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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / January 2008BMW lights
Can someone explain why there are 3 light settings on a BMW 328is? The first setting is off. The second setting seems to be all night lights on except headlights. The third setting seems to be all night lights on including headlights. What is the purpose of this second setting? > Can someone explain why there are 3 light settings on a BMW 328is? > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > lights on including headlights. What is the purpose of this > second setting? AFAIK, nearly all vehicles have those settings. In the USA the first setting is usually called "park lights". IMO, it is pretty useless because you can't drive on them. Maybe they are good for when parked along the road or something. >> Can someone explain why there are 3 light settings on a BMW 328is? >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > IMO, it is pretty useless because you can't drive on them. > Maybe they are good for when parked along the road or something. It's good for lighting up the dashboard without using the headlights, so you can see in the dark inside the cabin but not outside, and so other people can't see you coming. At least that's the way so many idiots use them.  SignatureIf John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination, my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin. >>> Can someone explain why there are 3 light settings on a BMW 328is? >>> [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > people can't see you coming. At least that's the way so many idiots use > them. LOL. I use the parking lights together with the front fog lights often when I don't need the light to see, just be seen. Saves wear on my expensive 50%+ bulbs and looks nicer too. BTW, no one mentioned the ability to switch on the parking lights on one side only with the turn signal stalk. Consumes just 10W, or about .8A, making it possible to leave them on all night. Ulf > LOL. > > I use the parking lights together with the front fog lights often when I > don't need the light to see, just be seen. Saves wear on my expensive > 50%+ bulbs and looks nicer too. Fog lights are the most offensive, glaring thing I see in traffic these days. There are tons of inconsiderate jerks who use the damn things on 100% clear nights, and they will be the first ones against the wall when the revolution comes. >>>Can someone explain why there are 3 light settings on a BMW 328is? >>> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > people can't see you coming. At least that's the way so many idiots use > them. It's also nice if you are, say, waiting for someone in a parking lot and want to use the radio (assuming an old style LCD or mechanical display) but not blind the people in the next row. nate Signaturereplace "roosters" with "cox" to reply. http://members.cox.net/njnagel >It's also nice if you are, say, waiting for someone in a parking lot and >want to use the radio (assuming an old style LCD or mechanical display) >but not blind the people in the next row. When I took driver's education (a long time ago... long enough that we had manual transmission cars), the instructor called them "running lights" and not "parking lights." It was explained that they could be used for driving when it was not dark enough for headlights. --scott Signature"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." >>Can someone explain why there are 3 light settings on a BMW 328is? >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > IMO, it is pretty useless because you can't drive on them. > Maybe they are good for when parked along the road or something. Exactly. This original intent of this setting has been mostly supplanted by hazard flashers, but is still retained. > Can someone explain why there are 3 light settings on a BMW 328is? > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > lights on including headlights. What is the purpose of this > second setting? In some countries, in Europe, you are required to leave your 'parking' lights on when you park in certain areas, after dark. >> Can someone explain why there are 3 light settings on a BMW 328is? >> The first setting is off. The second setting seems to be all night [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > In some countries, in Europe, you are required to leave your 'parking' > lights on when you park in certain areas, after dark. Uh? Don't all cars come like this? >> Can someone explain why there are 3 light settings on a BMW 328is? >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >In some countries, in Europe, you are required to leave your >'parking' lights on when you park in certain areas, after dark. I think that's true here in the states also but there is a lot of fine print that give loopholes to the point where it almost never actually required. At least that's how the law is in Arizona. Many communities in the US require the parking lights on when parking on the street at night. The only problem is many Japanese cars with the auto lights off feature turn them off after a few seconds and there is no way to keep them on except leaving the key in the ignition. Thoughtless engineering... > Can someone explain why there are 3 light settings on a BMW 328is? > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > lights on including headlights. What is the purpose of this > second setting? > Many communities in the US require the parking lights on when parking on the > street at night. ... I have never been or lived anywhere in the U.S. that required 'parking' light to be on. Please name a few examples... When I lived in Switzerland (Geneva) many years ago, it was illegal to use your headlights when driving in town where there were streetlights, only 'parking' lights could be used. >> Many communities in the US require the parking lights on when parking on the >> street at night. ... [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >use your headlights when driving in town where there were streetlights, >only 'parking' lights could be used. I can only vouch for the Arizona Law but my experience tells me there will be other states with the same law.... here in Arizona the law requires you to have your parking lights on in specific situations when parked. It must have been written a LONG time ago when most of the roads were narrow, there were few streetlights, and cars broke down a lot. Basically if you "park" in a situation where visibility is poor, (basically at night when there is no streetlights and no full moon) and where traffic might run into an unlighted car, you have to have your parking lights on. > Many communities in the US require the parking lights on when parking on the > street at night. The only problem is many Japanese cars with the auto lights [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >> lights on including headlights. What is the purpose of this >> second setting? My Subaru has a separate switch to enable the park lights to stay on with the ignition off. I thought THAT was the weirdest thing. > Can someone explain why there are 3 light settings on a BMW 328is? > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > lights on including headlights. What is the purpose of this > second setting? Are there many cars in the world that do NOT have that setup? Everything I own from 1949 to the present works that way. The first setting is commonly called "parking" lights, and really doesn't have much use now that hazard flashers are the norm and work better for indicating that you are stopped adjacent to the flow of traffic. But the setting remains on all cars. |
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