Auto-off Headlights

[Trueno]

Hello everyone,

I will be asking two more questions about exterior lighting and I will be done, I promise

Is there a way to code( program ) the exterior lights to go off after you exit the vehicle if you accidentally left the headlights switch on? My Toyota vehicles would turn them off after 30 seconds or double click of Lock in the key fob. My Volkswagen would turn all exterior lighting off if you turn the car off, and open the driver’s door while the headlights switch was left on. Most cars now a days do it. And, this is a feature a lot of Manufacturers have implemented since early 90’s.

Only the last generation Focus, Transit Connect and 2016-18 Escape had that feature in the Ford lineup that I’ve tried it and know.

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[Firn]

Hello everyone,

I will be asking two more questions about exterior lighting and I will be done, I promise

Is there a way to code( program ) the exterior lights to go off after you exit the vehicle if you accidentally left the headlights switch on? My Toyota vehicles would turn them off after 30 seconds or double click of Lock in the key fob. My Volkswagen would turn all exterior lighting off if you turn the car off, and open the driver’s door while the headlights switch was left on. Most cars now a days do it. And, this is a feature a lot of Manufacturers have implemented since early 90’s.

Only the last generation Focus, Transit Connect and 2016-18 Escape had that feature in the Ford lineup that I’ve tried it and know.

To be honest, doesnt it do this already?

Next question, are you turning your headlights off?

I never touch any switches in mine. All lights, including the headlights, just turn off automatically after a few minutes.

 

[Trueno]

I’m talking in case you manually turn the headlights on, and got out of the car and forgot to turn them off, Ford should have that auto off feature. It just a convenience ( battery saver ) feature. Mine are mostly 99.9% in Auto mode.
Generally speaking, I like to drive with my headlights and taillights for safety reasons. Always have. Even with my work truck and trailer. But, since it is getting dark earlier now, I live the stalk in Auto. In the morning when I leave my house is dark, and when I get off work is not fully dark, but enough to trigger the auto lights on.

Again, I can totally turn off my lights, but I miss that auto-off feature from my previous vehicle.

 

[Altivec]

A few times I accidentally left my park lights on. At some point the dial turned itself back to auto and shut itself off (cool there must be a little motor in there). How much time before it does that, not sure. But it does turn itself off after a while. I personally think that there should be a long delay, like 10min before it shuts itself off. There may be instances that I want to keep my lights on with the truck off and it would annoy me if I manually turned it on and it shut itself off after 30 seconds. What's the point of the auto setting then.

 

[Trueno]

A few times I accidentally left my park lights on. At some point the dial turned itself back to auto and shut itself off (cool there must be a little motor in there). How much time before it does that, not sure. But it does turn itself off after a while. I personally think that there should be a long delay, like 10min before it shuts itself off. There may be instances that I want to keep my lights on with the truck off and it would annoy me if I manually turned it on and it shut itself off after 30 seconds. What's the point of the auto setting then.

I agree with you! So, in my long experience buying cars, and working at dealerships the Auto-off feature only works when vehicle was running( or just on ), your headlights stalk were on the parking or full on lights, you turn the vehicle off, close all the doors and walk away. If the vehicle is off, and you manually turn the lights on, they will stay on for a longer time. But, some vehicles like you said will turn off the headlights shortly after you turned them on.

 

[Wendy]

There is a setting that you can tell it how much time to wait until you walk away after turning the vehicle off until it turns the lights off. Not sure if that works the same whether you are in Auto vs On.

The truck always starts out in Auto. Maybe it's a setting.

Regarding auto-high beams:
If you want your headlights on High Beam you just hit the left lever forward. Hitting it again puts you in 'auto high'.

 

[Trueno]

There is a setting that you can tell it how much time to wait until you walk away after turning the vehicle off until it turns the lights off. Not sure if that works the same whether you are in Auto vs On.

The truck always starts out in Auto. Maybe it's a setting.

Regarding auto-high beams:
If you want your headlights on High Beam you just hit the left lever forward. Hitting it again puts you in 'auto high'.

Thank you Wendy!!

This don’t have to do with the auto high beams or the Auto mode on the stalk( switch )

it is a feature other vehicles have that kills all exterior lighting if you accidentally left the parking or headlights on. Like when you manually turn them on and exit the vehicle and forgot to turn them off. Most cars makers have that feature to instantly kill the lighting after your car is off and you open your driver’s door, or within a minute Of leaving your car.

 

[Mmiketa]

A few times I accidentally left my park lights on. At some point the dial turned itself back to auto and shut itself off (cool there must be a little motor in there). How much time before it does that, not sure. But it does turn itself off after a while. I personally think that there should be a long delay, like 10min before it shuts itself off. There may be instances that I want to keep my lights on with the truck off and it would annoy me if I manually turned it on and it shut itself off after 30 seconds. What's the point of the auto setting then.

There is not a motor, that switch can rotate freely so the position doesn't matter. If you turn your car off and back on it's on auto by default. I imagine if you set it to on and turned your car off, they would turn off? I am not sure, never had it in manual actually.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

It’s in the manual.

 

[Altivec]

There is not a motor, that switch can rotate freely so the position doesn't matter. If you turn your car off and back on it's on auto by default. I imagine if you set it to on and turned your car off, they would turn off? I am not sure, never had it in manual actually.

I am not understanding what you mean by "switch can rotate freely"... Yes... I freely turn the dial from auto to manual on. When I return, not only are the lights off, but the dial has turned itself back to the auto setting. If there is no motor in that dial, how did it turn by itself ?

 

[Trueno]

It’s in the manual.

This is only if you leave the stalk on the AUTO position. Autolamp Exit delay is different. Only works when headlights switch is on Auto.

The auto-off feature being discussed here is just in case you turn your parking lights or full headlights on manually and forgot to turn them off, the car will kill the lighting after vehicles is off and driver’s door is open, or within 15-60 seconds after exiting the vechicle and closing all doors. Plenty of cars have this feature now a days. A lot of cars since the early 90’s actually.

 

[Trueno]

I am not understanding what you mean by "switch can rotate freely"... Yes... I freely turn the dial from auto to manual on. When I return, not only are the lights off, but the dial has turned itself back to the auto setting. If there is no motor in that dial, how did it turn by itself ?

There’s no motor in the headlight switch dial. It’s an electronic one and programmed to default to Auto when you start the vehicle every time.

 

[P-38]

If you were to mark the dial with a piece of tape you would find the dial did not move but the truck defaulted it to auto when you started it.

 

[Mmiketa]

I am not understanding what you mean by "switch can rotate freely"... Yes... I freely turn the dial from auto to manual on. When I return, not only are the lights off, but the dial has turned itself back to the auto setting. If there is no motor in that dial, how did it turn by itself ?

The dial can keep rotating infinitely. When you turn the car off and back on it sets the setting to Auto no matter where the dial was previously.

 

[mr.Magoo]

The auto-off feature being discussed here is just in case you turn your parking lights or full headlights on manually and forgot to turn them off, the car will kill the lighting after vehicles is off.

To have the car turn off the parking lights seems counter intuitive, because aren't parking lights for when you, you know.... park? usually in a dimly lit area and you want your parking lights on to make other drivers aware that there is a car there.

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