[ric124]

I see ECS tuning is selling this Euro headlight switch that will turn on the rear fogs. Does anyone know for sure that this will work with the F30 and if the F30's truly have those rear fogs installed and are just laying dormant?

[E90Fleet]

You have a link ? I only see E90 parts on ECS

USA F30 shares the lights mounted on the trunk lid with the Euro Versions. But you may need coding for a new switch to work.

[ric124]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

You have a link ? I only see E90 parts on ECS

USA F30 shares the lights mounted on the trunk lid with the Euro Versions. But you may need coding for a new switch to work.

http://www.ecstuning.com/News/BMW_F_...FUkMtAodKBHo1A

[E90Fleet]

It worked on the E90, so probably will on the F30.
The fogs are there as I mentioned

On the E90/E92 one could even do a easy DIY mod to get them working without having to get a expensive switch. http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=531296
Maybe the F30 is similar ?

[ric124]

Nice, When I get my car I would look if its possible before ordering. I will post a DIY if its possible.

[-Chris_MX-]

Hey guys,

did you find out anything new regarding this issue?
I am thinking about buying an F30 in Mexico and later taking it with me to Germany. So I will have to do this modification in any case and I would be happy to know how big the effort is.

Thanks!

[clarence]

Originally Posted by -Chris_MX-

Hey guys,

did you find out anything new regarding this issue?
I am thinking about buying an F30 in Mexico and later taking it with me to Germany. So I will have to do this modification in any case and I would be happy to know how big the effort is.

Thanks!

Is it cheaper to get the car in Mexico rather than in Germany?

[E90 Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

It worked on the E90, so probably will on the F30.
The fogs are there as I mentioned

+1 I've used the same euro switch on my '08 and '11 E90's. I swapped the original switch back into my '08, and am now using it again.

I can't imagine the F30 setup being any different, especially since the link specifically mentions it being a plug-n-play mod.

[-Chris_MX-]

Originally Posted by clarence

Is it cheaper to get the car in Mexico rather than in Germany?

In Germany the cars are really expensive and the standard setup is absolutely poor.
I compared the 328i Sportline and if you configure the car in Germany with everything that is standard in Mexico than the mexican price is almost 40% below the german price. In Germany the discounts that you get on the list price are bigger, but they are still far away from the prices in the US and Mexico.

[SD Z4MR]

Originally Posted by ric124

http://www.ecstuning.com/News/BMW_F_...FUkMtAodKBHo1A

I ordered the Euro headlight switch for my 2011 E92 335is Coupe from ECS. This looks like it's an updated switch for the F30 and should work just fine. On my E92 it was literally a matter of taking out the old switch and swapping it with the new switch. The trim piece should pry off the same way in an F30, just make sure that you get an inexpensive plastic trim removal tool set (Harbor Freight, etc.), don't use a screwdriver. Just go slow and don't force anything, either taking things apart or putting them back together.

On the E9x there is also an indicator on the dash that lights up when the rear fog lights are on. The F30 should be similar.



Because the 335is Coupe doesn't have fog lights, I still had to modify the new switch to put the blank from the original switch in place of the fog light button on the new switch but this was pretty easy following the DIY. You won't have to do this.

[clarence]

Originally Posted by -Chris_MX-

In Germany the cars are really expensive and the standard setup is absolutely poor.
I compared the 328i Sportline and if you configure the car in Germany with everything that is standard in Mexico than the mexican price is almost 40% below the german price. In Germany the discounts that you get on the list price are bigger, but they are still far away from the prices in the US and Mexico.

Yes, but the work & cost involved in getting the car registered in Germany may not worth the effort.

[svache]

Originally Posted by ric124

http://www.ecstuning.com/News/BMW_F_...FUkMtAodKBHo1A

Are they sure this is the F series switch? It doesn't really looks like it imho.. the real Euro F series switch should be this one: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...17&hg=61&fg=35

[-Chris_MX-]

Originally Posted by clarence

Yes, but the work & cost involved in getting the car registered in Germany may not worth the effort.

I am still researching about that. Fortunately the mexican cars are closer to the european ones than the US cars, because they use the metric system and the same turn signals etc. The F30 also i not an exotic car in germany, so I hope the best.
For sure there are some issues that should be considered, like the rear fog light or the cleaning system for xenon headlights that are obligatory in germany.

Sorry for OT!

[gregi]

I am interested as well in all insights on this topic (have to take back my car to Switzerland end of the year). That's the disadvantage of buying a car from a new series. But since I only rarely use the rear fog lights, I may just try the Lego alternative...

[svache]

Originally Posted by -Chris_MX-

I am still researching about that. Fortunately the mexican cars are closer to the european ones than the US cars, because they use the metric system and the same turn signals etc. The F30 also i not an exotic car in germany, so I hope the best.
For sure there are some issues that should be considered, like the rear fog light or the cleaning system for xenon headlights that are obligatory in germany.

Sorry for OT!

I was actually going to bring my F30 from the US to the Netherlands and there was surprisingly little that needed adjustments/changes. One of the main things was the rear fog lights (for which you need this switch indeed) and a headlight adjustment in some cases.

Also think about software for the Nav if you have navigation.. you probably need to load a new map. The turn signals might be a bit different (like with the side marker) but they're not out of EU regulation.

Other than this, there's very little that needs change.. they may use metric in Europe but the US cars have both MPH and KM/h on their displays and everything can be set to the metric system (temperatures, speeds, distances, mileage, etc).

The real problem is the cost for shipping and importing (meaning taxes). I don't know how much this will be for Germany but with the Netherlands I would have to follow certain rules (like having my name on the title for at least 6 mos here, and 12 mos there (one of the reasons is that you have to live for a certain amount of time in that country so the car is basically part of your household move)) so I could avoid the import taxes... if I couldn't abide to those rules, it would have been cheaper to have bought the car in Europe.

[neilk]

Just make sure you aren't one of those people who turns on the rear fog lights on perfectly clear nights... we don't need to be blinded by them if we are following you.

My pet peave...

[clarence]

Originally Posted by -Chris_MX-

I am still researching about that. Fortunately the mexican cars are closer to the european ones than the US cars, because they use the metric system and the same turn signals etc. The F30 also i not an exotic car in germany, so I hope the best.
For sure there are some issues that should be considered, like the rear fog light or the cleaning system for xenon headlights that are obligatory in germany.

Sorry for OT!

There's also the issue regarding taxation & emission standards.
If u want to buy a car in Europe on the cheap & not wanting to pay a bundle, u can consider buying from another EU country which has higher taxation cos the pre-tax prices might be cheaper. Also BMWUK (which is wholly owned by BMW AG) has a department that deals exclusively with these types of exports, & quite a few ppl saved money buying that way.

[clarence]

Originally Posted by svache

I was actually going to bring my F30 from the US to the Netherlands and there was surprisingly little that needed adjustments/changes. One of the main things was the rear fog lights (for which you need this switch indeed) and a headlight adjustment in some cases.

Also think about software for the Nav if you have navigation.. you probably need to load a new map. The turn signals might be a bit different (like with the side marker) but they're not out of EU regulation.

Does the indicator repeater works on the mirrors of US-spec cars?
Yes, there are certain rules re taxation u must abide to, that's the reason why u don't see many grey import business dealing with US-spec European cars in EU. There's very little to be made.
Btw, wht colour are the rear indicators on the US-spec F30? U might need to change the clusters as Amber is the rule.

[svache]

Originally Posted by clarence

Does the indicator repeater works on the mirrors of US-spec cars?
Yes, there are certain rules re taxation u must abide to, that's the reason why u don't see many grey import business dealing with US-spec European cars in EU. There's very little to be made.
Btw, wht colour are the rear indicators on the US-spec F30? U might need to change the clusters as Amber is the rule.

Yep, there are turn signals in the mirrors of the US spec cars so that's no issue either. As far as the tail lights, red lights are allowed in Europe (well, at least in the Netherlands) IF the car is indeed imported and owned by the importer. If you were to sell the car, you'd have to change the red light to an amber one

[Elk]

Originally Posted by svache

. . . and a headlight adjustment in some cases

Would you elaborate on this? I am simply curious.

[svache]

Originally Posted by Elk

Would you elaborate on this? I am simply curious.

Of course there are various laws in each country on how the lights should be adjusted (height of the beams, amount of light etc), but it's most noticeable in the cars moving between left and right handed traffic (for example, in the US the lights shine a bit more to the right, in the UK they shine a bit more to the left, if that doesn't get adjusted, people would blind oncoming traffic ).

[Elk]

Of course, I should have thought of this.

Thanks.