Cool Factor Tip: Parking Lights On In Daytime

[D.E.]

D.E., do you by any chance know how to turn off all tesla lights, inside and outside (even when opening doors), in order to drive in or out of an observatory area?

There will be a fuse box, you might be able to pull the fuses associated with the lights.

You can get there an hour or more before astronomical darkness. Then the problem is leaving, and opening the car door. Otherwise you can park a good distance away and hike in.

You can apply opaque tape over every light. Or there is a deep red filter material made for theater spot lights. Something similar is often sold at star parties, people use it to cover computer screens. There is a deep gray window film, 95% opaque so only 5% of the light gets through. I used to use two layers to cut almost all light from devices such as cell phone screens. That is fairly cheap, I used to get it at Walmart. I would think 3 layers over headlights should do it. Then there is the option of aluminum foil. Plastic electrical tape is good for blocking light. Foil and tape would make external lights dark temporarily.

I had an old van I took to star parties. I replaced the interior lights with red LED lights.

I'm sure you can render your Tesla dark site friendly but it will take some preparation.

 

[JohnnyG]

D.E., do you by any chance know how to turn off all tesla lights, inside and outside (even when opening doors), in order to drive in or out of an observatory area?

Without pulling fuses, you can't turn off the brake lights, trunk lights, frunk light, or the door lights (handle, bottom edge, & side edge).

All of the rest should be able to be disabled from the UI:
Dome Lights: Off
Fog Lights: Off
DRLs: Off (Range Mode: On for Refresh cars)
Head Lights / Running Lights / Parking Lights: Off
Clean Screen: On (this blanks the MCU)

Don't engage your turn signals.
Don't even touch the turn signal stalk, for fear of bumping the high beam flasher.
Use painters tape over the bottom and side door edge lights.

Other points of interest...
1. You can dim the MCU, but not completely black.
2. You can't adjust the brightness of the IC.
3. Don't put anything in the frunk, so you won't have to worry about that light.
4. Access your trunk through the rear seats, so you won't have to worry about those lights.

VERY IMPORTANT: When you turn the car back on, it will automatically switch the headlights on (including the parking lights, etc). The only way I know around this is to not let the car shut off. To do this, instead of putting the car in Park, put it in Neutral, and then set the Emergency Brake. Keep in mind that this will make the door ajar beep sound while you have the doors open. Turn off your climate control and you should be good for days.

On more thing... Don't buy into the red light myth. The best lightwave for quick recovery is blue-green. The most important thing above all, regardless of lightwave, is INTENSITY. Even white light, at a super low intensity, is better for night vision than a red super bright LED light.

Here's sone great info on this: Night Vision - The Red Myth

 

[D.E.]

Without pulling fuses, you can't turn off the brake lights, trunk lights, frunk light, or the door lights (handle, bottom edge, & side edge).

All of the rest should be able to be disabled from the UI:
Dome Lights: Off
Fog Lights: Off
DRLs: Off (Range Mode: On for Refresh cars)
Head Lights / Running Lights / Parking Lights: Off
Clean Screen: On (this blanks the MCU)

Don't engage your turn signals.
Don't even touch the turn signal stalk, for fear of bumping the high beam flasher.
Use painters tape over the bottom and side door edge lights.

Other points of interest...
1. You can dim the MCU, but not completely black.
2. You can't adjust the brightness of the IC.
3. Don't put anything in the frunk, so you won't have to worry about that light.
4. Access your trunk through the rear seats, so you won't have to worry about those lights.

VERY IMPORTANT: When you turn the car back on, it will automatically switch the headlights on (including the parking lights, etc). The only way I know around this is to not let the car shut off. To do this, instead of putting the car in Park, put it in Neutral, and then set the Emergency Brake. Keep in mind that this will make the door ajar beep sound while you have the doors open. Turn off your climate control and you should be good for days.

On more thing... Don't buy into the red light myth. The best lightwave for quick recovery is blue-green. The most important thing above all, regardless of lightwave, is INTENSITY. Even white light, at a super low intensity, is better for night vision than a red super bright LED light.

Here's sone great info on this: Night Vision - The Red Myth

The advantage to green light is that the eye is much more sensitive to green so you can get away using a very much dimmer green light. The advantage to red light is that the rods are insensitive to red so they maintain night vision with even fairly bright red lighting. You don't want a blinding bright red light, though.

There is nothing wrong with either one. It is hard to pick your way along grass with a dim red light. You can make a servicable green light with a fairly dim green LED soldered into a single LED flashlight. If you use a brighter green light, you'll be worse off than if using red.

There is some misinformation in that “red myth” linked site. I'd take it with a grain of salt. Some of the information is accurate and it seems like a fair overview. I'd question the sensitivity of rods well into the IR. If that were true, you'd be able to see with infrared light and you cannot. I'd also question the part about taking a week for full dark adaptation. The bit about car dashboards being the reason others haven't arrived at similar conclusions is fanciful. The blood sugar bit probably isn't accurate. Anyway there is some good information but the interested will want to look to additional sources.

 

[JohnnyG]

The advantage to green light is that the eye is much more sensitive to green so you can get away using a very much dimmer green light. The advantage to red light is that the rods are insensitive to red so they maintain night vision with even fairly bright red lighting. You don't want a blinding bright red light, though.

There is nothing wrong with either one. It is hard to pick your way along grass with a dim red light. You can make a servicable green light with a fairly dim green LED soldered into a single LED flashlight. If you use a brighter green light, you'll be worse off than if using red.

There is some misinformation in that “red myth” linked site. I'd take it with a grain of salt. Some of the information is accurate and it seems like a fair overview. I'd question the sensitivity of rods well into the IR. If that were true, you'd be able to see with infrared light and you cannot. I'd also question the part about taking a week for full dark adaptation. The bit about car dashboards being the reason others haven't arrived at similar conclusions is fanciful. The blood sugar bit probably isn't accurate. Anyway there is some good information but the interested will want to look to additional sources.

Without picking away at all your subjective disputes, and pointing out that there's a differences between known fact, and one's probable assumptions; I can tell you without question, that the part about blood sugar is absolutely accurate; coming from a full family of diabetics. As an engineer and as a photographer, I have studied this fairly in-depth.

Also, it's the blue-green spectrum; not straight green. Red does have it's uses, but more limited uses than blue-green, or even dim white for that matter.

 

[D.E.]

Without picking away at all your subjective disputes, and pointing out that there's a differences between known fact, and one's probable assumptions; I can tell you without question, that the part about blood sugar is absolutely accurate; coming from a full family of diabetics. As an engineer and as a photographer, I have studied this fairly in-depth.

Also, it's the blue-green spectrum; not straight green. Red does have it's uses, but more limited uses than blue-green, or even dim white for that matter.

Let's discuss this privately.

 

[_jal_]

L

True parking lights (as @FlatSix911 mentioned) used to be an item on some cars sold in the US too, although those were primarily cars being manufactured in, and imported from, Europe.
My close friend has an 80's Mercedes sold here in the US, that has true parking lights, in conjunction with standard running lights.

I had a couple early 2000’s BMWs that had real parking lights. They were activated by turn signal. So when parked on the right side of the road, you put the left “turn signal” on. Then the left marker lights came on. In an urban area it was really helpful. At least I thought it was.

 

[FlatSix911]

L


I had a couple early 2000’s BMWs that had real parking lights. They were activated by turn signal. So when parked on the right side of the road, you put the left “turn signal” on. Then the left marker lights came on. In an urban area it was really helpful. At least I thought it was.

Correct, same feature on early Porsche cars...

 

[Lasairfion]

Yeah, it's the same for all the Volkwagen Audi Group cars I think.

 

[dark cloud]

LED lights, as we all know, should last for a decade or two maybe three.
Seriously consider driving with your lights on ALL the TIME.
As do motorcycles and scooters in the US (everywhere??).
Does Canada still require heads lights on when the car is moving?


Just drive with your light on.

Yes, daytime running lights are required. First thing they check when you import cars from the US.

Edit: Actually taking a closer look at this: While Transport Canada requires all vehicles after 1989 to have DRL's, only a few provinces passed it into provincial law. I don't have the option to turn the DRL off in my Model S, but once the car is legally imported into Canada it "may not" matter if they the lights still function unless you are in Nova Scotia/New Brunswick. All I know is all the cars here is BC have them on all the time.

Spotlight on Daytime Running Lights

Ask TC Motor Vehicle Safety - Transport Canada

If you are an American driving in Nova Scotia ensure you drive with your lights on in the day or risk getting a ticket (if you find an officer in a bad mood):

Why don’t Canadian cars require rear daytime running lights?

Going back to the OP : You should rename the post title "Drive around like a cool Canadian" does that work better? Or has it lost its lustre?

 

[Brando]

Yes, daytime running lights are required. First thing they check when you import cars from the US.

Edit: Actually taking a closer look at this: While Transport Canada requires all vehicles after 1989 to have DRL's, only a few provinces passed it into provincial law. I don't have the option to turn the DRL off in my Model S, but once the car is legally imported into Canada it "may not" matter if they the lights still function unless you are in Nova Scotia/New Brunswick. All I know is all the cars here is BC have them on all the time.

Spotlight on Daytime Running Lights

Ask TC Motor Vehicle Safety - Transport Canada

If you are an American driving in Nova Scotia ensure you drive with your lights on in the day or risk getting a ticket (if you find an officer in a bad mood):

Why don’t Canadian cars require rear daytime running lights?

Going back to the OP : You should rename the post title "Drive around like a cool Canadian" does that work better? Or has it lost its lustre?

Since almost all cars use LEDs there really is NO reason not to have the lights on when ever your vehicle is moving [or the engine is on].

Always wonder why dark colored cars in shady areas or cloudy/stormy conditions aren't using their lights.
White cars not quite as bad, but seriously - just drive with your lights on.

 

[Hugh Mannity]

By instinct I do this every time I get in. And this obviously works on all Tesla's.

not "all" Tesla's - us canucks can't turn off the DRL's; the facelifted Model S uses the centre LED lights for DRL instead of the earlier cars that use the headlight surround. I guess I can't join the cool kid's club .......

 

[Patrick W]

My partial solution is to arrive and park before dar.

If that's not possible I use the touch screen to turn off the headlights and turn on just the parking lights as I approach the observatory. Then I park with the front pointing away from the observatory buildings and any portable telescopes.

Once parked I open the rear trunk a few centimeters. Once that's done if I walk near the car only the puddle lights come on.

When it's time to leave I close the trunk, get in the car and get the touch screen ready to turn off the headlights the moment they come on. Then it's just a matter of pressing the brake, immediately turning off the headlights and then turn on the parking lights and driving far enough away that I can safely turn the headlights on.

Kind of a luny work around but it works for my situation.