MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Or are there just a lot of dimwits commuting through this pea souper this morning
Trouble is they are light sensitive, so in fog with bright sunshine they can switch off as mine did this morning, luckily noticed straight away and switched them back on.
I am sure there are some who are not aware their lights are off, I dare say there are also some who just can't be bothered, but no doubt they will turn them on when the fog has lifted 😉
I doubt ours would come on in this fog as it is fairly bright, albeit poor visibility. They sometimes seems somewhat arbitrary as to when they come on. A bit like the wipers.
[i]They sometimes seems somewhat arbitrary as to when they come on. A bit like the wipers. [/i]
and indicators on expensive German saloon cars 😉
This is why I hate auto lights.
They are easily tricked by strange road conditions but because they are automatic people assume they are on the right setting 100% of the time. abdication of responsibility to the cars electrics rather than the driver. It wasn't my fault the pedestrian didn't see me coming the auto lights hadn't come on so I must have been visible.
We had them in an A3 a few years back and by my reckoning they only switched on soon enough 50% of the time outside of proper darkness. Neither current car use them and I haven't worn my fingers or headlamp switch out yet.
While on the topic the new eu required daytime running lights... Similar issue but am I correct they only light the front and not back of the car?
On mine the headlights are automatic but front/rear fog lights are manual so i still switch them on thus overriding the auto. I've never. Out iced whether there is an issue with them switching off etc as manual fog light activation moves the dial off the auto setting
You can get hit with a 60 quid fine for driving in fog with no lights on. Its definitely something the manufacturers should make a bigger deal about.
I was just about to say something similar...
this morning was like riding with the morons. I'm glad to have made it to work.
The auto lights work great on my SMax, as do the auto windscreen wipers, but the auto lights are tricked by fog.
Yesterday was the only day I've manually switched my lights on since I've had the car (a civic, 4 years). They're pretty flawless but yesterday they didn't want to turn on. So I turned them on, duh.
No problems in the fog, or any other light conditions (BMW).
Mrs Shackleford's new fiesta doesn't have them...it's a ****ing travesty, I tells ya!
Mine seem fine, not something I'd ever pay for though. I do like auto wipers, but with lights it's something I tend to turn on at the start of journey, or perhaps part way through, or not. They don't exactly need constant attention!
Never had that issue with any of my VAG cars plus they have daylight running lights too but they've always come on when it's been foggy.
I never saw the point of automatic headlights. I've never thought it was too much trouble to turn the lights on by hand tbh. Clearly some people are judging by how many of them didnt bother this morning. Glad I walk to work these days.
Auto dip headlights are a pain in the arse though. I remember being dazzled continuously by a car about 1/4 mile behind because their lights were obviously not detecting a car in front, so were going to full beam all the time. Rubbish. Either that or the driver was an idiot.
Didn't come on this morning in the old dears BMW
never saw the point of automatic headlights
because there are lots of dumbawares out there who drive around at night without switching their lights on.
There is an overide switch but it requires the user to manually activate it, therein lies the problem.. 😉
Didn't come on this morning in the old dears BMW
Although tbf it works well in 99.9% of conditions
[i]Either that or the driver was an idiot. [/i]
All drivers are idiots, I thought that was one of the few things STWers actually agreed on?
Actually sorry, all OTHER drivers are idiots. That was the agreement.
because there are lots of dumbawares out there who drive around at night without switching their lights on.
Which I've never got, do these people never look at their dashboards or instruments!?
Which I've never got, do these people never look at their dashboards or instruments!?
ROFL You expect people to look at their dashboards/instruments? 😆
Its quite amusing that when its foggy the majority have no lights on, yet when is a clear evening everyone drives around with the fog lights on.....
Also plenty of cycle commuters out this morning sans any lights at all.
I noticed this yesterday - I clicked mine over to manual as they hadn't triggered. Clearly a great deal of people do not have much awareness of the prevailing conditions. Such as the woman I saw driving her Range Rover in sunglasses.
As above bright and foggy auto lights will stay off. Had to undergo the terrible hardship of turning mine on manualy this morning.
The one time I drove my car without headlights I felt such a fool. The car had a permanently illuminated dash, so your instruments were always lit. It was well lit streets though.
Which I've never got, do these people never look at their dashboards or instruments!?
In my BMW 1 series there is only a poxy little green LED that tells you if the auto lights are on or off. That would be fine if it were not positioned behind the steering wheel where it is impossible to see.
Efficient design my arse.
What's wrong with leaving your light on all the time?
Just remember to put the fog lamps only when there is actual fog and not some mist.
Perfect.
In my BMW 1 series there is only a poxy little green LED that tells you if the auto lights are on or off.
Try a newer Audi - they don't have any visible means of knowing if your auto lights are on. When I called the dealer, they responded by saying 'you can see if they are on when it's dark'. Yeah, that's helpful.
[i]I never saw the point of automatic headlights. I've never thought it was too much trouble to turn the lights on by hand[/i]
Same goes for
Electric windows, power steering, electric seats, de-misters, air con (just wind down the window), central locking, remote keys.......
Electric windows - fantastic for opening side or back windows
Power steering - did you ever try and do a 3 point turn/park in a small diesel engine car without?
Electric seats - ok you win
de misters - help with de misting
air con - winding window down in the winter for de misting?
Central locking - as it says
Remote keys - you win again.
Automatic lights - duhhh, it's a bit dark and the drviers still have the polarized raybans on so the car tells them. Such an amazing invention.
my auto lights go off in the fog completely, which is bizarre given in proper sunny day sunlight they often come on!
great work!
[i] Such an amazing invention.[/i]
It is. I'm considering changing my Mondeo, but can't bring myself to part with the auto headlights and auto wipers. They are the best things since compact cassette players and inertial reel seatbelts in cars.
My Citroen has auto-lights that are actually very good. Its really easily (like I did) this morning to flip the lights on in certain situations.
For me, lights should also always go on when there is very bright low winter sun.