From RonStygar_at_aol.com Fri Jun 6 20:46:21 1997

From RonStygar_at_aol.com
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 23:25:14 -0400 (EDT)
To: BMW-digest_at_mailgate.wizvax.net, 318ti-compact-list_at_lists.geejeffery.com,
cc: jfiresto_at_awi-bremerhaven.de, Wjerri_at_aol.com, dale_at_unofficialbmw.com
Subject: <E36/5> Lets engine compartment light my '97 318tis

Yesterday I installed an engine compartment light in my '97 318tis. Having done this before on my '96 328is, I now know what the extra parts in that project were for. The following is a list of parts required. All prices are retail. I get my stuff from P&W 1-800-332-6322 in PA. Ask for BMW parts Dave. They discount 15% from suggested retail to BMW CCA members.

Engine room light assembly     63 31 8 350 554 $11.68
Engine room light switch       63 31 8 360 875 $ 3.45
Bulb 12V 10W                   07 50 9 063 577 $ 1.50
Rivet                          65 75 8 357 500 $  .52
Light assembly holder          63 31 8 353 436 $ 4.85
Expanding nut                  63 12 1 374 075 $  .37
Screw                          07 11 9 907 789 $  .10
Female pins (2 each)           61 13 1 376 202 $ 1.17
Rivet hood liner fastener      51 48 1 915 964 $  .29 

Two conductor cable, ty-wraps, red tap-in connector, .250 female tab stakon, shrink tubing etc.

Here we go. The following is how I went about installing the above. As always, feel free to do it your way.

Open the hood. The light switch mounts in the sheetmetal directly above the passenger side high beam headlamp. You will see a 1/4" hole and a dimpled smaller hole to the right, which is the switch mounting screw hole. The 1/4" hole has to be enlarged to ~ 3/8" to accommodate the switch barrel. I painted the cut edge of the hole with BMW touch-up.

Stand in front of the car in line with the oil level dip stick. Directly above the dip stick you will notice a serrated rectangle in the hood insulator panel. Punch out the serrated rectangle. Place a blanket or sheet over the engine compartment. This prevents you from having to purchase the rivet hood liner fasteners mentioned above. If you want to skip this step, purchase the amount that you will drop into places unknown. Unscrew the under hood insulator fasteners. Pry out the fastener base using something between the fabric so that you do not mar it. I used a feeler gauge. "Do Not Remove The Hood Latching Mechanism". Gently pull back the insulator at the bottom and sides. Take care not to crease it.

In the area of the punched out rectangle you will see two square holes in the hoods sheetmetal. Insert the expanding nut (63 12 1 374 075) in the one closest to the front edge of the hood. Opposite the lamp holder (63 31 8 353 436) mounting hole there is a tab. Insert this tab through the oval like hole in the hoods sheetmetal. The upward point of this tab ends up in the second square hole. Pretty neat. Using a stubby Phillips screwdriver mount the lampholder using screw (07 11 9 907 789).

Fasten and solder the pins to one end of the two conductor cable. Shrink tube the result. Plug-in to the engine room light assembly. Run the cable through the rectangle following the path of the other wiring through the hood reinforcements towards the passenger side of the car.

Mount the light assembly. It just snaps in. Take care to center it on the depression in the hood insulator panel. Position and fasten the hood insulator panel. Follow the wiring down the hood support continuing toward the right front light area of the vehicle ty-wrapping as required. Tap one of the two cable wires to the front right hand parking light (gray/yellow) wire using one tap-in connector. I crimped the female tab connector to the other wire accommodating the additional distance to the engine compartment light switch. Attach this wire to the positioned switch and secure switch.

You should now have a lit engine compartment light, assuming your parking lights are on. Pressing in the black engine room light switch button should extinguish the engine compartment light. Good job!

Place a small drop of white latex paint on the tip of the engine compartment light switch black button. Close and open the hood. You now have the location of the rivet mounting point. Cut off the disc part of the rivet (65 75 8 357 500) and epoxy to the hood insulator centered on the mark made by the switch. Done!

Tapping into the parking light assumes if your parking lights are on, it is dark out. The American way like Ford does, is to light it up whenever the hood is open. I like BMW's way better.

Ron_at_unofficialbmw.com, FLI BMW, FLY BMW, Marlborough, CT
http://www.unofficialbmw.com/ronstygar.html
Unofficial RS/SS bender/shortener/installer +