Understanding the headlight controls

[Jim Ted]

I was quite surprised the first time I turned off my ignition with my low beam headlights on, to find that the lights were automatically turned off.

Whilst this is one way of making sure you never leave your lights on, it made me wonder how you actually do keep your lights on without the ignition on? Are you supposed to just put sidelights on then?

[mattytemp]

All lights will turn off with ignition fully off. Except if you have indicators on which if on the sidelight and rear lights of the way u indicate will turn on, these are what they call parking lights. Compusery in some eu countrys I do beleive.

[KenONeill]

Er, leaving your headlights on when you're parked is illegal and inconsiderate.

[mikey vrs]

All lights will turn off with ignition fully off. Except if you have indicators on which if on the sidelight and rear lights of the way u indicate will turn on, these are what they call parking lights. Compusery in some eu countrys I do beleive.

My sidelights stay on if i switch them on & take the key out......i even get a warning buzzer sounding when i open the door.

[eccleshill]

If headlights are on when you switch off the lights go out completely

If sidelights only are on when you switch off then they stay on and you get beeped at when you open the doors

[reverse]

If headlights are on when you switch off the lights go out completely

Unless you have "coming home" activated

[Jim Ted]

Well I asked the original question because every other car I have driven, the lights stay on when you turn the ignition off and take the keys out. Often there will be an alarm to warn you to turn them off, but I've never known them go off automatically.

[CFB]

The wonders of modern technology, eh?

[skodanorman]

When you turn my 2007 vRS off with the lights on the sidelights remain on. Sad though it is, I think it looks "moody" whilst filling with fuel.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[countryboy]

I expect you have coming home lights so they will turn off automatically after, say 30 secs. If you want the lights on all the time then presumably that will be sidelights only so you will leave the sidelights on. Unless that is you only want the sidelights left on on one side of the car, if you are parking on an unlit road for instance, in which case turn the lights off, turn the indicator stalk the appropriate way and take the key out of the ignition.

Ian

[reverse]

Whilst this is one way of making sure you never leave your lights on, it made me wonder how you actually do keep your lights on without the ignition on?

So, it's kind of like you want to turn off the car, but keep it running? Or kill the power in your house but keep the lights on? Doesn't make any sense, does it.

Are you supposed to just put sidelights on then?

Yes. I believe so. What benefit would there be for leaving your lights on when you park for example? It's very confusing for other people in traffic. I bet it's even illegal (not sure about UK).

[booke23]

Are you supposed to just put sidelights on then?

In the UK highway code is pretty clear on this....it states "You must switch off headlights and fog lights when stopped/parked at the roadside"

So as Ken and reverse said, it's illegal to leave them on.

Also when parked at night on a road or on a lay-by on a road with a speed limit of greater than 30 mph, the vehicle must, by law display parking lights.

Edited 13 February, 2013 by booke23

[Jim Ted]

I do realise it may have seemed like a bit of a stupid topic, but the reasons I was confused is just that every other car I have ever driven has NOT turned the lights off automatically when I have turned off the ignition and even removed the keys and locked the door. Instead there has been a warning alarm to remind me turn the lights off. It seems so simple to turn them off automatically like in the Skoa - in fact even more simple than having a warning alarm! So why don't all cars do this?