Repaird the broken taillights

my car doesn't have drl's, but if i turn it off with headlights on, i get a warning

 

I just put the parking (side) lights on - the rear lights are then on, with only the parkers at the front. I far prefer, with mostly Motorway driving, to have REAR lights on. And they turn off automatically when I POWER OFF.

 

It sounds like its not "broken" at all - just not working the way you want it different to the design.

Did you try what I suggested in #3?

 

If you are driving in those conditions you should have your dipped headlamps on. I was aways taught, if you think you need to have lights on, then forget side lights, always choose dipped headlamps.

Even with the automatic headlamps the Prius has, I still override them sometimes when I think visibility is poor e.g. fog as they often will not come on in those situations.

 

Remember the VOLVO 244? I had a 1980, and the brighter than normal front side lights (21w) and the tail-lights came on. Daylight Running Lights I'm sure they called them even back then. But my 1994 VOLVO 940 didn't have them.

For some odd reason when DRLs became "normal" in the last decade, they didn't think about REAR lights - which I reckon are more important, at least on Motorway driving - where hopefully no traffic is coming the other way. Hence I put side-lights on - which gives Rear Taillights.

 

Yes, I remember the old 244, lovely cars and I remember people saying how daft it was having lights on during the day .... how things have changed . I had a 480ES which I loved and that had the same arrangement, 21W running lights, then went down to 6W I think it was when you put the headlamps (pop-up) on. Basically they were fitted with the same bulb as the rear stop/tail lights.

 

Yes, remember the 480s - but never saw one. They never came here.

 

it should also shut down the 12v when it reaches a certain level, so it doesn't drain all the way. but after 20 years, nothing

 

Well, no manufacturer consistently implements headlight operation at all. My "high-tech gee-whiz" 06 Prius has manual headlight controls (no automatic mode). If left on they will turn off when you shut the car down. I haven't checked the configuration option menu about the DRLs.

My 06 Corolla has daytime running lights with automatic function. So the DRLs (headlights only) are on all the time, unless it gets dark out, then it will turn parking and headlights on. If you manually turn the headlights on, they will stay on when you turn the car off. And you can't turn the DRL or auto function off.

Then there's my wife's 08 scion xB. Manual headlights (you can change the configuration options to turn DRL on or off), but the headlights stay on when the car is turned off until you turn the switch off.

Compare that to almost any (US-spec) Volvo made in the last 20+ years. On those the headlights and parking lights turn on with the ignition key-period. There's no point to having a headlight switch because it doesn't DO anything. (the only way to ever turn the lights off is to turn the car off). You might switch on the parking lights with the key off, but that will run the battery down in a few hours, so why do that?

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VOLVO 244 actually. My '80 did. But by the 940, it was gone.