Rear fogs, should be 1 or 2 lights?

[Worksie 22]

Hi all, 

I have a 2002 NZ new 330d.

I have noticed that only the right rear fog light works on my car. I have changed the left rear 'fog' bulb, but upon activating the rear fog lights, I still only have the one.

From what I have noticed, especially when driving around Auckland!, that most BMW's appear to have a left and right rear fog light.

Can anyone shed any light as to what my issue might be? Light module?, circuit failure in wiring somewhere? Etc.

Cheers,

Graeme

[M3AN 4016]

Not sure what comes from the factory in your car but EU and US law only require one (at the rear) and it has to be on the driver's side.

If the car's fitted for two then left/right/both will be programmable.

 

[Eagle 1662]

The 3 E46's ive owned only had 1 rear fog so id say its normal for them. You'd probably get cluster warnings if you had 2 and only one was functioning anyway.   

[Gabe79 410]

1 hour ago, Eagle said:

The 3 E46's ive owned only had 1 rear fog so id say its normal for them. You'd probably get cluster warnings if you had 2 and only one was functioning anyway.   

Might be unrelated, but on an e39, if you have two and one bulb dies, you do get a cluster warning. I had this happen this week.

[Allanw 1071]

23 hours ago, Worksie said:

From what I have noticed, especially when driving around Auckland!, that most BMW's appear to have a left and right rear fog light.

I doubt Auckland has EVER had weather that would justify rear fogs... You have to wonder how many drivers even KNOW they have rears, AND have them on!

[M3AN 4016]

21 minutes ago, Allanw said:

I doubt Auckland has EVER had weather that would justify rear fogs... You have to wonder how many drivers even KNOW they have rears, AND have them on!

It does but your point holds, it's very infrequent and idiot mugs drive around with their rear fogs on all the time, blissfully unaware that they're being a nuisance.

What's actually becoming worse in Auckland (elsewhere?) is people that think rear LED tail lights are actually brake lights. I don't know what's worse, manufacturers including auto-on tail lights (they seem to solve a problem that didn't exist), or the uninformed masses that don't seem to know auto-on tail lights are now a thing.

Every.damn.tunnel and people hit their brakes because they think the person in front of them has done the same. Nope, the car in front just went into a darker area and their tail lights automatically came on. No 3rd brake light? Who cares, I'm hitting the picks.

Getting a license should be much, much more difficult. And I'm inclined to start feeling that everybody should be retested every year... :-/

 

Edited May 11, 2017 by M3AN

[gjm 3258]

There's sufficient fog down our way to sometimes qualify as being appropriate for using fog lights.

The issue is that it is possible, in older BMWs at least, to switch on the foglights, and forget them. There is no indication on the dash to say they are in use. And turning off the headlights/sidelights does not cancel the foglights - the next time those lights are turned on, the foglight is there waiting.
I don't think the button on the E36 lights up to say foglights are in use, for example.

Mercedes have a system where you turn a knob to switch on headlights. Once turned, you pull it out to one position to enable one set (front or rear - I don't recall which comes first) of foglights, then pull again to enable the second set. When you turn off the side/headlights, the foglights are automatically cancelled - the knob returns to it's initial 'in' position.
So simple. So effective. So not used by so many manufacturers.

[M3AN 4016]

E36 has dash lights, two in fact, front and rear.

But I agree with you Graham, they should be auto-off.

[gjm 3258]

46 minutes ago, M3AN said:

E36 has dash lights, two in fact, front and rear.

That shows how often I use the fog lights! ?

[Worksie 22]

4 hours ago, Eagle said:

The 3 E46's ive owned only had 1 rear fog so id say its normal for them. You'd probably get cluster warnings if you had 2 and only one was functioning anyway.   

Thanks Jared, I did wonder if that might be the case. Odd how my 2 Rover 75's have a fog light each side, yet the BMW only has one!

Edited May 11, 2017 by Worksie
Name error

[kiwi535 538]

my e34 had fog light indicators lamps for front and rear as well.it also had two rear fogs 

[gjm 3258]

13 hours ago, M3AN said:

E36 has dash lights, two in fact, front and rear.

 

13 hours ago, gjm said:

That shows how often I use the fog lights! ?

I checked this morning - there is a dash light when the fogs are on. I don't think I've ever seen it before.

That Dave... He's not often wrong, and he was right again. 

Edited May 11, 2017 by gjm

[huff3r 347]

13 hours ago, M3AN said:

E36 has dash lights, two in fact, front and rear.

But I agree with you Graham, they should be auto-off.

As does the E30 even. Whether the bulbs still work or not on most of them is a different story

[HardBall66 135]

On 5/11/2017 at 7:04 PM, Allanw said:

 You have to wonder how many drivers even KNOW they have rears, AND have them on!

I find them quite effective for discouraging tailgaters    

 

 

They must be punished.

[Neal 545]

Just confirming that the e46 only has one fog light at the rear. I took off my boot liner about a month ago to replace the bulb I thought was out.

turned out no bulb holder. Just a metal plate.

[Onizukachan 5]

On 5/11/2017 at 2:26 AM, gjm said:

There's sufficient fog down our way to sometimes qualify as being appropriate for using fog lights.

The issue is that it is possible, in older BMWs at least, to switch on the foglights, and forget them. There is no indication on the dash to say they are in use. And turning off the headlights/sidelights does not cancel the foglights - the next time those lights are turned on, the foglight is there waiting.
I don't think the button on the E36 lights up to say foglights are in use, for example.

Mercedes have a system where you turn a knob to switch on headlights. Once turned, you pull it out to one position to enable one set (front or rear - I don't recall which comes first) of foglights, then pull again to enable the second set. When you turn off the side/headlights, the foglights are automatically cancelled - the knob returns to it's initial 'in' position.
So simple. So effective. So not used by so many manufacturers.

The Mercedes system is why you see so very very many people driving around with their rear fogs on. Was that one notch or two? Ah well they're on. 

I liked the E34s system, but I like the e46 system p as well. E34s have a manual switch, you can leave the driving lights or even rear fogs selected so they are available next time the lights are on, but they DO have a dash indicator. E46 are digital, so you have to press them on every time. 

 

Btw, I'm running both sides for fogs on my Retrofit. You need the other bulb carrier, in essence I have an EU left and EU right. You can just parallel the positive leads. 

Edited May 12, 2017 by Onizukachan

[allan 295]

If of any help the e46 Ti has one rear fog light on the right hand side this is in the clear space part of the tail light normally for the reverse light. It has had a red section added to the lense have the circuit diagram some were if you need it best of luck.

Edited May 16, 2017 by allan