Lights come on while switched off

p2roverman · 19th April 2018, 20:05

Noticed the side and rear lights had come on while the car was parked and had been parked for 24 hours. Switch was in OFF position. What's going on?

I had been told that if the battery voltage drops to 8 volts this happens, is that true? Not the case here, the car has a good battery and it fired up instantly (and the dip headlights came on).

Left the car parked, and several hours later the side and rear lights went off again. What IS going on?

marinabrian · 19th April 2018, 20:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by p2roverman

Noticed the side and rear lights had come on while the car was parked and had been parked for 24 hours. Switch was in OFF position. What's going on?

I had been told that if the battery voltage drops to 8 volts this happens, is that true? Not the case here, the car has a good battery and it fired up instantly (and the dip headlights came on).

Left the car parked, and several hours later the side and rear lights went off again. What IS going on?

Go outside now, start the car turn on the lights.

With the indicator switch in the off position turn off the engine, then the lights and indicate right or left

Now walk around your car

Brian

steve-45 · 19th April 2018, 20:33

Took me a while to find out it had parking lights. ... Really must read the owners handbook more ...

p2roverman · 19th April 2018, 20:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by marinabrian

Go outside now, start the car turn on the lights.

With the indicator switch in the off position turn off the engine, then the lights and indicate right or left

Now walk around your car

Brian

Brian, I see where you are coming from, advising me of the mysterious parking light system which doesn't seem to be in the handbook. Presumably your details above are to switch the lights on - does just one side light up depending on which way the indicator stalk is moved? (not checking now, bedtime for us pensioners!).

But in my case it was all four lights (2 front and 2 rear) that came on in the middle of the afternoon and went off long before dark. It's done it before which I put down to the dubious? info re 8 volts in the battery as mentioned in my first post.

clf · 19th April 2018, 21:56

check the wiring over the chassis legs?

p2roverman · 21st April 2018, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by marinabrian

Go outside now, start the car turn on the lights.

With the indicator switch in the off position turn off the engine, then the lights and indicate right or left

Now walk around your car

Brian

Brian - did this and found that this is how to turn the side/tail lights on on one side of the car.

However, in my case all 4 lights came on, on their own; the car was parked 24 hours and not touched by anyone. Several hours later they went off again. The post below suggests a wire touching the bodywork, but if so whereabout ? - there's an awful lot to expose and investigate.

p2roverman · 21st April 2018, 10:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by clf

check the wiring over the chassis legs?

Thanks clf. Any sugestions where to start looking? My car is pretty solid, unlike the awful rot shown in your photo.

clf · 21st April 2018, 10:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by p2roverman

Thanks clf. Any sugestions where to start looking? My car is pretty solid, unlike the awful rot shown in your photo.

Lol, the rot or former rot was where the paint was rubbed off from the chassis leg, removing the sheaths or the wiring causing it to short out and fail. If you look under the bonnet you won't see it until you remove the headlight. Good luck

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

p2roverman · 21st April 2018, 10:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by clf

Lol, the rot or former rot was where the paint was rubbed off from the chassis leg, removing the sheaths or the wiring causing it to short out and fail. If you look under the bonnet you won't see it until you remove the headlight. Good luck

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

Thanks. I'll put up with the issue for now as almost everything else works and I don't have another running car (doing a cambelt change on the other one). It's just an odd problem that has happened ocasionally over the past 18 months.

HarryM1BYT · 21st April 2018, 11:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by clf

Lol, the rot or former rot was where the paint was rubbed off from the chassis leg, removing the sheaths or the wiring causing it to short out and fail. If you look under the bonnet you won't see it until you remove the headlight. Good luck

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

I don't have the problem, but I always wondered where I ought to check. Is this on the NS or the OS please?

19th April 2018, 20:05	#1
p2roverman Gets stuck in Rover 75 Connie Tourer & Connie SE Saloon & Club SE Tourer Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Leeds Posts: 975 Thanks: 199 Thanked 71 Times in 59 Posts	Lights come on while switched off Noticed the side and rear lights had come on while the car was parked and had been parked for 24 hours. Switch was in OFF position. What's going on? I had been told that if the battery voltage drops to 8 volts this happens, is that true? Not the case here, the car has a good battery and it fired up instantly (and the dip headlights came on). Left the car parked, and several hours later the side and rear lights went off again. What IS going on?

19th April 2018, 21:56	#5
clf This is my second home MG ZT CDTi Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: carrick Posts: 7,859 Thanks: 3,494 Thanked 2,657 Times in 1,973 Posts	check the wiring over the chassis legs? __________________ It is not gloss primer .............. it is duct tape silver!

19th April 2018, 20:33	#3
steve-45 This is my second home Rover 75 Saloon CDTi Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Belvedere Posts: 4,076 Thanks: 108 Thanked 1,089 Times in 774 Posts	Took me a while to find out it had parking lights. ... Really must read the owners handbook more ...