When does one use the parking lights? I've been replacing the OEM bulbs with LED and realized I've never turned the parking lights on.

 

As the name implies, they are meant to be used when you park your vehicle on the street to make it easier for other drivers to see your parked vehicle. Parking lights don't use much power, so they can be left illuminated for a long time without draining your battery too much. You can activate either the left side or the right side independently in European cars, allowing you to only illuminate the side necessary for the side of the street on which you park.

In the US, regulations require side marker lights and reflectors, so parking lights are rarely used.

When I bought my first modern European car (a Saab 9-5 Aero), it had something called "city lights". They were essentially the same as the parking lights, but they were white in the front instead of amber, like the 996. My understanding is that they were ment to be used in densely populated and well lit urban areas at night where headlights were not necessary for visibility.

 

Makes sense. are you the person who did the 996 to 997 front end conversion?

 

Nope. I liked my 996 the way it was. I sold it when the time was right and bought a 997.