Re: H/L Wiring Question

[John Firestone <john.firestone@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 13 Aug 2000, Mike Theuri wrote:

> I have my euro headlights wired to work like my previous
> headlights. That is the lamps closest to the center work as
> the highs and the others towards the ends work as low 
> beams. While I was cleaning the headlights yesterday I noticed
> that the lamps at the center had two bulbs in them. The lower
> bulbs in the lamps at the center lamps do not work, but the upper
> ones work as the highs. There is an extra single wire at the rear 
> that is not routed anywhere from each of the headlights. In the 
> euros do all four lamps work as low beams ? Thanks 

The extra 5 W bulb in each high beam is used as a white position
light / parking light in Europe, the same job fulfilled on U.S.
cars by the second, low wattage filaments in the (yellow) front
turn signals. Neither replace the low beams (or in extreme cases,
a set of fog lights), while the car is moving.

The turn stalk on a European BMW lets you turn on just the
street side, parking lights (one white forward, one red
rearward), so that you can leave them on overnight.  The
redundant, split wiring of U.S. parking lights is a vestige of
this system.

- -John
'96 318is

- -- 
john.firestone@domain.elided

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