My wife damaged our VW recently so guess who had to drive the hire car. At first, I wan't that impressed by the Toyota Yaris T-spirit as it is quite noisy on the motorway but I soon got to enjoy driving it.
This evening, after a hard day in the operating theatre, I went out to the car park to find the car would not open with the remote control. I had to call out the AA. The AA man stated that "nothing ever goes wrong with Toyotas - it must be a flat battery". I then remembered that I had used my headlights as it was dark and rainy on the morning drive to work and as I was a little late dashed out of the car the moment I got to the car park. The car started instantly with the AA booster battery.
On the drive home, I realised that the last time this happened to me was over 20 years ago, driving a 1975 Ford Escort Mark II. I have not been particularly assiduous since this, it is just the fact every car I have ever owned since, from my Mark III 1981 Ford Escort, Peugeot 405, Nissan Primera, Ford Galaxy etc has always turned off the headlights once the car was switched off. My current VW Touran and MINI both monitor any power drain on the battery and switch off headlights, side lights and interior lights if they are left on by mistake.
The Yaris does have a headlight-on beeper which I ignored in my haste but why does a 2007 car not prevent this most obvious of human errors.
Are there any other cars on the market like this?
Fortunately my wife's VW has now been repaired so I get to drive to work in the MINI Cooper D tomorrow whilst the disgraced Yaris gets to sit on the kerbside before going back to the car hire firm.
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This did make me smile.
"why does a 2007 car not prevent this most obvious of human errors."
But it did beep. U missed the beeps?
"after a hard day in the operating theatre"
Note to self - avoid that operating theatre. Arent there a number of machines that beep if something goes wrong?
Im only teasing by the way.
My car does the same thing, but the beeps should be sufficient. Someone with more technical knowledge may be able to answer, but i seem to recall it is bad practice to start a car with the lights on, which would be the case with your other cars if they have turned off when the ignitions off.
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Sorry mate your Touran does not have a current drain device to stop your battery going flat. The brake light switch failed on mine (in the on postion when it got to about freezing in the middle of the night - two or three times) and each time flattened the battery.
All it has is an "activity timer for certain lighting functions"
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< Ulla>
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You know, I don't think the Nissan, Pegeout or Ford turn the lights off automatically; they do dim them, but you'll still flatten the battery if left on all day.
More importantly, they all have warning beeps. That's how they prevent you leaving the lights on.
Of course VWs will famously flatten their batteries if you leave the indicator on.... did this in my Golf more than once.
How on earth could you not notice the warning? It's hardly the car's fault if it warns you about something and you ignore it; I don't think it's the Yaris which should be in disgrace :-)
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Golf (mk V, anyway) gives a warning if you leave the indiators on.
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Golf (mk V anyway) gives a warning if you leave the indiators on.
Yes, but my Mk 1 Golf didn't!
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"The Yaris does have a headlight-on beeper which I ignored in my haste but why does a 2007 car not prevent this most obvious of human errors."
My Peugeot has this but it has a mind of its own. When Poland went to full time daylight running lights this Summer I went through a period of constantly leaving the lights on. A combination of the alarm not always working and the sun shining on the dash and the outside of the car I found myself often in the situation that you found yourself.
Fortunately there's a taxi rank that were always willing to help for a few zlots but then I had the ludicrous task of picking up the kids from Nursery 5 mins down the road. Not daring to switch the engine off I'd have to leave it running, go into the school, dress them both, then run outside, one kid under each arm never knowing if it would still be there. Talk about stressful.
Now it's a reflex to switch them off when I enter the carpark.
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the old Previa does not have a lights-on buzzer so i bought one from Maplins for about a fiver; suppose I should really fit it one day......
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This happened to SWMBO on a Honda Accord - when I got there I noticed light switch was on and asked if she had heard beeps - yes she said but they went off when I closed the door -Duh
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not a lights problem but i set the starter motor on fire 2 mornings ago on the transit with my constant cranking to start the thing,i had to put it out with de icer which was pretty scary in itself as it has glycerine or something similarly potent in its mix
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It`s about time other manufacturers adopted the system found in Italian cars and wire the lights to go off with the ignition. That way it`s almost impossible to run the battery down. Ok,I hear you say,anything`s possible in a Fiat.
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hurrying on- to a receding future
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Odd in the Skoda, every car I've owned for ages had the lights go off with the ignition, and of late with some interesting variations (auto lights, follow home lights and that) the Skoda's when on dip go off but if on main-beam stay on. Odd....
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It`s about time other manufacturers adopted the system found in Italian cars and wire the lights to go off with the ignition.
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No thank you. I think it is the most stupid design I have seen. I hated it on The UNO we had. That, and the almost as silly feature of having the instrument panel illuminated when switching to parking lights.
I do like the Ford feature of switching of headlights when the ignition is turned off.
I have in the past ( when I had no warning buzzer) left my Ford all day with the side lights on but it started as normal when I returned to it so I guess those having problems have a poor battery.
It also stops those thoughtful types who stop, switch off the engine and leave their headlights on.
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All Fords since the Mk. III Cortina have turned the h/lights off with the ignition.
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My Dad's Meriva has a warning buzzer if leave any lights on, including the indicators & of course leaving the keys in the ignition.
Can be annoying at times!
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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