How To Modify The Auto Lights On Setting

[Wally]

Does anyone know how to modify the auto-on headlights setting? I have an 08 IS250 SL & the manual says it can only be customised by the dealer. It comes as std set to a value of "3" but I've just come back from a recent 2 wks driving in all the rain & crappy dim conditions up north (of Sydney) & the lights were set to auto-on but never came on even when it was pouring rain so I want to adjust the setting down to "1" to make it ultra-sensitive. A silver car in rainy conditions on the highway is hard to see without lights on.

[FrankyX]

Probably the quickest and easiest way is to lower your hand down from the steering wheel and adjust the little switch to lights on! :D

Anyway, I have read the manual on this and it needs to be done by the service dealer. I don't think it's a big job. I was actually thinking of making mine less sensitive. I don't see the point of the lights coming on for a second when you driver under a bridge, it get's rather annoying. I'm getting my first service in 2 weeks and may get them to adjust it.

[pygothian]

Probably the quickest and easiest way is to lower your hand down from the steering wheel and adjust the little switch to lights on! :D

Anyway, I have read the manual on this and it needs to be done by the service dealer. I don't think it's a big job. I was actually thinking of making mine less sensitive. I don't see the point of the lights coming on for a second when you driver under a bridge, it get's rather annoying. I'm getting my first service in 2 weeks and may get them to adjust it.

Not sure what setting mine are on, but I do notice under some bridges it changes in intensity. I think in lowish light the parkers must come on, and as it gets darker in the tunnel, I then see the whiter xenons do their rollup initiation thing and come on. So I think the headlights dont just automatically come on, a lower light parker engages first before the full headlights. Anyone else notice this?

Regards

[Bluey]

At my first service I felt the same. Wanted the lights to come on earlier, but have longer delay before activating. I'd already had the sensitivity set to 1 but was still coming on too late, especially for a black car.

Anyway, they actually did the exact opposite, reduced the activation delay and reduced the sensititvity,

Now the days are getting shorter it's getting annoying with having to turn the lights on myself. My wifes commodore comes on at the time I would consider more appropriate. Maybe I should swap with her........maybe not.... :P

[Aircon]

Probably the quickest and easiest way is to lower your hand down from the steering wheel and adjust the little switch to lights on! :D

Anyway, I have read the manual on this and it needs to be done by the service dealer. I don't think it's a big job. I was actually thinking of making mine less sensitive. I don't see the point of the lights coming on for a second when you driver under a bridge, it get's rather annoying. I'm getting my first service in 2 weeks and may get them to adjust it.

Not sure what setting mine are on, but I do notice under some bridges it changes in intensity. I think in lowish light the parkers must come on, and as it gets darker in the tunnel, I then see the whiter xenons do their rollup initiation thing and come on. So I think the headlights dont just automatically come on, a lower light parker engages first before the full headlights. Anyone else notice this?

Regards

I've noticed it. Parkers definitely come on in marginal light conditions. coming on under bridges is annoying, but as well as sensitivity, you can adjust the delay.

my car is dark greay...it now on full sensitivity and it STILL isn't coming on early enough. street lights and lights of other cars are on much earlier. i still need to change the delay too to stop the bridge thing.

Anyone have any answers?

Peter

[ilv1004s]

mine comes on every time i go under a bridge

[Aircon]

I've just been told by a guy with a Soarer that there might be a fix. I'll go see him today.

[DANSLEX]

Bridge thing doesn't bother me much personally. I think it's pretty cool actually.

[Aircon]

I just drove into my garage and it was dark enough to bring on the parking lights only. I put a small sheet of translucent white plastic over the sensor and the lights came on immediately. Backed out of the garage and the lights turned off. I might be on to something! If it works (i.e. brings on the lights earlier) I can trim it and I suspect it will be hardly noticeable.

[Bluey]

Bridge thing doesn't bother me much personally. I think it's pretty cool actually.

Problem is, other drives coming from the opposite direction now think there's a radar just up the road.

That can be altered to take a bit longer to come. My lights still wait until it's too dark to come on. Thinking of using something over the sensor to make it think it's darker earlier.

[last1]

After I first drove the car and found that the lights turned on as soon as I drove under a bridge a couple of times, I've decided not to use the auto-on anymore. It drove me crazy.

[Aircon]

After I first drove the car and found that the lights turned on as soon as I drove under a bridge a couple of times, I've decided not to use the auto-on anymore. It drove me crazy.

you can put in a delay up to 5 seconds.

incidentally, only the parking lights would have come on.

[Aircon]

Oh yeah....btw...i fixed it.

got the top of a pump toothpaste tube. cut it down to about 10mm. gave it a VERY light spray with some matt black paint. it's pretty much invisible and it fixed the problem. lights come on at a proper time now.

[Aircon]

So can someone please confirm that there's no 'cheat' to adjust the delay with the auto lights on and that I definitely have to go to the dealer? It's no big deal, they don't charge anything for doing it, but it would be handy if I could do it myself.

[Aircon]

Today I found out that the sensitivity has 5 settings, the most sensitive still only brings on the lights when it's quite dark....and...the delay has two settings. one for 0.1 seconds and the other is 1 second.

not much of a delay.