[bake]

I have had my car for about 15 months now and I swear I can't figure out the logic of how the auto headlights work. My house has an attached garage, so my car is parked in the garage 95% of the time. Since the garage is relatively dark, when I start the car the headlights always turn on. OK.... That makes sense. When I back out of the garage it seems like half of the time the headlight symbol on my dashboard turns off letting me know that my headlights are now off and only my DRL's (angel eyes) are illuminated. That makes sense to me as well.... What confuses me, is that about 50% of the time, the headlight symbol stays on and this is on bright sunny days. This is what I don't get. The gauges on my cluster remain white (daytime colors) so not sure what the deal is with this. If it is bright outside, shouldn't the headlight symbol on the door always turn off???

[geminiys]

You are not alone with this. It was previously discussed on this forum. I believe someone called it a "Blue Sky Syndrome" where depending on the sun angle the sensor is getting confused and goes to default settings, Lights On.
I haven't seen the design-circuit diagram but it I think the upper limit of a sensor is set below the threshold of direct sun light beating at it. This is most likely done to ovoid over current in the circuit and making components to blow up. My wife's Audi behaves much better in this department and more predictable when lights will be on and off.

[twelve535i]

What gets me is when I'm driving past another F10 under bright skies and their headlights are off and mine are on. Maybe if you dial down the sensitivity?

[bake]

Originally Posted by twelve535i

What gets me is when I'm driving past another F10 under bright skies and their headlights are off and mine are on. Maybe if you dial down the sensitivity?

How do you do that?

[twelve535i]

Originally Posted by bake

How do you do that?

Hmm......I may be mistaken, but I thought I saw it in some setting menu, either in Idrive, or while getting my car coded. I may have confused it with one of my past cars.

According to another post, the dealer dialed down the sensitivity for Stealthpilot, which he doubted actually happened.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=591275

[bake]

Thanks for the link. Glad to know I am not the only one that thinks this operation is erratic. Oh well, guess I will just have to manually turn off when this happens. Sucks though cause you have to always remember to turn back on to enable all of the other features that are controlled by the automatic headlight switch.

[twelve535i]

Originally Posted by bake

Thanks for the link. Glad to know I am not the only one that thinks this operation is erratic. Oh well, guess I will just have to manually turn off when this happens. Sucks though cause you have to always remember to turn back on to enable all of the other features that are controlled by the automatic headlight switch.

Where is the sensor? Maybe there is a way to manipulate it.

[bake]

I'm not sure. Think the one behind the rearview mirror is for the automatic windshield washer, so not sure about the headlights.

Originally Posted by twelve535i

Where is the sensor? Maybe there is a way to manipulate it.

[ezmaass]

Call me old school, but I don't use automatic lights. I prefer just flicking them on and off manually. It's very little trouble, and it annoys the hell out of me when the lights are going on and off for no reason in auto mode. So, I don't use them - problem solved.

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by bake

I have had my car for about 15 months now and I swear I can't figure out the logic of how the auto headlights work. My house has an attached garage, so my car is parked in the garage 95% of the time. Since the garage is relatively dark, when I start the car the headlights always turn on. OK.... That makes sense. When I back out of the garage it seems like half of the time the headlight symbol on my dashboard turns off letting me know that my headlights are now off and only my DRL's (angel eyes) are illuminated. That makes sense to me as well.... What confuses me, is that about 50% of the time, the headlight symbol stays on and this is on bright sunny days. This is what I don't get. The gauges on my cluster remain white (daytime colors) so not sure what the deal is with this. If it is bright outside, shouldn't the headlight symbol on the door always turn off???

Its a safety feature, when the sun is low on the horizon causing solar glare, the headlight should be one so your car is more visible to others.

[BigKutta]

I am sure there is some complicated criteria behind it drive by the angle of the sun etc. I like to control my lights because I hate my lights coming on in the garage and then turning off as soon as I exit.

[bake]

Originally Posted by BigKutta

I am sure there is some complicated criteria behind it drive by the angle of the sun etc. I like to control my lights because I hate my lights coming on in the garage and then turning off as soon as I exit.

I agree that is annoying. As is having them come on when you go through underpasses

[Gilgorm]

Originally Posted by The X Men

Its a safety feature, when the sun is low on the horizon causing solar glare, the headlight should be one so your car is more visible to others.

+1
That also explains why one car going one direction has the lights on and the other car going the opposite direction has the lights off. I like the auto lights and find they work exactly as I expect.
The only funny thing is when the sun is out and a light rain shower occurs. My lights come on every time the wipers are run for more than a few minutes so I guess the wipers have superior control or else its "the dot' messing with me.

[The X Men]

The headlights are suppose to come on when it rains. That's one safety feature the Japanese haven't pick up on from the Germans yet.

[raleedy]

Nissan Leaf has headlights coded to the windshield wipers. (It also has no DRL's.)

[crmgr]

I don't use auto often, but have noticed that once on they tend to want to stay on and when off it will take longer to trip the auto on.

[Tasmanian]

Originally Posted by geminiys

You are not alone with this. It was previously discussed on this forum. I believe someone called it a "Blue Sky Syndrome" where depending on the sun angle the sensor is getting confused and goes to default settings, Lights On.
I haven't seen the design-circuit diagram but it I think the upper limit of a sensor is set below the threshold of direct sun light beating at it. This is most likely done to ovoid over current in the circuit and making components to blow up. My wife's Audi behaves much better in this department and more predictable when lights will be on and off.

Recently...our automatic lights have stopped going off after leaving the garage on sunny and cloudy days. No real explanation or pattern.

Is there anything else I can do to restore its functionality??

thanks

Tasmanian