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View Full Version : Is the high level tourer brake lamp retro-fittable?



Ferret
07-02-2007, 05:27 AM
...If that's even a word.

Just curious cos mine's not got one and there's a T being broken by a mate with one on.

Ross
07-02-2007, 06:32 AM
Part of the factory attatchment is two screws through the glass. As the glass is tempered it would be impossible to duplicate that.
Adhesive would be your best bet I suppose. Don't know if your LKM would object to the additional light.

Ferret
07-02-2007, 06:58 AM
Part of the factory attatchment is two screws through the glass. As the glass is tempered it would be impossible to duplicate that.
Adhesive would be your best bet I suppose. Don't know if your LKM would object to the additional light.

Yikes, that's a bit of a shame, I'd have thought the defualt plastic spoiler would just swap straight out.

Elekta
07-02-2007, 02:50 PM
Just buy the whole glass hatch and swap it out.

My elekta did not come with one, and was needed to pass US DOT/EPA, so I bought a US hatch from the breakers and swapped the whole glass hatch. Some breakers might make you buy the whole tail gate too.

You should be able to find the brake light in the harness while it's out to tap into.

cheers

Stephan735i
07-02-2007, 02:52 PM
Buy the complete glass part from a late (built 1995 or 1996) Euro Touring or buy it from the US (all Touring: s there have third brake light) a friend of did just that on his now sold 1996 540iAT (the brake light was option 95-96 in Europe, think 96 UK and Swedish cars have it as standard)

Stephan

Ross
07-02-2007, 03:12 PM
No need really for all that. I didn't mean to imply that it wouldn't work without the holes in the glass just that an alternate attatchment would be needed.
There are plenty of adhesives or even tape that would be plenty strong enough to hold that on.

attack eagle
07-02-2007, 04:30 PM
You wouldn't want to have it be permanent though, since eventually you will need to take it out to replace LEDs.

replacing the entire glass with the spoiler and 3rd brakelight already fitted would be a 10-20 minute job (struts, cut wires for brakelight and defrost, then 4 allen heads) compared to taking the spoilers off and swapping them to your existing glass. You would then need to run wiring into the body and down the right hand D pillar to get to the brakelight wiring.

Zeuk in Oz
07-02-2007, 05:55 PM
...If that's even a word.

Just curious cos mine's not got one and there's a T being broken by a mate with one on.
I am just about to do the same to my 525ix sedan. It is a New Zealand spec car from Fiji. To replace with original I have to replace my parcel shelf etc etc. I am going to see if I can't just get an aftermarket Hella light that glues onto the glass.

Interestingly, these 3rd brake lights have been standard in Oz since the mid 80s. My '88 E34 has one.

Paul in NZ
07-03-2007, 03:47 AM
I am just about to do the same to my 525ix sedan. It is a New Zealand spec car from Fiji. To replace with original I have to replace my parcel shelf etc etc. I am going to see if I can't just get an aftermarket Hella light that glues onto the glass.

Interestingly, these 3rd brake lights have been standard in Oz since the mid 80s. My '88 E34 has one.

Thats odd my 1990 NZ new 535 has a third brake light just like yours(moulded rear parcel shelf)

Zeuk in Oz
07-03-2007, 05:43 PM
Thats odd my 1990 NZ new 535 has a third brake light just like yours(moulded rear parcel shelf)
Thanks Paul.

Obviously then my car isn't NZ spec and is Fiji spec.

Hard to get information but my local dealer told me that all South Pacific island cars were sold in NZ spec. I have no idea but did find it interesting that Oz & NZ would differ - so obviously the dealer was wrong.

No offense intended.

Paul in NZ
07-04-2007, 05:56 AM
none taken mate....

Zeuk in Oz
07-04-2007, 05:21 PM
none taken mate....

By the way, any thoughts of hopping across the ditch for the August Love-In at Goulburn ?

It would be fun to have a token Kiwi there to argue Bledisloe Cup issues with............ :D