Front Parking lights?

sreams

sreams

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I'm a little confused about the lighting arrangement at the front of the car. My car appears to have dual filament bulbs in the outer headlights, and single filament bulbs for the inner ones. When I pull the headlight switch out one notch, I get one of the filaments from the outer set. Pull it out all the way, and I get both filaments. Turn on the brights, and the inner lights come on. RealOEM shows a 4W bulb for the front parking light, but I am getting a full-on low beam in this position. I also don't see where a 4W blub would even mount. Can someone describe the setup here, and better yet, provide a picture? Thanks ahead.

-Scott
 
That sounds like Euro wiring with non-euro headlights on the car. The European setup provides for 'city lights' in lieu of the parking lights USA cars have. Euro setup is a 4 W bulb built into the H1 low beam headlamp. The USA parking light is of course combined with the turn signal bulb. I bet you don't get those to light up when you pull the switch to the first stop.

So the wiring is providing voltage for what should be the city light in the low beam but instead it goes to the low beam filament in your sealed beam (or H4 headlight; same electrical configuration as a sealed beam)
 
David Stern Lighting - Pricey

Hella BiFocal H1 low beam units, co-developed by Hella and BMW and equipped with the "city light" provision. Stern has them in colourless ($102/ea) or selective yellow ($118/ea). Their performance is fantastic (though not as good as the same-size, same-shape Cibie CSR H1 lamps with city light, which I have in selective yellow only, $129/ea). Got matching selective yellow Hella ($84.95) or Cibie CSR ($129) high beams, too.

Use Narva Rangepower+50 H1 bulbs ($15.50/ea). Osram X6W city light bulbs are the only ones bright enough to be worth messing with, $4.24/ea.


.....must have city lights....
 
3 crazy dumb Euro things I love about the coupes- city lights and prismas and side markers that only light on one side for parking.
I wish I had a bag of "prismas" [prisms] but sadly I think they are made of that pure un-obtanium. Amazing how few steering columns still have the little piece of crystal left in them.

06 Prisma 1 63311352069 ENDED
 
sfdon said:
I wish I had a bag of "prismas" [prisms] but sadly I think they are made of that pure un-obtanium. Amazing how few steering columns still have the little piece of crystal left in them.

06 Prisma 1 63311352069 ENDED
Click to expand...

I have about 8 of similar interior nightlights when driving in my Audi.
But today they are red LEDs and placed i roof, door handles, etc.
(Like entering in a club in "red light district") ;-)


So in a way, you may also say that our nightlight with "prisma" in the steering column was a bit pioneering... :)
 
Scott,

Those are H4's not H1's. The H4 is a double filament, low and high, as you now have so you will face the same problem. You need the low beam H1's specifically designed for the car, or re-do the wiring so it works with the H4's.
 
Luis A. said:
Scott,

Those are H4's not H1's. The H4 is a double filament, low and high, as you now have so you will face the same problem. You need the low beam H1's specifically designed for the car, or re-do the wiring so it works with the H4's.
Click to expand...

Why could you not just swap the H4 bulb with an H1 bulb?
 
sfdon said:
I wish I had a bag of "prismas" [prisms] but sadly I think they are made of that pure un-obtanium. Amazing how few steering columns still have the little piece of crystal left in them.

06 Prisma 1 63311352069 ENDED
Click to expand...

What is this? I looked it up on Real OEM but can't figure out where it is? There's a crystal on the steering column?
 
It's the light that illuminates the ignition key when the lights are on.

IMG_1568.JPG


Bwana said:
What is this? I looked it up on Real OEM but can't figure out where it is? There's a crystal on the steering column?
Click to expand...
 
Stevehose said:
It's the light that illuminates the ignition key when the lights are on.

IMG_1568.JPG
Click to expand...

Who knew!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I learn something about these cars every day. I just went out to the parking garage and checked, sure enough, there's a hole right where the cristal should be. I've had this area apart before but I don't remember a loose wire in there. I imagine there's a bulb and fixture that's supposed to be there too!
 
Bwana said:
Who knew!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I learn something about these cars every day. I just went out to the parking garage and checked, sure enough, there's a hole right where the cristal should be. I've had this area apart before but I don't remember a loose wire in there. I imagine there's a bulb and fixture that's supposed to be there too!
Click to expand...

Hi Bwana, if there's a hole were the prisma (I call it prisma!) should be, I guessed it must have been falling of when taking the column apart. Easily done!
This is the magic part!
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u66/Spillolja/DSC_0227.jpg

Since it's the same in E3 as well, I think you will be able to find another one.

If you study the prisma illumination design in an technical point of view for the illumination, you will surely agree with sfdon's comment "pure un-obtanium" :)

I didn't "have a bag of prismas", but one extra in the spare part box.
Since the light also illuminates the center console and aluminum trim above with white boring light, I....had it painted in a clear red color and exchanged it with the original clear one and Voilà!
The center console and aluminum trim above are now shining with a red and smooth tint during night driving..
I selected red because I normally drive Audi :)

Cheers folks!
 
OK Don, thanks a lot... so now that you sent us all scrambling to our steering columns looking for the damn 'prisma', I'll be the first to report that my E9 is missing it so I'll be imminently sending the car to the crusher unless I can locate one of them prisms... :shock:

Second, my E3 has it (can you see it in the photo below?) but I recently hauled that section of steering column to the shop so they could more easily move the car around. The car is getting shuttled between the body shop and the restorer so I'll be very lucky if the little thing survives the ordeal without getting lost forever...

P1020475.JPG
 
Hey Stefan, how thick is it? I think it can be easily reproduced with the right thickness acrylic. Is it made of glass? I'm betting it's not.
 
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