Auto headlight again...

It looks like the following thread tells how to do it: Auto-on headlights for v2 and v3 | Page 2 | PriusChat

I don't understand how a person would be able to force the headlights off if the Off position of the V2/V3 headlight switch is used in this way. I do that a bunch of times each week in our Sienna by moving the headlight switch from Auto to Off and then back to Auto and do the same thing in on the rare days I drive our Prius.

For example, if the headlights are in Auto mode and we have vehicle doors open in the garage while unloading stuff or just listening to the end of a radio program, the headlights stay on until 30 or 60 seconds after exiting the vehicle and shutting the doors. We don't want to sit in the garage with engine off and the headlights on and we don't need light from the headlights to find our way out of a dark garage since the garage door opener lights have motion sensors. And I turn the headlights off manually every morning in a lighted parking lot as a matter of courtesy to others in the lot ... and at least once a week while waiting at the airport ... etc., etc.

We've also had headlights stay on in the garage for multiple days (i.e. until the battery dies) if a vehicle door doesn't get fully shut. The bottom line is that, except for one situation, we don't rely on the Auto feature to turn headlights off after parking a vehicle. The exception is when parking on a dark street or unfamiliar driveway and need the headlights to light the way as we walk away from a vehicle.

 

To prevent battery drain from doors left ajar when parked replace your interior bulbs with equivalent LED bulbs.
LED bulbs have a far lower battery drain than incandescent bulbs. I accidentally left my LED map lights on for three days and found no battery drop, according to my SCAN GUAGE II info.

I switched to interior LED bulbs and like the better lighting.

 

Leaving a door ajar for a few days will kill the battery, even if the lights are all off or disconnected, whether they are incandescent or LED. More specifically, I measured a drain rate of about 0.7 amperes in that condition, roughly equivalent to leaving an incandescent dome light on.