Why no auto-on headlights

Based on the settings of the headlights, and ... the dimmer wheel. (It will go dark with headlights on, unless you raise the dimmer wheel all the way up.)

 

Yeah, what he said.

---Yeah, just turn the lights on, leave em on and use your little dimmer switch to adjust the screen and such.

OH but I do need to note, I have heard that it dims the new MID screen, and that doesn't brighten all the way back up. So... you be the judge of what you want to do when you get the car.

 

Thanks to PC, I learned there's a click setting at the top of the dimmer wheel. Just keep turning it up until it clicks. MID will stay bright regardless of headlights being on.

 

This is an interesting thread, especially since there is a separate PriusChat thread about how HAPPY those owners are that the new Prius DOES NOT have the auto-on headlights.

Just goes to show that you can never satisfy everyone.

 

Same with my insurance company, USAA. They won't offer the DRL discount on the 2010 Prius.

Maybe they should offer a discount on the ATP with the lane keep assist and radar cruise control? In theory, these features should lessen the risk of a highway accident.

Since the DRL feature is available in Canada, then I'll bet a hack or aftermarket item will soon be available to activate the DRL feature on the US-bought Prius. Then the question will be whether an insurance company will offer the DRL discount if it was installed as an aftermarket feature.

 

well in my case, its not hard to notice that the headlights at the very least "should be on" because of night/daylight mode of the dash, when it gets dark outside and the headlights are not on, it gets painfully bright inside. (but then again, this assumes that night/daylight is enabled with switch to left of steering wheel)

but its like any "auto" feature... can it be overridden? if yes, ok, i can accept it. if no, then, i dont want it.

its like auto pay on the various services i maintain on a monthly basis. i get a statement, with the balance due and notification that it will be charged on my credit card on a date and its done. now, i can let it do its thing or back it out a month and manually pay the bill (which might be an option if the bill is in question). but if i didnt have that option, i would not be doing it.

headlights are no different. no why would i not have the lights on at night and be driving??

well, a prime example is "Zoo Lights" this is done by the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Wa every year. where they have various business sponsors put up Christmas lights in various displays at the immense but little used zoo (not much business in the dead of winter at night and around here the benefits of daylight until 10.30 pm now is offset by 4 pm sunsets in winter)

so everyone with drl's are forced to put blinders on, (supplied by the zoo) in order to remove the light pollution. now is a little light an issue... ya, when you have a density of 10-20 cars in a near proximity, it greatly messes with the view especially when most of the route crisscrosses back and forth.

so, put them on, if you like. have a button that enables them that can be turned on and off and we are good to go. if that option is not available, then dont bother putting in on my car

 

Dave,

Totally off topic can you pm me about the zoo thing? That sounds awesome! except slightly confusing...you drive around the zoo???

 

yes. we drive thru the Point Defiance Zoo. there is animated displays that work best if in total darkness when you cannot see the frame of the display...

for example, one done was a baseball game. where a pitcher threw a ball, a batter hit it and you could see the ball leaving the park... it took up several hundred feet and was totally amazing.

its on display every year at Xmas and it costs like umm. dont remember but its under $10. we take our child there, he thinks its very cool. (mostly because he does not have to be strapped into his carseat i think since we stop for pics, and only drive like 2 mph)

 

It does come with auto headlight in Canadian Prius....

 

I live in the Seattle area. Would anyone know if it makes sense to drive up to Canada to buy one? Or would I need to pay taxes in both BC and WA? How does it work? How much is it? I'd pay in full. They still have the '09 on their website. And yes, I know about Washington state's sales tax currently being waived for the Prius. I don't plan on getting one before the deadline. Too many bugs on the early shipments.

 

they will not allow it. back when the canadian dollar was almost equal to ours, they could have saved on average $4,000+ by crossing the border, buying here and driving back.

unfortunately, unless you bought in Canada as a citizen, then later moved to the US, that would be the only way to do it, and that option is not free as it would still have to be certified to drive in US

 

Add me to the list of supporters for auto headlites. And any other technology that is 'out there' already on other cars, but not Prius. One of the reasons I bought my 2004 and ordered a 2010 is that the Prius offers high technology that is usually only available in super luxury cars, at a relatively reasonable price plus the mpgs that those cars can only dream about.

I listed my wants in a separate thread of 'dream cars'.

As for ancient cars with 'Twilight Sentinel'.....yes Cadillac pioneered that feature way back in the early 1960's, and going back even further to the '50's, they offered 'Guide-matic' auto dimming of high beam headlites, a feature rarely found today.

For those disdaining all this automation, perhaps they should lobby Toyota to produce Prius with an option for a manual transmission,
manual windows, and none-powered steering, etc.

 

I don't know why, especially considering it already has the rogramming and light sensor in it. The only thing that is missing is the stalk. It seem slike it would have been more expensive for toyota to create a two versions of the headlight stalk then it would be to just implement it on every car.

With that being said, I added autoheadlights to my car for about 35 bucks. There is a detailed thread on it in the mods forumn.

 

The Aussie models get auto-on lights, and Rain-sensing wipers, too.

 

In the UK we get rain sensing wipers on the T4 & TSpirit, but we don't get light sensing headlights which is a shame, nor do we get and auto dimmming interior mirror

I would gladly swap the HUD for those two itmes