20 replies to this topic

[Juju]

Model:

Matilda.

Year:

2000

Description of problem (please be as in depth as possible):

Faulty brain of owner means that lights are left on despite parking "nose out" in car park.


Morning all.

I was wondering if there is a way to wire in an alarm or warning light that will remind me when I have left Matilda's lights on?

Despite parking "face out" everyday so I see her lights when I leave the car park, I hadn't noticed her sidelights were still on again this morning.

The whole site at work now knows the name & reg of my mini because emails & phonecalls have repeatedly been sent out about her lights being on. It's humiliating having a brain like mine & I need a little reminder to turn her lights off. Could I wire in something that goes "Hoooooooonk!" if I try & leave her with her lights on? If so, how?

Thanks

Dr Cheese-Head

Edited by Juju, 13 October 2008 - 07:57 AM.

[GraemeC]

ebay item number 110297675289

Cheap and local!!

[Jupitus]

Model:

Matilda.

Year:

2000

Description of problem (please be as in depth as possible):

Faulty brain of owner means that lights are left on despite parking "nose out" in car park.


Morning all.

I was wondering if there is a way to wire in an alarm or warning light that will remind me when I have left Matilda's lights on?

Despite parking "face out" everyday so I see her lights when I leave the car park, I hadn't noticed her sidelights were still on again this morning.

The whole site at work now knows the name & reg of my mini because emails & phonecalls have repeatedly been sent out about her lights being on. It's humiliating having a brain like mine & I need a little reminder to turn her lights off. Could I wire in something that goes "Hoooooooonk!" if I try & leave her with her lights on? If so, how?

Thanks

Dr Cheese-Head

Custom solutions wouldn't be very hard to do, but off the shelf these chaps do one...

http://www.vehicle-w...lays/timers.php

[998dave]

Juju,

Presuming your interior ligth and therefore your door switches work, you could take a feed of this, to feed power to a relay.
Then connect the power from the dashboard or tail lights to switch the relay. Add an earth, and a buzzer, and jobs a good 'un.

You can get the relay from anywhere, even Halfords, but not sure where to find a buzzer...

Dave

[Waffs1984]

You can get the relay from anywhere, even Halfords, but not sure where to find a buzzer...

Dave

Maplin...

[Juju]

You can get the relay from anywhere, even Halfords, but not sure where to find a buzzer...

Dave

Maplin...

Lordy be. Thassall a bit complicated. Ta anyway.

Just found this at Wilco and apparently Maplin used to do a whole kit that some geezer fitted to his MG.

I'll speak to the Wilco peeps. If the alarm comes with wiring diagram & destructions then I might have a go myself. Otherwise it's "batting eyelashes time".

[Jupitus]

You can get the relay from anywhere, even Halfords, but not sure where to find a buzzer...

Dave

Maplin...

Lordy be. Thassall a bit complicated. Ta anyway.

Just found this at Wilco and apparently Maplin used to do a whole kit that some geezer fitted to his MG.

I'll speak to the Wilco peeps. If the alarm comes with wiring diagram & destructions then I might have a go myself. Otherwise it's "batting eyelashes time".

Bear in mind that the Wilco one sounds if lights are on but igntion off, which is functional but might be annoying in some circumstances. The Maplins kit is just that, a kit of electronic components almost as a hobby project for people to put together, so soldering skills would be required.

The item on ebay or the one I linked would not be difficult to fit ... a scan of the instructions that come with and people here would be easily able to walk you through it....

[Jupitus]

Juju,

Presuming your interior ligth and therefore your door switches work, you could take a feed of this, to feed power to a relay.
Then connect the power from the dashboard or tail lights to switch the relay. Add an earth, and a buzzer, and jobs a good 'un.

You can get the relay from anywhere, even Halfords, but not sure where to find a buzzer...

Dave

I thought this through and it is quite simple, yes.

Buzzer here:

http://www.maplin.co...x?ModuleNo=3213

for £1.99 plus a standard automobile relay. Power into relay from Red/Green sidelights circuit, trigger into relay from interior light circuit means 'IF door=open AND lights=on THEN buzzing sound'. Not too difficult at all!

[Ethel]

Since the interior light just switches to earth you may get away without the relay. May be a LED would add an extra warning and improve a relayless circuit?

You could also add a relay to make the lights ignition dependent, with a bypass switch should you ever need them to work sans key.

[998dave]

Since the interior light just switches to earth you may get away without the relay. May be a LED would add an extra warning and improve a relayless circuit?

You could also add a relay to make the lights ignition dependent, with a bypass switch should you ever need them to work sans key.

Putting a buzzer in parallel with the interior light, power from the dash board lights, and earthing through the interior light door open switches.
That'd be £1.99 for a buzzer and nothing else then? well, a couple of connectors maybe.

Bring a couple of screwdrivers and some wire and I'll do it... )

[Juju]

Since the interior light just switches to earth you may get away without the relay. May be a LED would add an extra warning and improve a relayless circuit?

You could also add a relay to make the lights ignition dependent, with a bypass switch should you ever need them to work sans key.

Putting a buzzer in parallel with the interior light, power from the dash board lights, and earthing through the interior light door open switches.
That'd be £1.99 for a buzzer and nothing else then? well, a couple of connectors maybe.

Bring a couple of screwdrivers and some wire and I'll do it... )

Dave - where are you? I might take you up on that, please, now that those combined replies have confused me completely.

Ethel - reply to your PMs, rude boy.

[mini_mad69]

Since the interior light just switches to earth you may get away without the relay. May be a LED would add an extra warning and improve a relayless circuit?

You could also add a relay to make the lights ignition dependent, with a bypass switch should you ever need them to work sans key.

Putting a buzzer in parallel with the interior light, power from the dash board lights, and earthing through the interior light door open switches.
That'd be £1.99 for a buzzer and nothing else then? well, a couple of connectors maybe.

Bring a couple of screwdrivers and some wire and I'll do it... )

Thats what I did, i got a cheap 12v buzzer, connected negative to door switch and posotive to the sidelight circuit, open door with lights on and bzzzzzzzzzzzzz, only problem with this system is when your fumbling about in your car at night and turn your interior light on you get a very annoying buzzing sound. But i put up with this for the sake of being able to start my car.

[Ethel]

Since the interior light just switches to earth you may get away without the relay. May be a LED would add an extra warning and improve a relayless circuit?

You could also add a relay to make the lights ignition dependent, with a bypass switch should you ever need them to work sans key.

Putting a buzzer in parallel with the interior light, power from the dash board lights, and earthing through the interior light door open switches.
That'd be £1.99 for a buzzer and nothing else then? well, a couple of connectors maybe.

Bring a couple of screwdrivers and some wire and I'll do it... )

Thats what I did, i got a cheap 12v buzzer, connected negative to door switch and posotive to the sidelight circuit, open door with lights on and bzzzzzzzzzzzzz, only problem with this system is when your fumbling about in your car at night and turn your interior light on you get a very annoying buzzing sound. But i put up with this for the sake of being able to start my car.

I did wonder if the buzzer would reverse flow, where did you tap into the light switch? A diode (LED) may sort that out.

[998dave]

Since the interior light just switches to earth you may get away without the relay. May be a LED would add an extra warning and improve a relayless circuit?

You could also add a relay to make the lights ignition dependent, with a bypass switch should you ever need them to work sans key.

Putting a buzzer in parallel with the interior light, power from the dash board lights, and earthing through the interior light door open switches.
That'd be £1.99 for a buzzer and nothing else then? well, a couple of connectors maybe.

Bring a couple of screwdrivers and some wire and I'll do it... )

Dave - where are you? I might take you up on that, please, now that those combined replies have confused me completely.

Ethel - reply to your PMs, rude boy.

East London,
Pm for more details, would rather not publish my address all over the web...
If you do want me to look at it next week let me know and I'll make sure I've got my multimeter and a few bits and pieces to hook it up with.

Dave

[cambiker71]

Since the interior light just switches to earth you may get away without the relay. May be a LED would add an extra warning and improve a relayless circuit?

You could also add a relay to make the lights ignition dependent, with a bypass switch should you ever need them to work sans key.

Putting a buzzer in parallel with the interior light, power from the dash board lights, and earthing through the interior light door open switches.
That'd be £1.99 for a buzzer and nothing else then? well, a couple of connectors maybe.

Bring a couple of screwdrivers and some wire and I'll do it... )

Thats what I did, i got a cheap 12v buzzer, connected negative to door switch and posotive to the sidelight circuit, open door with lights on and bzzzzzzzzzzzzz, only problem with this system is when your fumbling about in your car at night and turn your interior light on you get a very annoying buzzing sound. But i put up with this for the sake of being able to start my car.

I did wonder if the buzzer would reverse flow, where did you tap into the light switch? A diode (LED) may sort that out.

The buzzer does back flow leaving the interior lamp on dimly, flatttening your battery, a diode in the power side before the buzzer works nicely, early metros had one fitted near the fusebox with a standard lucas terminal on each end, no idea what it's for but i've scrapped enough of them to find it each time!!