E36 Fog Light Removal

[DinanDriver]

1. Find something that will fit through the hole in the grill next to the fog light housing. Most people use a screwdriver, I used a similar tool with a blunt flat edge which is less likely to slip off. This was found in the toolbox mounted on the trunk.



2. Pop your hood (surely you can do this, if not, maybe you should reconsider doing any DIY).

3. You will be looking down towards the fog light housing. My particular light housing was on the passenger side.



4. You should be able to recognize the Fog Light Housing, it is shown here. Look to the inside (relative to the vehicle) of the Assembly for a small black release clip.





5. Once you familiarize yourself with the location of the release clip, find the hole next to the fog light assembly on the front of your car. It will should look something like this:



6. Stand back up and look back down on the fog light assembly and push your screwdriver/tool through the hole until you see it come though. Guide it to the clip and give it a firm, steady push. It isn't meant to release easily, but it is plastic so don't be too forceful. Keep your leg or your free hand in front of the fog light, so it doesn't fall out onto the ground. If you're not comfortable doing this, I suggest you lay something soft down.



There you go, you have successfully removed the fog light housing from your E36!

[Winter]

Wiggling something through the grill trying to find some release catch that you cant see is a total pain in the ass. I cant speak for every E-36 out there, but on my 97 328i I didnt use the screwdriver at all. I opened the hood, shined a flashlight down there, spotted the lever and reached down there and unlatched it with my index finger. The whole assembly then pops out an inch. Doing it this way seemed alot easier, however your not able to catch the lens assembly if it pops all the way out of the housing. But even if it does it will still be attached by its wiring, which on my vehicle isnt long enough to reach the hard pavement below.

[Carboi]

Did you take it out to replace it or can you take it out to make the bumper look better? Mine is cracked and I was wondering if it would look better without any fog lights.

[Winter]

Without the fogs it looks like a hole where a foglight should go.

[Carboi]

What i meant was does it look presentable without the fog lights in. Mine are cracked and i don't use them so can i just take them out or do i have to keep the ugly cracked lights in because i don't want to spend a hundred dollars on fog lights that will never be turned of and will probably crack again.

[Megavolt]

Many thanks for the tip, although I cannot imagine how 'Winter' managed to get down to the clip by hand!

The left hand side is equally easy, although the 'blunt tool' (also used from the toolkit) has to be insterted in a much straighter way - no holes as shown in the photo above.

[Winter]

Originally Posted by Megavolt

Many thanks for the tip, although I cannot imagine how 'Winter' managed to get down to the clip by hand!

I reached my hand down through the top and flipped the clip with my index finger. If we are talking about an E-36, I dont see what the problem is, unless of course one has fat hands ;) The biggest help I found was when I was looking down through the top with a flashlight and had the revelation of exactly how the clip was oriented and how the 'screwdriver users' were accessing it. Once I understood how the thing was designed, it was merely a fingertip away from completing the task. Best of luck!