Headlight-On Alert

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Headlight-On Alert

September 23, 2010, 01:36:25 pm

I often drive with headlights on during the daytime - and almost every time I turn off the key and leave the coach, I forget to turn them off, and only notice when I give the rig one fond backward glance while walking away.

Should they go off with the key off?

Do others have some kind of chime to alert them that headlights are still on?

Bob Mulder
02 U270
Roy, WA

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #1 – September 23, 2010, 02:35:01 pm

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Should the headlights go off with the key off?

Mine stay on when I turn off the ignition with no warning alert.

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #2 – September 23, 2010, 03:28:45 pm

Is there a reason you opt for the headlights instead of the driving lights? Same switch, different position. Ours are interlocked with (I think) the transmission selector so they're only on when you not in Neutral.

Michelle

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #3 – September 23, 2010, 04:16:40 pm

My coach has lights that automatically come on when you are in Drive. No switch to turn on or leave on.

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #4 – September 23, 2010, 04:18:59 pm

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My coach has lights that automatically come on when you are in Drive. No switch to turn on or leave on.

Was that a modification or was that standard on the 2004 U295?

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #5 – September 23, 2010, 04:26:49 pm

Hi Larry,
Are the light that come on, with the ignition, the DRL lights? That is the daytime running lights that are required, by law, for auto and trucks.

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #6 – September 23, 2010, 04:42:28 pm

Raymond, I am wondering when the driving lights became law ? where and when did this come about, Any Idea? Or is this a guess?
Very few truckers or RV types run the day time driving lights.
Are they all illegal?
Thanks
Dave

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #7 – September 23, 2010, 04:45:49 pm

Another thought - on my 2002 and now my 2003, the headlights (not the DRLs) come on if you activate the windshield wipers, and don't go off until you cycle the headlight switch "On" and then "Off".

May not apply here............

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #8 – September 23, 2010, 04:50:57 pm

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I am wondering when the driving lights became law ? where and when did this come about, Any Idea?

Where are DRLs required?
Laws in Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden require vehicles to operate with lights on during the daytime. There are two types of laws. Canada's requires vehicles to be equipped with DRLs. The other type of law in effect in Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden requires motorists to turn on their headlights if their vehicles do not have automatic DRLs. This kind of law applies to drivers only, and vehicles do not have to be specially equipped. In 1972, Finland mandated daytime running lights in winter on rural roads and a decade later made DRLs mandatory year-round. Sweden's law took effect in 1977, Norway's in 1986, Iceland's in 1988, and Denmark's in 1990. Hungary has required drivers on rural roads to operate with vehicle lights on since 1993. Canada requires DRLs for vehicles made after December 1, 1989.

No U.S. state mandates DRLs, although some require drivers to operate vehicles with lights on in bad weather.

Why has it taken so long to introduce DRLs in the United States?
Some state lighting laws inadvertently prohibited DRLs until the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) agreed to permit automakers to offer them on vehicles sold in all 50 states. This action, which preempted the state laws, followed a petition filed by General Motors. The Institute had filed a similar petition based on studies showing that DRLs are an inexpensive way to reduce daytime collisions between vehicles. After initially granting this petition, NHTSA terminated rulemaking in 1988, saying that the matter wasn't clearly a national safety issue and that auto manufacturers "tended to oppose, rather than support, the proposal." NHTSA then changed course again, approving DRLs in 1993.

Daytime running lights aren't required in the USA.
In the US, GM made daytime running lights a standard safety feature starting in 1999, and a lot of other manufacturers (Lexus, Mercedes, Saab, Subaru, Volvo, VW, etc.) have done so as well.

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #9 – September 23, 2010, 05:01:42 pm

Hi Dave,
I think all domestics have had them since the 2000 model year, or earlier. The Maryland State police "advised" that I needed to have them operating. I had pulled the fuse on my work vans. I currently have seven vehicles, oldest being a 1998, all have DRL lights. My older Camaro, and the Foretravel, do not.

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #10 – September 23, 2010, 05:40:41 pm

I will thoroughly agitate the pot. For the life of me, I can not figure out how headlights or driving lights in bright sunny daylight reduces accidents. I can't help but wonder if the "studies" were conducted, as so many are, by a "grant" designed to produce a result favorable to the grantor. (previous involvement in medical research) Nevertheless I, too, have drained more than one battery by leaving lights on after exiting the vehicle, mainly when it is raining and "wipers on-lights on" situations.' It seems to me that painting all vehicles blaze orange would accomplish a lot more visibility than "driving lights"
Please, in overcast, rainy weather, OK. but not out on a lovely sunny day. My end point is to turn on lights when I am able to see illumination in the dash lights. This gives me a clue to turn them off before exiting.
My coach has driving lights connected to the shift, on when into "D' or""R'. This, however does NOT turn on anything on the rear and when visibility gets poor, I want some lights on my rear and on my towed, so headlights come on.

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #11 – September 23, 2010, 06:49:01 pm

Like Bob, we often drive with the headlights on... but have no chime to remind us to turn them off when the ignition is switched off. Likewise, we would forget to turn off the tiny portable inverter that lives in the cabinet to the right of the driver's knees. The inverter powers an aging (old enough to have a serial port) Sony Vaio for the Silverleaf.

Given these two easily forgotten items, we took our label maker and a couple of clothes pins. The attached photo shows how we use these pins as reminders that these two items need to be turned off at the end of the day's travel. (Apologies for the poor image - it was taken with an old cellphone camera, somewhere between Mountain Home, ID and Ely, NV.... hence, the bleak landscape in the background.)

While the clothespins look a little silly, they are effective.

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #12 – September 23, 2010, 07:19:03 pm

As usual, there are different opinions on everything including the headlight issue. For me, I agree with the Virginia state law requiring headlights if your wipers are on, IE, raining or whatever that requires the wipers to be on.
The funny part, it appears about 30% do not get it, including some of the deputy types, guess they are above the law or fall into the 10% that has an elevator problem.
In Virginia if you get pulled over, pray it is a State Police person, they are educated and act it. The deputy types are NOT generally educated in law, and act it. Hope for the State Cop.
I am for the running lights, The DW hates the idea.
Cheers
Dave

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #13 – September 23, 2010, 08:09:04 pm

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Is there a reason you opt for the headlights instead of the driving lights?

Michelle

Mostly a choice to be redundant about safety. The more lights I have on, front and back, the better I like it. Any time another driver takes a second look at me, I figure it makes both of us a little more safe for each other. Part habit, too - from driving a lot on somewhat rural two lane roads, with a fair amount of commuter traffic, on wet, dark days. Can't hurt.

Bob Mulder
02 U270
Roy, WA

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #14 – September 23, 2010, 08:17:00 pm

We just drive everything that has wheels wheels with the lights on -- all the time.

It can't hurt and if it helps, so much the better.

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #15 – September 23, 2010, 08:33:35 pm

Headlights have been designed to be independent of the ignition switch in this Country. European vehicles are different. Alarms were added to the system as a feature.

From my days as being a Firefighter/paramedic, driving emergency vehicles, we were told that driving with your headlights on make your vehicle 94% more visible.

Many states now require you to turn your headlights on when it is raining (by law). I try to drive with my headlights on all of the time and I have noticed that on comming vehicles with their lights on are more visable and visable at a greater distance than vehicles that are not lit.

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #16 – September 23, 2010, 09:00:25 pm

Quote

Quote
My coach has lights that automatically come on when you are in Drive. No switch to turn on or leave on.

Quote

Was that a modification or was that standard on the 2004 U295?

Definitely standard

Quote

Are the light that come on, with the ignition, the DRL lights? That is the daytime running lights that are required, by law, for auto and trucks.

I believe they are DRLs, but I don't think there is any documentation on them in the manual.

A funny note:
I read that someone had suggested all cars only have one headlight to save electricity and reduce carbon emisions. It might work but it would be hard to measure.

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #17 – September 24, 2010, 07:50:16 pm

Here is a simple to wire headlight left on alarm.
http://redarc.com.au/handy-hints/how-to.../wire-a-simple-headlight-alarm

If headlight power it taken from dash lights instead, you could control the volume or turn off the alarm, when you want to have headlights on with ignition off, by dimming or turning off dash lights. 87a is a normally closed contact with 30. Relay is a very common automotive relay available at auto stores or Radio Shack. Also called a Bosch relay. There are several of these relays in our coach and generator.

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #18 – September 25, 2010, 01:14:23 pm

Back in the days when cars started to be made with headlight on reminders, I had an old car that suffered too many jumper starts on rainy days when I left the headlights on. I went to the local auto parts store and bought a buzzer made just for that purpose. It was probably just a 12 volt buzzer with a diode in series with the leads. I wired it between the headlight lead and the ignition lead, and when the headlights were on at the same time the ignition was off, it got 12 volts and reminded me to turn them off.

Re: Headlight-On Alert

Reply #19 – September 25, 2010, 01:57:09 pm

Thanks. The in-line buzzer seems to be a simple/direct solution. I will pursue it.

Bob Mulder
02 U270
Roy, WA

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