CarGuru

Does anyone know what the two parking lamp switch settings are for to the far left of the lamp dial? I accidentally after coming home from X-Mas shopping last night apparently turned the knob too far to the left and didn't realize it. Anyway got up this morning to warm the car and turn the heat on for my wife and was like "Oh-Snap" I hope the battery isn't dead....long & short it fired right up not missing a beat but geez what the heck is that setting for? it turns on one side of park lamps or the other I've never seen another car with this feature?

-Ryan

rb23lb

left and right parking lights, to show other vehicles on the road you are stopped, depending upon which side you are, you turn on that light so it is closest to oncoming traffic...

CarGuru

cool I guess? but wouldn't the flasher be more appropriate?

-Ryan

JimPap

Aren't they identified as left and right parking lights?

Its not common in the states, but in Europe I think people use them when they're parked up on the curb on a narrow street. Maybe one of our European members can comment.

webada

if its parked on street, you wouldn't want flasher to be on ALL times, standing or emergency, yea.

CarGuru

I'm thinking though for what reason would you want those park lamps left on for hours on end? I could understand you are going to run into an apartment or store for 5-10 minuets? I would rather have flashers no? But would you leave the park lamp deal on all night or what situation exactly is it used for? Why don't they have this feature on Audi or BMW? seems sort of strang that theres no precise ryme or reason?

-Ryan

amdeutsch

Correct

In Europe they do. Sometimes that feature is activated by the turn signal stalk.

kimyoung_k

I believe the parking light is design to used for overnight when you parked on the street. Therefore I don't think you have to worry about draining battery too much.

I'm supprise that your salesman didn't explain to you for this feature

RLE

<<'m thinking though for what reason would you want those park lamps left on for hours on end? I could understand you are going to run into an apartment or store for 5-10 minuets? I would rather have flashers no? But would you leave the park lamp deal on all night or what situation exactly is it used for? Why don't they have this feature on Audi or BMW? seems sort of strang that theres no precise ryme or reason?>>

This feature has been present on German cars for at least fifty years. Every one I have owned except for the VW 113s has had it.

It illuminates one bulb front and rear, left or right and will not flatten the battery overnight. It's use has been explained fully in previous posts.

I would think that with the online name CarGuru, you would have known this.

AsianML

It won't drain the battery because the only thing lit up are the front and rear parking lights (left or right). That's it.

alpinweiss

Mercedes calls this feature a "standing light" for the US market. In Europe, it is normally called a "parking light" or "park light". Obviously there is a potential for confusion, since park light has a different meaning in the US.

ALL European cars have this feature, as it is required in several European countries for parking in unprotected (on street) areas. Some European cars disable the feature for the US market.

A partial summary for US-spec cars:
1. Mercedes has the standing light feature activated. Turn on with the headlight switch (car off).
2. BMW has the feature activated. Turn on with the turn signal switch (car off).
3. Audi and VW have the feature deactivated. It can be activated electonically (VAG-COM). Turn on with the turn signal switch on late models.
4. Porsche varies, and has the feature activated on some models.
5. Mini has the feature activated. Turn on with the turn signal lever.

I personally use the standing light feature whenever I park on a public street at night. It seems to be able to run for several hours without running down the battery. I view it as a great safety feature.

Baron Samedi

Wow.

GDawgC220

When the car is off (on an Audi), flick the turn signal up or down and that side's parking lights should be on.

CarGuru

Both of my porsche's don't have this feature, I'm not surprised about the '88 but no just checked my 2002 doesn't either. I've been a car nut since I was born and used to teardown my Tonka equipment and grew up with my parent owning and having an '88 Audi 5000 CS Quattro, '83 I believe 450SL, Dad had an '84 944 then later my folks had an '90 Audi V8 then I drove namely Japanese brand through the import car boom and now at 29 y/o I have my first personal Teutonic cars.... I guess I missed all that research on headlamp switches after all these years.

-Ryan

430752

Ryan-

Am I seeing correctly that you have two tape seams running horizontally in your garage only about 8 or 12 inches apart? And a bunch of "pinstripe" verticals? Who hung your rock or who did your taping job? crazy, crazy.

JimPap

Looks like you could play a nice game of tic-tac-toe on that wall.

Have to ask you guys. I'm trying to decide on a Christmas gift for this lady friend (think Hot) who runs her car into her garage wall once or twice a year. Would it be tacky to give her a special gift card good for one wall repair? Its something she needs as I've already repaired the wall once before and she's already wacked it again. This time, I might paint a bullseye on it, but I don't think she'd see the humor in it. lol

P.S. Isn't this the worst threadjack you've ever seen?

amdeutsch

1) old mattress
2) tennis ball hung from ceiling
3) .....

Stiggs

Even my 1999 CLK430 had this feature. Funny how this surprises most people. Time to break out the owners manual and start reading.

430752

There is a device, pretty cheap if I recall ($30-$50) that is a distance guage for your garage. A transmitter goes on the wall, maybe the size of a pack of cigarettes, and a receiver goes in the car. It beeps as you get closer to the wall until it makes a solid tone which is where you are supposed to stop. This can be set by the user for each garage to account for difference. I assume it works like a back-up device in any car using sonic waves, but maybe it is radio. Anyway, it looks a lot better than a mattress or whatever and you can say something like "nooo, you're not really a bad parker...see, so many people have this problem that there is this device made just for it" or something like that? Look at autozone or pepboys I imagine.

Of course, if the lady is one you like enough, the real gift may be telling her that you'll move in with her just so that everytime she comes home you will park the car for her.

JimPap

....and how many levels can that be interpreted?

CarGuru

I have no clue? It's a brand new home though as of 3/15/07 and we haven't had any issues with it, in fact it's one of the best quality homes I've ever lived in. I also haven't had time to paint the garage yet,or paint the floors I think that's why it's more noticeable? Most people, have or paint the inside of the garage. In most cases the builder will only do it if you pay extra for it.



-Ryan

AsianML

The building codes in your state probably differ from 43072's state. Here in Michigan I think they require a stud every 16 inches. Your picture shows what seems to be less than that. You also have the tape and mudding everywhere which indicates the builders used small peices of sheetrock rather than larger peices. Normally they would use the larger peices to save time from cutting, taping, and mudding up the wall.

RLE

<<There is a device, pretty cheap if I recall ($30-$50) that is a distance guage for your garage. A transmitter goes on the wall, maybe the size of a pack of cigarettes, and a receiver goes in the car. It beeps as you get closer to the wall until it makes a solid tone which is where you are supposed to stop.>>

Plus, there is another one which is a smallish red-yellow-green traffic light-ish unit that fastens to the wall in the driver's view and changes color as the car gets closer. I just looked through my current Griot's Garage catalog but it's not there anymore. Sort of a reverse Parktronic. Someone may still sell it.

alpinweiss

BMW's (and Minis) also work this way.

On VW's and Audis, the parking light feature is often deactivated on US models. A simple reprogramming of the car's central electronic control module can enable this feature. Then you can turn it on as you described.

If your Audi has it already activated, then all the better for you. I have found both some VW's and some Audis with it already activated; but often it is not.

I have not dealt with very many Porsches, but some seem to have the feature activated, and some do not.

JimPap

I've been looking for these today at Advanced Auto, Auto Zone and Radio Shack and didn't have any luck.