Headlights stay on after engine is off... - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

ammarquis · 01-20-2011, 12:26 PM

Hello, I'm new and found this forum to be quite informative when running a Google search.

Anyways, I've had a 1995 Toyota Corolla for a year and it works well. The weird thing just came up today.

Whenever I shut off the engine, it shuts everything off including the headlights and everything plugged in to the cigarette lighter. I recently got a new HD Radio for the car and checked to make sure everything stayed the same and it did -- everything turns off when the engine is off including the radio and headlights. So I've always left the headlights on when the engine is off.

So I did that today, and the headlights stayed on. I turned the engine on and off several times and the headlights never went off unless I switched them to the off position, which is fine but it's concerning because the car has never been that way before.

Does anyone have an explanation? If so, is it something that could be more serious?

ammarquis · 01-20-2011, 01:17 PM

Well, I found the issue and apparent the issue is, "I'm an Idiot".

If I open the doors before I shut the ignition off, the headlights will stay on. If I shut the engine off then open the door, the headlights turn off.

Bitter · 01-20-2011, 07:31 PM

thats odd, I never knew the 7th gen had auto off headlights. can you turn them on when the car is off?

dreqball1965 · 01-24-2011, 04:56 PM

I've got a 96 corolla and while the lights don't 'auto' shutoff there is a buzzer that comes on when the lights are left on after the ignition is turned off..

Piloter · 01-24-2011, 05:18 PM

You don't have to have the key in the ignition to run marker lights, headlights/brights, or turn signals. I've never tried with the stalk with the key out, but I know the hazards work like that, never noticed if the brake lights work like that as well either. There is a buzzer but there is nothing to prevent you from draining your battery.

Hiro Protagonist · 01-25-2011, 02:08 AM

In Aus, brake lights, headlights and hazards (not indicators though) must be able to operate with the ignition key in any position (or even removed), however there is logic in the BCM so that the headlights turn off when the driver's door is opened and the ignition turned to ACC or OFF - this is to stop you leaving the lights on after you get home (there's no buzzer though), if you need to force the headlights to stay on after the car is stopped then you just turn the headlight switch off and then back on (the door switch basically acts as an edge-trigger, after it has tripped it no longer affects the system).

jawsofire · 01-26-2011, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bitter

thats odd, I never knew the 7th gen had auto off headlights. can you turn them on when the car is off?

Yes. My car does the same thing. If you leave the lights on and then turn off the engine and open the door, just rotate to off and then back on. I got in a habit of never turning my headlights off during the winter since its always dark or snowing.