What Does The "Smiley" Part Do?

[granit_silber]

Hey Guys,

Just read the recent postings on headlights and had a question.

My 5 has the standard non-projector lenses with really poor light distribution.
I understand that projectors throw a much better beam and look awesome, but what does the "smiley" section of Smiley lights do?

Is it a place for a special Euro parking light (like the e38's highbeams), or is it just cool factor?

-ashley

[spddmn713]

It houses a 5 watt parking lamp. I think it is just for cool factor, because I think it was a euro only feature, no sure though

[632 Regal]

its a cut out in the reflective area as so not to blind oncoming traffic.

[Kalevera]

Ashley - I'm ignorant when it comes to lights....and pretty much everything else.

Doesn't the standard USA light have a projector (ie - the hole in the center, as seen in Jeff's sig pic) in it? I guess I've seen a few WITHOUT the holes in the center, and I've NEVER seen, to my recollection, the "euro" smiley face around here on an e34.

So what makes a "projector light" versus the standard light?

best, whit

[Patrick]

has the ellipsoid or "fisheye" bulb -like in Jeff's photo, which are better than the non-projector which came on the 1992 E34 (give or take a year). The non-projectors pretty much suck, I know because that's what I had, although people have taken them apart, cleaned them, aligned them properly and posted they're pleased with the result.
Jeff is correct, the smiley part on the euro-ellipsoid at the bottom is a cut out. I installed a 5200K H1 HID kit into euro-ellips and the cutoff is extreme.
Spddmn713 is incorrect. The small 5 watt bulb housed in the top part of the euro-ellipsoid light and is used for a "city light" -I read the purpose of these was so the car could be seen while driving in congested residential cities/villages where there was already ample street lighting, and to avoid shining headlights into people's homes.
Here's a good pic of Shragon's euro-ellips with the city lights on: