Parking light issues

[ECrider]

Considering some parking I've seen perhaps some models have 'abandoned' lights rather than 'parking' lights.

 

[globalgregors]

Whenever driving on country roads in the daytime it was good practice to turn you headlights on so other cars can see you easily.
Particularly in dark or coloured vehicles that match the surroundings.
Daytime running lights now perform the same job, almost.
I don't understand why you would need to leave a parking light on at night because the other vehicle that is driving should have it's headlights on.

I always presumed it was for a vehicle parked against the oncoming lane of traffic (no reflectors on the front).

Generally in Oz it’s only permitted to park facing the same direction as the adjacent lane of traffic.

 

[Tinerfeño]

In Finland, and I assume in entire Europe, you need to keep parking lights on during the night if the car is parked so that it is partially on the road. If outside, not needed.

 

[Eric]

In Finland, and I assume in entire Europe, you need to keep parking lights on during the night if the car is parked so that it is partially on the road. If outside, not needed.

Parking light requirements were abolished decades ago in the UK but I think the "Highway Code" still requires you to park with the traffic flow, hence reflectors visible.

 

[moehni]

The parking lights, which are only legal in Germany when they are used outside of villages are the fibres as the Daytime Running Light but they are not as bright. They get dimmed.

Ignition on = DRL on, bright
Switch on parking light = DRL gets dimmed and becomes parking light
Switch on low beam = no change, parking lights are still parking lights, low beam is added

AWo

But does the parking light works with the ignition turned off and the car locked up? That is what I was asking the other owners. Or is it just a fault in my special case? I didn´t want to start a discussion wether parking lights are useful or not. In some situations I would be happy to turn them on.

 

[AWo]

That is the purpose of a parking light. To work when the ignition is off, locked.

AWo

 

[Michael H.]

That is the purpose of a parking light. To work when the ignition is off, locked.

AWo

We know that's the purpose of parking lights, but are you saying that they operate that way in your Grenadier, because they don’t work with the ignition off in my Grenadier or @moehni's.

 

[Jean Mercier]

We know that's the purpose of parking lights, but are you saying that they operate that way in your Grenadier, because they don’t work with the ignition off in my Grenadier or @moehni's.

@AWo doesn't own a Grenadier, but was involved in part of the "set up" as an expert, and clearly "loves" part of the outcome with due respect to him and his knowledge

 

[Clark Kent]

But does the parking light works with the ignition turned off and the car locked up? That is what I was asking the other owners. Or is it just a fault in my special case? I didn´t want to start a discussion wether parking lights are useful or not. In some situations I would be happy to turn them on.

I just tested this on my Australian delivered M1, noting that the end market may affect the results.
Same as @Michael H. reported several times in this thread: parking lights ON (switch position 2 in the manual) then key OFF and lock the vehicle turns off the parking lights.

The halo ring around the headlamp doubles up as the front parking lamp and DRL.

 

[hopefulkiwi]

every car i have had ranging in age from 1972 to 2018 has always had parking lights. The 2 bmw i have had both had the option that ony 1 side would come on if the indicator stalk was pushed .My 2018 Toyota Fortuner has parking lights which are ctually th drls. They do work as parking lights when car is locked and keys are out. I will use parking lights if i think the visibilty of the car needs enhancing

 

[bemax]

There just isn't a parking light. My car has the software update and I just tested it. I do not think that they didn't implement it intentionally...

 

[Wueste]

I tested it on mine, it doesn't work. If it does not work after update, it is very bad.

In Germany the StVO applies:

Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (StVO) § 17 Beleuchtung
(4) Haltende Fahrzeuge sind außerhalb geschlossener Ortschaften mit eigener Lichtquelle zu beleuchten.
Outside built-up areas, stopped vehicles must be illuminated with their own light source.

Ineos has about 2.5 years to repair my car.
Then the HU (main inspection aka TÜV) is due.
Non-functioning lighting is a defect and can lead to the denial of the HU badge.

I don't understand how something like this could not be noticed during the final inspection.

 

[trobex]

What about when I need to stop to cut some fallen tree up and remove from road and want that parking light for convenient use, without keeping car running - yes it happened to me! Or, I could carry a nice high lumen spotty which I do

 

[emax]

Perhaps in countries with roads as wide as a football field, there is little need for parking lights.

But here in Germany (and I guess in other European countries too) we often have very small streets where you have to drive in the opposite lane to get around a parked car.A dark car (e.g. Donny Gray...) on a cloudy night without moon light and some fog, and the problem is there - all of a sudden for the driver.

Especially as a motorcyclist, I can confirm that it is really stressful at night when there is fog (smeared visor) and the motorcycle does not have that fancy light that turns night into day. And there are still many vehicles equipped with incandescent lamps whose light is really bad.

I've had many a moment of shock because suddenly there was a dark obstacle on the edge of the road. If vehicle headlights were always bright enough, there would be no need for construction site lighting.

By the way, in Germany there is the traffic sign VZ 394, a red sticker, which is attached to lanterns that do NOT light up all night long. It serves as a reminder to drivers to turn on their parking lights when parking there at night.


VZ 394, "Laternenring"

 

[AWo]

The parking light function ist not implemented by Ineos in that way, that it should work when the ignition is off. That is official. Maybe they change that via the software some time. maybe not. However, the control unit does not send power to the parking lights in that case.

AWo

 

[Wueste]

The parking light function ist not implemented by Ineos in that way, that it should work when the ignition is off. That is official. Maybe they change that via the software some time. maybe not. However, the control unit does not send power to the parking lights in that case.

AWo

Interesting.
This means that I have to leave the ignition on outside urban areas in germany, if I want to park the vehicle with the parking lights on.

I will report this malfunction at the next service.
And I'll ask my friend at the GTÜ what he thinks about this.
Let's see what happens.

 

[alvan]

In my Defender I had modified the light switch so that it was not possible to forget the lights on...

 

[Michael H.]

The parking light function ist not implemented by Ineos in that way, that it should work when the ignition is off. That is official. Maybe they change that via the software some time. maybe not. However, the control unit does not send power to the parking lights in that case.

AWo

… Then I’m wondering why the owners manual warns that you should only leave the parking lamps on for a limited time with the ignition off to prevent draining the battery?

 

[IGL]

define "limited period of time"

 

[AWo]

And I'll ask my friend at the GTÜ what he thinks about this.

No need to. I have all documents at home regarding lights, car parts etc. (All these UNECE regulations and national regulations, law, StVO, StVZO, HU check regulations, etc.) I'll have a look this evening. These are also the documents written for the HU check and the engineers doing that.

If you're interested in that yourself, check the Kirschbaum Verlag, Bonn: The publications are called "FEE - Fahrzeugtechnik ECE (UN)", "StVZO", "§19 STVZO", "Was ist wie", "Lichttechnische Einrichtungen an Kraftfahrzeugen und deren Anhängern".

These are updated on a regular basis.

AWo