How do you use your headlights?

I can't believe how many vehicles I see, driving around in the dark, with no headlights on. They must be thugs trying to be anonymous, or they are some very absent minded people.

When I do use the "Auto/DRL" setting, which is always, sometimes it will beat me to turning on the headlights at dusk because I changed the setting to "most sensitive." (It's in the big Darth Vader screen, under vehicle settings/lights.)

 

For the most part, I leave on auto and forget it.
I also have the headlight off delay at 30 seconds...the lowest setting.

If bulb life is a concern...turning off the delay could be advisable.
If parked/ idling turning off manually could also be advisable.

Else I force the H/Ls on smartly...rain, grey weather, when I wish to be seen such as in crowded traffic or fast moving traffic and other scenarios as need be.

Again, auto function works for me.

I can see your concern as you have experienced too much in repair costs for your H/Ls.

Good luck.

 

"You would think the extra bright cluster would give them a clue."

...Or the lack of headlights on the street!!

 

Does anyone know the warranty/replacement information in the event of failure. LEDs are obviously very efficient, but what happens if the led dies? Is there a way of replacing it without replacing the whole projector unit/assembly?

I keep my lights on AUTO and set the threshold for the lightest setting (Carista not needed ) and I find it works very well. I only wish you could change the DRL to the Fogs or something else, and also have the rear taillights come on as DRL (Scandinavian DRL lighting, common on European cars)

A question for the Europeans in this thread..Does your Prius come with an Auto-leveling system? NA models do not and I was under the impression that it was law to have auto leveling with HID or LED...

 

Yes. From my manual,
"Automatic headlight leveling system
The level of the headlights is automatically adjusted according to the number of passengers and the loading condition of the vehicle to ensure that the headlights do not interfere with other road users."

 

Thanks for the clarification. I do wish we got an auto leveling system here in the states as the lamps are very bright...

 

Do you have manual button for adjusting the level?

 

Not in the cabin. There is of course a screw on the headlight housing, but that involves going under the hood to adjust the lights, impractical for quick load adjustments. I would be curious to see if there was a way to retrofit OEM leveling motors into it to at least have a manual option if it is indeed available in other markets.

 

That sounds crazy. I can't believe that Toyota don't address the issue in some manner - either with auto-leveling or an easily-accessible manual option!

 

I keep mine on at all times, on the 2016 as well as the old 2008 before I sold it. HIDs went bad after a couple of years in the 2008 but the replacements were covered under warranty both times. Hopefully they'll last longer in the 2016.

 

In the U.S., an easily available manual option would be crazy. It would be ignored or abused more often than it would be used correctly.

 

In UK we call that feature "dim dipped headlights."

 

Foggy this morning. Visibility was very low, and definitely foggy enough to require having the headlights on. I drove down the street flashing my lights at everyone. I can't believe all the incompetent California drivers!

I saw at least a dozen Gen2 and Gen3 Prii's, and only ONE driver had their lights on. Multiple Prii's coming out of the dark like a little bugs...

There is something seriously wrong with the Prius drivers out here. Are they afraid to spend 10 cents and turn the lights on?! They need to get off the road if they're going to be unsafe like that.

 

Headlight bulbs on a Gen 2 are notoriously difficult to change, they're either saving them, or the bulbs have gone.

 

Perhaps they were on but the sun has yellowed the lights so they are hard to see in the fog.