DRIVE-IN

[wickedstangs]

Ok, I went to the DRIVE-IN last night to go see Speedracer with the kids. I back the car in and open the tailgate and to my surprise, the interior and sideview mirrors lighsts would not go out, I placed the key in ACC and in KOEO mode and still the interior lights and the sideview mirrors would not go off. I had to remove two fuses from the fuse box just to kill the lights. #9 and #10. Has anyone had this problem or am I doing something wrong?

[bill0754]

Ok, I went to the DRIVE-IN last night to go see Speedracer with the kids. I back the car in and open the tailgate and to my surprise, the interior and sideview mirrors lighsts would not go out, I placed the key in ACC and in KOEO mode and still the interior lights and the sideview mirrors would not go off. I had to remove two fuses from the fuse box just to kill the lights. #9 and #10. Has anyone had this problem or am I doing something wrong?

They will go out automatically after 10 minutes.

[wickedstangs]

They will go out automatically after 10 minutes.

 

I swear I thought I gave them 10min. Maybe I wasnt patient enough with everyone telling me to turn off my lights.

[Lex Talionis]

1 - did you have them turned to the 'ON' position with the knob on the dash? (turn the knob all the way up, and then up until it clicks and they are permanently on then)

 

2 - could you not close up the doors, pop the hatch, lock the car while in it (people inside can still get out so no worries) and have the hatch still open and the lights should go off then when you lock it with the key FOB

[Lex Talionis]

They will go out automatically after 10 minutes.

 

 

sure enough... this will NOT happen. I washed the car today and had doors open for 30 minutes.. never went off. not until I did the lock doors trick while doors still open I said above did they shut off and still have doors and boot open.

[wickedstangs]

sure enough... this will NOT happen. I washed the car today and had doors open for 30 minutes.. never went off. not until I did the lock doors trick while doors still open I said above did they shut off and still have doors and boot open.

 

Not sure what you mean. Did you have the hatchback open for 30 minutes and the lights still didnt go out? And when you locked the door and hatch still open the lights go out after 10min?

[CreamEDGE.]

As far as I know the doors and stuff have to be closed for them to go off and prevent drain.

[Lex Talionis]

Did you have the hatchback open for 30 minutes and the lights still didnt go out?

 

yep

 

And when you locked the door and hatch still open the lights go out after 10min?

 

exactly

[wickedstangs]

By anychance did you have your radio on or off? Remember this is at the Drive In have to have the radio on to listen to the movie.. Going to try it again tomorrow after work.

Edited May 14, 2008 by wickedstangs

[ablb]

They will go out automatically after 10 minutes.

Do they really stay on 10 minutes, seems a little long I would think a min or so would be plenty??

 

ab

[akirby]

Do they really stay on 10 minutes, seems a little long I would think a min or so would be plenty??

 

ab

 

This is the battery saver feature - intended to prevent battery drain if you accidentally leave lights on, etc. This is not the convenience feature.

[Lex Talionis]

By anychance did you have your radio on or off? Remember this is at the Drive In have to have the radio on to listen to the movie.. Going to try it again tomorrow after work.

 

ah.. good point, I did not.

 

this peeked my interest as I will sleep in my car at times while car camping (like this weekend).. so I needed the lights off.. I did not try the radio

[ablb]

This is the battery saver feature - intended to prevent battery drain if you accidentally leave lights on, etc. This is not the convenience feature.

Very good.

Our trade in (BMW X3) had this feature, caused lots of problems.

When people would leave things plugged into the power port and NOT turn the radar detector, Ipod, etc. off The X3 wouldn't go to sleep = lots of dead batteries.

 

ab

[bill0754]

sure enough... this will NOT happen. I washed the car today and had doors open for 30 minutes.. never went off. not until I did the lock doors trick while doors still open I said above did they shut off and still have doors and boot open.

Was the key off? I have had mine go out automatically when I have it in the garage and detailing it with the doors open for awhile

[Lex Talionis]

Was the key off? I have had mine go out automatically when I have it in the garage and detailing it with the doors open for awhile

 

1 better.. they key was not even in it

 

no reason to have the key in it while washing and cleaning

[Lex Talionis]

I need to alter my response in post #8.. that is, I was right about the functionality, BUT it seems there is an important caveat.. one that really matters in this case.

 

That caveat is night versus day. You see, as I said, during the DAY, sure enough all the interior lights shut down - even with the boot open - IF you do the lock trick. Well, it seems, during the NIGHT even this trick does not work. While car camping I closed all the doors and wanted the boot open, did the lock the doors trick, and the lights never turned off. I speculate that the sensor that operates the light sensing auto dimming headlights/nav/mirror feature is playing a role and sensing it is dark and not shutting the lights off - even using the lock trick.

 

Just as I said one DAY I was washing the car and had all doors open for over 30 minutes and the lights never turn off - then I locked the doors with the boot open and the lights cycled down. But at night, this seems not to work.

 

Now... there is an issue and on top of that which came up, relative to this, for car camping. You can't shut off the feature that turns on your lights (puddle or headlights) when you unlock the car. This matters, as I found out, when you are car camping and across the road from another campsite and want to go in and out of your car.. POW you nail the other campsite with a nice dose of headlights. not cool. I could cycle down how long they stay on <0> seconds, but not that they come on when you unlock and enter the car. imagine the people across from you when you get up at 2 am to go to the bathroom and their campsite gets lit up.

 

so.. you have really hit upon something here that is kind of a bummer for me as I do a lot of car camping like this when traveling for races and sleep in my car. I am going to have to develop a whole system for dealing with this.

 

now, I MIGHT have a solution for turning off the interior lights. As you said, you could pull fuses to shut all the interior lights and exterior lights off. that too clunky. Well, in my VW, I rigged a toggle switch in the rear that allowed me to cut off the rear boot light that had no on/off switch. easy (for me) to wire and I could just flip it to shut it off/on so I could sleep with the boot open or get access in and out with no light on. But, in the Edge, when all doors closed with the boot open, ALL internal lights are on - not just boot. So, I am looking at a way to wire up, via the fuse box, #9,10,25 to a lit switch with inline fuse under the dash that would cut all internal lights. this might be my fix for this because as I see it, no other way to shut all your lights off.

[Lex Talionis]

(add disclaimers, risks and caveats here about what damage you could do or warranties you could void by doing a trick mod like this)

 

As promised..

 

I built and put a switch inline that allows me to switch off all internal lights with 1 push.

 

I removed the 15a fuse #9, took the 15a fuse and modified and cut open the fuse (no need for the fuse function as I need the circuit to NOT be complete at that fuse, but up stream at the inline fuse, I just needed it as a means to make a connection into the fuse box) and soldered onto it the 2 wires so the fuse box connection is more clean and precise then jamming 2 wires into the open fuse holes, put an inline 15a fuse (exactly what is removed, this way, still have a fuse in case and it completes the circuit), attached a nice black 20a rated rocker switch which blends in perfect.

 

Here are photos. Enjoy

 

Here is the entire mechanism. Switch, wires, modified fuse to plug into the fuse box. Maybe ugly, but like everything under the dash, it works.

 

 

Here is the switch just in the area I 'think" I will be mounting it down by the fuse box/feet area. I have not 100% decided if I will mount it there or not. This was proof of concept, and it worked just as I expected it would. So, I will, when I decide just where I want it (I have not decided if I want it obviously seen like up near the dash dimmer roll switch or hidden and kind of out of the way known only to me) I will drill the .75" hole needed and install it with the nice included trim piece that will make it look like a factory all black matching rocker button. UPDATE: I ended up flush mounting the switch down below the fuse box panel. Cannot even see it unless you go looking for it. I decided I did not want people accidentally pushing it and it makes it known only to me to activate and initiate the light cut off. Next, I will likely do a puddle lamp switch as well and mount right next to it as if you leave the doors open or trunk open, the puddle lamps stay on at night so as wickedstangs said, fuse #10 also needs addressing to make this a complete system.

 

 

Edited May 21, 2008 by Lex Talionis

[818EDGE]

I didn't know there were still drive-ins!

[wickedstangs]

(add disclaimers, risks and caveats here about what damage you could do or warranties you could void by doing a trick mod like this)

 

As promised..

 

I built and put a switch inline that allows me to switch off all internal lights with 1 push.

 

I removed the 15a fuse #9, took the 15a fuse and modified and cut open the fuse (no need for the fuse function as I need the circuit to NOT be complete at that fuse, but up stream at the inline fuse, I just needed it as a means to make a connection into the fuse box) and soldered onto it the 2 wires so the fuse box connection is more clean and precise then jamming 2 wires into the open fuse holes, put an inline 15a fuse (exactly what is removed, this way, still have a fuse in case and it completes the circuit), attached a nice black 20a rated rocker switch which blends in perfect.

 

Here are photos. Enjoy

 

Here is the entire mechanism. Switch, wires, modified fuse to plug into the fuse box. Maybe ugly, but like everything under the dash, it works.

 

 

Here is the switch just in the area I 'think" I will be mounting it down by the fuse box/feet area. I have not 100% decided if I will mount it there or not. This was proof of concept, and it worked just as I expected it would. So, I will, when I decide just where I want it (I have not decided if I want it obviously seen like up near the dash dimmer roll switch or hidden and kind of out of the way known only to me) I will drill the .75" hole needed and install it with the nice included trim piece that will make it look like a factory all black matching rocker button. I 'might' go check Radio Shack and see what neater switched they might have (illuminated for example). UPDATE: I ended up flush mounting the switch down below the fuse box panel. Cannot even see it unless you go looking for it. I decided I did not want people accidentally pushing it and it makes it known only to me to activate and initiate the light cut off. Next, I will likely do a puddle lamp switch as well and mount right next to it as if you leave the doors open or trunk open, the puddle lamps stay on at night so as wickedstangs said, fuse #10 also needs addressing to make this a complete system.

 

 

Wow Lex awesome write up and thanks for the info.

 

 

I didn't know there were still drive-ins!

 

Ya when you have kids you will find them:)

[Lex Talionis]

in researching a different topic in the 2008 manual, pp 138-139, it has some steps (7) to deactivate the perimeter illuminated entry.. that could be handy as well with this issue.

[SMACKyaONdaFACE]

You can shut off the easy access feature. It's done with the info and reset buttons. That will mean that your headlights wont light up when you unlock the car with the remote.... but all you have to do is turn it back on after the drive-in and you're set.

 

OR...if you're lazy, bring 2large towels and wrap them around the mirrors:PLOL

[pilotdog68]

(add disclaimers, risks and caveats here about what damage you could do or warranties you could void by doing a trick mod like this)

 

As promised..

 

I built and put a switch inline that allows me to switch off all internal lights with 1 push.

 

I removed the 15a fuse #9, took the 15a fuse and modified and cut open the fuse (no need for the fuse function as I need the circuit to NOT be complete at that fuse, but up stream at the inline fuse, I just needed it as a means to make a connection into the fuse box) and soldered onto it the 2 wires so the fuse box connection is more clean and precise then jamming 2 wires into the open fuse holes, put an inline 15a fuse (exactly what is removed, this way, still have a fuse in case and it completes the circuit), attached a nice black 20a rated rocker switch which blends in perfect.

 

Here are photos. Enjoy

 

Here is the entire mechanism. Switch, wires, modified fuse to plug into the fuse box. Maybe ugly, but like everything under the dash, it works.

 

Picture_3.jpg

 

Here is the switch just in the area I 'think" I will be mounting it down by the fuse box/feet area. I have not 100% decided if I will mount it there or not. This was proof of concept, and it worked just as I expected it would. So, I will, when I decide just where I want it (I have not decided if I want it obviously seen like up near the dash dimmer roll switch or hidden and kind of out of the way known only to me) I will drill the .75" hole needed and install it with the nice included trim piece that will make it look like a factory all black matching rocker button. UPDATE: I ended up flush mounting the switch down below the fuse box panel. Cannot even see it unless you go looking for it. I decided I did not want people accidentally pushing it and it makes it known only to me to activate and initiate the light cut off. Next, I will likely do a puddle lamp switch as well and mount right next to it as if you leave the doors open or trunk open, the puddle lamps stay on at night so as wickedstangs said, fuse #10 also needs addressing to make this a complete system.

 

Picture_2.jpg

 

Picture_2.jpg

 

Old post but this was very helpful info for me since once of the reasons we bought an SUV instead of a car was so that we could take it to the drive-in. I copied Lex's example almost to the 'T'.

 

1. Purposefully blow or cut-out fuse

2. Trim down top of fuse to access metal pins

3. Solder wire to one, and ATM fuse holder to other ($3 each at walmart)

4. Attach female slide connectors

5. Mount rocker switches to kick panel.

(repeat)

 

voila! top switch toggles dome light fuse, bottom switch for the puddle lights.

 

 

Edited April 17, 2016 by pilotdog68