Stupid, stupid, stupid

[Mark Hewitt]

The title refers to me?. I left the lights on overnight and now can't get in.

1. Which battery have I flattened? The one under the bonnet or the big one
2. How do I get the little cover that cover the lock off? I just seem to chip the paintwork.

I noticed that the other day when I was at a cafe and came back and my lights were on. I'd been driving Hyundais for a long time and they turn the lights off when the car is off, so never gave it much thought.

 

[phil99]

I noticed that the other day when I was at a cafe and came back and my lights were on. I'd been driving Hyundais for a long time and they turn the lights off when the car is off, so never gave it much thought.

The lights will only be on if you switched the auto lights off and set them to manual before shutting down/locking the car, or if you didn't lock (or shut down) the car.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

The lights will only be on if you switched the auto lights off and set them to manual before shutting down/locking the car, or if you didn't lock (or shut down) the car.

Yes that's right. The auto lighting seems to constantly trigger the Auto Main Beam regardless of oncoming traffic! So always end up having to set it to Manual or Off.

 

[siteguru]

Pull the main beam flasher a couple of times and that seems to disable the auto main beam (until the next time you get in the car, or if you turn the lights to manual and then back to auto).

FWIW auto main beam works pretty good in my car - certainly no worse and probably better than my previous Insignia.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Pull the main beam flasher a couple of times and that seems to disable the auto main beam (until the next time you get in the car, or if you turn the lights to manual and then back to auto).

FWIW auto main beam works pretty good in my car - certainly no worse and probably better than my previous Insignia.

Thanks! Frustrating this car the amount of systems and settings that need changing before every drive.

 

[siteguru]

You can do that one easily on the go (if necessary) without using the screen.

 

[fnegroni]

Yes that's right. The auto lighting seems to constantly trigger the Auto Main Beam regardless of oncoming traffic! So always end up having to set it to Manual or Off.

Are you referring to the green high beam sign with A written inside it, or the blue one?

 

[siteguru]

I've presumed he meant the main beams actually coming on (which should coincide with the blue indicator). ?‍

 

[Kithmo]

I've presumed he meant the main beams actually coming on (which should coincide with the blue indicator). ?‍

I turned auto high beam off in mine and it stays off when I restart the car, it seems to be one of the few things that it remembers.

 

[Rolfe]

There's no way these DRLs/sidelights are going to flatten the 12V, however long you leave them on for - and not only because the HV battery should be tending to the 12V anyway. They just don't use enough power. It's only a nuisance leaving them on because they're like a beacon that mainly says, someone has probably left this car unlocked. Or done something else stupid.

And as you found out, it was loose battery terminals.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Are you referring to the green high beam sign with A written inside it, or the blue one?

The green one.

 

[siteguru]

The green one just means that auto main beam is available ... the blue one means they are actually turned on.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

The green one just means that auto main beam is available ... the blue one means they are actually turned on.

Thanks! Was worried I was blinding people! How do I activate them if I need them? I did RTFM but it was not clear.

 

[fnegroni]

Thanks! Was worried I was blinding people! How do I activate them if I need them? I did RTFM but it was not clear.

The green A means they will come on automatically.
If you want to manually put them on just push away the light stalk once.
When they are on, automatically or not, a blue symbol will appear too.

 

[Big Ears]

Good to know we bought a quality car Not.

 

[Rolfe]

Loose 12V battery connections never happen to quality cars, eh?

 

[John1941]

The title refers to me?. I left the lights on overnight and now can't get in.

1. Which battery have I flattened? The one under the bonnet or the big one
2. How do I get the little cover that cover the lock off? I just seem to chip the paintwork.

Happened to me AA got into car with manual key. 12V flat, ok when recharged. 2 questions why don’t lights switch off when car locked? Also why didn’t HV battery recharge 12V?

 

[Rolfe]

The lights don't draw anything worth switching off for. It's not possible to drain the 12V that way, first because the lights draw so little, and second because the traction battery keeps the 12V topped up anyway. The OPs problem was nothing to do with the lights, that was coincidence. His 12V had a loose connection.

It would be nice to be able to switch the lights off while the car is still on, so that one could sit in the car with the heating and stereo on but not showing lights (drive-in cinema was a case someone mentioned, also aurora-watching and camping), but the amount of electricity they consume is neither here nor there.

I did the tour of the Ardnamurchan lighthouse last week. It has been fitted out with LED lights to replace - well, the whale oil then the paraffin then the incandescent bulbs or whatever has been used to light it over the decades - and now you couldn't boil a kettle on what that structure consumes.

 

[SH58]

But that's is more than enough logic to code, if drivers door sensor = open, seat switch = off (you got out) and lights = manual mode, make an annoying chime.

Audis do exactly that ??‍ Most annoying when you have a real key in the ignition, but I’d say most useful with the MG4.

 

[Dafc1fan]

It does bong if you get out and leave the lights on manual, the problem is that the bong occurs as you're shutting the door or after you've shut the door if you get out quickly and you don't always hear it.

Yep thankfully I am no longer a young person, so I’m slower than I once was, so have picked up the warning. Had the MG4 a year and occasionally I accidentally knock lights to manual as the stick has more than once use!! I have returned to the car and lights have been on!! Thankfully not long enough to flatten the 12V.