Over sensitive auto headlights
Discussion
Been up and down a few dual carriageways and motorways over the summer for various reasons and i have noticed that a lot of newer cars seem to have overly sensitive auto headlights that flick on when they even go under a foot bridge!
We had a VW Golf 2018 a few years ago and that had auto lights and never had this issue from memory.
Don't they have some kind of delay built in to stop this happening?
Only a day or so ago we were following a Tesla and that was even worse with them going on and off, even under slight tree shading.
Must be very frustrating for the owners, but i suppose this could be down to some new regulation?
We had a VW Golf 2018 a few years ago and that had auto lights and never had this issue from memory.
Don't they have some kind of delay built in to stop this happening?
Only a day or so ago we were following a Tesla and that was even worse with them going on and off, even under slight tree shading.
Must be very frustrating for the owners, but i suppose this could be down to some new regulation?
Thinking of recent discussions where people are talking about people inappropriately flashing others to suggest they should pull out of a junction. Having very nearly been a recent victim of one of these though it was not auto headlightsvit was a numpty inviting someone out into my path. However this sensitivity mentioned by OP could in specific circumstances lead to issues.
I've noticed when my headlights switch on just because it can affect the dashboard illumination. Yet the only settings I have are auto, headlights on, parking lights. The latter are the same as the daylight running lights but not as bright. In my opinion it needs a 4th setting, manual, which would keep the DRLs on as required by regs and at night or in poor visibility it's the driver's responsibility to switch them on.
I've noticed when my headlights switch on just because it can affect the dashboard illumination. Yet the only settings I have are auto, headlights on, parking lights. The latter are the same as the daylight running lights but not as bright. In my opinion it needs a 4th setting, manual, which would keep the DRLs on as required by regs and at night or in poor visibility it's the driver's responsibility to switch them on.
I know someone who has turned of the DRL's on his Cayman and C Max. Why?
Because I don't like the look of them. Really? How can you see them when you're driving?
And to cap it all, the Cayman is black, hardly visible.
He also cannot understand why I don't drive around bends on twisty country roads at 60 mph as it's derestricted
Bacause tractor, horses, cyclists, pedestrians, lumps of rock in the road knocked out by HGV's
Because I don't like the look of them. Really? How can you see them when you're driving?
And to cap it all, the Cayman is black, hardly visible.
He also cannot understand why I don't drive around bends on twisty country roads at 60 mph as it's derestricted
Bacause tractor, horses, cyclists, pedestrians, lumps of rock in the road knocked out by HGV's
Jazoli said:
Sheepshanks said:
I'm driving daughter's old 2018 Ateca and (I assume this is connected) the sat nav screen goes into night mode when going under trees.
Yes it is, my Ateca was the sameIt's all so uncertain that if I need the lights on during the day I put them on manually.
Jazoli said:
Sheepshanks said:
I'm driving daughter's old 2018 Ateca and (I assume this is connected) the sat nav screen goes into night mode when going under trees.
Yes it is, my Ateca was the sameOur golf had two light sensors i think.
One does inside illumination and dimming and one does headlights and inside illumination.
We had an old merc that used to switch the inside to night mode at a certain level without switching on the headlights!
Didn't we start this one about 12 years ago
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
P.S - I'm bored, and easily amused
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
P.S - I'm bored, and easily amused
Mine are the same way and it drives me a bit mad. They switch on under a couple of trees or in a parking garage in the middle of the day, then sometimes seem slow to react when it is actually getting dark and rainy. I have mostly given up and just turn them on myself when the light starts to fade. At least that way I know they are on and I am not flashing people on and off for no reason.
otolith said:
georgeyboy12345 said:
The owners won t even notice. I know I don t.
You do if it affects the dash illumination too.My F30 BMW puts dipped beam on if lighting is inadequate, and autoheadlamp is switched on (which is where I leave the lights all the time, even when I switch the engine off. Once on, they remain on for about 2 minutes after coming into adequate daylight; think road tunnels here.
Pica-Pica said:
otolith said:
georgeyboy12345 said:
The owners won t even notice. I know I don t.
You do if it affects the dash illumination too.My F30 BMW puts dipped beam on if lighting is inadequate, and autoheadlamp is switched on (which is where I leave the lights all the time, even when I switch the engine off. Once on, they remain on for about 2 minutes after coming into adequate daylight; think road tunnels here.
If however the auto lights come on not because of low light level but due to wipers on then the dashboard screens don't change, only the shift from sidelight to dipped beam icon.
My car's (a Kia Ceed) auto lights get in a pickle in low sun. They will come on and off pretty much constantly, I solve this by just switching to low beams manually, however, it still has the instrument cluster and infotainment screen going from day to night mode when it does it.
They're actually really good at most other times, they come on (and stay on) at the perfect time, and before most other cars. I definitely switch the lights on manually much less than in previous cars with auto lights. The dipped beams don't come on with the wipers, like in previous cars, and that's the only time I really switch on manually.
The rear lights do stay on with the front DRLs, which make me a little more happy to leave in auto, however I would say I'm normally well aware if the dipped beams are on or not. Weirdly, if I set the lights to off, the rear lights are not on with the front DRL, hence I leave in auto most of the time.
They're actually really good at most other times, they come on (and stay on) at the perfect time, and before most other cars. I definitely switch the lights on manually much less than in previous cars with auto lights. The dipped beams don't come on with the wipers, like in previous cars, and that's the only time I really switch on manually.
The rear lights do stay on with the front DRLs, which make me a little more happy to leave in auto, however I would say I'm normally well aware if the dipped beams are on or not. Weirdly, if I set the lights to off, the rear lights are not on with the front DRL, hence I leave in auto most of the time.
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