Front-engined Porsches don't tell you which turn signal you're using

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein) 09/25/2014 at 18:30 • Filed to: None

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This is a Porsche 996 gauge cluster. Like most cars, it has two turn signal indicators. But there was a time, for no particular reason I can think of, that certain Porsche models only had one turn signal light on the dash. Whether you're using the right, left, or both turn signals, the same damn light blinks.

Here's a 928 gauge cluster:

See the little light in the top of the cluster between the temp/fuel gauge and the speedo? That's the only turn signal light.

Here's a 944 Turbo gauge cluster:

The turn signal light is in between the speedo and tach here.

The slightly baffling thing about this is, the 911s sold at the same time as the 928 and 944, had two turn signal indicators . This is a 911 Carrera 3.2 (the turn signals are next to the 3 and 4 on the tach):

And a 964:

It's like somebody at Porsche said, "Vee are puttink ze engine in ze front, zerefore ze driver need not know vich turn signal is blinkeenk, nein!"

KirkyV > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 18:32

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In all fairness, I'm not sure I've ever actually used the little arrows to figure out which way I'm indicating.

CAR_IS_MI > KirkyV 09/25/2014 at 18:38

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Right. Thats pretty standard.

KirkyV > CAR_IS_MI 09/25/2014 at 18:39

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Actually, mostly left. Where I live, to make a right turn you have to go across two lanes of traffic. ;-)

pdx107 > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 18:39

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The least helpful warning light in the world !

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 18:42

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Wut

T5Killer > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 18:43

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It must be an extra cost option for the cluster with the directional turn signal lights.

desertdog5051 > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 18:45

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GM cars, in the mid 60's used one light to tell you your turn signal was on. Back then, people knew what they were doing and where they were going. Didn't need a confirmation light.

Cé hé sin > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 18:52

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Mk1 Escorts were the same. Get over it.

Doug DeMuro > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 18:53

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Haha the 360 is this way too. In 2004. It's insane. So was my Elise, which came out in 05. How expensive is it, really, to engineer ANOTHER little light?

Strange Noises Alou > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 20:09

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my wife's '73 Ghia has two indicators... it flashes both when one or the other turn signal is one.

factory misfeature, or is her car wiring in need of a bit of maintenance?

davedave1111 > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 20:43

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I've always wondered why the indicator indicators need to flash at all.

NervesOfThrill > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 21:07

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My wife's MINI Cooper has the uni-indicator light too. Hate it. Wreaks of cheapness.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 21:08

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You're right, the same goes for the early 944 dash as well; ask me how I know. ;)

but you're also the first person to ever really point it out and to if I understand this correctly, complain about it? In any case, my dad's 911 has two lights, my 944 has one.

vorspringing > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 21:13

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Same in my E21. I assumed it was a German car thing, and it appears I wasn't far wrong.

SeanB. > vorspringing 09/25/2014 at 22:51

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Most VW's up until 1990 or so (depending on the model) also had the single light for both signals.

Textured Soy Protein > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/25/2014 at 23:19

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Not a complaint—an observation.

compu_85 > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 23:25

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Mk1 and Mk2 Volkswagen Golfs & Jettas have a similar setup... one dash light for both signals. It never annoyed me.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Textured Soy Protein 09/25/2014 at 23:33

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Fair enough.

webmonkees > Textured Soy Protein 09/26/2014 at 03:51

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In other VDO news of the era,

Mk2 Golfs and Jettas were the last of that series to have the single signal. From 93 on they informed most of their drivers which way the blinken blinken is blinking.

This is the deluxe model. You can read mpg as well as the time of day.

gkwilly > Textured Soy Protein 09/26/2014 at 17:25

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my 1960 Valiant had that too. One light to bind them, one light to rule them all