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940 Parking Lights On = Dead Battery

L

Lazarus

New member
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Location
Seattle, WA
My '94 940 is wired up so that the parking lights stay on even when the ignition switch is OFF. I have totally dumped my battery more than once because of this stupid idea. The diagram indicates that the various 940 lighting options all take place right at the headlight switch, by arranging the wires and jumpers on the back. As usual, the Volvo official green wiring manual doesn't help much. Anyone else been here?

Can't tell how much of the dash has to be removed to get to the headlight switch, but even then its hard to tell what wiring changes are needed. Not amused! :-(

-Lazarus
 
Lazarus said:
... parking lights stay on ...when the ignition switch is OFF.... this stupid idea. ...
Click to expand...

Is it? :-D

Just leave the lights on or off but not in the middle position.
Gently pull off the frame around the switches and you see how to access the switch.
 
Parking lights are designed to stay on...
...when parked.
Don't drive with them on, turn on your headlights

Fog lights souldn't be on when it is not foggy.
Headlights shuold be on when conditions are bad, even if it is daytime.
Parking lights aren't for driving around.
Some cars even leave the side's headlight and taillight on with low power when leaving that turn signal on when shuting off the ignition.
Pretty crytpic names, fog and parking lights. :roll:
(ignore parkway vs driveway, please :-P )
(ignore what some call "driving lights" too)

Damn LCD dashes let people drive at night with their parking lights on or everything off without a clue. Seeing more and more idiots with DRL headlights and tailights off?

People are too stupid in general to work lights, headlights on while driving that turn off with ignition should be the default.
GM engineers are idiots as well, turning on the reverse lights when cars are remotely locked, causing confusion in parking lots as you wait for empty cars to finish backing out.

America's method of letting idiot parent drivers teach their errors to the kids is assinine.
fills our passing lanes with idiots crusing along, makes our four way stops full of confused people pretending to be Canadian and politely waving the wrong people on instead of following the rules.
IIRC, the netherlands driving test will fail you if you open your driver door from the inside with your left hand.
using your right will help force you to check for bikers so they don't eat your door.

DOT or whatever agency adds backup cameras, ABS, robo-braking, but still has't standardized the light switch keep idiot's cars properly marked.

My car asks me if it should navigate to fuel when It is near empty.
perhaps it should use the blindspot sensors and lane holding computers to tell me to get the F outta the passing lane when I'm not passing.





GET OFF MY LAWN!
 
Last edited:
My Toyota has DRL and fully automatic lights. I have a switch to turn the headlights or parking lights on voluntarily but the headlights come on no matter what once it gets dark enough or driving through a tunnel.
 
VB242 said:
My Toyota has DRL and fully automatic lights. I have a switch to turn the headlights or parking lights on voluntarily but the headlights come on no matter what once it gets dark enough or driving through a tunnel.
Click to expand...

what year?
2015 sienna can leave the lights on all the time with ignition on, but beeps when exiting the car, and has a delay until it shuts them off automatically.
1997 Lexus is perfect, leave light switch on, and they go off when you pull out key.
Rare times I want ignition on with car off, or to idle without light on, I can switch them off.
If I try to drive off in the dark, the dark gauges remind me I'm an idiot.
 
apachechef said:
Parking lights are designed to stay on...
...when parked.
Don't drive with them on, turn on your headlights

...People are too stupid in general.....
Click to expand...

You could have stopped right there.

If a person drains their battery more than twice in a decade they should:

A) Buy AAA membership
B) Buy a battery powerbank.
or
C) Turn in their keys

(This does not apply to failing hardware, only failing greyware.)
 
What really sucks is when you park the car in an heated garage with the door slightly open. Then go to use it after a day or two of subzero temperatures.
But spending a hundred bucks an a new battery and sticking it in in the cold is a good learning experience.

If I was a cop I'd write tickets to every idiot driving in snow, fog and rain with the headlights off.
I'd also write tickets for loud exhaust systems and really piss off some bikers. Lol
 
This thread makes no sense. Are you saying your parking lights stay on whenthe sswitch is in parking light position?
 
l say get a dvom and have some more patience with a wiring diagram. Something doesn'tadd up here.


"Verify customer concern as malfunction or normal operation" (cough)
 
apachechef said:
what year?
2015 sienna can leave the lights on all the time with ignition on, but beeps when exiting the car, and has a delay until it shuts them off automatically.
1997 Lexus is perfect, leave light switch on, and they go off when you pull out key.
Rare times I want ignition on with car off, or to idle without light on, I can switch them off.
If I try to drive off in the dark, the dark gauges remind me I'm an idiot.
Click to expand...
2003 Matrix, I can't turn the lights off in the dark with the ignition on, unless the car is started with the parking brake on then the lights stay in DRL mode until you release the parking brake then the headlights come on whether the switch on or not.
 
apachechef said:
Parking lights are designed to stay on...
...when parked.
Don't drive with them on, turn on your headlights

Fog lights souldn't be on when it is not foggy.
Headlights shuold be on when conditions are bad, even if it is daytime.
Parking lights aren't for driving around.
Some cars even leave the side's headlight and taillight on with low power when leaving that turn signal on when shuting off the ignition.
Pretty crytpic names, fog and parking lights. :roll:
(ignore parkway vs driveway, please :-P )
(ignore what some call "driving lights" too)

Damn LCD dashes let people drive at night with their parking lights on or everything off without a clue. Seeing more and more idiots with DRL headlights and tailights off?

People are too stupid in general to work lights, headlights on while driving that turn off with ignition should be the default.
GM engineers are idiots as well, turning on the reverse lights when cars are remotely locked, causing confusion in parking lots as you wait for empty cars to finish backing out.

America's method of letting idiot parent drivers teach their errors to the kids is assinine.
fills our passing lanes with idiots crusing along, makes our four way stops full of confused people pretending to be Canadian and politely waving the wrong people on instead of following the rules.
IIRC, the netherlands driving test will fail you if you open your driver door from the inside with your left hand.
using your right will help force you to check for bikers so they don't eat your door.

DOT or whatever agency adds backup cameras, ABS, robo-braking, but still has't standardized the light switch keep idiot's cars properly marked.

My car asks me if it should navigate to fuel when It is near empty.
perhaps it should use the blindspot sensors and lane holding computers to tell me to get the F outta the passing lane when I'm not passing.





GET OFF MY LAWN!
Click to expand...
This is the best post I've ever seen.
 
I see probably 10 cars a month driving without their headlights on. It's a shame, people are literally too stupid to drive. Can't see ****? Maybe your headlights aren't on. And these damn new cars with a bright instrument cluster even when ALL exterior lights are off...or they will have the stupid led DRL's and NO tail lights. People assume their lights are on because they can somewhat see..

Getting really pissed off at this new car bull****. Stick people in a barebones manual car with manual steering. See how many of them continue to text and drive in the passing lane.

I see the newer honda civics all the time with no headlights on. The dash is simply too bright.

I love how the 240 is. If your dash lights aren't on, neither are your headlights.
 
Every car ever made (since the introduction of electric headlights) has an automatic headlight shutoff. The only difference is how long before the headlights do shut off, it may take hours for some cars....

I read that there is/was a law in Washington that states: "All motor vehicles must be preceded by a man carrying a red flag (daytime) or a red lantern (nighttime) fifty feet in front of said vehicle."
 
lifeofgold said:
Every car ever made (since the introduction of electric headlights) has an automatic headlight shutoff. The only difference is how long before the headlights do shut off, it may take hours for some cars....

I read that there is/was a law in Washington that states: "All motor vehicles must be preceded by a man carrying a red flag (daytime) or a red lantern (nighttime) fifty feet in front of said vehicle."
Click to expand...

7th rule of medicine:
All bleeding stops eventually.
 
"Parking Lights" are for temporary parking situations: double parked, park too close to corner, etc..and "may" give some warning to traffic that vehicle occupants are loading/unloading items/etc.

That is the reason they operate without keys, and it can be a hassle if you use for daytime/cloudy driving lights and forget to turn off. It's a bad habit and hard on your battery if it drains completely, many mechanics warn this will shorten the battery life overall.
 
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