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[shelly00013]

when i turn my head lights on, all my dashboard lights go out, and the heating does not work either, so i have no lights on dash at all when headlights are on, but as soon as i turn them off then all the dashboard lights come back on

[RobG]

Check the dimmer wheel on right side of light switch

[shelly00013]

no its not the dimmer, i know where that is, its the whole of the dash lights go completly off, the radio goes off the heating, and the screen where time , date and cd/radio comes up, no lights at alll, but they come straight back on when i turn the headlights off

[Martian]

I'll call defective headlamp switch.

[SteveAvfc.]

Check the dimmer wheel on right side of light switch

Have you come across this before by any chance Rob lol 

[Entwood]

Even if the dimmer unit is set to the "bright" position, it could have an internal failure - high resistance - that is causing the problem.

As the dimmer switch is an easy replacement, compared to a rewire, if it was me I'd buy a known working dimmer from one of the breakers here and try it .... might just save a great deal of work !!!

[symes]

+1 

[Martian]

Even if the dimmer unit is set to the "bright" position, it could have an internal failure - high resistance - that is causing the problem.

If I've understood the OP correctly, the panel illumination is OK when the sidelights are on so the dimmer must be good.

[Entwood]

Even if the dimmer unit is set to the "bright" position, it could have an internal failure - high resistance - that is causing the problem.

If I've understood the OP correctly, the panel illumination is OK when the sidelights are on so the dimmer must be good.

Sorry .. as I never never use "sidelights" as you refer to them ..I think of them as "parking lights" ... the switch always goes straight from OFF to full lights... sort of assume everyone does the same ..

[Martian]

I too drive with dipped headlights when they are required, but the panel illumination will be off if the headlight switch is off (which is why I made the assumption that it must be OK when the sidelights are on).

[Andy B]

.....

Sorry .. as I never never use "sidelights" as you refer to them ..I think of them as "parking lights" ... the switch always goes straight from OFF to full lights... sort of assume everyone does the same ..

I had this same conversation at work the other morning. One of the lads commented that as it was so light on his way in, he'd just been on side lights, to which I also referred to them as 'parking lights'. I'm with you Nige, lights on = dipped beam 


(side lights might be marginally better than bugger all on mornings like today when it was piddling down although there were many without )

[Entwood]

.....

Sorry .. as I never never use "sidelights" as you refer to them ..I think of them as "parking lights" ... the switch always goes straight from OFF to full lights... sort of assume everyone does the same ..

I had this same conversation at work the other morning. One of the lads commented that as it was so light on his way in, he'd just been on side lights, to which I also referred to them as 'parking lights'. I'm with you Nige, lights on = dipped beam 


(side lights might be marginally better than bugger all on mornings like today when it was piddling down although there were many without )

I had an interesting chat many years back, over a pint, with an off duty police Sgt. He was a decent chap and very much "old school" ..ie . talk first to educate, book if you get nowhere. There were about 4/5 of us and the subject of "sidelights" came up .... and he stated.. quite publicly .. that he "loved em , greatest thing ever" ..... we were somewhat amazed and asked for further.. and his line of argument was this .......

The law requires you to drive on dipped lights whenever visibility is reduced ... simple. ( we all agreed)

If you put "sidelights" on you are admitting that lights are needed (why else put them on), therfore it is easy to nick you for not driving on dipped lights as you have admitted visibility is reduced.....

The driver on NO lights at all has a "line of defence" in that he can say that, in his opinion, visibility is not reduced enough to need lights, it is harder to nick him as it is a matter of opinion.

Obviously after "lighting up time" (30 minutes after sunset ) or in fog Mr PC has a far easier time ... but it is/was an interesting  point that we could not really argue against ....

Be interested in Broocies take on it mind ...

[Martian]

Obviously after "lighting up time" (30 minutes after sunset ) or in fog Mr PC has a far easier time ... but it is/was an interesting  point that we could not really argue against ....

Such a simple logic, and as you say, no room for argument at all.

I remember when I was a kid and my old man always used to say that only sidelights were needed if the road was lit with street lamps (which may well have been the case back in the 70's). I've always used dipped headlights (when required) since I started driving in 1981, and ALWAYS used dipped headlights regardless when I'm on my bike.

Some people argue that a headlight makes no odds during the day on the bike, but I personally think it does.
However I'm not so keen on the idea of cars being forced to use dipped lights during daylight hours as I believe that will simply make the bike less visible than what it already is to other road users.

[Dave DND]

However I'm not so keen on the idea of cars being forced to use dipped lights during daylight hours as I believe that will simply make the bike less visible than what it already is to other road users.

Agreed - the danger here is that drivers will become a bit too "used" to seeing lights in the mirror and will not realise that its a bike coming up on them and not a car

 

[Martian]

However I'm not so keen on the idea of cars being forced to use dipped lights during daylight hours as I believe that will simply make the bike less visible than what it already is to other road users.

Agreed - the danger here is that drivers will become a bit too "used" to seeing lights in the mirror and will not realise that its a bike coming up on them and not a car

 

The amount of "cagers" out there that don't realise what is going on around them now is astonishing.
Couple that with the fact a bike (even a piss ant 125) can move a lot quicker than a car, as well as natural blind spots that a car has, as well as it being odds on the car driver isn't even thinking "bike" because they've never ridden one...it's a wonder the accident stats aren't a lot higher.

I reckon it would be a good idea to make everyone who wishes to drive a car ride a bike first for a year so they have an idea of what it's like. Not only would it give them a better comprehension of how to interpret the actual road surface and how the vehicle is likely to behave in a given scenario, it would also remove the mental "blank" (if that's the right term) of them naturally only looking for something as wide as them.