[Titanicman]

Ok, I'm confused. I wanted automatica headlights on my new Prius, just got a package 6 on Tuesday, and the sales person said the automatic headlights were not an option. However, in looking at the owners manual, sure enough, there they are, directions on how to use automatic headlights. Even a picture of the "Auto" on the headligh switch. What gives? Can the be retro fit? I thought the package 6 was "EVERYTHING"!!!

Other than this, and learning commands for voice activation, I'm a happy new owner of a blue, package 6. Love the SMART KEY!!!

Steve of Iowa

 

[evander]

The Prius doesn't actually have auto headlights, but essentially you can leave the lights on without wearing down the battery. Make sure that they're already on when you open your door to exit. (The Power button will automatically shut them down as the car goes off, and upon starting car again, the lights will be on.) Just don't play around with them with an open door. My husband tends to do that, and this can get you into battery trouble.

 

[DanMan32]

Ok, I'm confused. I wanted automatica headlights on my new Prius, just got a package 6 on Tuesday, and the sales person said the automatic headlights were not an option. However, in looking at the owners manual, sure enough, there they are, directions on how to use automatic headlights. Even a picture of the "Auto" on the headligh switch. What gives? Can the be retro fit? I thought the package 6 was "EVERYTHING"!!!

Other than this, and learning commands for voice activation, I'm a happy new owner of a blue, package 6. Love the SMART KEY!!!

Steve of Iowa

That's because you live in Iowa and not Toronto.

Seriously. The full auto is only available in the Canadian models, as is DRL which is required by law. But they don't get HID since DRL is difficult with HID. And the full auto is coupled with DRL.

I agree though, the car could have been designed for full auto, even with HID. Simply use the parking lights for fog lights for the DRL.

 

[mrv]

http://www.vfaq.net/FAQ-misc.html#manualerr

US 2001-? Prius does have auto-off headlights. Turn on the Prius. Turn on the headlights. Turn off Prius, open driver's door. Headlights turn off. Turn Prius on again, headlights come back on (since switch is still in on position). Just don't exit out a passenger's door, or leave the switch on when you go away on vacation for several weeks...

US 2001-? Prius does not have auto-on headlights.

 

[Spike]

Ok, I'm confused. I wanted automatica headlights on my new Prius, just got a package 6 on Tuesday, and the sales person said the automatic headlights were not an option. However, in looking at the owners manual, sure enough, there they are, directions on how to use automatic headlights. Even a picture of the "Auto" on the headligh switch. What gives? Can the be retro fit? I thought the package 6 was "EVERYTHING"!!!

Other than this, and learning commands for voice activation, I'm a happy new owner of a blue, package 6. Love the SMART KEY!!!

Steve of Iowa

That's because you live in Iowa and not Toronto.

Seriously. The full auto is only available in the Canadian models, as is DRL which is required by law. But they don't get HID since DRL is difficult with HID. And the full auto is coupled with DRL.

I agree though, the car could have been designed for full auto, even with HID. Simply use the parking lights for fog lights for the DRL.

Uhhh, I live in CA and I have auto lights and HID although it doesn't say auto on the stalk it does in fact work. And on my Sienna, we have the DRL, HID and auto on-off, and the stalk is labeled as auto.

Spike

 

[redwein]

What you have is not true auto headlights. It is true that they shut off automatically when you turn the car off but they are always on when the car is on. True auto headlights come on and off based on how light or dark it is outside. They also turn off when the car is off but that is the only similarity with the US Prius feature.

 

[daktron]

still a bit in the dark...

Hi all,

Based on this thread and experience with my 2007 Prius (package 1 - no frills) I am still a bit in the dark (no pun intended) about the auto head light function.

I like to drive with the head lights on at all time, but of course I don’t want to leave the lights on when the car is off.

Last night I turned off the car and locked it with the lights on they stayed on (I waited about 5 minutes) and finally I had to turn them off manually.

Also, the manual says there is a light sensor on the front right of the dash (page 109) that automatically controls the head lights based on outside conditions, what is that about?

Please clarify?!?!

Thanks!

Daktron

 

[Tideland Prius]

Ok, I'm confused. I wanted automatica headlights on my new Prius, just got a package 6 on Tuesday, and the sales person said the automatic headlights were not an option. However, in looking at the owners manual, sure enough, there they are, directions on how to use automatic headlights. Even a picture of the "Auto" on the headligh switch. What gives? Can the be retro fit? I thought the package 6 was "EVERYTHING"!!!

Other than this, and learning commands for voice activation, I'm a happy new owner of a blue, package 6. Love the SMART KEY!!!

Steve of Iowa

That's because you live in Iowa and not Toronto.

Seriously. The full auto is only available in the Canadian models, as is DRL which is required by law. But they don't get HID since DRL is difficult with HID. And the full auto is coupled with DRL.

I agree though, the car could have been designed for full auto, even with HID. Simply use the parking lights for fog lights for the DRL.

Uhhh, I live in CA and I have auto lights and HID although it doesn't say auto on the stalk it does in fact work. And on my Sienna, we have the DRL, HID and auto on-off, and the stalk is labeled as auto.

Spike

Err.. it's called AUTO OFF!!!

That's different from auto headlights which is AUTO ON and AUTO OFF.

Oh wow, you say. It just has an auto on which I can achieve by leaving the stalk on full headlight anyway.

Nope. The auto function also dims the MFD/speedo automatically if it senses lower ambient lighting. In addition, if we use the headlights during the day, we don't have to use DAY MODE on the MFD cause our screen/speedo don't dim. They only dim when the ambient lighting is lower (e.g. entering an underground carpark)

 

[DanMan32]

OK, the owner's manual was written for all of North America market, both United States and Canada.
Canada got the full Auto, which turns the headlights on and off automatically based on how dark it is outside. They also got DRL.

But in USA, we did not get full auto. The car will not turn off the headlights based on how dark it is outside. We have no light sensor. What one might think is a light sensor is actually a radiant heat sensor for the AC. You'll notice right next to it is a blank space for another sensor, which is where the light sensor would be. Canada has both sensors.

Now we got that out of the way, lets clarify Auto Off.
Auto Off only works with the driver door. If you power off with the driver door open, the headlights will go out. If the door was closed and you powered off, the lights will go out when you open the driver door. If you turn on the headlights after powering off, they will stay on, regardless if the door is closed, open, or opened then closed. However you will get a reminder beep if the door is opened and the logic does not say to turn them off.
If you were to come in from any other door and powered up, the headlights will come on. And they will stay on even if you power down, if you don't exit from the driver door.
If you turned on the headlights while the car was powered down, the lights will stay on. Of course in order to turn the lights on, they would have to be in the off postion first, or put in the off position if it were in the on position.

 

[daktron]

holy cow!

that seems way more complicated then it should be, but thanks for the info. i will give it a try.

 

[DanMan32]

Complicated? Turn power off, open driver door, shut driver door, don't touch headlights.