Hi All,

Planning on re-wiring the Rocket over winter and have had a possibly brilliant/silly idea...

I want to get rid of the side light switch and additional wiring and just wire the circuit directly to a fused spur from the ignition barrel, so ignition on = lights on.

All of my side light and number plate bulbs are LED and use very little power.
I always drive with side lights on.
I want less switches!

Is it illegal? my ignition barrel would essentially become the side light switch. The lights would turn off when cranking.

I know my MOT tester wouldn't care, but that's not the point. I want the car to be above board as much as possible.

Cheers
Will

Not illegal AFAIK, might fail IVA which is obviously not an issue for you.
MOt does mention a RFR of '2. The front and rear position lamps do not illuminate with a single operation of the switch.'
But as sides are never gonna blind anyone, I dont think anyone outside of a friendly MoT tester would care.

Personally I would want a hidden override switch for those painful times you have a flat battery and you want to ensure nothing is gonna take that last milliamp needed to start the car!

[Edited on 27-10-16 by loggyboy]

Volvo's have been doing it for years...

Thinking about it, I do know there are quite a few bikes now that don't have light switches even for their dipped lights.

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Originally posted by Slimy38
Volvo's have been doing it for years...

Thinking about it, I do know there are quite a few bikes now that don't have light switches even for their dipped lights.

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all car models type approved since feb 2011 have to have daytime running lights,
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/408964/daytime-running-lights.pdf

note drl are front only, and have to be dimmed at night!

edit, drl are optional for iva

[Edited on 27/10/16 by gremlin1234]

As a matter of interest, how would you switch on your sidelights when you're parked on the side of the road, if you don't have a switch to switch them on with?

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Originally posted by David Jenkins
As a matter of interest, how would you switch on your sidelights when you're parked on the side of the road, if you don't have a switch to switch them on with?

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Originally posted by gremlin1234

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Originally posted by David Jenkins
As a matter of interest, how would you switch on your sidelights when you're parked on the side of the road, if you don't have a switch to switch them on with?

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a lot of cars switch 'parking lights' on, if the indicator is left on, with the ignition off

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Aftermarket DRL relay units monitor the battery voltage and only switch on the when the alternator starts charging and switch off 12 to 60 seconds after engine shuts off, they wire straight to a battery +supply via a fuse.



[Edited on 27/10/16 by britishtrident]

Volvos run dipped headlights at all times, not sides.

Hive remote app or
Apple home app
Then you can use Siri

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Originally posted by David Jenkins
As a matter of interest, how would you switch on your sidelights when you're parked on the side of the road, if you don't have a switch to switch them on with?

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Originally posted by dinosaurjuice

Interesting point. I don't leave the kitcar out at night so not a concern, is it a legal requirement?

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Originally posted by David Jenkins

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Originally posted by dinosaurjuice

Interesting point. I don't leave the kitcar out at night so not a concern, is it a legal requirement?

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Well, the correct name for sidelights is 'positional lights', I believe. You do need to be able to turn them on if you park on an unlit street but, as said above, there are ways of dealing with this requirement (e.g. putting the indicator one way after turning off the ignition).

Have you got access to an IVA manual? It's available on-line somewhere. That should tell you the current requirements, even if you don't want to go through the inspection.

[Edited on 27/10/16 by David Jenkins]

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Originally posted by gremlin1234

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I'm officially confused!

I just looked at the MOT requirements manual here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/518634/mot-inspection-manual-for-class-3-4-5-and-7-vehicles.pdf

Section 1.1 describes testing the position lights - and implies that they must be able to be switched on when required. How and when this should happen? No idea.

I'm not trying to contradict what anyone's said above - it's just that now I'm unsure.

In my car there's one 3-way switch that puts the sidelights and headlights on, which is the simplest way... I'm glad I didn't try to make it complicated!

AFAIK indicator switch remains on (left or right) only lights 1 rear and 1 front, so not legal for parking on an unlit road.


Most cars have a multi position switch for lights. OFF - SIDE - MAIN (pull for fog - turn for rear fog)
so since you need a switch for lights anyway you don't save a switch at all ?????


I don't INTEND to park on the road but there will come a time when I need to. Perhaps an evening pub meet where
the car park overflows or a *breakdown*, puncture, run out of petrol, an accident, any one of a thousand reasons when
you need parking lights.


Paul G


* Obviously "breakdown" doesn't apply to my Lotus, but I did use some non-Lotus parts in the build.



[Edited on 28/10/16 by 907]

I have done something similar, but with small drl's, the front led drl's come on when the ignition is switched on, and remain on, until the ignition is turned off

The side lights are on the original switch, and can also be switched on, which will give me two led drl's and two side lights

Just to add to my confusing light display I have also wired the gopro to only come on when the lights are switched on, as this appears to be when all the fuckwits decide to pull out on me

steve

And just to make things complicated () I put DRLs on my car - they are on when the ignition is on, but go off when I turn on the headlights.

This is on top of the normal Off - sides - headlights switch.

[Edited on 28/10/16 by David Jenkins]

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Originally posted by dinosaurjuice

quote:

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Originally posted by David Jenkins
As a matter of interest, how would you switch on your sidelights when you're parked on the side of the road, if you don't have a switch to switch them on with?

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Interesting point. I don't leave the kitcar out at night so not a concern, is it a legal requirement?

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my question would be .....Why?
unless you live in a Scandinavian country what’s the point? its not as if it would enhance the safety for the car at all. its doubtful that it helps motorbikes either (no research has ever been done!) i do know that when i took my advanced motorbike test in the 80's the instructors were all of the opinion that they were necessary, so we did an experiment and drove half the day with them off (in good weather, a bright and sunny summer day) and half on......not a single car pulled out on us with the lights off. it happened several times with them on...the instructors claimed it was all coincidence. my last bike got modified so the lights could be switched off when i decided they were not necessary.

This forums great. Some very useful opinion and facts bought up, much appreciated.

Im going to wire the side lights as per the regular way, on a 3 position switch 'off-side-dipped'. I previously had separate switches for this.

I still dont understand the DRL thing. All too often i see people with LED DRL's driving around in the dark... plenty of light in front of them but no tail lights on but thats driver error, and it would be impossible to engineer a car to allow for every deviation of idiot

Cheers
Will