Light switch ?

[settle10]

On my Euro '82 240D when the head light switch is turned and pulled out to turn on the fog lamps it can be pulled out another click and an amber lense on the switch lights up. I don't have a manual and haven't been able to find out what this indicates. Please help.

i believe that is telling you that the rear foglight is on, turm it on and look at the left tail light and see if it has an extra lited spot compared to the right

[settle10]

Thanks for the info and they did light up a left side rear tail light but I don't understand the purpose of this light and why only on the left side.

[Kestas]

That's the way they drive in the fog in Europe..... with a bright left light on.

I've seen a few European cars drive that way around town here. Unfortunately this is rather meaningless in the US. Most people think somebody's taillights are wacky.

BTW, do 50-car pileups happen in Europe as often as in the US? We just had another one near Lansing last week.

[Jim H]

Fog lights on the front make your car more visible, especially the yellow lamps. They may help you to see better, but the main purpose was to be visible to oncoming cars.

A bright red rear light has a similar function of making you more visible from the rear. Only one, though, so following cars don't panic and think you're braking. The single, bright red to the rear is distinctive, isn't it?

BTW, I think US cars like the Grand Prix have bright rear fogs. When you get passed by a car with the fogs on, notice if there are brighter light(s) on the rear.

Best Regards,
Jim