Don’t Get Caught Out: Headlights Left On in Hamilton
Ever rocked up to your Honda Jazz or Toyota Estima at Pak’nSave Mill Street after grabbing a feed, only to spot those headlights still beaming away? It’s a classic Kiwi mishap. Happens all the time—especially with stop-start life on Ulster Street or ducking into The Base with a boot full of groceries. Next thing you know, battery’s flat and you’re ringing mates for a jump or waiting on a tow.
This is when a good headlight warning system pays off. Some newer cars (like that Mazda Demio you see everywhere from Dinsdale to Rototuna) have dash warning lights or a buzzer that blares if you walk off with the lights still switched on. But for plenty of us driving older stuff—maybe a Peugeot 307 from the early 2000s, or an import Nissan Fuga—there’s nothing stopping you from leaving those lights running flat out.
How Headlight Warning Systems Work
Most late-model vehicles come with built-in light reminders, but they’re not all created equal. Some cars just flash up a wee icon on the dash (which is easy to miss, especially after a long day at work or if you’re rushing between kids’ sports in Frankton and Chartwell). Others beep at you as soon as you open the driver door.
If your car doesn’t have a decent warning, or the warning system you’ve got isn’t doing the trick, you can look at adding an aftermarket buzzer system. These kits are available at most parts stores or can be wired in by a good auto sparky. Just a heads-up though, some modern cars, especially hybrids and newer Euros, can be a bit fussy.
Adding a Headlight Warning to Older or Import Cars
This comes up a lot, especially with customers who’ve nabbed a tidy Suzuki Swift from Te Awamutu or a used BMW 118i from Cambridge. These imports sometimes miss out on our kiwi-friendly warning systems. You can fit a voltage sensitive relay (there’s a handy guide here: voltage sensitive relay). That lets you pop in a separate alarm that trips when the headlights are left on and the door opens. Makes life easier, especially come winter with all our misty mornings on Morrinsville Road.
But just a quick tip, if your car’s less than 10-12 years old, you might have one of those smart alternators (check this out). They sometimes run at lower voltages, and a standard relay might not work. Worth having one of our techs take a look before you splash out on a kit.
When the Warning System Stops Working
Bumped into this heaps, especially in hybrid repair jobs for a RAV4 Hybrid or a Honda Insight. Hybrids run two different batteries—one for starting the engine and another for all the bells and whistles like heaters and warning buzzers. Sometimes it’s the 12V battery playing up (often after limping your way up the speed bumps in Nawton). Other times, it’s just a blown fuse stopping the buzzer.
Petrol and diesel cars are the same: if other electrics are glitchy and it’s slow to crank over, the battery’s probably tired. If not, check those fuses—could be a cheap fix. Either way, better to get a pro to check it out rather than guessing.
Flat Battery from Lights Left On?
Honestly, everyone’s had that sinking feeling sooner or later (especially after a long school run between Hillcrest and Flagstaff). If you’re stuck with a dead battery, you’ve got a few options. Call your local garage (give us a bell here at Grimmer Motors), or if you’ve got a portable jump starter, give that a go. They beat waiting around for another car to turn up.
Jump leads are handy too, but only if you’re confident. Not sure how? Here’s a guide: how to correctly jumpstart your car.
Sort Your Headlight Warnings – Hamilton Car Service
Sick of risking a flat battery at The Base or Rototuna Shopping Centre? Fancy a new headlight alarm fitted? Come see us at Grimmer Motors. We sort headlight warning kits for all makes—Euro, Asian, you name it. And if your battery’s looking dodgy, we can test, diagnose, and replace batteries for anything from a Mitsubishi Outlander to a Subaru Legacy. We recycle your old one too, less landfill, more good vibes.
Keen for a yarn about your options? Or need help with any car electrical gremlins after tackling the potholes down Avalon Drive? Our team’s always up for a chat and happy to help.