is there any reason I should not do the "marker flash" mod as described here to my car?
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I'm a big believer in letting people know what I'm doing; would really like to put in proper side repeaters as found on Euro cars, but this is a company car so I don't want to do anything too obvious. Just wanted to make sure that there wasn't something tied into either the park light circuit or directional circuit that might get screwed up by doing this (not used to cars with so many computers, you know...)
If I were you, I would ask that question on one of the Impala forums on the Net. Being an '08, it is very computer intensive, and though I doubt it would cause a problem, I would imagine it could cause the "Service Vehicle Soon" (or similar) light to come on. I bet it would also void certain warranty parts as well (such as the electrical system), if the vehicle goes in, and it is noticed.
I don't think a computer monitors current flow to the lights in that vehicle. Some vehicles do and will give a warning when a light bulb is out. The only way to be sure would be to check the schematics. Or try it.
I'd be hesitant without checking first. I looking at police lighting I discovered that Chevy strongly warns you not to wire alternating flashers into the rear brake and backup lights which is something commonly done on the crown vics. the chevies seem to have the computer monitoring everything.
they'll still work, they will be on solid if the parking lights are on and flash whenever the turn signals are on (parking lights on - out of sync with the regular turn signals, parking lights off - in sync with turn signals) my dad's 73 C-10 was like this from the factory
What kind of turn signals does it have? Are they turn signals only, or are they also parking lights?
I have a few cars from old Subarus to a Scion tC. The tC has turn signals only, where the side markers are on with the parking lights (which are really 'city lights' on this model). So, the turn signals are probably one wire only. It would appear that 'feeding back' the side marker light would cause the turn signals to be on all the time on this car.
Um, I'm not going to experiment with that car...besides, it had turn signals in the mirrors...
The Subaru has a marker light that is a white light, but it also has an embedded, separate orange light in the side of the marker, and separate turn signals only under the bumper. Rewiring this to the turn signals would make the orange side marker a turn signal only, which to me is not a bad thing, and probably in Japan and Europe is the way the car is wired. Like you, I like to give all the information I can about what I am doing, and this would be an interesting modification.
I would do some more digging and make notes about how the lights work before making any mods...
Alternately, you could swap out the connector socket. My '88 Supra has turn signals in the grille, and they are innermost with the marker outboard from that. There is also a marker in the front of the fender. I have seen Supra owners mod their lighting so the outer light is the turn signal, but I would rather rig the marker in the fender with a two way bulb and have it act as a marker and a turn signal. Of course, I also don't like messing with Toyotas a lot, since they work so well from the factory! ;)
Both... I think they are 3157s or similar (wedge base two filament bulb)
Not really. side markers are 194s (I think?) only 5W... feeding back through the turn signals doesn't even light the filaments on the two 21W filaments (front and rear) this is why this trick works. like I said my dad's 73 pickup was wired like this from the factory.
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yeah, that is why I posted. If something computerized is tied into the directional etc. I would not want to screw something up, although if it is just wires and switches I'm good to go.
Actually doing the mod is as simple as cutting off one wire and scotch-loking it to another. just wanted to make sure that I wouldn't be doing anything bad, because if I burn up something expensive, since it's a leased vehicle, I'd get in all sorts of doo-doo.
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