Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Vancouver, Canada
    Posts
    3,588

    For any of you sedans who didn't know...

    We have adaptive brake lighting upon harder stops than normal. I think I read when the braking force is enough for a briefcase to slide off the seat onto the floor, enough braking force is used which turn on extra lamps out back.

    Anyways I made a video a long time ago when youtube wasn't around but luckily someone copied it and put it up on youtube. :D

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h35smNCI6lY

    Now I am wondering what I could do to tap into that light so when full power to the light comes on, it trips a circuit to open/close to make the light flash instead of just turn on. Flashing would get someone's attention...an extra brake light would mean nothing to the average driver until they see the trunk contents.
    --Trevor--
    Vancouver, BC

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Western WI
    Posts
    3,059
    I recall watching that video when I first got my E46 (2008). Yeah, I wish it had the flash function for every time I touched the brakes.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Baton Rouge, LA
    Posts
    1,586
    I imagine that since I have LEDs now, that this feature doesn't work anymore on my car... But they are blindingly bright so I guess that's good.
    Lance
    Autobahn South
    S/ASH
    My car finds your lack of faith disturbing

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,935
    I think that might be a cool feature....
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Branford, CT
    Posts
    16,055
    I actually thought I had the adaptive braking as well, but I tested this one night. I turned the car on and watched my rear brake lights (it was dark out) and the brightness didn't change whatsoever even with my foot to the floor as hard as I could, so no extra lights came on. I was annoyed by this.

    I wanted to replicate what the Fiat 500 has as a safety feature, which is that under hard braking, it flashes its hazard lights in quick succession. I think this would be a more effective tool because some taillights are just bright as hell and most people are probably used to it, regardless of how much of the rear lights actually light up. You never see hazards blinking under hard braking, so that would make someone pay a lot more attention to what's actually going on.
    BP
    2005 330i ZHP / 6MT
    Imolarot / Naturbraun
    2003 330iT / 6MT
    Orientblau / Naturbraun




    It's not the car you drive, it's how you drive it.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Vancouver, Canada
    Posts
    3,588
    Quote Originally Posted by az3579 View Post
    I actually thought I had the adaptive braking as well, but I tested this one night. I turned the car on and watched my rear brake lights (it was dark out) and the brightness didn't change whatsoever even with my foot to the floor as hard as I could, so no extra lights came on. I was annoyed by this.

    I wanted to replicate what the Fiat 500 has as a safety feature, which is that under hard braking, it flashes its hazard lights in quick succession. I think this would be a more effective tool because some taillights are just bright as hell and most people are probably used to it, regardless of how much of the rear lights actually light up. You never see hazards blinking under hard braking, so that would make someone pay a lot more attention to what's actually going on.
    You have to be in motion for the adaptive brake light to turn on. Just pressing the brake pedal while stopped turns on the standard brake lights.

    When I'm on the highway and come up to a very sudden slowdown I hit my hazards right away. Since I've done this I've never had anyone panic brake and even come close to me. They kept their distance and their slower braking allowed the traffic behind to transition to a slowdown without surprise.

    Before if I didn't do that, people behind usually didn't know until I can see their face as their vehicle nose drives to slowdown.
    --Trevor--
    Vancouver, BC

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Branford, CT
    Posts
    16,055
    Quote Originally Posted by Rovert View Post
    You have to be in motion for the adaptive brake light to turn on. Just pressing the brake pedal while stopped turns on the standard brake lights.
    I had a co-driver for a couple of events at autocross using my car. I never saw the extra brake lights turn on while he was driving, and he drove it just as hard as I did, so I know it wasn't him. Perhaps the bulbs on mine are out or something... I don't know. What I do know is that on my particular car, they don't appear to be working.

    When I'm on the highway and come up to a very sudden slowdown I hit my hazards right away. Since I've done this I've never had anyone panic brake and even come close to me. They kept their distance and their slower braking allowed the traffic behind to transition to a slowdown without surprise.

    Before if I didn't do that, people behind usually didn't know until I can see their face as their vehicle nose drives to slowdown.
    I do the same exact thing. Wow, our minds think scarily alike. lol
    BP
    2005 330i ZHP / 6MT
    Imolarot / Naturbraun
    2003 330iT / 6MT
    Orientblau / Naturbraun




    It's not the car you drive, it's how you drive it.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Posts
    15,433
    I'm going to start doing that (hazard lights). Good suggestion.

  9. #9
    I drove a bog box truck for 10+ years and this works. Another thing to do is tap your brake lights an insanely amount of times.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    North NJ
    Posts
    686
    just read about this in the manual the other day, thought this was a great feature. Definitely would get my attention.

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