Parking lights are situated at the front side and backside of the vehicles. Usually, they are amber or white on the front side. And, red colour on the backside. Both of them can be seen at a distance of 500 ft. You can only use them during parking. It’s completely illegal to drive with the parking lights on.
Unfortunately, parking lights may stay on when your car is off. In today’s post, we will discuss the reason behind the problem along with the right solutions. Let’s have a look at the post of why parking lights stay on when car is off.
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Parking Lights Stay on When Car Is off : Causes & Solution
Parking Lights:
Parking lights are part of your vehicle’s lighting. According to the rules of traffic, each car requires parking lights. A little backlight in the back, front as well as on each side. A little light bulb installs in the sides and optics. The laws oblige all car owners to turn on the lighting when this gets dark. As soon as you turn on the switch of the light, the location along with dimensions and body’s perimeter begin to glow.
What To Do When The Car’s Parking Lights Won’t Turn Off:
Far from the normal, parking lights stay on when the car is off, regardless of what we do. This will quickly drain the battery. You have to remember a short form of solution for the problem.
This is to attempt some preventative measures. They will keep your battery from facing death. You can accomplish this in various ways:
- By disconnecting the battery.
- By removing the fuse.
- By removing the relay.
Even though parking lights systems are not very complicated. There are conditions where you are required to bring the car to any professional for fixing parking lights that will not turn off. But before doing that, we are here to tell you about things that anybody can try at home. You just need a few basic tools and have to follow the methodical process.
Main Causes of Parking Lights Stay On:
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Faulty switch
A malfunctioning light switch can cause the parking lights to remain on. Inspect the switch for signs of wear or damage and replace it if necessary.
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Damaged relay
A damaged relay may lead to persistent parking lights. Locate the relay in your fuse box and replace it if it’s faulty
Some issues can cause your car parking lights not to be turned off. Parking lights malfunction switch, running light switch, light sensor, grounded wire, bad relay etc. We will discuss these things in detail.
Tracking down the actual matter of these issues is complicated. As there are lots of various types of headlight systems available. For example, if your car system fails, your parking lights won’t be turned off. Along with this, the bad relay is another reason why the parking lights won’t turn off.
In this situation, fix the relay by just replacing it. This is normally easier to inspect yourself in all situations. As multiple circuits are used for the same relay.
If you search and get another relay in the car which has the exact part number same as your parking lights relay, you may use it. You have to remove the parking lights relay, just swap this for the equal one from another circuit.
If swapping relays seem unsuccessful, your problem can arise from any other source. It may be due to a bad parking lights switch, light sensor or anything else. Ultimately, the specific diagnostic procedure can be difficult.
In this case, you should try to identify the main problem by some basic procedure. Just simply remove the component and check for any physical damage. Although, physical indicators of damage are not always visible.
For example, a bad parking light switch can be shorted internally. This will result in getting hot from the lights. So, the lights can easily melt, crack or burn the electrical connections. On the other hand, once anything wrong with the light sensor, you can use the parking sensor.
If you won’t be able to find out any of the malfunctioning reasons, then you should disable the parking lights by disconnecting your battery. Or, you can remove the main fuse.
Afterwards, wait for daylight and then bring the car to any good mechanic. But, before doing this, we are here to talk with you about some applicable and easy way to fix this problem. Firstly, you should try these out. If no prognosis occurs, then rely on the automobile experts.
Quick Solution To Fix The Parking Lights:
If you have a limited amount of time to face the problem or want to leave your car without draining the battery, two easy ways are available.
Disconnect The Battery:
The simplest way is disconnecting the battery. This involves disconnecting one of the cables from your battery. This will require a proper sized socket or wrench. If you have no experience with disconnecting a battery, then you should first disconnect the negative cable. It will help you to avoid any short circuit. Once you disconnect the battery, the parking lights will automatically turn off. So, your battery will not die!
Remove The Relay Or Fuse:
Another appropriate method to shut the parking lights off is removing the relay or fuse. It seems to be complicated compared with the previous method. Because you just need to locate the right fuse panel. Then, find out which relay or fuse to pull. This will help in preventing the power loss of the radio and computer. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about them later.
System Restart:
- Switch off the car and take the key out of the ignition.
- Disconnect the battery’s negative terminal for a few minutes.
- Reconnect the terminal and start the car to see if the issue is resolved.
Sensor Replacement:
- If your car has an automatic lighting system, a faulty sensor might be the problem.
- Locate the light sensor, usually on the dashboard or near the windshield.
- Replace the faulty sensor to fix the issue with the parking lights.
FAQs
Here below I’ve listed the most frequently asked questions about parking lights staying on when the car is off:
Can the parking light drain battery?
Yes, the parking light can drain the battery if left on for an extended period, such as for several nights at a time or even longer. Though the power consumption is low, it can still discharge the battery over time.
Where is the parking light switch?
The parking light switch is typically located on the headlight or turn signal lever, or on the dashboard as a dedicated switch. It’s worth noting that the switch’s location can vary based on the car’s model and make.
How do you reset a parking light?
To reset a parking light, first, ensure the vehicle is off. Turn the headlight switch or parking light switch off and then on again. If the issue persists, inspect for electrical faults or a blown fuse.
Can you drive with the parking brake light on?
We don’t recommend driving with the parking brake light on because the light indicates that there may be an issue with the braking system. It could also indicate that the parking brake is engaged, and therefore, driving in this condition can damage your vehicle and compromise your safety.
Conclusion:
Finally, this is all about why parking lights stay on when car is off. We hope you already have sufficient information to solve the issue. Parking lights have an effective purpose in emergencies as the backup light. If your headlight is burning out, it will shed light on the side of the vehicle. Besides, the glow created from the parking lights makes the car more visible in dark or fog situations. But, solving any issues can be the ultimate way to use these lights.
