Re: today’s Car Talk website question. I have had a couple Hondas from 2022 on, and they come with a headlight switch that is spring-loaded to Auto. You can turn them off, but the switch then goes back to Auto. I find this irritating because I want to control my own devices, but I CAN turn them on myself before they automatically go on, so there’s that.
I am one of those people that will turn off my lights when an oncoming car at night does not have theirs on, to signal them. Now I cannot do that-- the car won’t let me turn them off, even for a moment. OTOH, cars with this feature will not be driving around in the dark with no headlights, or with only DRL on. “Durr, my lights are on all the time, no need to turn them on!” Except your taillights, bozo.
All in all, I can tolerate the auto-headlight-default Honda system. As long as I can turn off the Vibrating-Steering-Wheel Lane-Keeper: I already have the WIPS system for that: Wife In Passenger Seat.
Fortunately, that oversight seems to have been remedied on newer cars. My 2022 vehicle turns on the tail lights when the DRLs are activated, and I suspect that this is more or less universal on newer cars.
All the vehicles in my fleet except for the fun car and old Chevy truck (so 2004^) have auto lights, the newest however I am able to turn the lights off, I think you can on the Cobalt also… I did turn my trucks auto off for some reason and it took me a sec to figure out why it was so dark outside… lol
The ONLY reason I remember to turn the light on the fun car is so I can see the 3 gauge pack mounted in the radio space…
The one reason why I don’t use the “auto” setting on my headlights is because I rarely–if ever–drive after dusk, and having the lights turn on when I pull into my garage just seems silly, unnecessary, and–potentially–something that would shorten the life of those expensive headlight units.
I caught myself driving my first DRL equipped car with my taillights off. It was a company car so I could not mess with it. I have pull the DRL fuse, if equipped, on every car and truck ever since.
My wife’s Audi has no choice to turn the DRLs off but it has automatic lights.
I don’t know if my 21 Mustang lights the taillights with the DRLs but I can select to turn the DRLs off and I have turned them off.
When I rode motorcycles, I did not want DRLs because it made me less visible due to the light pollution.
That is one reason I love having auto lights, I only have 2 LED bulbs in the garage and I need all the light available in order to see when pulling in the garage, heck I turn on the garage lights during the day so I can see to hook the doggies before walking them… And I have 3 regular size windows in the upper garage, before someone asks… Plus the lights stay on until I get in the house… But I also turn on lights while in a room in the house in broad day light… lol
This is one of those times I have to disagree with Mr. Mustang. My previous addition exit was at the bottom of 65 MPH highway that was shaded most of the time during the day. Any vehicle that did not have Daylight Running Lights would almost disappear until it was to close for a safe exit.
As the old saying goes, “To each his own”.
Or, as one guy I used to know insisted that the saying was… “Teach his own”.
Of course, his version makes zero sense, but…
Yeah, i often cover the sensor on the dash to make all the lights go on during low lights conditions that may not trigger the lights. I would just as soon they were all on all the time to b3 able to see oncoming cars from a distance.
I couldn’t live with a dark garage like that. I have three banks of three 3000 lumen leds, plus three led work lights and more.
I like and use that feature on all 3 cars. It is a preference. I agree it should be a choice, however, for those, like you, that prefer to control it yourself.
I like illuminating my garage when I pull my wife’s car in and the lights stay on for a few seconds after shutting off the car to light the walk into the house with the attached garage. I back the Mustang in… the rear camera helps that a ton… because it makes it easier for me to get out of the car but the taillights and headlights are on as courtesy lights.
My first DRL car did not have auto headlights. Every car after that one had auto headlights. I think it was added to prevent ghosting.
The Audi and the Mustang also turn the headlights on when the wipers are used…which is the law in Florida, so that is a handy feature for me. My truck does not do that but it is old!
Around here the headlight “code” is you flash your high beams to tell oncoming drivers they have their high beams on. You flash your low beams off and on to tell oncoming drivers they don’t have their lights on OR watch your speed there’s a cop ahead.
Also, if a semi is trying to merge or change lanes in front of you at night you turn your headlights off and on to tell them go ahead and merge. After they merge they will flash their tail lights off and on to thank you. Flashing high beams at a merging semi means hey, don’t go, there’s not enough room.
The way I understand it, flashing high beams twice is for a cop or other warning; for example, I remember on a twisty hill a car coming the other way flashed her lights. I knew it wasn’t a cop on such a narrow turning road but slowed way down, and sure enough around a bend was a bicylist grinding his way up the middle of the lane. Flashing high beams is standard because of the stalk. When I moved from a floor button to a stalk-controlled high beam it was so instinctual that I used it while driving home from the dealer. (Trouble was getting my foot up there, ha ha).
Driving my new 2018 car home, it drove me nuts-- I wanted to adjust the brightness of the dash lights and it just didn’t work! I even pulled over and was poring through the manual. Turns out you can only do it a) when the headlights are turned on and b) when it is dark enough per the sensor. No way around it. Arrrrgh! The sensor is way forward on the dash by the window: I could toss a rag over it, but hard to pull off when I needed it.
I think some things like this may be regional. The way I described is just how it’s done everywhere I’ve lived. But other parts of the country may be different.
There was a discussion here about how when traveling on a rural two-lane, if you wish to make a left turn you move into the oncoming lane to allow a car behind you to continue without slowing. It’s a common courtesy here but others from another part of the country thought this practice to be crazy.
