Spectro28

Ok, only one time, but I just went out for a late lunch, drove about 1.5 miles in my new 2010 C2S (~750 miles, ~3 weeks old), parked, shut the ignition, and got a text warning and a buzz about the parking lights being left on when I opened the door. Switch was in the "home" position -- DRL are turned on.

I played with the switch, turned the lights on (it complained more about that with the ignition off) then off, but no luck. I didn't see any lights on, so I shut the car and went and got my pizza.

I came back to the car about 30 minutes later, approaching from the front this time, and saw that the passenger side parking/driving/LED light on the front bumper was on. Looked dim, but it was bright out. Had to open the door with the key, the remote didn't work.

Car started, turning over a little slowly. Just drove back home and parked in the garage, no problems, remote key worked, no lights remaining on.

Paranoia strikes me, as I changed out the amber side marker lights a couple of days ago for the clear ones (peer pressure on the board here... ). I've had some troubles with a BMW where the resistance changed from a corroded harness and warning lights appeared when they shouldn't have... that was expensive to repair out of warranty, actually.

Anyone with any experience with this? It was ONLY the one side that stayed on.

TIA -
Marc

stevepow

Sure it wasn't the parking light? You probably had the blinker stalk pushed up or down inadvertently:

Spectro28

Thanks Steve -- indeed, it was there in the glovebox all the time... I needed to . Classic.

I must've had the turn signal stalk off to one side (the right, in my LH drive drive car).

Now, not so flaky.

But why on earth would I want my LED on when the ignition is off???

Cheers!
Marc

Edgy01

This feature has been a feature of European cars for decades. I'm guessing you are new to that. It is a requirement in Germany for example to put your left parking light on when parked on a narrow roadway half on the sidewalk and half in the street. It's there to warn others that you are in the street. At least with an LED equipped car you are burning little of the battery power!

stevepow

Right, now explain that rear fog light pull - what's up with that? I have never used this so far...

Mine only has one-click that I can notice - either pulled out or pushed in. Does that count as two?

Edgy01

The rear fog thing has changed between the 997.1 and 997.2 cars. (There are no fog lights on the 997.2 cars).

Rear fog light have been around for decades. They are useful when you are in very heavy fog as a warning to others who might ride up your backside before they know it. I have only had to resort to using rear fog lights less than a handful of times over the decades. Some parts of Europe really need them, e.g., the UK, and the Netherlands.

They are essentially, as bright as a brake light when on, but within Central Europe, they are on the left side only of the car (so that they cant be confused with brake lights). (In the UK, they have them on both sides). Occasionally , you can see them on a European car in the USA in with broad daylight or at night when the owner of the car doesn't know that he's turned them on--or even know what they are.

They such be used judiciously. ONLY when visibility is so bad that you are at risk from behind. Run without heavy fog, all you do is irritate other drivers with their brightness.

Since the 997.2 lacks fog lights (those LED things are essentially running lights) you only have the single option of turning on rear fog lights with a single stage switch. The 997.1 cars with 'sort of' front fogs utilize a two stage switch--first to activate the front fogs, and a second should use of the rear be necessary.

stevepow

A bug in the Manual.

Edgy01

It sounds like you're suggesting that Porsche failed to update the 997.2 manual to reflect the changes in lighting from .1 to .2

ADias

The 997.2 has bi-xenons std (option on 997.1) and these are so well collimated that front fog lights are not needed. The 997.2 still has the red left rear fog light. The manual is correct IIRC.

stevepow

I think so - the explanation of the 1st pull position, and front fog lights, is gone - but the fact that the switch now has only one pull position (versus 2nd click) had not been updated.


Thanks for clarifying - didn't want to pull too hard trying to get another click out of it.

Minok

Its called a parking light. In locations where you parallel park on a dark, narrow street, this lets your car sit there with a dim lamp on so others can see your car is there and reduce the risk of it being hit. Very useful in European towns that have roads sized in the 1200's.

wwest

Fog lights have allways been so rarely needed, and properly used (daytime foggy conditions ONLY) as to be nothing but BLING.