Doug_B_928

I recently returned from a nice vacation in Portugal. While there my wife and I met with fellow Rennlister Ricardo Pires and his wife. Great couple and a very nice 928. During our conversation he was asking me about the flashing light feature for passing. He explained that on his car the fog or parking lights, I can't recall which, flash when one pulls back on the signal indicator. My car does not do this. I double-checked when I returned from my trip. The signal lever pulls back like it should engage lights for flashing, but nothing happens on my car. Is there supposed to be such a feature on the NA OBs? I'm guessing not because most drivers in NA don't know what flashing the lights means , or a least that's been my experience.

Bilal928S4

Has the PO played with the wiring and combined the running lights with the fog lights?
It means when your running light is on the fog lights are on or when fog lights are on the running lights are on?

jeff spahn

My 90 S4 has this feature. Believe it is the extra highbeams in the bumper that come one. All of my friends know what flash to pass means. My motorcycle even has a flash to pass button and it is a US spec Triumph.

76FJ55

Flash to pass works on MY85.

Joe F

Flash to pass around here will get you an "aggressive driving" ticket

Bilal928S4

Works on my 90 & 91. Haven't gotten any tickets yet and I do use it very often.

Doug_B_928

No PO wiring changes. So, which lights should come on with the pull of the turn signal lever? BTW, on the 79 (at least mine) there are no DRLs. If one wants any lighting the park lights need to be turned on (first click of the dial) and then the fog lights can be engaged by pushing in the button directly below.

R.Pires

Hi Doug,

Thanks for your kind words

Let me try to explain how my lights work, and all Euro cars are like that.
On the outside of the bumper we have combined parking lights and fog lights.
The inside headlamps, whether the car is on or off, with or without key, if you pull the lever towards you they flash and keep lighted until you release the lever. As I've told you, that is a feature ALL cars of ALL makes have, at least in Europe, in my country I'm sure and I believe in all other European countries is the same. Even the “normal” cars without retractable headlights, meaning 99,99% of them...
In the case of the 928 I suppose was done like that so we can flash other drivers during the day, when the retractable headlamps are down.
When the retractables are up they also flash together with the ones on the inside part of the bumper.
If you push the lever towards the dash they also light and STAY lighted all the four, BUT only when retractables are up, meaning if they are down and you push the lever towards the dash, nothing happens!

Have you check if you’re MY has a fuse only for those lights on the inside part of the bumper?
And do they work with the retractables up?

Regards

76FJ55

I believe the flash to pass on mine functions as follow but would need to verify the operation to be certain.
With lights off and retracted the Fogs will flash to pass.
With running lights on, fogs off and lights retracted the fogs will flash to pass.
With running lights on, fogs on and lights retracted there will be no flash to available.
With running lights on, fogs off/on and lights extended but off the high beam will flash to pass.
With headlights on, fogs off/on the high beam will flash to pass.

Doug_B_928

On mine, without a key in, the park lights (outside ones in front bumper and side marker lights) will turn on with one click of the dial switch. Only then will the fogs turn on. Pulling the turn signal stalk does nothing in either case. I had a look through the owner's manual at the fuse layout and there doesn't appear to be anything separate for this function. Since the fog and park lights work the fuses are good. Will be interesting to hear if anyone with a NA 79/78 has this function.

rbrtmchl

Only a guess on my part, but I would think you have to have the key in and in the run position for the function to work. Have you tried this?

Doug_B_928

I tried it before but will try again just to make sure.

dr bob

Is that for a "flash to alert the other driver you are about to pass" or for a "flash to alert the other driver that he's in the wrong lane for the speed he's going"?

We are relocating to Oregon soon and need to learn the local customs.


I keep the foglights aimed up level so they are suitable as DRL's in L.A traffic. Just high enough to help other drivers see the car. At night, they are annoying enough to be used for service #2 described above, unless the perp is in a van or SUV-height vehicle. I could probably retrofit the factory DRL relay somehow, but I'm working to keep the original wiring original as much as possible.


In L.A., a flash-to-move-over flash is a sometimes-misinterpreted signal that's some knd of gang-land challenge, so it's discouraged if you don't like freeway gunplay. There's a lot of cultural variety avaialble in Los Angeles, but this is one little feature I won't miss.

Alan

It is always the auxilliary high beams that flash and NOT the fog lights...

In the USA the aux high beam is the outer pair in Euro/ROW its the inside pair - if the pods are up the pods flash to high beam also.

Alan

76FJ55

on USA pre S4 cars the inside pair are fog lights there are no auxilliary high beams.