Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

[DonRich90]

I have an '02 that I have brought home for an overnight test drive. The car is black with the black/red interior and is a 1-owner with 28,000 miles. Beautiful condition and I'm seriously considering buying it if negotiations with the dealer (BMW) work out.
I've been checking it out in my driveway to see how and if everything works. The only question I have is how do you turn the "supplemental parking lights" on/off. The lights are on but I can't figure out how to turn them off. The only thing I can find in the owner's manual is how to replace the bulbs. What's the secret?

Don

[Canuck]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

As stock, they are activated as Parking lights, on with the side markers. There is a simple, inexpensive mod available which changes then to Daytime Running Lights, automatically on whenever the car is running with no ability to disable them. This might be your situation (?), good news if you don't care for it, it is also easy to reverse.

[5bird7]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

The spls come on automatically with the headlamps or with the side marker lights and parking lamps. They are not on a separate switch.

[Vintage Merlot]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

Rotate the light switch dial at the left side of the steering wheel to turn all lights off. I have used that switch to turn on the supplemental lights during caravans.

[Will]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

Rotate the light switch dial at the left side of the steering wheel to turn all lights off. I have used that switch to turn on the supplemental lights during caravans.

But you must have the DavidA rewiring job, right?

[Vintage Merlot]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

DavidA wiring job does not make it possible to turn off supplemental lights with circular switch. Without the DavidA mod iit was possible to turn the supplemental lights on with the switch.

[Will]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

Without the DavidA mod iit was possible to turn the supplemental lights on with the switch.

Right! But I understand DonRich's question to be asking if it's possible to turn on only the SPLs -- & I'm assuming his car does not have the DavidA re-wiring. If so, then your statement seems to say he can actually turn SPLs on --& only SPLs--with the rotary switch. I say if DonRich turns that switch, then SPLs plus lots of other lights come on all around the car. Posts #2 & #3 above say likewise. My Retro offers me a great amount of freedom on the highway, but not to the extent that I can control on/off of just the SPLs. As Einstein said of time, space & matter, it's all inter-connected. He meant the Tbird lights, too.

[Vintage Merlot]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

What's your extended point?
DonRich's question is it possible to turn on only the SPLs?
The answer is no.

[Canuck]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

Hmmmm. I thought he was asking how to turn them OFF? Which as stated above is done by rotating the light switch to the off position. All answers are correct depending on how you interpret the original question.
Who'd of thought a question on how to turn the SPLs on/of(?) would generate so much conversation.

[DonRich90]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

Sorry guys, maybe my original question wasn't clear enough. The SPL's on the '02 I'm considering come on with the parking lights and stay on even when I switch to low beam headlights or the brights. I was thinking they may be like most factory fog lamps that turn on/off with a seperate switch and then only operate with the low beam lights. They do go off when the light switch is turned off so, they don't operate as DRL's. "5bird7" looks like he has the answer to my question - In normal operation, the SPL's turn on with the light switch turned to both the parking light position and the headlight position and then turn off only when the light switch is turned to the off position.
The BMW dealer that has the car, like me, has no idea how the SPL's should operate but they are checking with a neighboring Ford dealer who is a part of their automotive group. They are also checking a problem with the A/C that occassionaly was blowing hot (not warm) air while in the "Auto" mode with the temps set at 60-65 degrees. It worked fine in the manual mode.

Thanks,
Don

[DavidA]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

It sounds like they are working properly. Unless they were modified, they should come on with any of the lights and go off when the lights are off. There is no switch to turn them on or off.

[Vintage Merlot]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

David,
Technically there is a switch that turns them on and off. But that switch also turns other lights on and off at the same time.

[DavidA]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

Isn't that what I said? They go on and off with the switch. Geesh Roger, yuo make things so difficult!

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

MAKE SURE YOU BUY THE CAR, YOU WILL LOVE IT AND THE LIGHTS ARE WORKING CORRECTLY.

[Vintage Merlot]

Re: Supplemental Parking Lights - '02

DavidA
Here is a direct quote from your post 11 above "There is no switch to turn them on or off". and of course I again must print the real fact. ....and I quote from post 12 above "Technically there is a switch that turns them on and off." .... and it's called the rotary switch that controls the lights.
Your friend
Vintage Merlot