Headlight Buzzer

Ogedei · Post by **Ogedei** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:13 pm

I have a tendancy to leave my lights on. I leave for work and it is dark I get to work and it is not so I do not notice them.

Is there a buzzer in our cars that someone might have removed or that might have worn out?

I see I post for a door buzzer and that gives me hope.

brianp · Post by **brianp** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 1:56 pm

There wasn't one for the lights, but I don't think it would be hard to pull one from another car and put it in the circuit.

Post by **ARCHINSTL** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:39 pm

Ogedei -
A friend had this same habit some years ago.
His solution was to put a tiny Velcro dot on his instrument panel and another on a small plastic card he made up bearing the reminder "Turn off lights". Actually, his reminder was much more graphic than my stated message, but you get the idea.
I also used to do something similar when I used a bike roof rack on my '83 SR5 back in racing days.
Tom M.

takza · Post by **takza** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:42 pm

I think JCWhiteny has a lights on warning gizmo they sell...but what don't they sell!

Or go to RadioShack and buy a 12V LED...run one leg to ground and the other to a wire going to a headlight...then when your lights are on...it will be on.

zipty842 · Post by **zipty842** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:27 pm

I've seen a headlight buzzer at walmart before, it just plugged into the fuse box I think, might have to see if they still carry them, I have the same problem.

Ogedei · Post by **Ogedei** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:48 am

I have found a quick solution but I need to know "a ground point that is only grounded when the vehicle is turned off" on Civics it si the defrost fuse

Does anyone know where that is in our cars?

GTSSportCoupe · Post by **GTSSportCoupe** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 1:23 pm

You could grab the headlight circuit out of a corolla gts or mr2 or cressida (and maybe others) that automatically shuts the lights off when the car is off and you open the drivers door. Personally I like these the best. Not sure how tough it would be to wire in though.

Ogedei · Post by **Ogedei** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 1:56 pm

I have thought about the door thing but I do not have a door sensor so I would have to put one in, adding more effort.

I have a more complicated write-up that I will create if I can find a circuit that is ground on the car being turned off.

I will post a write-up when I am done.

Ogedei · Post by **Ogedei** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:59 pm

breaking it down this afternoon I found that we are not lucky like Honda civic owners who have a readily available ground when the car is off.

So adding a light is no problem I can even follow the rain gutters in the car and run the waire inside from the outside if I do not find an easy way to go through the firewall.

Getting the relay to work has been hell but I am going to research research reseach

Fingers · Post by **Fingers** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:13 pm

If you want an easy way to do this, all you need to do is find a buzzer (or light), wire the pos to any light that is on when the lights are on (ashtray, stereo, etc,), then wire the ground end into the door pin-switch (either from the switch itself or the lead going to the domelight), and VIOLA! If your lights are on the buzzer (or light) will come on when you open your door. Ogedei, if you don't have a door switch, they are sooo easy to install, it is almost a crime. There are some that you just drill the hole and they self-tap in. They have long enough leads that you could feed them in and find them easilly behind your kick panel. Besides, I can't think of a circuit that would be grounded with a key off only situation. I'm not saying there isn't one....I just can't think of one.

I used the lead that used to illuminate the stereo in my Corolla to wire the toggle switch to my fog lamps. Since the lights turn off when the key is off and door is opened, I can never leave my fog lamps on.

Fingers

Ogedei · Post by **Ogedei** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 5:36 pm

I may look into the door switch since I could not find a way to get the relay to work. not sure why they relay would not trip no matter what circuit I tried.

I think it might have had a trouble with the headlights being 15 amp and basically everything else was 10 or under.

So I think if I put an fuse inline and lower the amperage to 5 amp I can use any of the other circuits and maybe use the relay without a door switch.

I have a light hooked up now. Positive attached to the power side of the fuse and negative attached to the frame. The light is on when the lights are on regardless of the car being off or on. I will post pictures when I have finally given up on the relay buzzer.