Keeping Your Rear
Out Of Trouble
by Glenn Read
Tejas Chapter Vice President
One of the reasons I joined BMW CCA after buying my BMW was to get the Roundel. Although it's an excellent magazine, and I read it faithfully every month, there's one problem. Because I drive a 1998 model, very little of what is written in the magazine is specific to my car. Fortunately, club members occasionally sell their back issues, and I recently purchased about six years' worth from a fellow club member in Maine. As I have slowly made my way through them, I've found many interesting tidbits of information, and enjoyed many amusing stories. But more importantly, I've found solutions to problems that are specific to my car, problems that I don't have yet, but that I certainly may have in the future.
A few days ago, as I was reading through the forty-ninth back issue, I hit pay dirt. I came across a letter in the "Technical Correspondence" department of the December 1994 issue that I want to share with other owners of "middle aged" BMWs (i.e. 1980-1991 models). It struck a nerve because it provides a solution to a problem that many of these cars have, a problem that was created when the cars were designed, a problem that affects each one every time it's driven. I'm talking, of course, about wimpy brake lights.
The tail light cluster on my 1988 535is is pretty large overall. The turn signals are nice and big, the reverse lights are high and easy to see, and the overall design is attractive. But ever since I bought this car (and subsequently started paying more attention to others like it on the street) I have been amazed and slightly disturbed by the tiny, wimpy brake lights. The thought goes something like, "They may be small, but they sure are low." I know, the cars have the high-mount third brake light on the package shelf, but I still wasn't satisfied. Until now.
I won't go into the actual solution, since it's very well presented in the accompanying letter. I will say that I made the modification in about thirty minutes at a total cost of less than $20, and that it works exactly as the author of the letter claims it will. Any one who wants to try it on an E-28 car is welcome to call me if they have questions. The only thing I did differently than the author was that I used Radio Shack parallel wire connectors instead of soldering the new wires. I also referred to the wiring diagram in my Bentley manual to verify which wires to tap into. I encourage all owners of affected cars to make this modification, or to have their mechanic do it for them. There's just no downside to it and it could keep your rear out of trouble. Drive safely!