Question on euro parking light feature

[xpensivewino]

I am currently chasing down electrical gremlins on my 69 E restoration. I've been working on lighting the last few days, in particular the four corner turn signal housings. I believe I have it all sorted out. The one question that I have is, as I recall when the car sits static with no key in and you set the directional to either side, that sides front and rear marker lights should illuminate for curb side parking in Europe. On my car all four corners illuminate regardless of the side the directional is set too. Is this correct? The schematic clearly separates the right and left side which leads me to believe that when the directional is set, it is sending power to both the left and right side poles on the light switch. Perhaps this is particular to 65-69 cars? Maybe I'm just remembering wrong and all four corners always lit. Any info would be helpful...Thanks Steve

[edmayo]

I agree, they should only work on one side,,,,try another T/S switch?

[ejboyd5]

By sheer coincidence I just posted this earlier today on the 190 SL web site:

"The terminology can get confusing because almost forever in the US we have referred to the four lamps illuminated by the first clockwise click or pull of the headlight switch as "parking lights." The second click, of course, turns on the "headlights." As Walt said, many European cars were equipped with small lamps intended to be illuminated only when a car was parked on a roadside overnight. These lamps were wired in such a manner that the left or right side of the car could be illuminated independently depending upon which side of the road the vehicle was parked and were of very low wattage so they could safely be left illuminated overnight without draining the battery. These tiny lamps were controlled by several different switching arrangements depending upon the manufacturer and age of the vehicle. As being discussed here, at one time M-B was fond of turning the headlight switch one click counterclockwise and using a separate toggle switch to select the left or right side. You can also find arrangements where one click counterclockwise of the headlight switch would illuminate the right side of the car and a second click would illuminate the left. On the Porsche at one time the right or left illumination could be selected by moving the turn signal stalk in the appropriate direction. Naturally, all of this special lighting was operational with the ignition "off" and keys removed so that the vehicle could be left unattended.

Returning to the question of what to call these little lamps, it's really up to you. Having grown up with the US definition of "parking lights" as four lamps illuminated by the first click or pull of the headlight switch I'm loath to change. "Clearance lights" seems in some ways appropriate, but it also conjures up visions of the myriad of small lights adorning the cabs and trailers of heavy-duty over the road commercial vehicles. Perhaps we could adopt the term "overnight lights" so that everyone would know what we are talking about."

Ed Mayo is correct as he always is in that pushing the turn signal stalk up with the ignition and headlights off should illuminate both "overnight" lamps on the right side of the car. Pushing the stalk downward should illuminate the left side lamps. Since the only connection point is through the turn signal switch your investigation should begin there.

[xpensivewino]

Wow, that's quite a response. Thanks for the input. The odd thing about the turn signal switch is that its a self contained unit. The switching lever is wired with the wires exiting a rubber plug on the other end. I'm not sure how it could be wired incorrectly. I see that the whole stock could be bad, but individual functions seem less likely, unless through wear certain connections lose their continuity. The .04 69 only directional switch is a rare bird. I'll begin testing the original unit before searching for a replacement.

[911MRP]

Term usually used in UK is "sidelights"

Sidelight: "A small light on either side of the front of a motor vehicle, used in poor light when full headlights are not required"

[RSTarga]

On my US model 73 setting the turn signal switch to the left or right keeps one side of the "parking lights" on with the switch off.
When I have had problems on turn signal lights, it has usually been a bad ground or a loose fuse, even a bad contact on the bulbs. I think Grady Clay did a write up long ago on how there is a connection somehow between the turn signal lights. Ed can probably provide more info.
Some people, (including myself) have used dielectric grease on connections. I found out the hard way that this is not a good idea. A few drops of WD40 is what I use now. Keeps water away and does not affect electrical transmission.
I'ld start at the bulbs and work my way back.

[ejboyd5]

Thanks to RSTarga for reminding me of another Porsche design feature. On the 1969 LWB (the only example I have to hand), the clearance/overnight/sidelight function is fulfilled by the same lamp that is illuminated by pulling the headlight switch out one click to the "parking" light position. In other words, don't bother looking for a small 2W lamp because it isn't there. In a recent effort to decrease the electrical power demands on the headlight switch, I replaced the original multi-function lamps with their LED equivalents. Fronts (amber) are BA9S-AHP5 and rears (red) are BA9S-RHP5. These lamps are $3.95 each from www.superbrightleds.com and are truly plug and play providing vastly improved brightness coupled with decreased electrical consumption.

[xpensivewino]

There is a 2W small marker bulb in the housing for 69, however it is connected to the tail lamp bulb via a green jump wire so it's not possible to illuminate it solo. The feature wouldn't be used ever, it's just that I would like it to work as intended. Most likely it will come down to a function of the .04 switch.

[ejboyd5]

No 2W lamps or sockets for same in any of the four light housings on my original 1969 Karmann coupe manufactured for US delivery. Perhaps yours is a European delivery vehicle or one manufactured by Porsche so as to account for the difference.

[xpensivewino]

It's a US market car. The 2w bulbs are located on the sides of the housings and are located behind snap in plastic reflectors. I was able to solve the problem and chase it down to a faulty headlight switch. It all works perfectly now. Thanks for the input!