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[alcutler]

Hi Have a 98 Omega 2.0 estate which leaves the parking lights on down one side of the car if I leave the indicator lever in the right or left turn posistion and switch off the ignition. Can I disable this Appreciate this has no doubt been asked before but can't find it on the Forum

[Lazydocker]

Yep, easily... return the indicator stalk to the "Neutral" position

[Andy B]

..... Can I disable this ....

just don't leave the indicator on 

Being serious though, I can't see why you'd want to disable it, I've had a Cortina, Senators for years & this Omega that all have done the same & have never had a problem. Admittedly, apparently facelift cars have the park light tied into the lights-on-buzzer.

[alcutler]

Thanks for your replies - the reason [pretty obvious I would have thought] I would like to disable it is because its possible to leave the lights on and drain the battery What is the point of them anyway - to be legal you need the lights on both sides of the vehicle

[Andy B]

Thanks for your replies - the reason [pretty obvious I would have thought] I would like to disable it is because its possible to leave the lights on and drain the battery What is the point of them anyway - to be legal you need the lights on both sides of the vehicle

I thought it was pretty obvious that the easiest thing to do was cancel the indicator as you got out of the car, or glance back at your car as you leave it ....
Other makers have parking lights, Citroen dom but  slightly differently. How long are you going to leave your car that two 5 watt lamps are going to flatten your battery? Parking lights on a NSL road only require one on the offside - assuming parked facing the correct direction.

[Kevin Wood]

You could disable them by disconnecting the black wire to pin 3 ("P") of the indicator stalk.

Obviously the loose end will need to be insulated.

Kevin

[duggs]

Is it the 1st April ?    Dude....You may be up for "dippiest question of the month" here...

I've been driving for 30 years now and never had a problem OR drained battery from leaving the stalk in the wrong place. Make sure its in the middle before you leave the vehicle.

Don't know a bloke yet who parks up and walks away without a casual glance back at the "motor".

I THINK the original thought was that if you park up briefly, for a short period of time, it allows you to leave the road side lights on for safety reasons.

[Osprey]

Quick back-of-an-envelope scribbling suggests that the battery should be able to handle a couple of days with the parking lights on and still start OK.  Unless it is already knaggered anyway.  So shouldn't be a problem unless you are going on holiday. 

[Simon72]

Thanks for your replies - the reason [pretty obvious I would have thought] I would like to disable it is because its possible to leave the lights on and drain the battery What is the point of them anyway - to be legal you need the lights on both sides of the vehicle

I must disagree with you there, car that have NOT got parking lights must use side-lights when parking in accordance to the Highway code rules listed below. BUT if your car is fitted with parking lights then these can be used.

The lights that MUST be on are the ones that are nearest to the centre of the roadway. (NOT kerbside ones)


Parking at night
[Laws CUR reg 101 & RVLR reg 24]

249
All vehicles MUST display parking lights or sidelights when parked on a road or a lay-by on a road with a speed limit greater than 30 mph (48 km/h).

[Laws RVLR reg 24 & CUR reg 82(7)]

251
Parking in fog. It is especially dangerous to park on the road in fog. If it is unavoidable, leave your parking lights or sidelights on.

[Andy B]

.....All vehicles MUST display parking lights or sidelights when parked on a road or a lay-by on a road with a speed limit greater than 30 mph (48 km/h).

 .....

I was close .....     

[alcutler]

Thanks for your replies - the reason [pretty obvious I would have thought] I would like to disable it is because its possible to leave the lights on and drain the battery What is the point of them anyway - to be legal you need the lights on both sides of the vehicle

I think you'll find that under The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 on any road other than a 30 mph restricted area,you need to be facing the right direction and have lights on both sides of the vehicle.
I suppose in a perfect world you could always turn the indicator off - but who can honestly say they have done so every time. Same with your lights - if you leave them on you get a warning as soon as you remove the key - whats the point of that?
If you left 2 - 5 watt bulbs on while parking at the airport and then went on holiday for a week or two - you'd come back to a flat battery!
I appreciate a host of cars have this system fitted but I think you will find it is to accomodate foreign parking regulations which differ from ours - obviously a leftover from Opel that Vauxhall never bothered to address.
I posted this message to find out if it could be disabled - and hopefully find someone with the knowledge how to do it - I wasn't expecting everyone to follow suite.


I thought it was pretty obvious that the easiest thing to do was cancel the indicator as you got out of the car, or glance back at your car as you leave it ....
Other makers have parking lights, Citroen dom but  slightly differently. How long are you going to leave your car that two 5 watt lamps are going to flatten your battery? Parking lights on a NSL road only require one on the offside - assuming parked facing the correct direction.

[alcutler]

.....All vehicles MUST display parking lights or sidelights when parked on a road or a lay-by on a road with a speed limit greater than 30 mph (48 km/h).

 .....

Yea pretty close ..........................

I was close .....     

[alcutler]

You could disable them by disconnecting the black wire to pin 3 ("P") of the indicator stalk.

Obviously the loose end will need to be insulated.

Kevin

Thanks Kevin I'll try that - much appreciated

[Simon72]

Just to make you aware if you are not electrically minded.

If for example you drive a pre facelift diesel omega then it will be fitted with a 72 AMP / HOUR Battery as standard.

So
2 x 5watts = 10watts
10watts divided by 12volts = 0.84amps
72 amp/hr divided by 0.84 = 85.7 Hours of use out of battery.

For Facelift Diesel= 82 A/h battery GIVING= 97.6 HOURS
For All PETROLS= 45 A/h battery GIVING = 53.2 HOURS

But you must take into account Temperature outside / Age of battery, and will you be able to still start it after half the time.

[Shackeng]

Why do some people feel it necessary to patronise Posters like this who only want an answer to a simple question? I am sure that he is already well aware that placing the turn stalk to neutral will switch the parking lights off.