PortlandRL

If your car has them, do you use them? All of our cars with automatic lights (RL, Santa Fe, and RX300) are set to 'AUTO'. Occasionally I will override in heavy rain or when on dangerous, 2-lane highways through the mountains for the most part, my lights are left on automatic.

S A CHO

My Taurus has it. I like it but sometimes (like you mentioned, in rain or early dusk) they don't come on soon enough. There's a way to adjust it but never felt like taking apart my dash for it.

I think it should be standard on all vehicles. Too many dimwits driving with no lights at night...

nokiaman

All of my cars have the option of Auto Headlights (save the Accord) and I never use it. It's because I'm a whore and my HIDs are always on even in bright daylight.

Costco

I don't really have a choice. Whether or not I choose to, if it's dark out, the headlights will come on if the light sensor (forgot its fancy schmancy technical name... photovoltaic?) gets triggered. I did get spoiled by it though.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Have them but never use them. Just old school habit. My wife has them on the Pathfinder and she uses them all the time.

LuvMyTSX

My new RDX is my first car with auto headlights. I'm still getting used to not turning them on and off myself. Sometimes I catch myself turning them off. I'm trying to leave it on auto and just turn them on myself during rain or other times as necessary.

speedemon90

I dont have them, but my dad does, and he does it manually mainly because if its on auto the lights will turn on with the car in the garage and he doesn't want that because it drains
the battery a little.

edit: Its more because he turns it off when he turns the car off because that drains the battery more.

SpiderX1016

Photodiode?

None of my cars have an auto mode.

tmnhs81

Auto headlights should be standard with these new type of gauge clusters which stay lit all the time (the proper term escapes me at the moment). I see a lot of idiots in newer cars driving without headlights ON, while their cluster is lit and they have very dim DRL's.

On topic, I don't have them and I really don't care. If a car comes with it thats fine, if not I am not going to shell out extra $$ to get that option.

Dan1629

I never use them. The reason I don't is because my car stays in my shop at night and everytime you start the car in there the headlights come on and then go right off when I pull out. I was told that this puts some wear on the hid's in the fogs and the projectors in my headlights. Right or wrong I don't need to take the chance.

alex2364

I leave mine on auto 90% of the time. I hate it when it's dawn or dusk, if I change direction and car faces a different position towards the sun, it'll turn itself on or off. Then when I turn again, it'll do the opposite. People in front of me must thing I'm flashing my xenons at them when it's just my auto headlights can't make up it's mind.

TS_eXpeed

chill_dog

If I had it, I wouldn't use it.

4cruizn

Me neither. I want to decide when my lights are on or off. I always see cars with auto headlights having their lights come on when they're going through a short underpass or something like that. No thanks.

Same with rain-sensing wipers. Meh. People are getting lazy.

PortlandRL

The automatic lights on the RX300 and Santa Fe take a LONG time to come on so they aren't just tripped by a bird flying overhead. I can actually drive through this tunnel at the speed limit and my lights will have not turned on by the time I reach the other side.

Crazy Bimmer

My adaptive headlights only work in the Auto setting, so thats where i typically keep it.

alex2364

Are you talking about where the headlights turn with the steering wheel?

S A CHO

The term is "Electroluminescent"

I think this is an issue that needs to be taken care of. Vehicles with these gauges should come with auto headlights...



These gauges appear nice and bright so the drivers think their headlights are on...

SG81

iTrader: (1)

i hate auto headlights and i'm glad my car doesn't have them

Infamous425

dont have them but have driven cars with them and prefer to switch manually

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

I have it on one of my cars and never use it.

You can't fix stupid. How many times have you seen an idiot driving around with high beams on when they aren't needed? I've seen my share of idiots driving around with high beams on during the day. Regardless if they set them to auto or not, the driver should be aware of what the hell they are doing. I think we've added too much automation and for that reason, we've enabled many more people to not think about what they should be doing because they expect someone/something else to take care of shit for them. What I wish more cars had were better reminder systems letting you know that you should have your headlights on, your high beams off, that sorta thing and giving the driver the ability to control those reminders (canceling them, acting upon them, etc). Most cars already have these systems built-in to them with oil service reminders, tire pressure, etc, why not fully utilize it for other things as well.

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

Hmmm, the adaptive lights on mine work regardless of auto setting being used or not. I wonder why Bimmer did that on yours.

jasonwdp10

I have them on my TL but i dont' use them. Acura's logic, when it comes to auto headlights, does not make sense.

If the setting is on "auto" and I go grab something in the car, unlock the car.. the lights turn on. I don't need to be on when i unlock the dam car. Another thing is, if you unlock it, then get it, it briefly turns off and back on again when you start the car.

I don't want to put this unnecessary wear and tear on the HID's so i just use it manually.

In contrast, the last toyota I was in seemed to have a pretty good system. In "auto" mode, the headlights would turn on when the car was put in drive. Seems pretty dam logical to me!

same for mercedes in auto mode how the fogs and parking lights turn on when you unlock, but the headlights don't turn on until you actually start the car. no unnecessary wear once again! Take note acura!

Never Summer

I don't have them and I'm happy about that. I typically drive to work around 6:30 and I see cars whose lights continue to turn on and off because of the weird angle of the sun. Then again, if I leave at 6:00 I see people driving without headlights on despite it being completely dark.

Street Spirit

I turn my full lighting system on when I start the car and turn them off when I turn off the engine. Always drive with my lights on.

csmeance

On my 760 it used to be the same, but the dealership did an update and after that it works regardless of Auto or on. It added a few other features to so I'm happy!

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Both of our Audi's (the A4 and now the A6) had auto headlights and both were always switched to "Auto".

We also leave our wipers set to "Auto" all of the time as well...

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

I had my wipers set to Auto in ours at the beginning but turned that off after they went off randomly a couple times and it wasn't even raining.

LuvMyTSX

That's weird. My new 2011 RDX does not do that. I have been leaving it on auto mode and the lights do not go on and off when I lock and unlock the car. Maybe yours is set to do that? You can change the settings.

LuvMyTSX

Also, at those strange times of the day when the lighting can change so quickly, I sometimes switch the lights to "on" instead of auto, to avoid any on and off annoyances.

General awareness seems to be lacking in the population these days, but I don't now if auto headlights helps relieve it or encourage it.

SG81

iTrader: (1)

are you being serious?

chill_dog

An old coworker of mine did that, and I've seen other people driving around who obviously do it.

silver3.5

i know what you mean. my friend's TL headlights are set on AUTO all the time and whenever he unlocks the car, the HID headlights would turn on but turns off when he opens the door (which usually takes him 5 secs to open the door). then when he starts the car, the headlights turns on again. of course this only happens at night, but still, that is alot of stress on the ballasts and bulbs. HID bulbs need at least 20-30 secs to warm up and hot re-strike is bad bad for the bulbs. no wonder there are a ton of acuras on the road with purple HID headlights.

my current 3.5RL have the auto function and i hardly use it. sometimes it turns on too late at dawn or too often when going under bridges (on off on off on off). i'm sure other drivers in front of me must think i'm stupid or blind! also, whenever i enter my garage, it always turns on but i'm out of my car in 3 secs. again, that's unnecessary wear and tear.

overall, i think it's a great feature for those who tends to forget about turning their headlights on at night.

paz840

iTrader: (2)

I turn my lights on/off manually. My wife uses the "auto" on the Q7 all the time.

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

Is it any different than a motorcyclist that drives with their headlights on during the day? It's also no different than a car that has DRLs.

My wife's car doesn't have DRLs so whenever I drive it, I always turn the headlights on, day or night. It just helps other drivers notice you more to help prevent a collision.

Street Spirit

Yes. I get in the car, turn on the lights, and go.

silver3.5

at least you don't drive around the day with your highbeams on. in canada, DRLs are mandatory during the day. i've heard you can get pulled over for a ticket for not turning on your headlights/DRL. i'm so glad i can still have my choice. we have 2 cars (one toyota and one lexus) in the family with auto DRLs; i managed to defeat that feature bec. i think it's unnecessary and adds more drain on the charging system, esp. in hot summer days. i know the logic behind DRLs is to make others aware of you, but really, if an accident is going to happen, it'll happen regardless if you have light show or fire works around you!

SG81

iTrader: (1)

that's why i was asking, b/c we have DRL's up here.

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

I've seen cars that I know have DRLs on them, where the driver still runs the headlights during the day. In some cars, the DRLs just aren't bright enough, and depending on the time of day and direction you are driving, the Sun can cancel out that light very easily because most DRLs just aren't bright enough.

Street Spirit

I know. I'm in . And you don't have to 'turn on' DRL, they go on with the car - not optional unless you have imported a car, have a car built prior to DRL, or have messed with teh system to disable them. I think they're very useful. After being used to seeing DRL for many, many years, you'd be surprised at just how much more visible they are vs. the odd time I see an older car driving around without 'em. Trust me.

Saying an accident will happen regardless is somewhat :ghey:. No offense, but just not true. If an accident is bound to happen, sure -- but you're saying there's no point in avoidance either.