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Are the Gen4 LED Headlights too bright?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by Darrick1dj, Dec 27, 2016.

  1. Dragon Rider

    Dragon Rider Active Member

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    They should leave the regular light alone . They should have all model with the Fog light. It will have more balance . I like the light in the Gen 4. What I don't like is having the Drls together with the regular light. Gen 3 I had them separated.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #61 Dragon Rider, Jan 4, 2017
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2017
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  2. TinyTim

    TinyTim Active Member

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    The auto brightness feature on the 2017 Prius disables the high beams feature when turned on. If you leave your headlights on, it turns them off after around 5 minutes after leaving your Prius. If you disable the auto brightness feature, your high beams will work again manually. The instruction manual says the auto brightness feature detects oncoming vehicles adjusting the brightness of the headlight accordingly.
     
  3. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Correct. I do not want to hang around near my car for 5 minutes after I leave to be sure the auto off is working. I would rather know they are off and not risk a dead 12V battery.
     
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  4. wrprice

    wrprice Active Member

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    I think a few of you are confused. Auto-off after ignition off, auto-on (setting on the stalk, if equipped), and auto-high (if equipped) are all three SEPARATE features.

    I have my headlights set to auto-off as soon as my driver door opens since I park in a garage. My auto-high beam feature is enabled (more on that below). And I leave the stalk setting on auto so the lights turn on and off depending on the ambient light.

    With auto-high beams it seems like high beams are disabled because you're giving the car control over when they turn on. It won't turn them on if it thinks there's a vehicle close enough in front of you, approaching oncoming traffic sufficiently near your lane, or if it thinks there's enough ambient light (e.g. street lights).

    For it to work you have to *leave* the headlight stalk in the "high" (pushed toward the dash) position. You can always pull the stalk back past normal and towards the driver to force flash (blink) at other traffic. Or leave the stalk in high and use the auto-high button (turn the feature off momentarily) to be in manual high beams.
     
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  5. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    I do not have Auto on the stalk. Auto-off as soon as the driver door opens would work for me. Where is the setting for that? I looked through the menus & manual but could not find it.

    My 2017 Trim Two only has Auto-off and Auto High Beams.
     
  6. TinyTim

    TinyTim Active Member

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    I think what wrprice was implying regarding the auto brightness/high beams on a 2017 Prius. You have to engage the high beams by pushing the left stalk/turn signal forward towards the dash to engage the high beams. On auto high beam it adjusts the brightness based on environment and adjust them to lower brightness when other vehicles are around. I will test it out tonight on my Prius.
     
  7. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    I was referring to this part of the quote:
    I have my headlights set to auto-off as soon as my driver door opens since I park in a garage

    I want to know how to set my car to do that too.
     
  8. TinyTim

    TinyTim Active Member

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    I am uncertain if there is an auto off feature on the 2017 Prius two. I think that it is automatic. I left my lights on in the garage and came back 10 minutes later and they were off. That is the Occam's razor approach to doing things.
     
  9. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    There is Auto-off but not Auto-on I believe Auto-off defaults to 5 minutes but I want something quicker.

    Thank you
     
  10. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yeah but in the summer, there's still plenty of light 30 minutes after sunset. It's a "catch-all" regulation rather than have people try and remember two different regulations for summer/winter.

    In what sense? If the headlights are on in AUTO, then you are able to choose high beams. If you want to flash, then pull the stalk towards you. If the headlights are off in AUTO (because it's during the day), then of course the high beams are off, even if the stalk is in that position.

    Press the LOCK button on your fob twice. First time locks the car, second time turns off the light. If you use SKS, then lock with SKS, then press the LOCK button on the fob once.

    The settings is in the 6.1" MFD. (SETUP --> Vehicle --> Vehicle Customization)

    (For others who have the 7" MFD, it's APPS --> Setup --> Vehicle --> Vehicle Customization)

    Scroll down until you come across the automatic light control system (or similar text) and turn the delay to "OFF". This means the lights will turn off when the driver's door is opened.

    Warning: Note that this setting (assuming it's a typical Toyota setup) will only turn off the lights when the driver's door is opened. If you left your headlight stalk in the "ON" position previously, you get into the car from the front passenger side, turn the car to ACC or IG-ON (and therefore the lights will come on), fiddle around with whatever you need to do and leave on the passenger side, the headlights will stay on.


    However, it seems Toyota has finally extended its battery-saver function to include headlights and not just the interior lights. At least, that's how I'm interpreting this part of the manual below:

    upload_2017-1-4_12-6-45.png
     
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  11. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Thanks. I will need to look for this. I must have missed it.
     
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  12. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    In this sense.
    After reading the other answers, it appears that he is wrong.
     
  13. TinyTim

    TinyTim Active Member

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    In my experience when the auto high beams/headlight button on the left hand console above left knee and next to turn signal stalk. When you try to engage the high beams, nothing happens when the auto brightness headlight button is engaged. I have yet to be high beamed by any drivers thus far. I went out to the Prius and depressed the auto high beam/headlight feature with the green light illuminated as well without. In the center dash display it says on the screen to engage the high beam by pushing forwards towards the dash to engage that feature. So leave the high beams in the on position.
     
  14. wrprice

    wrprice Active Member

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    It's confusing because of how many headlight related features have "auto" in the name.

    1. Auto-off delay after ignition off. All trim levels? Set in the vehicle settings touchscreen menu. The "OFF" setting turns off the delay but still turns off the lights when the car is turned off AND THEN the DRIVER door opens.

    2. Automatic headlights, on some trim models. Turns on (and off) the headlights based on ambient lighting conditions. Controlled by the headlight master switch on the stalk; position labeled "AUTO" on that switch, if equipped.

    3. Auto high/low beams, on some trim levels. Works when (1) the headlights are on as indicated by the dash icon; (2) the auto-high feature button, on lower dash panel behind the headlight stalk, is turned on with the indicator lit; AND (3) the headlight stalk is moved to the high beam position, toward the dash, and left in that position. when all of these conditions are true the icon for auto headlight dimming will appear in green on the instrument cluster.

    If you don't do #3 and leave the stalk in normal position, high beams will never activate automatically. If you don't do #2 then the stalk works like standard, manual high beam controls, always.

    The regular, blue high-beam indicator will always light up when high beams are on, whether manually, automatically, or momentarily by pulling the stalk all the way towards the driver.
     
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  15. KeinoDoggy

    KeinoDoggy Member

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    Do not have auto headlights om my 2012. We have DRL but it is manual.
     
  16. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    For US models, it was introduced in 2012 with the midlife update but on Four and Five trim levels.

    For 2016, only the Two has Auto-Off. Two Eco and higher have full automatic headlights.
     
  17. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    2017 Two also has auto-high beams. I think all 2017 have this as part of TSS-P
     
  18. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Thank you. I could not initially select the Vehicle Customization menu. I ended up being able to select it while in Drive, but stopped.
    The lights now turn off when the driver's door is opened & the car is turned off.
    I could not seem to select that menu item until I placed the car in gear :eek:
     
  19. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yes. Automatic High Beam System (AHB or AHS depending on which country you're in) is part of TSS-P and is standard on a all 2017 models. It's separate from automatic headlights.

    That is so weird. usually it's the opposite.
     
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  20. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    I think that is why I initially did not find the setting. You must spend all your spare time studying your car & manual.
     
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