Lights on in a car

C

cullenswood

Guest
Hi,

I usually drive with me dip lights on the whole time. I feel it is safer to do so. Would this affect the battery? I filled up with petrol this morning, but forgot to turn off the lights while doing so, and when I got back into the car the battery was dead. It is a 00 reg car so the battery isn't that old.

Should leaving the lights on for 5 mins run the battery down?
 
make sure the water is topped up. if its low you would get the symptom you mentioned. You are supposed to use distilled water but ive used boiled filtered water before without any ill effect.
 
Hi,
5 minutes should not have such an effect esp. onn a car theat is relatively new. I agree with you about dipped headlights - it would be good if it was made a stadard feature on all vehicles sold. i remember that Telecom Eireann made this adjustment to their fleet of vans and reduced accidents dramatically - it has a negligible impact on fuel consumption.

As previous poster said, check water level - it should not be too difficult to get distilled water. IFor the moment as the battery is weak, make sure allitems that draw on the battery (lights, fans) are turned off before trying to start her up!

Slán
 
If you have a condenser clothes dryer at home, the water from this is distilled so you can use it. Just a tip !!
 
You actually use more fuel by driving with your lights on...............

Personally, I always drive with my lights on. Extra cost is worth it.
 
'parking lights'!!

Recently I visited friends for supper, arriving at 7.00pm in the dark (on the bus and by foot.......not a vehicle owner or driver currently!) and noticed one of the half-dozen cars parked in the drive still had its headlights on - so mentioned this when I got inside. I was embarassed when the car's owner said they were 'parking lights' which she had left on deliberately.
 
Re: 'parking lights'!!

Marie , she probably said that because she was embarassed at having left the lights on. I would never leave my parking lights on in a drive unless the car was in an awkward or dangerous position.
 
Re: 'parking lights'!!

Well maybe to be fair in her defense she or he was new to driving at the end of the day like. Parking lights left on, that's a good one!

In general, driving with dipped lights in the daytime is a good idea. Now that you mention it, whatever happened with that Dublin CIty Council "lights on daytime" campaign?
 
en-light-enment

Ohhhhh! Irishmen and chauvinism! Actually she's Managing Director of a company which designs and makes car seats!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:rollin

I am so totally confused since. Before if I saw a colleagues car in the hospital car-park with its headlights on I'd ask the Receptionist to let the person know. Now I'm peering at these bloody cars thinking "Is it a PARKING light?..........or is it "A LIGHT".

:lol
 
Re: en-light-enment

Marie: you are not a millions miles away from the truth. I have a humble toyota corolla and sometimes I leave the parking lights on if I am just running to post a letter etc. Have to check twice to see that they are not dipped lights. On the subject of flat battery, left inside cabin light on once ( looking for tickets or something similar) at dublin airport and returned to find said corolla had taken the hump and wouldn't start. flat battery.
 
Re: en-light-enment

Having a bit of difficulty following the logic here.

Car batteries are not designed to be running lights when the engine is not running. No lights - not "parking" ones, not even internal ones.

Parking where one feels that the car needs to be lit to be safe from causing a crash is illegal and stupid.

Therefore, lights (of any description) should never be left on when the engine is not running.
 
Re: en-light-enment

I have parking lights on my car. In fact I can select to leave the LHS front and back or the RHS front and back on, depending on which side of the road I am on.
 
Re: en-light-enment

Cynical of me I know, but I'd suspect the car was an expensive model and the owner was just deliberately drawing attention to it.

I've a vague recollection that in Germany they'd some rules requiring parking lights to be left on at night on unlit streets. Think that might be why the feature was added, and probably means the German cars come with good batteries.

If a car ends up stopped in a unsafe or illegal position due to some emergency, then hazard lights are a better option anyway. The parking lights wouldn't demonstrate to a careless driver as clearly that the car is stationary.
 
newfangled

PGD is correct and the car was parked with it's 'parking' lights' on.........I understand this feature is new regardless of the drain on the battery. It is very confusing as now it is impossible to tell if someone has accidentally left lights on or if they are bona-fide 'parking lights'.
 
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