I have had my car a few days and always had the lights set to Auto, yesterday morning going to work i noticed the headlights were on rather than just the sidelights, it would have been approx 7:30am and wasnt particularly dark

 

What controls the auto lights that I could check ?

There is an option to have the lights turn on earlier or later.

Don’t forget the headlights are not just for you to see but for others to see you, just let them do their thing and be safe.

Light sensors sensor the light.

Some person in some country has it so that your car thought that side / position lights and dipped headlights were the right lighting requires this morning even though it was not particularly dark.

I drive with Sidelights in Daylight / Daytime conditions rather than DRL's, when it is sunrise or sunset i use Headlights, not Sidelights only.

Edited 17 September, 20205 yr by e-Roottoot

26 minutes ago, Kenny R said:

There is an option to have the lights turn on earlier or later.

Don’t forget the headlights are not just for you to see but for others to see you, just let them do their thing and be safe.

i was worried i had a fault, do i change this on the media unit ?

Yes you can change under car/ lights menu if I remember correctly.

27 minutes ago, Kenny R said:

Yes you can change under car/ lights menu if I remember correctly.

thanks, so its possible i dont have a fault then and its just this

22 hours ago, e-Roottoot said:

I drive with Sidelights in Daylight / Daytime conditions rather than DRL's, when it is sunrise or sunset i use Headlights, not Sidelights only.

Normally I think you give sage advice George but I wonder if this is correct?

As you've already agreed that you drive with sidelights in daytime, surely a DRL is a better (brighter) bet than just a sidelight? Obviously different cars may have different options but for front lights I think this is generally the case? It may take additional steps to auto configure the rear lights but if combined with (a logical) auto sensing, then that ought to be a better option?

@john999boy  I do give it thought and consideration, and like to see how my lights look to others, like cyclists and pedestrains.

I will drive with Dipped Headlights and rear tail lights or Sidelights in bright daylight / daytime, i will not drive with DRL's on cars with them, 

* Costs nothing to have on dipped full beam, i had Volvos with Dim Dip, which was a great idea IMO* annoys nobody if it is light / bright and you have dipped headlights on, and if they flash you then they at least spotted you and that dipped beams were on, they were not dazzled,

 i only have one car on the road now with DRL's. They are not that bad on the e-Corsa really, but then the sidelights are OK in the Daytime and the rear lights are on.

It had Matrix Head Lights, they are very very bright and really crap for other drivers on even on Dipped at night.

I will not be driving with no lights on and not just Sidelights or DRLs in poor weather / visibility / low light.

 

Mk2 Fabia vRS DRL's were and are ridiculous when on as DRL's and not much better when they are the Sidelights or Sidelights on with Headlights at lighting up time.

 

Really if people in Daytime and Daylight can not see a moving vehicle there is issues, and as it is the DRL's to the front are on even if vehicles are not moving but the engine is on.

 

As for 'Cornering Headlights / Fog lights' that come on Automatically as a driver selects reverse, that is mental and many drivers are not even aware they do that and they are putting on front fogs for no reason, they are going backwards,

 

 

Grey / Silver cars with the cloak of invisibility should have front and rear lights on i think and i have 3 in that colours.

 

Since on a rant i will bring up Brake Lights.

Some VW Vehicles have Brake Lights on when the 'Autohold' is on, and some do not, and many drivers have no idea what they have.

 

Edited 18 September, 20205 yr by e-Roottoot

When I’m driving  a motorhome (I work with a motorhome company) on the motorway (no internal mirror, as with many vans and lorries) and want to pull out to overtake, I need to see the next’s lane’s traffic in the outer mirror. If it’s recently rained (speckles on the glass) or the sun is behind me (silhouette of car looks not a lot different from road), DRLs are very much more visible than vehicles with no lights, or just the parking lights, as Root recommends.  They help me use a quick glance to know “not yet”.  When there are no DRLs showing, then I need to spend rather longer not looking where I’m going, to see whether there is really a gap.

 

I tend to laugh, in a rather annoyed way, at people driving on parking lights.

@DaveMiller   Nice to hear you are looking carefully for what is behind you.

You will know then that Side Lights / Position lights are not 'Parking Lights'.   

Parking lights to be used for when a car is stationary / parked are put on by putting the indicator down and a front and rear sidelight will come on and on some vehicles both registration lights and on some cars / Skodas 1 registration plate bulb.

(The UK Highway code really needs updating, the bit about Parking Lights and the bit about Sidelights within built up areas and in the Speed Limits / Street Lit areas.)

 

I tow and drive vans and would not have Sidelights only on or DRLs, in rain, light rain, moist air or anyplace there is poor visibility.

 

I do quite a few miles all year on bikes and you really see lots of what motorists do in the way of lights and not much to do with the UK Highway Code.

 

Those that are observant will see just how many cars there are about with a faulty DRL and when you look in the mirror as the previous poster does you think it is maybe a motorcycle off in the distance and you stay put until it passes.

 

Lots and lots of odd lighting setups around these days, some cars with lights that give little clue to how far or near they might be away.

Some lit up like Christmas Trees to the front and once past you ziltch to the rear other than a couple of reflectors and a Yellow Reg Plate as the disappear into the gloom, fog, dark, snow / sleat.

Likely they have the Lights set to 'Auto'.

Edited 18 September, 20205 yr by e-Roottoot

4 hours ago, e-Roottoot said:

You will know then that Side Lights / Position lights are not 'Parking Lights'. 

Side lights are also of no use for spotting vehicles during daylight. The vast majority of sidelights are little better than candles, and useful for identifying parked cars or at dusk with streetlights, but little else. 
 

Dipped headlights or DRLs are the only lights that are really visible during the daytime. And it’s this level of confusion that makes me thankful that new cars have automatic DRLs that make the front of the car easy to spot no matter what the lighting conditions. 
 

I think plenty of drivers don’t realise how hard it is to spot their car approaching under certain lighting conditions: strong backlighting / low sun / glare from a wet road / low contrast grey days. 
 

The easier it is to spot a car approaching the less likely it is that you’re going to miss seeing them and pull out of a side road or change lanes into them. A good thing. 

You have a hard hit coming if i have no lights or just sidelights or dipped beam on coming up a street in broad daylight and you pull out without me having the stopping distance.

If the majority of sidelights are like candles there must be a minority that are not.

Edited 18 September, 20205 yr by e-Roottoot

Sidelights are generally 5W which as stated above, not much brighter than candles.

You are on a forum were daily people are asking about upgrading their lights.

 

People that think their driving with DRL;s on should maybe start their cars and walk to the front and see if they are because many have 1 out or as you see by a cars age both out.

No warning lights to tell them and they are non the wiser.

Both my previous Yetis and current Kodiaq have lamp out warnings as do all modern vehicles I believe.

But being old school I still check all light operations, tyre pressures, oil level, screen wash top up etc at least weekly or before any long journey.

So that could be 6 days of lights out and you might not know.

 

You would need to disable DRL's to know if they came up as a light out warning, many do not. 

Lets not say the majority, because we do not know the percentage.

 

PS

when heading off from home i check mine in the reflection of Farm Foods window as i come to a halt.

Side, dipped, full and DRL's if there are those.

That lets me see what others are seeing.

Edited 18 September, 20205 yr by e-Roottoot

26 minutes ago, Kenny R said:

Sidelights are generally 5W which as stated above, not much brighter than candles.

 

A 5 watt halogen sidelight bulb gives on average 189 lumens which equates to 15 candlepower or 15 candles, hardly "not much brighter".

On 17/09/2020 at 13:04, e-Roottoot said:

I drive with Sidelights in Daylight / Daytime conditions rather than DRL's, when it is sunrise or sunset i use Headlights, not Sidelights only.

 

8 hours ago, e-Roottoot said:

I will drive with Dipped Headlights and rear tail lights or Sidelights in bright daylight / daytime, i will not drive with DRL's on cars with them,

 

A bit of a contradiction there George?

Also DRL's including rear lights being programmed would be a better choice overall - just IMHO though.

I never drive with just DRL's.   In anyones car.

I would never drive early morning sunrise or sunset with Sidelights only and during bright weather i sometimes do use sidelights depending on the vehicle.

I can not see the contradiction.  

The point is i know what i do and when and do not leave it to the lottery of 'Auto'.

 

You can not programme other peoples cars lights if driving their cars for a while.  (Some do.)

Plenty Technicians put DRL's off when working on cars and forget to enable them again.

 

I am glad @J.R. posted about candles. 

My van is sitting unused and due a MOT so went to check how the lights are and the passenger side is out.

I would have spotted that next time i was away to use it.

Edited 18 September, 20205 yr by e-Roottoot

I have learnt something, which tomorrow I need to check.    Do my brake lights stay on with auto hold or don’t they?  I assumed they didn’t and once my foot was off the brake pedal the brake lights went out.   I need to go check.   One of my pet hates is people that sit in traffic stationary with their foot on the brake pedal, I hope people don’t think I have just because I’m using auto hold.

MQB cars keep the brake lights on - just engage the parking brake if you’re stopped for a while. 

18 hours ago, ZacDaMan72 said:

MQB cars keep the brake lights on - just engage the parking brake if you’re stopped for a while. 

the correct answer

 

Took me a while with first car I had with auto brakes.  Initially didn’t appreciate that the brake lamps stayed on when I stopped.

 

Not good, especially on dark nights.

 

So now I often engage the parking brake switch when stopped in traffic for more than a few seconds.

 

It’s disappointing that most drivers do not understand that their brake lights are annoying the driver behind as they sit with 3 lamps blazing away.

Edited 19 September, 20205 yr by BoxerBoy

There’s a pretty simple solution for drivers who find sitting behind brake lights annoying - don’t pull up right behind them. It’s far safer for all concerned if you leave a gap between you and the car in front: of you get shunted from behind it’s less likely you’ll end up being pushed into the car in front (with associated hassle of insurance claim on you); if the car in front doesn’t pull away for whatever reason, you have space to pull out round them. And the added bonus that you’re not sat right behind brake lights. 
 

I don’t spend much time in cities and I’m glad my brake lights are on whilst I’m sat stationary on a fast A or B road waiting to turn right  - makes me more visible to people approaching fast from behind, and makes it more obvious that I’m stationary. 
 

If people are worried that they might be driving without realising they have a failed bulb rest assured that the automatic bulb warning on the Kodiaq works well - I had a bulb fail on my bike rack recently and the Kodiaq told me straightaway with a very clear dashboard message. 
 

Definitely still worth regular manual checks of bulbs, tyre pressures and fluid levels though. 

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 
 

We all know about “Tyres Touching Tarmac” when we stop behind another vehicle, but you’d have to be 50 yards back to reduce the blinding glare of triple brake lights to an acceptable level. 

56 minutes ago, BoxerBoy said:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 
 

We all know about “Tyres Touching Tarmac” when we stop behind another vehicle, but you’d have to be 50 yards back to reduce the blinding glare of triple brake lights to an acceptable level. 

 

Nevertheless, what MrTrilby offered up was good advice to anyone, regardless of glaring stop lights.