Airbus 318/319/320/321 Undifferentiated
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 230; Flight Crew Total 14500; Flight Crew Type 4500
Situational Awareness; Distraction
No Specific Anomaly Occurred All Types
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Airport
When we broke out below the overcast [and] the recently installed PAPI on the right side of Runway 25L was not visible but the PAPI for 25R was shining like the sun. As we got closer we could see that the Runway 25L PAPI was very dimly lit. Tower tried to adjust the brightness for both the left and right PAPI without success. It was not a problem for us as we were VMC well above the ground but in an environment of very low ceilings[in] the proximity of the runways and the PAPIs might lead a crew to attempt to land on the incorrect runway. Also; I am not sure why the PAPI is on for a runway (25R) which is used almost exclusively for takeoff and only rarely is used for landing.
An Airbus Captain flying a morning; daylight VMC approach below an overcast; reported the LAX Runway 25L PAPI dimly lit while the 25R PAPI was very bright. Tower was unable to adjust either PAPI's illumination level.