Left hand side park lights

[NZ00Z3]

Ok you Euro drivers, I would like you to confirm a design feature on the Z3 that is causing me a bit of head scratching.

Every now and again, I come back to the Z3 (either one, both are Euro models) and the left hand side front and rear park lights are on. The right hand side is not.

I was cleaning the dust out of Mora's interior today and noticed the left front and rear park lights were on. Looked at the wiring diagram and it looked like a light switch fault. Pulled the light switch and took it to the bench to start and take it apart and clean the internals. Then noticed that the left hand side park lights were still on. Hmmmm.... Its not the light switch then. There are larger Gremils at play here.

Pulled the fuse for the park lights and they went out. Put it back in and they came on. So its powered from the right fuse and its a solid fault?

Put the key in the ignition and switched to position 1 and the lights went out. Switched the ignition off and removed the key and the lights came back on again.

Sat there and just looked at the car's switched and controls. Noticed that the indicator switch was set to left turn. Put it in the center and the left side park lights went out. Put it in the right turn position and nothing happened with the park lights. Put is back in the left turn position and the left park lights came on.

Hmmm... is this designed to work this way????

So what is the situation where you want the left hand side park lights turned on and you do this by setting the left hand side indicator switch?

 

[andyglym]

Hello mate, you're correct, the parking lights are designed to come on when you have your indicator to that side. It's a design theme to ensure visibility when parked.

 

[NZ00Z3]

Then shouldn't it be the right hand side as that's the side that is sticking out towards the traffic when parked?

Maybe its a LHD design feature??

 

[Redline]

I'd guess that it's coded as to which side the parking light works. It works only on one side to ensure the car shows the correct light for the direction it's facing (assuming you're parked on the correct side of the road). I.e. Only red to the rear and white to the front. You don't want someone mistaking the direction to pass.

 

[Dino D]

On mine only the drivers side (right hand drive U.K. Car) can be activated by leaving the indicator in the right turn position (front and rear side lights come on).

But leaving the indicator in the left position doesn't do anything.

 

[raymond]

Looking at the owner's manual to enable the parking lights leave the key in the ignition at position 0 and move indicator switch to left or right. So if you have removed the key moving the switch will not cause the parking lights to come on

 

[Nodzed]

On mine only the drivers side (right hand drive U.K. Car) can be activated by leaving the indicator in the right turn position (front and rear side lights come on).

But leaving the indicator in the left position doesn't do anything.

Both sides work on mine depending on which side is activated via the switch.

 

[Gundun]

I think you're right, I never paid attention to it and assumed that you can have parking lights on either sides...I need to check that, I'm pretty sure the manual says they work both ways?
If I think about it, well we USUALLY park on the right side on the road, therefore having the left parking side on to the road side and not the curb side makes sense.
However I have in mind those narrow one-way streets in the south of Italy or Portugal where there are cars parked on both sides of the road...which would make parking lights on the right side also handy...

 

[Dino D]

Both sides work on mine depending on which side is activated via the switch.

I did find it odd only one side works as on other BMW's and German cars I've had both work. Luckily it's the important side that's worlks and I do use it.

 

[NZ00Z3]

Thank you for confirming that it's a design feature. Learnt something new about the car.