Headlight warning?

[oldbiker]

Should there be an audible warning if I leave the headlights on when I take the keys out of the ignition? My 10 year old Fiesta had one but no warning given by my 2016 1.2 SE.

[vc-10]

Nope, because the lights aren't on 

 

If you leave the light switch in the dipped beam setting then the lights turn off when you remove the key. If you leave the parking lights (either all 4 corners with the headlamp switch, or just one side with the indicator switch) then it will buzz. 

[oldbiker]

Got it, tried it, you are quite right! Thanks vc-10.

[hgb]

The problem is that next day you drive around with your headlights on without knowing.

[AGFalco]

Also the buzzer will only go off if open the drivers door.

If you exit the car via the passenger door you get NO buzzer warning!

 

Thanks AG Falco.

[oldbiker]

Thanks for the replies guys. It was SWMBO who brought the question up, she was worried about leaving them on after negotiating a local lane which is always dark and shady even during daylight hours.

[Ootohere]

Driving about all day with headlights on is no big issue, better than driving all day with DRL's to the front and nothing to the rear.

Sidelights (Position lights) are not 'Parking Lights',

  Parking lights which is what you get with the indicator stalk down to the left or right are parking lights.

[vc-10]

The sidelights aren't driving lights either! That's why the dash cluster doesn't light up. 

 

The number of cars I see driving around with just DRLs at night is ridiculous. Fords and the Peugeot/Citroen/Toyota city cars seem to be the worst offenders. Their dash clusters are permanently lit, even with the lights off, and the DRLs illuminate enough when behind someone that you think you've got your lights on. But there's absolutely nothing on the back of the car 

 

This is why the VW Group cars have a sensor in the dash cluster, so it stays illuminated briefly with the lights off (EG driving under a bridge), but turns off the backlighting giving you that visual clue that the external lights are off.

[Ootohere]

Re 'Side Lights', read a UK Highway code.

Still says in Street Lit areas you ca drive with just 'Sidelights on' during lighting up time.

Do not sit stationary at the side of the road ie parked, with sidelights on.

http://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/safety/automatic-lights 

 

Edited 28 April, 2017 by Awayoffski

[vc-10]

The problem with side lights is that so many cars (not the Fabia, actually, at least not the Fabia with the cheaper headlamps!) have such crap sidelights that there's barely any illumination on the front of the car. 2 tiny 5W bulbs that aren't in the main reflectors are not enough, especially not in the rain at night. At lighting up time I can understand, but people take this to mean 10pm in December in sideways rain, which is why I think they just shouldn't be used full stop. Make it simpler. There are no times where having dipped beam on is a disadvantage, and when people demonstrate time and time again that they can't do it properly, they shouldn't be given the option. Some cars are OK (most of those with LED DRLs, which just use the DRLs as sidelights, like the Leons with LED lamps) but for most cars there isn't enough illumination.

 

 

[Ootohere]

Sidelights have never been bright enough, but the Highway code has long been out of date, even when they update.

Not many use Sidelights as DRLs at DRL brightness, that is Illegal and against Construction & Use so would not have type approval.

 

The Mk2 Fabia vRS probably have the worst DRL's used on any cars other than the Volvo's and Porsche with the same units.

Mistaken as Fog Lights when on as DRL's and still mistaken for Fog Lights when on dimmer as just sidelights or on with headlights as sidelights.

Edited 28 April, 2017 by Awayoffski