Sensitive headlight sensor

[d1h]

My 2018 Silverado seems to have a super sensitive automatic headlight sensor. Sometimes even if I drive through a shady area in the middle of the day with even bright sunshine my headlights will turn on. Had it checked out and was told everything checked out normal. Kind of annoying because all your displays dim when the headlights turn on. They will turn back off when you get back out in the bright sun. I think they should make those sensors to not be so sensitive. Anybody else have this issue?

[Sport45]

d1h wrote:
My 2018 Silverado seems to have a super sensitive automatic headlight sensor. Sometimes even if I drive through a shady area in the middle of the day with even bright sunshine my headlights will turn on. Had it checked out and was told everything checked out normal. Kind of annoying because all your displays dim when the headlights turn on. They will turn back off when you get back out in the bright sun. I think they should make those sensors to not be so sensitive. Anybody else have this issue?

Is your windshield tinted by any chance? That will drastically affect how the auto headlights work.

[mkirsch]

deltabravo wrote:

BB_TX wrote:
I guess they are all different. My 2022 F150 light switch has 4 positions; off, parking lights, auto, and headlights. And it stays where you turn it.

That's a Ford thing.

GM headlights are always in auto mode when the switch is off.
Disable auto mode by turning the knob counterclockwise, then it springs back to off.
My 2009 and 2017 Chevy trucks are like this.

My 2002, 2003, and 2015s have all been like that too.

Some day I'm going to find an older truck for a toy and being spoiled by all this automation, will probably get pulled over for driving in the dark with my lights off because I was expecting them to come on automatically, LOL.

[deltabravo]

BB_TX wrote:
I guess they are all different. My 2022 F150 light switch has 4 positions; off, parking lights, auto, and headlights. And it stays where you turn it.

That's a Ford thing.

GM headlights are always in auto mode when the switch is off.
Disable auto mode by turning the knob counterclockwise, then it springs back to off.
My 2009 and 2017 Chevy trucks are like this.

[BB_TX]

mkirsch wrote:

Fisherman wrote:
If I turn off the auto headlights, the sensor is disabled and won't turn on the vehicle lights, pretty easy.

You can flip the knob to "off" but that only works for this start. Next time you start the truck up the automatic lights are reactivated. As soon as you manually turn the lights on the automatic lights are reactivated.

The knob won't stay in the "off" position. It spring-loads back to auto.

It's just another thing to have to remember to do EVERY TIME you get in the truck, to mitigate a momentary annoyance that only SOMETIMES happens.

I guess they are all different. My 2022 F150 light switch has 4 positions; off, parking lights, auto, and headlights. And it stays where you turn it.

[mkirsch]

Fisherman wrote:
If I turn off the auto headlights, the sensor is disabled and won't turn on the vehicle lights, pretty easy.

You can flip the knob to "off" but that only works for this start. Next time you start the truck up the automatic lights are reactivated. As soon as you manually turn the lights on the automatic lights are reactivated.

The knob won't stay in the "off" position. It spring-loads back to auto.

It's just another thing to have to remember to do EVERY TIME you get in the truck, to mitigate a momentary annoyance that only SOMETIMES happens.

[Grit_dog]

I love some of the first world problems on here! Lol

[deltabravo]

Set the instrumentation light dimmer control to the brightest setting and the panel lights stay bright even when the headlights turn on.
That's what I have done on all three of my vehicles, two of which are Chevy trucks.

[JaxDad]

I don’t know if Chevy is the same but with some brands the light level and delay after hitting that threshold is adjustable within the vehicle’s software.

One option I like on mine that the dealer activated is that when the wipers are activated (other than just washing bug guts away) the full headlight package also comes on.

[Fisherman]

If I turn off the auto headlights, the sensor is disabled and won't turn on the vehicle lights, pretty easy.

[QCMan]

Some designers are better at those sensors than others. Seems the Ram trucks have a short delay before the lights come on. Works well on all my journeys down treed roads.

[BB_TX]

Normal. Not uncommon to see vehicles on the road where lights turn on going under underpasses.

[Grit_dog]

I’d say find something else to worry about.

[MitchF150]

I know it's a special feature of the truck.. My 2013 F150 has that too... I think I used it once.. It turns on when it's in the garage.. I park the truck in the garage. Didn't want that to happen every time I started the truck in the garage.

Just went back to my roots and turn them on when it's needed and turn them off when not. 🙂

Not trying to be snarky about it, as you and I did "pay" for that feature... Well, it came in an option package, so no choice unless you didn't want the whole package, which I did for the other features I use all the time..

Anyway, I still miss the high beams being a big button you pressed with your left foot under the parking brake pedal! 🙂 🙂

Mitch