what happens if you leave the headlight switch on?

[daveleeprius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lianimal @ Oct 5 2007, 11:50 AM) [snapback]521825[/snapback]</div>

*waiting anxiously to find out whether there is a drain or not*

i never leave the lights on, but my husband always does.
[/b]

I leave the headlight switch in the on position. Have since I bought the car. The lights turn off when you open the drivers side door, after you've shut the car down. No problems with battery drain, car starts right up.

I left the car for two weeks on a trip a couple weeks after we bought it.

It's a good design. Driving with your lights on is proven to reduce accidents.

[qbee42]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveLeePrius @ Oct 5 2007, 01:07 PM) [snapback]521833[/snapback]</div>

It's a good design. Driving with your lights on is proven to reduce accidents.
[/b]

This is still hotly debated. Studies in North America have been inconclusive in demonstrating safety advantages of daytime running lights. This doesn't mean they don't work, but it does show that it's far from proved.

Tom

[apriusfan]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(qbee42 @ Oct 5 2007, 10:20 AM) [snapback]521840[/snapback]</div>

This is still hotly debated. Studies in North America have been inconclusive in demonstrating safety advantages of daytime running lights. This doesn't mean they don't work, but it does show that it's far from proved.

Tom
[/b]

And insurance companies vary in their position on Daytime Running Lights (DRLs). Some give a discount for the feature; others don't.

[Tojo]

According to the manual and documentation, there is a minute power drain on the system when the sks is active. If the vehicle is not to be used for "weeks", it recommends the system be disabled. As for the lights, as others have stated, as long as you left them on, shut your car down, and exited the vehicle (in that order) you should be fine. Your only worry would be if you turned your lights back on after exiting the vehicle somehow (throught the window or by climbing in/out one of the other doors.

[AussieOwner]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lianimal @ Oct 6 2007, 02:50 AM) [snapback]521825[/snapback]</div>

i never leave the lights on, but my husband always does.
[/b]

It's the reverse with me. My wife always leaves the lights on after coming home after dark. However, I have caught myself with leaving the lights on, but after shutting down the car, no problems.

[Sufferin' Prius Envy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tojo @ Oct 5 2007, 10:35 AM) [snapback]521846[/snapback]</div>

Your only worry would be if you turned your lights back on after exiting the vehicle somehow (throught the window or by climbing in/out one of the other doors.[/b]

It's easy to do. I know, I did it:

1) Drove to destination with headlights on acting like DRLs.
2) Powered-down the car and exited via driver door.
3) Opened rear hatch to apply sunscreen, hiking boots, paraphernalia . . .
4) Closed hatch, locked car, walked about 20 feet, looked back, saw passenger side rear window open.
5) Entered through front passenger door (SKS), fired-up the car, rolled up window, powered-down car, closed door, locked car, hiked away.
6) Upon returning, an hour or so later, I notice the lights had been on the whole time.

Do Oh! My bad.
Thankfully the HIDs didn't suck all the life out of the 12 volt battery. The SKS worked just fine, so I entered the car, turned off the lights, powered-up the car and drove away happy and wiser.

[seasalsa]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(apriusfan @ Oct 5 2007, 09:40 AM) [snapback]521816[/snapback]</div>

But is the logic circuitry dedicated to the light switch? Or, shared between all of the electrical functions of the car? I was under the impression that it was shared.
[/b]

It probably is, however the severely mileage obsessed will count the fraction of a milliwatt used by the logic circuitry.

[hoop]

The HID headlights are supposed to be rather expensive so I dont leave mine on all the time. If I had regular headlights I probably would leave the switch on for daytime running lights.

[PriuStorm]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hoop @ Oct 6 2007, 07:57 PM) [snapback]522289[/snapback]</div>

The HID headlights are supposed to be rather expensive so I dont leave mine on all the time. If I had regular headlights I probably would leave the switch on for daytime running lights.
[/b]

Hmm, good point. I didn't think of that.

[apriusfan]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hoop @ Oct 6 2007, 05:57 PM) [snapback]522289[/snapback]</div>

The HID headlights are supposed to be rather expensive so I dont leave mine on all the time. If I had regular headlights I probably would leave the switch on for daytime running lights.
[/b]

HID lamps tend to last almost forever. Non-HID bulbs last considerably shorter.