parking light position - what it does and doesnt doo

[trainman]

so in a post Christmas bored moment I decided to see if the manual was right about the parking light position on the igntion switch, sure enough it only allows the indicators and hazards to work, no tail light or front park light, i would think this a bit odd but maybe others have an opinion?

maybe no one uses parking lights anymore if stopped for an hour or 2 on a dark street/highway?

also noticed that the aux DC jack springs into life in the 'parking' position - again why? do they expect us to use the supply when parked up, maybe to use as a charging point? (nothing on this in the manual unless you have a keen eye on the wiring scheme)

may try it as a charge point over the winter - i guess as long as the current stays below the fuse limit it may work, anyone tried?

 

[Don in Lodi]

Parking lights and power port? Not sure using the power port to charge in this manner will work right. You'd be recharging what the park lights use... The best yet has been Battery Tender and their SAE power cord piggy backed onto the battery terminals. Power source for air pumps, heated gear, and what-not, easy hook up for maintenance charge.

 

[EricV]

Possibly so you have the option to leave the GPS powered up while you take a break, w/o running the device battery down?

 

[trainman]

Parking lights and power port? Not sure using the power port to charge in this manner will work right. You'd be recharging what the park lights use... The best yet has been Battery Tender and their SAE power cord piggy backed onto the battery terminals. Power source for air pumps, heated gear, and what-not, easy hook up for maintenance charge.

my point was that there are no parking lights! from what I can see if you dont switch the indicators or hazards on there is no current drain, so using it to charge would be ok

i accept that an SAE cord onto the battery has several advantages, i was just floating some ideas as to what the jack could be used for (GPS could be another as per the last post from EricV)

 

[Dogdaze]

my point was that there are no parking lights! from what I can see if you dont switch the indicators or hazards on there is no current drain, so using it to charge would be ok

i accept that an SAE cord onto the battery has several advantages, i was just floating some ideas as to what the jack could be used for (GPS could be another as per the last post from EricV)

Just went and checked mine, UK spec bike, and depressed the key to lock the steering and then release pressure and another click past lock to 'P', et voilà, I have parking lights.

 

[squarebore]

Just went and checked mine, UK spec bike, and depressed the key to lock the steering and then release pressure and another click past lock to 'P', et voilà, I have parking lights.

Same as the Aussie spec bikes. I locked the steering one day and went too far and left the parking lights on all day. Result was a flat battery.

I'll have to see if the charge port works there though as that would be good to keep the GPS/phone going.


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[Roge]

::026::

Same as the Aussie spec bikes. I locked the steering one day and went too far and left the parking lights on all day. Result was a flat battery.

I'll have to see if the charge port works there though as that would be good to keep the GPS/phone going.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[trainman]

Just went and checked mine, UK spec bike, and depressed the key to lock the steering and then release pressure and another click past lock to 'P', et voilà, I have parking lights.

very odd, def none on mine (as the manual suggests just indicators and hazards), my wiring scheme is 2010 vintage and that doesn't show any parking lights either suspect UK bikes haven't had them for a while, maybe yours was converted and they didn't bother removing it?

 

[Dogdaze]

very odd, def none on mine (as the manual suggests just indicators and hazards), my wiring scheme is 2010 vintage and that doesn't show any parking lights either suspect UK bikes haven't had them for a while, maybe yours was converted and they didn't bother removing it?

I don't believe anybody messed with it post sale, and it is a 2012 MY, even has the 'P' on the ignition barrel..................

 

[trainman]

I don't anybody messed with it post sale, and it is a 2012 MY, even has the 'P' on the ignition barrel..................

mine late 2014 ES,
yes my barrel says P and the book refers to 'parking as well' in the text title, all very odd
will remain one of life's mysteries

 

[Nig5]

I have a 2014 and dealer told me parking light position on ignition barrel doesn't work as Yamaha disabled it because people flattened the battery by accidentally leaving the lights on, saw a lad with a gsxr who did just that recently.

 

[Shovelhead]

Ignition switch on this machine is strange to me.
I've never had a bike that required the engine to be running for the headlight to shine.
Honestly I've never even checked to see what was hot with the key in ACC or park light position on my bike, but I will tomorrow.

Seems to me there should be 3 options on an ignition switch.
1. key to run = all power including all lights, bike can be started
2. key to ACC = no headlight, tail light and turn signals on(running lights), bike can not be started
3. key to OFF = well, the dam things off, all of it.

If the manufacturer sets it up to where nothing operates in ACC / parking light mode, in order to keep someone from draining the battery, then that's stupid.
You leave the key position anywhere but OFF, then it's operator error and yer own damn fault.

Am I missing something here........

 

[EricV]

Ignition switch on this machine is strange to me.
Am I missing something here........

Yes, in the rest of the world, (not the US), the vast majority of vehicles have a Park point on the ignition. It was typical to park half on the curb, (narrow streets), and in Park your running lights stayed on so other drivers wouldn't run into your car while you were getting groceries, in the pub, etc. Especially when you put that together with darkness or fog or both. Think rainy night in England.

The US is the odd duck in the pond with no hazards, no Park position on the ignition, no standard anti-theft systems on modern bikes and no red key, (chipped). These are all standard for the rest of the world, though we are seeing an odd exception for the OP.

 

[scott123007]

Ignition switch on this machine is strange to me.
I've never had a bike that required the engine to be running for the headlight to shine.

The engine does not have to be running for the headlight to shine. It is designed to not come on until the engine starts so all of the available battery current can be used for start up, but once it starts, if you turn the engine off by the kill switch, the headlight will remain on.

 

[Shovelhead]

Honestly I've never even checked to see what was hot with the key in ACC or park light position on my bike, but I will tomorrow.

My bike with the key in "P" does power up the 12v outlet but only allows the hazard & flashers to work, no other lights including brake light.

The engine does not have to be running for the headlight to shine. It is designed to not come on until the engine starts so all of the available battery current can be used for start up, but once it starts, if you turn the engine off by the kill switch, the headlight will remain on.

Thanks Scott, that's good to know.
Now, just out of curiosity, I wonder at what point after the starting cycle do the headlights actually come on and what "gadget" in the system determines when.

Does just the start switch contacts trigger it, make/break contact, light comes on, if so it's possible for the engine to not be running.
Or, does the "gadget" need to see RPM's, or fuel flow to trigger the headlight "ON"..
Or.......??

 

[trainman]

the scheme shows the relay being driven from the main ECU brain

I assume once started the lights remain on even if the engine stops for safety reasons, i.e. you run out of fuel at night!!
(takes me back to my first moped, battery the size of a cig packet and engine on the lights were dim, engine off even dimmer)

 

[Nig5]

Well you live and learn! after being told by my dealer that the P position on the ignition lock had been disabled I never tried to use it, I did notice that if you pushed down the key to turn the steering lock on you couldn`t turn the key any further (as I had done on other bikes) so today I pressed down on the key and engaged the steering lock and then released pressure on the key and found it would turn to P! no Parking lights but accessory socket live and the hazards work (dealer didn`t tell me that) don`t know why Yamaha disabled the parking lights as I can`t see how you would accidentally leave them on as it needs another turn after releasing pressure on the key.
Don`t see I would ever use it as the only time I need power from the battery is for a camp light and then I would plug in my accessory cigar lighter into the optimate lead that is wired direct to the battery, suppose you could put the hazards on without leaving the key in the ignition.

 

[bigbob]

I was with a group and a bike went down in the rain. I was at the back and shut the key off then back on, to kill the headlights, and turned on the flashers. But this left the other lights and all the electronics on. Nice to know I can kill everything else and still run the flashers for an hour or so.

 

[Don in Lodi]

I was with a group and a bike went down in the rain. I was at the back and shut the key off then back on, to kill the headlights, and turned on the flashers. But this left the other lights and all the electronics on. Nice to know I can kill everything else and still run the flashers for an hour or so.

You've got flashers? My 12 doesn't. Did the newer US bikes get what common sense says they should have from the start?

 

[trainman]

Well you live and learn! after being told by my dealer that the P position on the ignition lock had been disabled I never tried to use it, I did notice that if you pushed down the key to turn the steering lock on you couldn`t turn the key any further (as I had done on other bikes) so today I pressed down on the key and engaged the steering lock and then released pressure on the key and found it would turn to P! no Parking lights but accessory socket live and the hazards work (dealer didn`t tell me that) don`t know why Yamaha disabled the parking lights as I can`t see how you would accidentally leave them on as it needs another turn after releasing pressure on the key.

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agree - now the indicators and tail lights are LED the current draw is small, had they fitted two led's to the front position lights as well they could have left well alone and still provided parking lights that had much less chance of flattening the battery? - I changed my front position lights for led at minimal cost, Trainman.

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Don`t see I would ever use it as the only time I need power from the battery is for a camp light and then I would plug in my accessory cigar lighter into the optimate lead that is wired direct to the battery, suppose you could put the hazards on without leaving the key in the ignition.