Orange or red

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse) 05/07/2015 at 17:40 • Filed to: BMW 3 series

1

12

Now, here’s a question. US (and presumably Canadian because they do as they’re told) vehicles are still allowed despite all reason to have red rear indicators.

So here’s a new 3 Series. Does it have red or orange? (the German plates are not necessarily a clue)

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > Cé hé sin 05/07/2015 at 17:56

1

Depends on what colour the diode is

.

.

.

?

desertdog5051 > Cé hé sin 05/07/2015 at 18:05

1

If it flashes and indicates a turn, WHAT’S THE POINT?

I hear the argument that they (amber) are easier to see in the fog and rain. Maybe you should slow down in inclement conditions and you can see any bright color before you run over them.

e36Jeff now drives a ZHP > desertdog5051 05/07/2015 at 18:58

4

I very much dislike lights that are combined brakes and blinkers. I don’t know if you are changing lanes or braking and you have a bulb out. Additionally, if you are braking and changing lanes with bulb out, you are not indicating you are slowing down. If you split the brake and turn signal so you blink but still have solid brakes lights, that’s fine, but I prefer amber and red just so I know what you are doing. I also appreciate the extra brake lights some cars have that come on when you really jam the brakes hard, I feel like that should be on all cars.

desertdog5051 > e36Jeff now drives a ZHP 05/07/2015 at 19:10

0

You make a good point. I was making my point based on working lights. I check mine every time I start the truck. A simple look in the mirror tells me that all the lights are working. If it is daylight, I do a visual inspection every couple days.

Are you referring to the third brake light or something else in your reference to the “extra brake lights”?

FireSpittingV12 > Cé hé sin 05/07/2015 at 19:52

0

Ill keep my ‘15 spec lights on my F82 thanks. I don’t like the ‘16 spec.

e36Jeff now drives a ZHP > desertdog5051 05/07/2015 at 20:40

1

BMW’s I know for sure have them, not sure about other manufacturers, but in pretty much every BMW since the early 2000’s if you really stomp on the brakes, i.e. panic stop, there is an extra bulb in each tail light cluster that lights up in addition to the normal brakes. They delay the illumination of the second light by about half a second from the main brake lights. The only place I’ve ever seen it illuminate is on the track, but it really grabs your attention, and even if you dont know the reason for it, it screams “stop right the hell now” in your brain.

Here is a handy video:

afaik though the 3rd one he does where the brake lights flash is not a standard one, I think he played with the software to make that happen.

desertdog5051 > e36Jeff now drives a ZHP 05/07/2015 at 22:14

0

Never saw that before. Interesting. And a good Idea. Thanks.

wafflesnfalafel > Cé hé sin 05/07/2015 at 22:14

0

I always wondered why orange turn signals weren’t mandated. They are so much more noticeable, (and so presumably more functional and safer.)

duurtlang > wafflesnfalafel 05/08/2015 at 02:09

2

They’ve been mandatory in Europe for many decades.

KirkyV > Cé hé sin 05/08/2015 at 10:29

1

If it’s EU-market, then amber. If US, then probably red. #hashtagboringanswer

So far as I’m concerned, there’s absolutely no argument to be made for red indicators. Even if you prefer the look of plain, red light clusters, it’s seemingly easy to hide amber indicators behind red lenses.

Cé hé sin > KirkyV 05/08/2015 at 10:34

0

Indeed, I posted that after seeing one of those four door 6 series thingies (6 GC??) which had just that, seemingly all-red lenses which managed nonetheless to have orange LEDs.

KirkyV > Cé hé sin 05/08/2015 at 10:44

0

Yup. Peugeot were doing it in the nineties, though the effect was somewhat dependent on the ambient lighting. They could look a tad pink at times.

I’m rather displeased that Ford opted to give the EU Mustang white light clusters, instead of red-with-hidden-amber. It just looks so much better with red rears.