1950s What are these switches

[Daffer]

Just a bit curious to what these switches are I tried looking through the owners manual and didn't find anything. I know the switches on the right makes my fog lights brighter but I have no idea what the left one does. Anyone know?
Thanks, Joshua

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Are those factory or aftermarket?

[59-in-pieces]

Josh,

What is the year and model of your car.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[Daffer]

It's a 1950 cadillac series 62 and the switches are factory

[Daffer]

Are those factory or aftermarket?

There factory

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Odd I dont know of having a dimmer on fog lights.  Does the light switch dim the dash lights?  Seems like something might not be wired right?

[Jay Friedman]

I don't know what they are for, but will make an educated guess.

I do know that on a 1949 Cadillac with a Standard Heating System used on cars in mild climates (as opposed to the Automatic Heating System used on most cars), there are 2 underdash switches to control the heater and defroster, respectively. It MAY be (and I emphasize the word MAY), your car has a Standard Heating System and one or both of these are switches to control it.

Let us know if there are other switches that control your heating system.  If so, I'm wrong. 

[Daffer]

Odd I dont know of having a dimmer on fog lights.  Does the light switch dim the dash lights?  Seems like something might not be wired right?

The switch doesn't truly dim it. It basically turns the small fog light bulbs off and turns what would be the turn signal lights on so not sure what the purpose of that is. But it's there 😂. Possibly parking light but I don't even know what parking lights are.

-Joshua

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Possibly parking light but I don't even know what parking lights are.   -Joshua   

Parking Lights are the low intensity lights at the front and rear that only glow when the Head Light Switch is pulled out to the first detent.

In the rear, they are the Tail Lights, as against the Brake Lights which are brighter, and the front, could be in the separate lights at the end of the Grill.

Bruce.

[Daffer]

Parking Lights are the low intensity lights at the front and rear that only glow when the Head Light Switch is pulled out to the first detent.

In the rear, they are the Tail Lights, as against the Brake Lights which are brighter, and the front, could be in the separate lights at the end of the Grill.

Bruce.

Ohhh ok, I appreciate the info I never knew that.

Thanks, Joshua

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

The reason they are called "Parking Lights" I believe dates back from olden times when vehicles had to have warning lights when parked on the sides of roads to warn other road users of there being an obstacle in their path.

In European cars, they have the ability to only turn the lights on the side of the car that is farthest out from the curb.   This way, they can leave them on all night without too much drain on the battery.

Remember that back in the days when there was limited Street Lighting, it got very dark out there as everyone turned off their lights when they weren't required, and there was not the mass illumination like today with advertising signs everywhere.

Bruce.

[59-in-pieces]

And all this time since I got my first driver's license, I thought the parking lights were used when we went to the drive-in movies at night, and turned the headlights off as a courtesy to the amorous movie goers, while we looked for our parking space, and then hung the speaker on our driver's window.

LOL!

Have fun,
Steve B.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I always got to the Drive-in well before starting time.  

Bruce.