today i discovered an amazing feature in my new octavia II, im sure many of u guys know it and use it but i'll tell u about it in case u didn't know;

while the ignition is on put the turn lights(hazards) left or right, switch off the ignition and take the key out.....Taaaa Daaaa,...the front and back lights of the side u chosen before will light....i.e. if u r going to park on on the right side, put the hazard on left, so the coming cars would notice that ur parking and know ur dimensions well...it is a comon feature in german cars but was astonished to find it in the octy:D....

hope many of u find it usefull..

Cheers,

It is nice when you discover something new. But this feature has been around

for quite some time now.

I have it in my 1978-9 Golf

I had it on my 1972 BMW....

:rofl:

What i don't get is why if you indicate left (to pull in on the left) and then turn the engine off doesn't the right hand side light come on so that the outermost light, eg the one nearest the road side?

You have a choice in case you park on the other side of the road?

I had it on my 1987 VW Polo.

What i don't get is why if you indicate left (to pull in on the left) and then turn the engine off doesn't the right hand side light come on so that the outermost light, eg the one nearest the road side?

I agree this is a bit odd, I use the feature all the time so when I pull up on the left I need to indicate momentarily to the right before turning off the ignition.

Isn't there a law about having to leave lights on when parked in a 40+ zone at night? I seem to remember years ago the police ticketing whole rows of cars (much to the anger of their owners) in a 40mph residential area for not having lights on whilst parked.

Just looked up the answer to my own question!

Rule 223 highway code, under parking at night;

All vehicles MUST display parking lights when parked on a road or lay-by on a road with a speed limit greater than 30 mph.

Law RVLR reg 24

So now I know.

I certainly didn't realise that you were still required to leave lights on anywhere when parked at night.

It used to be the case back in ancient times when I started driving that it was an offence for any car on the highway NOT to display lights at night. What's more you had to be facing in the correct direction.

I was done when a student for leaving a car in a short cul de sac, only just long enough to tuck a car into, without lights and for being on the wrong side! I tried to argue that if I was not displaying lights it hardly mattered which way I was facing (most cars did not have reflectors then), but the magistrates did not agree.:(

I recall that in London many cars had tiny lights which you could clip to the top of the window to try and avoid the drain on the battery of having all four parking lights on all night.

I certainly didn't realise that you were still required to leave lights on anywhere when parked at night.

It used to be the case back in ancient times when I started driving that it was an offence for any car on the highway NOT to display lights at night. What's more you had to be facing in the correct direction.

I was done when a student for leaving a car in a short cul de sac, only just long enough to tuck a car into, without lights and for being on the wrong side! I tried to argue that if I was not displaying lights it hardly mattered which way I was facing (most cars did not have reflectors then), but the magistrates did not agree.:(

I recall that in London many cars had tiny lights which you could clip to the top of the window to try and avoid the drain on the battery of having all four parking lights on all night.

The parking in the right direction rule is still there too.

Yeah, I got done some years ago in Douglas on the Isle Of Man for parking on the seafront after dusk 'not in the direction of flow of the traffic'

What annoyed me was that i'd parked against the flow of traffic during the day (in daylight) which was perfectly legal, and when I came out the next morning (daylight agian) i'd been given the ticket over night. it seems you have to go out and turn your car around at dusk if you dont want a ticket!

I dont think it's really enforced much in England though!

I use the parking lights when parked at night anywhere that "visitors from across the water" might be -

My Black Magic fabia is kinda difficult to see when you're drunk out of your mind and driving (?!?) a huge American car.

Better to risk a drained battery than finding a big dent left behind to ruin your evening!

(for further explanation - ask Xav!)

Cheers

Bas

I had it on my 1987 VW Polo.

I have it on my 1965 Ford Zodiac - beat that!

On the Zodiac it also doubles as an immobiliser. When the parking lights are on the engine won't start. (Could just be a wiring fault! )

I've owned seven VW Golfs. First one was from 1977. Didn't have the parking light feature. Second one was 1985 (Golf 2), and that one had it. All Golfs after had the feature. Sold my last Golf at January 2005 and got new Toyota Avensis. That car didn't have the parking light and I kinda missed it. My new Octy (September 2006) has it and I use it whole the time. No problems leaving it on whole the night. Doesn't drain the battery.

i was just going to ask about its battery consuming...but glad u informed me that could last a long enough while....

2day i found a very funny scene... a MK2 octy parking on the right and having the right side parking laights on:D ...i assume the driver put the turn lights and parked without getting back the arm...