Nissan Leaf ZE1 Park Lights - how to turn on when the car is parked?

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#3414551 13-Sep-2025 16:04

mudguard:

How come you want the park lights on once the car is locked? I'd say 99% of modern cars will shut everything down once the car is locked.

To park the car lawfully in the dark at night without having to stay inside it because it's unlocked. I don't recall ever having a car that couldn't have the park lights on with the doors locked.

mudguard

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#3414553 13-Sep-2025 16:07

BlakJak:

Because they're literally called park lights? Have you even read the thread?

Yes. What is the OP doing. Wanting to put the park lights on, lock the car for the night and come out the next morning? I don't think I've ever used park lights other than sitting parked somewhere with the car idling and me in it.

RunningMan

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#3414554 13-Sep-2025 16:08

https://www.nissan.co.uk/owners/car-repair/car-owner-manual/manuals/iom/leaf/0ze1/e0/2023/battery-saver-system-2.shtml

UK model, but suggests they will turn off if they are turned on while the car is powered on. Suggests therefore that if turned on after the car is powered off then they should remain on, but that doesn't seem to happen in your case.

Tried holding the indicator stalk for several seconds to the right or left position with the vehicle off? That's a common Euro way to activate side lights for either side.

mudguard

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#3414555 13-Sep-2025 16:09

RunningMan:

mudguard:

How come you want the park lights on once the car is locked? I'd say 99% of modern cars will shut everything down once the car is locked.

To park the car lawfully in the dark at night without having to stay inside it because it's unlocked. I don't recall every having a car that couldn't have the park lights on with the doors locked.

Someone else can do the maths but I'm not sure any car I've owned would start the next day. Different for an EV obviously but not a habit I'd want to make. You forget, don't go out the next day, or someone picks you up and you don't see the car etc.

RunningMan

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#3414557 13-Sep-2025 16:16

There's no requirement that a car parked in the dark cannot be used until the next morning...

This is about the OP being able to lawfully park the car in the dark, not an endurance test.

mudguard

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#3414560 13-Sep-2025 16:25

RunningMan:

This is about the OP being able to lawfully park the car in the dark, not an endurance test.

Where are they parking that they need their lights on? Doesn't that legislation state above basically roadway, as in you've literally come to a halt. Not parked on the side of the road.

The only legal requirement when parked is that your rear lights have reflectors. Which I presume all cars have, that illuminate by other headlights, like cats eyes.

I just went out to our three cars and only one of them leaves the lights on with the key removed. The others both turn off once locked. And the one that stays illuminated is 33 years old and has a screaming beeper if you do so.

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RunningMan

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#3414562 13-Sep-2025 16:35

mudguard: The only legal requirement when parked is that your rear lights have reflectors. Which I presume all cars have, that illuminate by other headlights, like cats eyes.

@mudguard this is simply not correct.

Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004

8.7 Use of motor vehicle lights on parked or standing vehicles

(1) A driver must not park or leave a motor vehicle on any roadway during the hours of darkness unless—
(a) it is illuminated from an artificial source so that it is visible; or
(b) it displays light from the rearward-facing position lamp or, if 2 rearward-facing position lamps are fitted, from both rearward-facing position lamps, and from either the forward-facing position lamp or dipped-beam headlamp on the side of the vehicle that is closest to the middle of the road.

(2) A driver must not park or leave any goods vehicle that is a heavy motor vehicle or a vehicle fitted with a flat deck or tray for the carriage of goods (whether or not it is equipped with sideboards or tail boards) on any roadway during the hours of darkness unless it displays a rearward-facing position lamp that is visible.

(3) The driver of a motor vehicle that is standing or has stopped on a road for a temporary purpose during the hours of darkness (for example, to enable the driver to read a map) must use either the forward-facing position lamp or lamps, or the dipped-beam headlamp or lamps.

Source:https://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2004/0427/91.0/DLM303651.html

EDIT: formatting

mudguard

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#3414563 13-Sep-2025 16:40

So I've managed to get to middle age without seeing hordes of parked cars at night with park lights on. Literally streets full between street lights.

(1) A driver must not park or leave a motor vehicle on any roadway during the hours of darkness unless—

(a) it is illuminated from an artificial source so that it is visible

Guess that includes other car headlights.

BlakJak

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#3414565 13-Sep-2025 16:44

mudguard:

RunningMan:

This is about the OP being able to lawfully park the car in the dark, not an endurance test.

Where are they parking that they need their lights on? Doesn't that legislation state above basically roadway, as in you've literally come to a halt. Not parked on the side of the road.

The only legal requirement when parked is that your rear lights have reflectors. Which I presume all cars have, that illuminate by other headlights, like cats eyes.

I just went out to our three cars and only one of them leaves the lights on with the key removed. The others both turn off once locked. And the one that stays illuminated is 33 years old and has a screaming beeper if you do so.

You're wrong. The roadway is the roadway, it includes the space that your car occupies when it is parked kerbside i.e. 'on the roadway'.

The legal requirement has been quoted in this thread. You not being familiar with the legal requirement doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

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BlakJak

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#3414566 13-Sep-2025 16:45

mudguard:

So I've managed to get to middle age without seeing hordes of parked cars at night with park lights on. Literally streets full between street lights.

(1) A driver must not park or leave a motor vehicle on any roadway during the hours of darkness unless—

(a) it is illuminated from an artificial source so that it is visible

Guess that includes other car headlights.

It literally means the street lights.

On a street with no artificial lighting a parked vehicle is meant to emit its own light, literally what parking lights are for.

How many streets do you see in suburbia without street lights?

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RunningMan

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#3414614 13-Sep-2025 16:50

mudguard:

So I've managed to get to middle age without seeing hordes of parked cars at night with park lights on. Literally streets full between street lights.

The street lights ARE the artificial lights.

If there's street lights, no problem, no position lights needed. If it's pitch black with no street lights you need to have some sort of position light on.

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mudguard

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#3414615 13-Sep-2025 16:51

BlakJak:

You're wrong. The roadway is the roadway, it includes the space that your car occupies when it is parked kerbside i.e. 'on the roadway'.

The legal requirement has been quoted in this thread. You not being familiar with the legal requirement doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

I stand corrected.

Plenty of places have no street lights. Even on our street we have large gaps and newer lights which are quite bright underneath but the throw is limited (I think in order to not leak light upwards and towards the houses).

I will have to start reporting all these cars with no park lights on.

Bung

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#3414652 13-Sep-2025 18:52

If you have street lights at all it would be unusual that your car wouldn't be visible. In our street there's only a light every 100m or so. You can see parked cars but you might need a torch to read their WoF expiry 😁

Jase2985

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#3414674 13-Sep-2025 21:59

Scott3:

Work around I found was to:

Turn off the car, leave the park lights on, and Lock the car with the manual backup key fob. Central locking still works, and all doors lock, but lights stay on. Can be unlocked with the remote (unlike if use the backup key to lock the still running car - usefull if you want it to stay air-condoned while parked), or:
Turn off the car, leave the park lights on, open drivers door, lock drivers door on interior, pull the exterior door handle so it is fully extended. Hold fully extended while you shut the door. Release handle when door is fully shut (either timed so the release is just when the door is fully shut, or by pushing the door in so it stays shut while releasing. (same deal as above, can unlock with the key).

I was able to do both on the ZE1. It just leaves the dash (cluster on) and its not "alarmed".

Scott3

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#3414675 13-Sep-2025 22:18

Jase2985:

I was able to do both on the ZE1. It just leaves the dash (cluster on) and its not "alarmed".

Cluster on the AZE0 turns off after a few seconds anyway. No idea if the car alarms anyway.

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