Automatic headlights. A pain in the butt or genius invention?

[captain_70s]

A mate's vectra would auto engage the rear wiper when he put it into reverse with the front wipers going. Sounds fine bye huge wiper was stuck because it was frosty and it burned the motor out lol.

 

Whenever I hear about modern conveniences I always think of that.

The Civic does that. It's great, except that sometimes the front screen is wet and the rear screen isn't and then it just smears the dirt and the washer jet is fucked so you can't clean it...

[cobblers]

If you make stuff idiot proof, idiots will just try harder.

[wuvvum]

A mate's vectra would auto engage the rear wiper when he put it into reverse with the front wipers going.

My 18-year-old Rover 200 does that.  It's not a new thing - I think the first car to have it was the 800 fastback in 1988.

[overrun]

The Civic does that. It's great, except that sometimes the front screen is wet and the rear screen isn't and then it just smears the dirt and the washer jet is fucked so you can't clean it...

 

My Mondeo also does it.

[RoadworkUK]

My 18-year-old Rover 200 does that. It's not a new thing - I think the first car to have it was the 800 fastback in 1988.

Yep, my 820e Fastback did. The flange at Uni couldn't get enough of it. I was the "dude with the magic rear wiper".

 

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[SiC]

My 2003 Clio did, and my Laguna does it too!

[SiC]

there is one fairly clever bit of automation on a diseasel spaceship- when the outside temp drops to a certain level the HRW comes on to load up the alternator to help warm the engine quicker

A lot of cars do it tbh. If spaceship means Civic, then the diesels have an electric aux heater (Peliter type) on the heater matrix to try and heat the interior quicker. However tbh, I find the one in mine pretty useless and only chucks out mildly tepid air until the engine gets some heat through it.

[adw1977]

Auto headlights on my Focus are shit, fortunately I can just not select auto and control the lights myself.

The auto wipers on the same car are worse because they replace the intermittent wipe setting. So I can have wipers off, wipers continuous or wipers on at random moments and random speeds.

[Pete-M]

My Merc does the auto rear wiper thing, which is linked with the auto wipers. Works well normally, but for some strange reason if I leave them set to auto the front one does a test wipe every time I start the car. The auto wiper in it goes nuts of the car is parked at an airport or near a factory. If there's a layer of grime on the screen it'll wipe and wipe and wipe until the screen is cleaned. Easier to switch them off auto until it rains again.

 

The Golf auto wipers do none of that nonsense. They just work, and they're adjustable.

 

Merc also does the trick of dipping the nearside mirror when reverse is selected. That's a good trick, tilts back up if you get to 6 mph in reverse.

 

The auto dipping mirrors on the Mercedes are superb. Both the interior and driver's door mirrors are auto dipping and it's only when you drive a car that doesn't have them that you realise how good they are. Golf has an auto dipping interior mirror and blue tinted outside ones. It's also got dark tinted rear windows, so the interior mirror never gets the chance to do any dippage.

[Richard]

My 18-year-old Rover 200 does that.  It's not a new thing - I think the first car to have it was the 800 fastback in 1988.

My E plate Mk3 Granada did it.

[Mr A Lawrence]

I think they are the best invention ever.

 

I have them in the jag and you won't believe the time I've saved by not leaning forwards and turning a switch.

 

Certainly makes the drive more enjoyable.

[nisfan]

its not the automatic headlights that are the problem, its the general public (stupid cunts) that need their hands held for everything these days, i to have seen too many DRLs in complete darkness with no rear lights on, who the hell thought of just having the fronts on, its insane.

[Junkman]

A gentleman doesn't drive by night.

[nisfan]

its the only way to find a woman of the night, lighting her up with my DRLs

[beko1987]

A mate's vectra would auto engage the rear wiper when he put it into reverse with the front wipers going. Sounds fine bye huge wiper was stuck because it was frosty and it burned the motor out lol.

 

Whenever I hear about modern conveniences I always think of that.

My 206 would blow the front wiper/radio fuse if the wipers were stuck to the screen, caught me out a few times!

[Richard]

Transits blow the washer fuse if you try to use the washers between September and May. The fuse is in a secret location not described in the handbook.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

The 307 ones are dead on. Rarely need to operate them manually.

The auto wipers are OK, but don't clear the sensor - so it's stopped raining but the sensor has a few drops of water and puts the wipers on hyper mode. But you can manually nudge them off

 

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[Supernaut]

I'm now on my 2nd PSA car with their famous* auto wipers instead of intermittent.

 

The 306 I used to have was a bit mental, whereas the Xantia is actually quite sensible and far less annoying.

 

 

 

+1 for all the grumps about DRLs though. Why just the fronts? Why so bright that thick cunts think their headlights are on? I like my old-school cars with dashboards that only light up when the lights are on, and manual headlights!

[martc]

My 2003 Clio did, and my Laguna does it too!

 

But were they designed to do this?

[Joey spud]

The Renault system (who else) on late Clio,Captur,Kadjar type stuff has a problem where if you have the auto lights function on but stop the car with the stalk pushed in the main beam position then the head lights will stay on and discharge the battery.

 

I think Renault have a software fix for it now.

[davidfowler2000]

My Volvo has constant sidelights withmanual dipped beam. All switched on the ignition.
The Golf has manual everything. All switched on the ignition.

 

In winter especially, I tend to drive with dipped beam on all the time.

 

 

As mentioned above. DRLs are a pain in the arse. My Golf being an 09 has them but being before whatever the magic date was are not compulsory so I've turned them off.

[PhilA]

I like sensible DRLs that aren't able to double up as laser special effects and auto lights are good for the large majority of people. Both the vehicles here then the lights on if it gets dark, both can be overridden and also if you leave the wipers on for more than about 20 seconds the lights come on.

 

It does help for the fact that a lot of people have a bad habit of being complete morons.

[rml2345]

Dunno about auto lights but the auto wipers and dipping rear view mirror on the 75 are pretty ace. Whoever invented auto dipping headlights wants repeatedly punched in the face though as by the time they've worked out it's another car and not a badger or Barbara Streisand or something your retnas have already been charred.

[RayMK]

The 'like' is for your dipping headlight comment.  Auto wipers often decide to wipe at an inopportune moment and smear the screen.  Even worse when they do it at night with a retina burner coming the other way. 

[Snipes]

Dipping side mirrors are fine unless they dip too far when you're, say, reversing between two posts and can longer see the one on your near side.