Porsche 944 taillight question

N8N wrote:
>
> I dunno, it looks like the owner of that site took all the pics with
> the lights on, note that in the front pics the fog lights are on as
> well.

Are you sure they're fog lights? Looks like high beams to me. I know on
my BMW I can activate the high beams without the lights on (otherwise
the flash to pass feature wouldn't work).

> I've seen the taillights both ways (on various Euro cars) and I
> really don't know which is correct at this point. Would sure like some
> confirmation, but that was the most "definitive" pic I could find after
> an image search for all the 944 images I could find...

Why don't you contact the owner, I'm sure he speaks some English... :-)

BTW, you have tried searching for "porsche 944 rear" (or similar) on
Google's image search, right?

>
> nate
>
Ulf

On Fri, 14 Jan 2005, N8N wrote:

> > This photo, from your 2nd link, looks like the unlit retroreflectors
> > are being hit with the same photoflash that's visible as white spot
> > reflections in a vertical line running downward from the hatch lock:
> > http://jimweb.free.fr/rear.jpg

> I dunno, it looks like the owner of that site took all the pics with the
> lights on,

Er...naw, it doesn't. Here's his photos page:
http://jimweb.free.fr/photos944.html

There are 12 photos here, of which:
-10 show the exterior, of which:
-8 show exterior lights reliably, of which:
-3 show the fog lamps definitely on
-4 show definitely no lamps on.

In addition, not all of these photos were taken in the same location. The
rear 3/4 view, for instance, was not taken in the same location as the
straight-on rear view.

I stand by my interpretation that what you're seeing in the rear view is
not a taillamp at all, but a photoflash-lit retroreflector *only*.

DS (Have you considered checking your parts catalogue and seeing what it
says are used for bulbs?)

On Fri, 14 Jan 2005, N8N wrote:

> > This photo, from your 2nd link, looks like the unlit retroreflectors
> > are being hit with the same photoflash that's visible as white spot
> > reflections in a vertical line running downward from the hatch lock:
> > http://jimweb.free.fr/rear.jpg

> I dunno, it looks like the owner of that site took all the pics with the
> lights on,

Er...naw, it doesn't. Here's his photos page:
http://jimweb.free.fr/photos944.html

There are 12 photos here, of which:
-10 show the exterior, of which:
-8 show exterior lights reliably, of which:
-3 show the fog lamps definitely on
-4 show definitely no lamps on.

In addition, not all of these photos were taken in the same location. The
rear 3/4 view, for instance, was not taken in the same location as the
straight-on rear view.

I stand by my interpretation that what you're seeing in the rear view is
not a taillamp at all, but a photoflash-lit retroreflector *only*.

DS (Have you considered checking your parts catalogue and seeing what it
says are used for bulbs?)

"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
.umich.edu...
> On Fri, 14 Jan 2005, N8N wrote:

> I stand by my interpretation that what you're seeing in the rear view is
> not a taillamp at all, but a photoflash-lit retroreflector *only*.

On a UK 944 at least, the reflector only (middle bottom section) is the
sidelight, the brakelights are the outer lower sections, the inner upper &
lower sections are foglights on both sides.

On the dash there are two fog light switches between the steering column &
the driver's door (as shown on one of the pics posted earlier), the rear
fogs only come on if both the headlights /and/ front foglights are on.

If you rewire your taillights don't put the foglight & brakelight next to
each other.

hth, Malc.

"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
.umich.edu...
> On Fri, 14 Jan 2005, N8N wrote:

> I stand by my interpretation that what you're seeing in the rear view is
> not a taillamp at all, but a photoflash-lit retroreflector *only*.

On a UK 944 at least, the reflector only (middle bottom section) is the
sidelight, the brakelights are the outer lower sections, the inner upper &
lower sections are foglights on both sides.

On the dash there are two fog light switches between the steering column &
the driver's door (as shown on one of the pics posted earlier), the rear
fogs only come on if both the headlights /and/ front foglights are on.

If you rewire your taillights don't put the foglight & brakelight next to
each other.

hth, Malc.

Daniel J. Stern wrote:
> On Fri, 14 Jan 2005, N8N wrote:
>
> > > This photo, from your 2nd link, looks like the unlit
retroreflectors
> > > are being hit with the same photoflash that's visible as white
spot
> > > reflections in a vertical line running downward from the hatch
lock:
> > > http://jimweb.free.fr/rear.jpg
>
> > I dunno, it looks like the owner of that site took all the pics
with the
> > lights on,
>
> Er...naw, it doesn't. Here's his photos page:
> http://jimweb.free.fr/photos944.html
>
> There are 12 photos here, of which:
> -10 show the exterior, of which:
> -8 show exterior lights reliably, of which:
> -3 show the fog lamps definitely on
> -4 show definitely no lamps on.
>
> In addition, not all of these photos were taken in the same location.
The
> rear 3/4 view, for instance, was not taken in the same location as
the
> straight-on rear view.
>
> I stand by my interpretation that what you're seeing in the rear view
is
> not a taillamp at all, but a photoflash-lit retroreflector *only*.
>
> DS (Have you considered checking your parts catalogue and seeing what
it
> says are used for bulbs?)

I did, but I forget what it said now :/ I can check when I get back
home again (posting from a strange computer that doesn't have all my
little conveniences loaded on it)

To Ulf, yes I've done a google images search (actually several) for the
ass end of a 944, nobody seems to take pictures of their car at night
though.

nate

Daniel J. Stern wrote:
> On Fri, 14 Jan 2005, N8N wrote:
>
> > > This photo, from your 2nd link, looks like the unlit
retroreflectors
> > > are being hit with the same photoflash that's visible as white
spot
> > > reflections in a vertical line running downward from the hatch
lock:
> > > http://jimweb.free.fr/rear.jpg
>
> > I dunno, it looks like the owner of that site took all the pics
with the
> > lights on,
>
> Er...naw, it doesn't. Here's his photos page:
> http://jimweb.free.fr/photos944.html
>
> There are 12 photos here, of which:
> -10 show the exterior, of which:
> -8 show exterior lights reliably, of which:
> -3 show the fog lamps definitely on
> -4 show definitely no lamps on.
>
> In addition, not all of these photos were taken in the same location.
The
> rear 3/4 view, for instance, was not taken in the same location as
the
> straight-on rear view.
>
> I stand by my interpretation that what you're seeing in the rear view
is
> not a taillamp at all, but a photoflash-lit retroreflector *only*.
>
> DS (Have you considered checking your parts catalogue and seeing what
it
> says are used for bulbs?)

I did, but I forget what it said now :/ I can check when I get back
home again (posting from a strange computer that doesn't have all my
little conveniences loaded on it)

To Ulf, yes I've done a google images search (actually several) for the
ass end of a 944, nobody seems to take pictures of their car at night
though.

nate

Malc wrote:
> "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
> .umich.edu...
> > On Fri, 14 Jan 2005, N8N wrote:
>
> > I stand by my interpretation that what you're seeing in the rear
view is
> > not a taillamp at all, but a photoflash-lit retroreflector *only*.
>
> On a UK 944 at least, the reflector only (middle bottom section) is
the
> sidelight, the brakelights are the outer lower sections, the inner
upper &
> lower sections are foglights on both sides.
>
> On the dash there are two fog light switches between the steering
column &
> the driver's door (as shown on one of the pics posted earlier), the
rear
> fogs only come on if both the headlights /and/ front foglights are
on.
>
> If you rewire your taillights don't put the foglight & brakelight
next to
> each other.
>
> hth, Malc.


Thanks Malc, so what you are saying is that even on the ECE bulbholders
there are no "shared" segments in the taillights? (sorry Daniel, I'm
not motivated enough to do custom work, even though you say it's
better...) That pretty much clears up what I would need to do to
duplicate the Euro setup then. The only remaining question is is the
wiring in place, and that I won't know until I go to hook it up...

nate

Malc wrote:
> "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
> .umich.edu...
> > On Fri, 14 Jan 2005, N8N wrote:
>
> > I stand by my interpretation that what you're seeing in the rear
view is
> > not a taillamp at all, but a photoflash-lit retroreflector *only*.
>
> On a UK 944 at least, the reflector only (middle bottom section) is
the
> sidelight, the brakelights are the outer lower sections, the inner
upper &
> lower sections are foglights on both sides.
>
> On the dash there are two fog light switches between the steering
column &
> the driver's door (as shown on one of the pics posted earlier), the
rear
> fogs only come on if both the headlights /and/ front foglights are
on.
>
> If you rewire your taillights don't put the foglight & brakelight
next to
> each other.
>
> hth, Malc.


Thanks Malc, so what you are saying is that even on the ECE bulbholders
there are no "shared" segments in the taillights? (sorry Daniel, I'm
not motivated enough to do custom work, even though you say it's
better...) That pretty much clears up what I would need to do to
duplicate the Euro setup then. The only remaining question is is the
wiring in place, and that I won't know until I go to hook it up...

nate

"N8N" > wrote in message
ups.com...

> > On a UK 944 at least, the reflector only (middle bottom section) is
> the
> > sidelight, the brakelights are the outer lower sections, the inner
> upper &
> > lower sections are foglights on both sides.

> Thanks Malc, so what you are saying is that even on the ECE bulbholders
> there are no "shared" segments in the taillights?

Yes that's right. The lower outer segment /could/ be shared between brake &
sidelight (ie if the sidelight took up two segments) but it isn't on mine.

Malc.