn the switch to on is to use fog lights or high beams.

In my 95 E36, after you turn the ignition on, the low beams come on (lower strength) only. The rest of the lights remain off.

Steven G.

[Paul in NZ]

the low beams come on (lower strength) only.

Huh????DO you mean the equivalent of a parking light(say 5w) in the low beam headlight enclosure????

[632 Regal]

Javier, you are an electrical genious with these cars! I'm glad I didnt need to do anything but know your information is out there! Mann... readin your stuff your amazing.

[SharkmanBMW]

Except for the fogs, Canadian cars have all lights on at all times... but you only get fogs and hi beam if the switch is on

i think that if the handbrake is up the lighhts stay off.... not sure.

[Javier]

oriented. Happy to help.

Javier

[Javier]

(Canadian version) and have not understand how they turn on All the lights. Only understand parking and dash/interior indication. But they look like a mess, so who knows. That's why I asked how they worked, but that also does not seem consistent.

Javier

[Steven G]

Paul,
No, the low beams are a lower strength but a lot brighter than a park light in my Canadian 1995 E36 (not so in my Canadian 1995 E34). The E36 has a better setup because no other unneccessary lights come on with the ignition on. By the way, to answer Sharkman's question, applying the emergency/hand brake does not turn off the lights as it does in American-made vehicles.
Thanks & sorry for any confusion, but this DLR sytem in the E34 sucks - why didn't they make it the same as the E36?
Steven G.

[Paul in NZ]

No, the low beams are a lower strength but a lot brighter than a park light in my Canadian 1995 E36
Thanks steve...Ok Javier how does that work????

[BennyM]

Thanks for your input. With your info I plan to wire my car so that the Lows turn on in pos II (however I will also add a switch to disable the DTR circuit for troubleshooting and emergency situations).

Ahh, the philosophy of Daytime Running Lights....who ever thought it would be so controversial? I realize why people don't like the lights turning on automatically, and the reason I wanted to power the lights only when the engine is running was to avoid potential battery drain that might occur if they turn on when ever the key is turned. However, I don't feel confident in my electrical abilities to mess with something as vital as the fuel pump system. Besides, the primary reason I asked this question was because I didn't want all the extra lights running during the day––when you can't even see them. i feel its safer to have headlights on during the day, but that's all, the rest are unnecessary and I'm sick of replacing interior and sidemarker bulbs. I find it very convenient for the low beams to just come on for me, but I too still want some control (hence, the added switch––probably in place of the rear fog switch).

so again, thanks for your help and I hope that I can ask you questions during the actual process of this modification.

BennyM

[Javier]

Instead of using your fuel pump to energize your lights relays, you can use the signal from the unloader relay to turn on lights. The unloader relay is there to remove power to the defogger and climate control when it notices alternator is not generating any power. So it will automatically turn on lights shortly after engine turn on, and turn of as soon as engine is turned down (or alternator fail sending power). You can always turn on manually if needed trough the light switch.

Unloader signal can be taped from a Blue/White wire going to Unloader relay K61 pin 87, in front power distribution box. This same Blue/White wire goes to pin 25 of X18156 connector to the IHKR/F3 climate control.

Your emergency turn off switch will go between this Blue/White wire and the new light relay coils.

Just let me know whenever I can be of any help.

Javier