Easy Automatic headlight modification

[Mich_upnorth]

My 2016 f-150 has the led drl and auto headlights. However, the auto lights don’t come on early enough in my opinion or when it is raining or snowing and the drl doesn’t have the taillights on. My fix for that was to take a piece of black electrical tape and put on the automatic sensor on the dash. I then leave the light switch on auto. Whenever the ignition is on the lights are on and I don’t have to worry about leaving them on and running down the battery. If I don’t want the lights on for any reason, I can turn the switch to just the running lights or to off.

[CavemanCharlie]

Harvey51 wrote:
"Why would you want tail lights on with DRLs?"
That would be in poor visibility - fog, snowing, dusty, etc, you want to be seen by vehicles behind. I think tail lights should go on automatically with DRLS.

With all the sensors we have these days it might be useful to have a sensor beside a tail light to warn when the lights are too dirty to be seen.

If the visibility is poor you should have your headlights on anyway. If you do the taillights are on.

I do agree with you about the taillights getting dirty though. People think I'm silly but, I have been known to clean the ones on other peoples vehicles when I see some that are to dirty. After all I might be helping out myself if I get behind them.

I live in a area where we have a lot of gravel roads and some people drive with so much dirt on their taillights that you can not see them at all. And, they don't seem to care !! Of course if you get rear ended it is always the other guys fault so I guess that it why they don't care. I'm not like that though but, I'm a minority around here.

[slickest1]

dodge guy wrote:
Of course paying attention is the easiest way to reduce accidents! I still don’t understand why we need lights on to see a car during the day? I see cars without headlights on just as well as cars with lights on.

Open your eyes! There are amazing things all around us! :@

When you are driving a semi or rv it is sometimes hard to spot a car especially if it is a lighter colored vehicle and it is raining and there is lots of spray being kicked up. Also blinding sunlight can be a factor.
There is also the guy that isn't paying close attention that it may make a difference
You may see everyone else but do they see you!

[Harvey51]

"Why would you want tail lights on with DRLs?"
That would be in poor visibility - fog, snowing, dusty, etc, you want to be seen by vehicles behind. I think tail lights should go on automatically with DRLS.

With all the sensors we have these days it might be useful to have a sensor beside a tail light to warn when the lights are too dirty to be seen.

[camperforlife]

ScottG wrote:
I had them activated on my Ram.
One thing I didn't think about was pulling into a CG at night and not being able to turn my lights off while maneuvering. I end up lighting up someone else's campsite needlessly.

BTW, on Ram trucks the DRL's are actually the high-beams run at a 50% duty cycle.

It's nice that you are considerate of fellow campers but honestly the souped up diesels with modified exhaust cruising around is much more annoying.

[JIMNLIN]

Yeah not many folks use two lane highways anymore especially like I do out here. I've been driving since the late '50s and some one with headlights on in on coming traffic make it harder to safely judge distances.

Back in '64 we ran our first job in western NM. Ran into a lite rain shower during the day where road spray from vehicles was a issue. I turned my parking lights on so I could be seen by other drivers and not blind oncoming traffic with my head lights. Trooper just east of Grants NM pulled me over and advised no parking lights on the highways. Completely different than my state drivers manual tought back then.

[wnjj]

spoon059 wrote:

JIMNLIN wrote:
DRL on in the daytimes can make it harder to pass cars safely on two lane hiways. When looking to pass Its hard to judge if the car with lights on, is 1/4 mile or 3/4 miles down the road.
For that reason I turn my DRLs off on two lane rural highways.
Divided interstate or city driving is a different issue.

That's odd... around my parts it is REQUIRED to turn headlights on when driving on 2 lane highways with designated passing zones, specifically so that you can be seen by drivers who are considering attempting to make a pass.

I think his issue is with DRL’s, not headlights as they can look like headlights that are further away. Separate inboard DRL’s or the new LED outlines can help that problem. Dim “regular” headlights don’t seem like a good idea to me. This is not unlike the reason for the 3rd brake light: Dim brake lights were confused with tail lights.

One issue I have with just turning on the normal lights or defeating the auto sensor is the number of bozos who leave their highbeams on. They aren’t noticed by the driver but they sure make it tough on oncoming drivers, especially in moderate lighting conditions.

[spoon059]

dodge guy wrote:
I see cars without headlights on just as well as cars with lights on.

Doubtful...
https://www.idrivesafely.com/blog/daylight-headlight-laws-explained

[spoon059]

JIMNLIN wrote:
DRL on in the daytimes can make it harder to pass cars safely on two lane hiways. When looking to pass Its hard to judge if the car with lights on, is 1/4 mile or 3/4 miles down the road.
For that reason I turn my DRLs off on two lane rural highways.
Divided interstate or city driving is a different issue.

That's odd... around my parts it is REQUIRED to turn headlights on when driving on 2 lane highways with designated passing zones, specifically so that you can be seen by drivers who are considering attempting to make a pass.

[2012Coleman]

Mich upnorth wrote:
My 2016 f-150 has the led drl and auto headlights. However, the auto lights don’t come on early enough in my opinion or when it is raining or snowing and the drl doesn’t have the taillights on. My fix for that was to take a piece of black electrical tape and put on the automatic sensor on the dash. I then leave the light switch on auto. Whenever the ignition is on the lights are on and I don’t have to worry about leaving them on and running down the battery. If I don’t want the lights on for any reason, I can turn the switch to just the running lights or to off.

A better solution is to get a rubber thimble and stick it over the sensor. Then you don't have to deal with sticky tape.

[dodge_guy]

Of course paying attention is the easiest way to reduce accidents! I still don’t understand why we need lights on to see a car during the day? I see cars without headlights on just as well as cars with lights on.

Open your eyes! There are amazing things all around us! :@

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

🙂 Hi, on my 2000 Lincoln Navigator I always leave my headlights on "Automatic" and in bad weather I have a small stuffed animal on my dash and slide him over the light sensor.

On my 2014 F-150, as should your newer F-150, my lights automatically come on with my wipers which is a law in several places now.

[JIMNLIN]

DRL on in the daytimes can make it harder to pass cars safely on two lane hiways. When looking to pass Its hard to judge if the car with lights on, is 1/4 mile or 3/4 miles down the road.
For that reason I turn my DRLs off on two lane rural highways.
Divided interstate or city driving is a different issue.

[campinginthewoo]

I'm pretty sure Illinois has had wipers on headlights on and still see a lot who don't. Also see plenty of drivers running in fog be it lite fog or dense fog and NO lights on also have seen drivers at 9pm with NO lights on and driving down the road. My current truck doesn't have DRL'S but my old truck did I run silverstar headlights and in my old truck there wasn't a difference (headlights were as bright as on not dim on a Silverado pickup) but the local PD could as I got warned a few times LOL my fault but I could be seen and in my current truck if I'm on the interstate my headlights are on and in town bad weather regardless rain or cloudy. I have auto headlights but to used to turning lights on/off from years driving. My dad has a 2017 suberu with DRL's and forgets to turn his lights on all the time when it rains etc.... I do believe you are seen better with lights on.....just my opinion

[Crowe]

I thought that was enacted a while ago...maybe 3-5 years?

Enacted 4/7/15. I looked it up because I have a tendency to lose track of time and figured your memory was better than mine!