[DIY] E36 Underhood Lamp Retrofit (Pics!)

[m3f_Anubis]

extra weight jk jk

Driving before dinner instead of after will more than make up for the extra 0.25 pounds that this retrofit adds.

[m3f_KnudsonsM3]

Driving before dinner instead of after will more than make up for the extra 0.25 pounds that this retrofit adds.

all your freads turn into OT.

[m3f_^calypso^]

Thats weird, i thought the underhood lamp was standard.

[m3f_Anubis]

Thats weird, i thought the underhood lamp was standard.

Only on Euro-spec cars, broseph.

[m3f_Porschetech]

nice lil write up

[m3f_breakaway]

very very nice job! idk if i will do it in the next week or so but im sure i will later on



o and i also dont have an alarm

[m3f_kerph32]

strange the things that were left off of the US versions. they must really take us for idiots.. no M engine due to maintenance requirements, no underhood light due to our apparent lack of underhood knowledge?



cool DIY though - might do this one weekend

[m3f_Anubis]

strange the things that were left off of the US versions. they must really take us for idiots.. no M engine due to maintenance requirements, no underhood light due to our apparent lack of underhood knowledge?



cool DIY though - might do this one weekend

Cost cutting was the name of the game, sadly.

[m3f_Isis M]

Great DIY, I just did this, but instead of tapping into the parking lights I put the lead on the battery terminal, and also used a fuse, so the switch that the hood touches when it is closed turns the light off, meaning the light automatically comes on when the hood is opened.


Am I missing something? With the power coming from the parking lights, there is no need to have the hood switch since you would only turn on the parking lights to use the under hood light when the hood is open.

[m3f_Anubis]

Great DIY, I just did this, but instead of tapping into the parking lights, the lead is off of the battery terminal, so the switch that the hood touches turns the light off, meaning the light comes on when the hood is opened.



Am I missing something? With the power coming from the parking lights, there is no need to have the hood switch since you would only turn on the parking lights to use the under hood light when the hood is open.

If you have it powered to the parking lights, the light would be on as you drive at night. It's not bright enough to distract or even be visible somehow, of course, but it wastes the bulb life.



The reason I tapped into the parking light was because I don't want the light to come on when the hood is open unless the parking lights are on. Sometimes my hood can be open for days at a time, if I'm doing a project on the car, etc.

[m3f_M3Works4Me]

Great write up! I was going to do this a bit differently (hidden Mercury switch), but I like the way you've done it as well.



Good stuff!

[m3f_Binzes]

very nice.





cheap and easy.

[m3f_Blutarsky]

very cool Jeff



hopefully it will help you clean your engine bay hint hint

[m3f_Isis M]

If you have it powered to the parking lights, the light would be on as you drive at night. It's not bright enough to distract or even be visible somehow, of course, but it wastes the bulb life.



The reason I tapped into the parking light was because I don't want the light to come on when the hood is open unless the parking lights are on. Sometimes my hood can be open for days at a time, if I'm doing a project on the car, etc.

I figured I had overlooked something, cool thanks, that makes perfect sense!

[m3f_Binzes]

is that a ceramic frog?