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318ti: increase your brake light brightness

To all owners of the E36 318ti, you can make use of the extra, unused lamp
socket and lens in your rear light assembly to add another brake light on
each side. This will give you a larger, brighter brake light, which will
make your car more visible under braking. (See below about brake switch
amperage, however.)

I performed this modification on my '85 535i, and also on an '81 Volvo.


 - remove each rear lamp assembly by unscrewing the center knob
 - unplug the connector
 - solder a 16 or 18 gauge insulated wire from the connection going to the
center pin on the unused lamp socket (the fifth lead, counting from the
left on the left lamp assembly) to the brake lamp connection (the first
lead, counting from the left on the left lamp assembly)
 - insert a 21 watt single filament light bulb into the previously empty socket
 - reinstall the lamp assembly

You will now have a total of five brake lights, including the center
mounted lamp on US cars, instead of three. The new light will ight up the
lower inside section of the rear assembly.

Note: on the 535i, this modification amazingly puts too much current
through the standard brake light switch, which will burn out after about 6
months. I replaced it with a good old Ford part (1/2 the price, at least
twice the current handling capability). Several years later, the switch is
still working.

Regards;
Jerry

______________________________
Jerry Skene      jskene@erols