dilbert2k
Member Since: 11 Dec 2005
Location: Essex
Posts: 22
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| Autotmatic Lights - When should they come on? |
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Hi All,
On my 55 plate HSE, the auto lights seem to me to come on before its really necessary. For example, earlier this evening, I was driving into bright sunlight, but the lights came on. I must admit I've not noticed a pattern, partly as I don't drive the car every day, but I've felt before that the lights were coming on unneccessarily.
Does anybody know where the sensor is? And indeed what light level it is supposed to sense?
The car is in the dealers on Monday for a difeerent issue (low coolant level info message), so will ask them then, but would appreciate an experts view first!
Thanks in advance.... D1 Tdi200s done. D2 V8 ES done. D3 TDV6 HSE now 
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 15th Jul 2006 8:46 pm |
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Gareth
Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
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They do come on when you would think they are not needed, but they are also pretty clever. Like they can tell when you enter a brightly lit tunnel and switch on.
They come on when the sun is low, this is in my opinion a good thing because it can be difficult to see a car when the sun is dazzling.
In America, it is compulsory to have daytime lights on when driving across the desert.
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| 15th Jul 2006 9:12 pm |
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kbals
Member Since: 09 Apr 2006
Location: Antwerpen, Belgium
Posts: 36
  
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Gareth wrote:In America, it is compulsory to have daytime lights on when driving across the desert.
Does anyone know how to make them come on all the time, even when it is light?
I've asked my dealer, and they tried to set the car country to 'Sweden', but then other things didn't work properly (they didn't say what these 'other things' were, I bet they didn't know how to do it).
I've been tinking about fooling the light sensors, or discoupling the light sensors, so that they think it is always dark. Anyone knows how to do this?
Klaas,
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| 20th Jul 2006 6:14 pm |
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10forcash
Member Since: 09 Jun 2005
Location: Ubique
Posts: 16534
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you could always turn the switch to 'on'  the light sensor is combined with the rain sensor, also, if it doesn't see an output, it'll probably throw up all kind of errors 
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| 20th Jul 2006 6:25 pm |
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davez26
Member Since: 01 Apr 2006
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 23
 
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I don't know exactly how it is done, but Daytime Runing Lights are not required in the United States, But they are up North in Canada. I wanted DRL activated and my car is still set to US SPEC, but DRL is activated. I was able to get it activated during one of my enhacement visits.
Now that I think about it, I remeber seeing somewhere previous to the purchase a checksheet used for vehicle setup before delivery that had a checkbox for DRL, but only for Canada. My best guess is that somewhere in the settings for the car there is a setting that can be toggled, at least for NAS cars.
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| 23rd Jul 2006 4:54 am |
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kbals
Member Since: 09 Apr 2006
Location: Antwerpen, Belgium
Posts: 36
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davez26 wrote:I wanted DRL activated and my car is still set to US SPEC, but DRL is activated. I was able to get it activated during one of my enhacement visits.
My best guess is that somewhere in the settings for the car there is a setting that can be toggled, at least for NAS cars.
I agree with you, there must be a setting somewhere... I'll ask the dealer to try again. I don't really have good dealer, but apparently all dealers in Belgium are bad...
Is there any technical manual about the internal settings of the vehicle that I can access, to see what different settings there are, and what they do?
I've tried to look in the owners handbook, but couldn't find anything. That webpage has a link to the 'Global Technical Reference', but you need a unsername and password. Is there anyone who has that information? How can I get that?
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| 23rd Jul 2006 4:17 pm |
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DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50979
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I don't understand why your all so worried.....it makes no real odds to you or others if there on..... surely ?....and as TFC has said you could always use the magic of 'fingers' to turn the swiitch to the off position.
BTW Slimer and I came up with the theory that if your driving with the sun on your back door then the sensor is sitting in partial shadow.. so even if it looks bright and dandy to your eyes in the big bad outside world, the light level at the sensor might be a little dim....
...a biit llike me 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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| 23rd Jul 2006 8:48 pm |
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Ken
Member Since: 20 Feb 2006
Location: Here
Posts: 10865
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Oh and your meant to have your headlights on if your driving away from the sun 
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| 23rd Jul 2006 9:41 pm |
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DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50979
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That explains everything 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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| 23rd Jul 2006 9:43 pm |
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10forcash
Member Since: 09 Jun 2005
Location: Ubique
Posts: 16534
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you can't drive away from the sun...., the light is always going past you 8) and anyway, the earth orbit's it so if you could / were to, eventually, you'd catch up with yourself
If you could go at the speed of light + 'a bit' then the front of the D3 would more than likely create it's own light source with the friction of air particles hitting it.....
Now there's a challenge for TC 8) 8)
Oh, and a software patch to turn the lights on in case you take a wrong turn and head towards a black hole (rear lights only of course )
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| 24th Jul 2006 1:57 pm |
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Ken
Member Since: 20 Feb 2006
Location: Here
Posts: 10865
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Thats why you have your lights on as light travels the same speed so its plausible that the source that’s in front will reach / be seen first
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| 24th Jul 2006 2:29 pm |
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10forcash
Member Since: 09 Jun 2005
Location: Ubique
Posts: 16534
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that wouldn't work,
the light particles that go past the front of your D3 a smidgin before you switch your lights on will be seen first - unless you're suggesting that the D3's light output can accelerate beyond 'normal' light speed 
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| 24th Jul 2006 2:32 pm |
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DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50979
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Is it still not the case that the front of the vehicle will be in shadow and therefore the lights will provide contrast within that shadow 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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| 24th Jul 2006 2:38 pm |
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10forcash
Member Since: 09 Jun 2005
Location: Ubique
Posts: 16534
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well the vehicle would also be in sillouette..... if that isn't enough of a contrast with the sun..... 
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| 24th Jul 2006 2:49 pm |
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DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73125
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10forcash wrote:......the light particles......
Didn't think light was a particle? Discuss in less than than 80,000 words!
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| 24th Jul 2006 3:41 pm |
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