[asathorny]

I had a recall on the power steering issue which has been mentioned hereabouts by a few people...  I got there at ten had a mug of their cheap coffee and browsed the news paper for five minutes before the guy came back and said 'yer good to go, no problems there'.  I have no idea what the check entailed.

The second things was more worrying in that for the last three days I have had to resort to starting the car with an external booster hooked up to the battery.  This is not a great hardship, I must confess, but since i had the car back to Halfords (a local parts supplier) for a battery check and the man tested the starter and alternator whilst I was there I was left to assume that some serious electrical fault had developed.

Well, as I was setting out to work on Friday morning, for some inexplicable reason I moved the passenger side sun visor and voila the little courtesy light which hides behind the visor was twinkling away, draining my bloody battery.  I can only assume that management had clicked it on intentionally or otherwise then closed the visor.

So I thought I might just mention it as there may be someone out there as dopey as me and this is just one more thing to check when all else fails

[Asterix]

The light over the visor should only light up when the mirror cover is opened.

[eye30]

Take the bulb out.

[asathorny]

The light over the visor should only light up when the mirror cover is opened.

It was <sigh>   

[Surferdude]

The light over the visor should only light up when the mirror cover is opened.

It was <sigh>   

In my wife's Corolla even if you leave the cover open,  the light goes out when you push the visor back up into place.

[Dazzler]

Don't beat yourself up ASA (you could go blind) 

But seriously, good tip (anyone could overlook that)

[AlanHo]

In my wife's Corolla even if you leave the cover open,  the light goes out when you push the visor back up into place.

Can you be sure - you can't see the light when its folded up.  It's a bit like the fridge door - are you sure the light goes out when you shut it..............

[Surferdude]

In my wife's Corolla even if you leave the cover open,  the light goes out when you push the visor back up into place.

Can you be sure - you can't see the light when its folded up.  It's a bit like the fridge door - are you sure the light goes out when you shut it..............

It flicks out just before the visor clicks into place. 

[FatBoy]

In my wife's Corolla even if you leave the cover open,  the light goes out when you push the visor back up into place.

Can you be sure - you can't see the light when its folded up.  It's a bit like the fridge door - are you sure the light goes out when you shut it..............

It does go out, I checked.  Unfortunately the wife forgot I was in the fridge, and I nearly froze to death.  Lucky for me I was able to survive on a six pack of beer and half a chicken.  At least I think it was chicken, it was dark and it could have been anything. 

[CraigB]

How long were you in there before they realised you were missing Jamie? any more than a couple of days you'd want a Mars bar...can live on one of those for a week they reckon

[FatBoy]

How long were you in there before they realised you were missing Jamie? any more than a couple of days you'd want a Mars bar...can live on one of those for a week they reckon

I had a Mars Bar in my wallet for any such emergency.  As I said, I was in there enough time to have a six pack of beer and half a "chicken" (still not sure on that one).  So it could have been up to 30 minutes!!

[CraigB]

Shame there was no bacon

[FatBoy]

Shame there was no bacon

The survival time of bacon in the FatBoy residence means it doesn't need to go in the fridge.

[CraigB]

 

[AlanHo]

asa

On my Venga the mirror vanity lights go out 30 seconds after I lock the car so they cannot be left on when the car is parked up.

Is your's not the same?

[asathorny]

asa

On my Venga the mirror vanity lights go out 30 seconds after I lock the car so they cannot be left on when the car is parked up.

Is your's not the same?

MMMmmm Alan you have put me in a quandary now.  This morning, as I was going out on an errand for the management to M&S, I did what I foolishly imagined was a thorough investigation.  I found that the vanity light does extinguish when the visor slams shut PROPERLY the switch is so designed as to have one half substantially larger than 'tother meaning that the visor knocks it to the off position (clever)....  So, why this no workie for me,  my forward looking camera has a power cord which is no problem at all for me as it is on the passenger side, I tend to sit on the drivers side.  Anyhow, the cord had somehow get placed across the visor space and must have just prevented the visor just enough to not knock the asymmetric light switch to the off position...   Problem solved, or so I thought, until I just read your posting.  I know how thorough you are and read your reports avidly and now I am confronted with another research project...   I will be over Windy Hill on the 62 first thing in the morning and will muse on what you say.  Not quite sure how to test it just now.  You can however rely on me setting my limited brain power to work.   Thank for the input 

[AlanHo]

My Venga has the same asymmetric switch which the visor is capable of switching off provided you slam the visor upwards. I was curious enough this morning to pull down both vanity mirrors, switch the car headlights on, get out of the car and lock it with the fob lock button. After about 30 seconds the headlights switched off followed a few seconds later by the vanity mirror lights.

Having typed the above I thought that maybe I should have repeated the experiment with just the sidelights on to see if it still works the same -  but I didn't think of that permutation and I'm not walking the 50 yards to my garage to try it now - because it's raining heavily.

[asathorny]

My Venga has the same asymmetric switch which the visor is capable of switching off provided you slam the visor upwards. I was curious enough this morning to pull down both vanity mirrors, switch the car headlights on, get out of the car and lock it with the fob lock button. After about 30 seconds the headlights switched off followed a few seconds later by the vanity mirror lights.

Having typed the above I thought that maybe I should have repeated the experiment with just the sidelights on to see if it still works the same -  but I didn't think of that permutation and I'm not walking the 50 yards to my garage to try it now - because it's raining heavily.

I suspect we've reached the conclusion of this puzzle Alan, and what is the conclusion I hear you say?   It is that you car is technically further on than mine, and so it should be.

When I arrived at the hospital in Dewsbury I remained in the car park and like you I turned on the visor vanity light whilst at the same time leaving the visor in the open position and guess what, the little blighter on my car remained ON... even with the ignition off and key removed.

Your Venga is almost five years younger than my i30 and, I am guessing, it would seem that it was not just me who had this problem, otherwise why would they fix a problem which did not exist.

So in conclusion, it seems that you have no worries that this might happen to you whilst I on the other hand have, but I am now aware of it so we're good to go. 

Thank for the help and research 

[AlanHo]

When I checked my car I was outside the car, locked the doors and then timed how long it took for the light to go out.  You seem to have sat in the car and removed the key - but not locked it.

I don't know whether it makes a difference - and I can't check my car at present, because management has it this afternoon.

[asathorny]

When I checked my car I was outside the car, locked the doors and then timed how long it took for the light to go out.  You seem to have sat in the car and removed the key - but not locked it.

I don't know whether it makes a difference - and I can't check my car at present, because management has it this afternoon.

Oh how remiss of me..  Yes I was also outside the car with the door locked and keys in pocket before I went into a semi squat posture to be able to look into and up to see what the light would do, this inspired one of the attractive young and desirable females from the office to come out and check if I needed assistance (from her I really did, but the thought of spending time in police cells curbed my lustful imaginings) I assured her that I was OK and continued with our investigations. 
So, I can now reconnect my Bluetooth phone thing, and also my Nuvi power cord and get back to enjoying my, now quite old, i30 and be content that it is nothing to do with them       

[AlanHo]

asa - you could so easily develop a phobia about this bulb.

My suggestion is to paint it black

[John B]

Such goings on  Hope this investigation last a bit longer I am really enjoying it.

[Surferdude]

Such goings on  Hope this investigation last a bit longer I am really enjoying it.

Yep.
Gotta love the i30 forums. 

[asathorny]

asa - you could so easily develop a phobia about this bulb.

My suggestion is to paint it black

COULD...  Alan, you're not usually this far behind the game.  My phobic anxiety states have reached proportions such that I am driven to get up in the middle of the night and open up the garage to see if this bulbs is burning and flattening the battery.   The dog is weary from lack of sleep.

The Valium is helping a little 

[Phil №❶]

Well Asa, was it on or off.