I am wondering what is the reasoning behind putting the rear turn signals in the bumper. In traffic that would be one of the last places to expect to look for them and because they are embedded inside the bumper harder to see. A standard and less expensive placement would be in the brake light assembly like most other vehicles on the road.
Turn signals on rear bumper?
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like2bike
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It does look like the front and rear turn signals are in the bumpers. Turn signals are clear lens with amber bulbs. The back-up lights must be in the bumper too since they are clear lens with white bulbs. The rear upper lens is all red, rear parking and brake lights are red. I would presume they meet US standards.
An interesting automotive aside about turn signal lights. I noticed that some cars on the road have white turn signal lights. Here is the reason:
"The amber bulbs commonly used in turn signals with colourless lenses are no longer made with cadmium glass, since various regulations worldwide, including the European RoHS directive, banned cadmium because of its toxicity.[70] Amber glass made without cadmium is relatively costly, so most amber bulbs are now made with clear glass dipped in an amber coating. Some of these coatings are not as durable as the bulbs themselves; with prolonged heat-cool cycles, the coating may flake off the bulb glass, or its colour may fade. This causes the turn signal to emit white light rather than the required amber light." From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_lighting
An interesting automotive aside about turn signal lights. I noticed that some cars on the road have white turn signal lights. Here is the reason:
"The amber bulbs commonly used in turn signals with colourless lenses are no longer made with cadmium glass, since various regulations worldwide, including the European RoHS directive, banned cadmium because of its toxicity.[70] Amber glass made without cadmium is relatively costly, so most amber bulbs are now made with clear glass dipped in an amber coating. Some of these coatings are not as durable as the bulbs themselves; with prolonged heat-cool cycles, the coating may flake off the bulb glass, or its colour may fade. This causes the turn signal to emit white light rather than the required amber light." From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_lighting
like2bike said:
US law states that rear turn signals can be amber or red. This is a total joke of a law - rear turn signals should be amber, just like most of the rest of the world. Of course, we also have a jacked-up metric system....don't get me started.
Just because the lens is clear does not mean that is the turn signal.
SeanNelson
Well-known member
I totally, wholeheartedly agree with this. One of my pet peeves is cars with red turn signals. It's not enough to prevent me from buying a car, but boy I sure wish there was another way to show my displeasure with it.Patronus said:
There are no white lenses in the main taillights, so that means the reverse lights are in the bumper. As for turn signals, I don't know. Looks to me like they are reflectors in the bumper.
If you look at the main taillight assembly, part wraps around the side of the car. That is so that the turn signals are visible from the side as well as the rear - thus, it's likely the signals are in the main light assembly.
If you look at the main taillight assembly, part wraps around the side of the car. That is so that the turn signals are visible from the side as well as the rear - thus, it's likely the signals are in the main light assembly.
roundpeg
Well-known member
jjr said:
I think this is correct. The clear lens in the bumper are the reverse lights, and the turn signals will be in the main tail light assembly.
This discussion is kind of academic in California at least, where few drivers have any concept of why a car is even equipped with turn signals (speaking of pet peeves).
Fargoneandout
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The video review by Green Car Reports shows a Bolt making a turn. I only see yellow blinkers on the bumper light assembly. Could be wrong but that seems to cohere with what I too saw in the owner's manual.
Well, bummer. The good news is that they are proper amber turn signals. The bad news is that they are just too low for good visibility.
I wonder if the main tails are programmable to re-direct or add turns there. I have done this kind of thing on my GTI with some fancy software and cable.
I wonder if the main tails are programmable to re-direct or add turns there. I have done this kind of thing on my GTI with some fancy software and cable.
SeanNelson
Well-known member
Yeah, I agree that it's a stupid place to put turn signals. I like them high and wide like on my Prius C.Patronus said:
At least if you get the Premiere trim level it comes with turn signals in the mirrors, which IMHO is probably even more important. If you turn when someone behind you isn't expecting it then chances are it will be less of a problem than if you turn when someone beside you isn't expecting it.
roundpeg
Well-known member
Fargoneandout said:
That's pretty surprising. I can't imagine why they did not integrate a turn signal into the main rear taillight assembly.
Fargoneandout
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Well I find it more than a little odd that the owners manual only makes reference to the stoplamps/taillamps that are part of the bumper assembly, while making no reference at all I can see to the larger ones in the lift gate. Many videos show a yellow swirling light stripe through the lift gate lighting assembly but the only video I could find showing rear lights in action (Green Car Reports review) did not shown evidence that this yellow region is lit. Maybe because these are LED and the manual says "For replacement of any LED assembly, contact your dealer," these are also turn signals and the video was a pre-production model. You'd think (a) that GM would make that yellow LED stripe in the lifgate DO something while hoping thay (b) test drivers would confirm or deny.
If the tail lamps are in the hatch door, some countries require duplicate lamps in the bumper so drivers behind you will still know your intentions if you have the hatch door raised in order to transport an oversized object. As the Bolt is to be sold in the North America, Europe and Asia, I assume that's why bumper lights are part of the design.
The hatch door tail lamps in the Bolt function as running lights and brake lamps. I too saw the amber strip in publicity photos and was excited that it would be a turn signal but that does not *appear* to be the case in the Bolts I have seen in person. I wonder if the hardware is there and can be activated by a hack to put the hatch lamps in "Opel Ampera E" mode, since Europe requires amber blinkers front and rear (as I wish the US would).
The hatch door tail lamps in the Bolt function as running lights and brake lamps. I too saw the amber strip in publicity photos and was excited that it would be a turn signal but that does not *appear* to be the case in the Bolts I have seen in person. I wonder if the hardware is there and can be activated by a hack to put the hatch lamps in "Opel Ampera E" mode, since Europe requires amber blinkers front and rear (as I wish the US would).
NeilBlanchard
Well-known member
The i3 has lights both in the hatch and the bumper, and when the hatch is open - like if you were carrying a large object - the bumper lights are activated. But when the hatch is closed, only the main lights work.
On the front, having the turn signals in the bumper makes them actually visible when you have the headlights on. So, maybe the designer liked a certain symmetry?
On the front, having the turn signals in the bumper makes them actually visible when you have the headlights on. So, maybe the designer liked a certain symmetry?
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