That seems very 'unporsche' .. to install a bulb in a socket that isn't even used. I mean, this is the company that custom builds wiring harnesses to save (or is it prohibit) on a bit of weight.

Is that opposite side just the 'spare holder'?

 

Heh? Blown tail light.. if you have the headlights on, both tail-lights are illuminated.. easy enough to see.
Press on the brakes, all 3 brake lights come on. Easy to see.

Was his issue (it seems so) only that you had one light on one side, without a corresponding equal light on the other side?

I mean, how would he right that up - a blown light that I'm not sure what it is as I verified the tail and brake lights are working?

 

Passenger side fog light socket has a bulb...but no power ever gets to it.

 

Right... and that seems very odd. (as a very odd thing for them to be doing.. not that they are not doing it... just doesn't fit the character of the company in my view)

Even if they do that so one can reconfigure the fog light feature in the computer to determine which lights come on or not.. to install a part that isn't needed is very un-Porsche, given their bespoke solutions to everything else (wiring harnesses, PCM components, etc).

 

Power does get to the right side fog socket. Both sides also act as the parking lights. Both fog lights and brake lights are the same bulbs. They both have a low setting and a bright setting. When you turn on the fog light or step on the brake, the bright setting is activated. I had a "brake light out" warning light and realized the low setting still worked. It was late enough at night that I couldn't get a replacement so I simply changed the bulb with the right fog bulb and everything worked fine.

 

Ah, ok. That makes sense.. its not a separate bulb, just the activation of a separate filament in an existing bulb. Though I'd think if the rear fog and brake are the same bulb, then if you are in the places with dual rear fog illumination, seeing when the brakes are applied relies entirely on the 3rd brake light, which sounds risky.

 

You're still confused - the fog light bulb/socket is separate from the brake light bulb/socket...but both sockets use the same type of dual filament bulb. The fog light acts as a parking light until the fog light is activated at which time the extra, brighter filament illuminates, although only on the driver's side. So the brake lights aren't affected.

 

The fog lights only illuminate on the driver's side so they're not mistaken for the brake lights.

 

I like to turn this on when I have a tailgater - they usually get the point

 

That's 1 of 2 good uses for the rear fog lamp. The only other one is for truly inclement, low visibility conditions. Too often, I see "drivers" in high dollar Euro cars tooling down the highway in clear, normal conditions with their rear fog lit. Annoying and distracting to following drivers and seemingly "reflective" of the driver's ego.

Rant over!

 

Just move over - much safer.