It is not stuck with adhesive. You just need to push it out carefully.

 

Gavalencia.....it sounds as though you have given this a lot of thought and that your notion is to ostensibly undo the "special wiring harness" that comes standard with clear taillamps and restore the simpler wiring that is provided with OEM red taillamps. Of course, this would get one to the point of allowing a tech to simply activate the foglamp function. I do not fully understand these issues but wouldn't removal of the relay do the same thing ala GreatBear's solution. Having done the relay removal, it does seem logical that the tried and true diode mod would get one back to the desired result. I'm sorry if I'm slow on the uptake..... dave

 

>>Gavalencia.....it sounds as though you have given this a lot of thought and that your notion is to ostensibly undo the "special wiring harness" that comes standard with clear taillamps and restore the simpler wiring that is provided with OEM red taillamps. Of course, this would get one to the point of allowing a tech to simply activate the foglamp function. I do not fully understand these issues but wouldn't removal of the relay do the same thing ala GreatBear's solution. Having done the relay removal, it does seem logical that the tried and true diode mod would get one back to the desired result. I'm sorry if I'm slow on the uptake..... dave

Simple picture of the problem:

1) Original wiring with diode mod (no clear tail lamp harness):

12 Volts => rear fog switch => rear fog lamp => diode => rear brake lamp

Current flows through the diode when rear brake lamp is on. lighting
the rear fog at the same time. When rear fog switch is on and the
rear brake lamp is off, current does not flow through the diode
(rear brake lamp remains dark) because the diode is 'reverse biased'.

2) Clear tail light wiring harness installed (no diodes) -

12 Volts => rear fog relay => rear fog lamp

The relay works just like the switch, The relay is controlled by a
'Brake Pedal Depressed' signal rather than the state of the panel
switch. The path from lamp to 12 volts no longer goes through
the rear fog switch.

3) Clear tail light wiring harness installed w/original diode mod -

12 Volts => rear fog relay => rear fog lamp => diode => rear brake lamp

In this circuit, the diode does nothing since both lamps are both
on at the same time when brake pedal is depressed (or both off
when it is not). Rear fog switch is still not connected to anything.

4) Clear tail light wiring harness installed, diode replaces relay -

12 Volts => diode => rear fog lamp

If the diode is 'forward biased' the rear fog lamp is on all the time.
If the diode is 'reversed biased' the lamp is off all the time.

If you have the wiring harness installed and want to go back to
option 1, you have to pull the right front trim panel and reconnect
the leads coming from the rear fog lamps back to the body control
module (and hence the rear fog panel switch).

If you want to leave the wiring harness/relay installed, you should
tape up the unused leads from the rear fog relay. Another option
is to splice them into the same point at the BCM and remove the
the original diode mod. This last option is the most questionable,
since BMW could have done it that way in the first place. If there
is a specific reason they did not do it that way, I do not wish to
'experiment' on my car to find out why.

 

Gavalencia......Ahhhh...Grasshopper now sees. Thanks for the "dumbing down" for me. I will ponder these minutiae and come to an action plan. I understand the issue of not wishing to fry anything by attempting the latter option. The function is certainly a desirable one but not at the risk of a big repair bill for shortsighted tinkerings. Thanks again. dave