DIY-Blinking Side Markers

[Guest]

I have wanted to know how this was done and didn't really find to much information about it. I decided and took it upon myself to use my e30 as the subject for my little test.

I am going to break it down picture by picture starting with the rear and then going to the front. Sorry the pics are not that great, my camera is JUNK. If anyone has questions about how to do this they are more then welcome to ask, and feel free to give input suggestions, or if you guys/gals did it different lets see how you did it!

REARS

1.) The first step is to realize what wire that connects to the tailights makes the lights blink. Use a voltmeter and ground on the body and prode the harness that hooks to the housings. On both rears (Facelifts for certain) it is a blue wire on the very right. I found the easiest way to do this is to throw your hazards on and begin checking. When you find it the voltmeter will be eradic and bounce between 2-5-8-2-5-8-2-5-8, this lets you know your are recieving a blinking signal from that wire.



Cut the wire and splice a 12-18g wire on to it. see pic.


I ran the wire out of the car through the trunk vents so I didn't have to drill any holes. I then cut the "gray wire," or cut the opposite of the negative which is usually black or brown. Then connect the lead from tailight to the side marker.


Tape it up and use proper connections, and clean up your work a little.
From this point on you are pretty much done. Repeat the same on the other side. The only difference I noticed is that the left tailight wire i cut was blue-black and i believe the right side was blue-red. Put the covers back on and admire your work.


It is safe at this point to get stuff together for the fronts and take a small break. I finished the rears so the car was not half done or torn apart.


FRONTS

For the fronts the same applies, use the voltmeter and ground it and probe the turn singal wires. In the pic you will see mine are a different color because the PO accidentally cut them and had them extended. They should be blue, white and brown. The blue ones on both sides are what you want to cut in to. Splice again, 12-18g wire on it and reconnect it. Get the side marker (opposite the brown wire). Connect them like so and heed the picture for reference.

If you feel the need, smoke your headlights and then get them out of the way and make sure the fit back together okay.


Same for both sides, connect signal wire from marker to blue wire, and connect ad reasemble. I used twist connector becuase they allow the wires to flow with less strain and pulling, and the markers fit better when seated in bumper.


That is pretty much the gist of it. I am going to try and get a video and some pictures of everything put together and all bumpers back on.

[smonkbmw]

"If you feel the need, smoke your headlights and then get them out of the way and make sure the fit back together okay."

sorry i dont feel the need, does this mean i did it wrong?

[evil_twin]

Wouldn't doing this make the signals flash funny?

[BBY1104]

No they flash normal. When the parks lights are on they are somewhat bright and when u draw power from blinkers they are a TINY BIT dimmer. They still work okay but when yo do this you lose the functionality of the park lights.

[kommissar]

No they flash normal. When the parks lights are on they are somewhat bright and when u draw power from blinkers they are a TINY BIT dimmer. They still work okay but when yo do this you lose the functionality of the park lights.

Are the turn signals supposed to light up when you have the parking lights on?

If they aren't, but do now, you could put a diode in between where you took the positive voltage from the turn signal and connected it to the positive side of your side marker. Just make sure you hook it up so that the positive (+) side is towards the turn signal.

When you have the parking lights on, this would keep the current that flows to the side marker from flowing back up to the turn signals, and in effect make sure that the turn signals stay off when the side markers are lit.

[BBY1104]

Yea, you only connect it to the blue wire which gives power intermitantly. Thus when u cut the feed to the marker and draw a "blinking signal" from the blinker it makes the marker blink. If you connect the 12v wire to the marekrs 12v power wire the blinker stays on.

Getting a video soon

[DaveSmed]

Want to really rock your socks off? Put the cut wires back where they were, and move the wire you ran to the Brown wire. (cut the brown wire like you did the first time around, not splice in to it)


Try it and let me know what you think. ;)

[chuck90m3]

here is another way to do this.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/markerflash/markerflash.html

[kommissar]

Thus when u cut the feed to the marker and draw a "blinking signal" from the blinker it makes the marker blink. If you connect the 12v wire to the marekrs 12v power wire the blinker stays on.

Getting a video soon

If I understand what you just said, when the side markers are on, the turn signals remain on. What I suggested earlier is adding a diode to the connection that you made between the turn signal and the side marker. This will let your side makers blink when the turn signals blink, but won't keep your turn signals lit when only the side markers are on, which I imagine would look funny. This way you have both the flashing side markers, and you don't lose the functionality of the parking lights.

[DaveSmed]

If I understand what you just said, when the side markers are on, the turn signals remain on. What I suggested earlier is adding a diode to the connection that you made between the turn signal and the side marker. This will let your side makers blink when the turn signals blink, but won't keep your turn signals lit when only the side markers are on, which I imagine would look funny. This way you have both the flashing side markers, and you don't lose the functionality of the parking lights.

If you move the wire to the ground like I suggested and per the link chuck posted up, you will have the blinking side marker and have it on with the parking lights.

[kommissar]

If you move the wire to the ground like I suggested and per the link chuck posted up, you will have the blinking side marker and have it on with the parking lights.

Oh, I see what you're saying, you're suggesting that he do this:



Cool, but because, "When the parking lights are on and the turn signal off, it grounds through the turn signal filament and illuminates the marker lamp" the turn signal lamp will also light up, which wouldn't be what I want on an e30 since the running light and turn signal light are actually separate bulbs. In the example they are one bulb, so you wouldn't notice this effect.

[DaveSmed]

Wait, hold on. You want him to splice into the (+) from the blinker, and attach it to the ground at the side marker? Won't that just short the blinker? I don't think I understand the circuitry of this, because that doesn't seem like a good idea to me. What actually goes on when you do this?

You got it. (well I want him to disconnect the ground first)

How it works is the 194 bulb used in the sidemarkers doesn't need massive amounts of current to light. So much so, that two large filaments, say like those found in the turn signal bulbs make a more than adequate ground. Heck one would do since not enough current will flow through the 194 to light even one filament the size of the turn signals. And on the other side of things, there's enough parking light bulbs that the single 194 can ground out through. Make any sense?

Ok, now the ground issue is taken care of, what about when the parking lights are on and you turn? +12v is applied to both sides of the bulb, and the net voltage difference is 0v, therefore no current flow, and no light. The sidemarker will alternate with the blinker.

[kommissar]

not enough current will flow through the 194 to light even one filament the size of the turn signals.

I've edited my post before your reply, probably while you were typing that explanation up, but this answers the question I had about the turn signal being lit while the side markers were on. I haven't tried it, but I believe you when you say that there's not enough current flow to the turn signals to light them noticeably while the side markers are lit.

[DaveSmed]

Want to see it in action? Have access to a GM product?

[kommissar]

Want to see it in action? Have access to a GM product?

GM, General Motors? No, I don't, why?