Interesting little battery-wasting "trap"

Interesting. I know I've turned my car on a couple of times like that, using the drivers side since it's closer to my front door.

 

For grins, try the same thing, and come back 16 minutes later. I'll bet you the lights are off. If not... you need to get yourself some LEDs!

 

I had the same thing happen while showing off my car to a neighbor. I opened the passenger door and showed off all the cool Prius features. I went back into the garage a little later and noticed that my lights were still on. Note to self - always enter through the driver's door.

 

This *feature* is quite annoying, but it seems to only happen in certain situations. If the headlights are in AUTO mode and you cycle the power, then the lights will stay on. Also, I guess, since I have DRLs, the lights come on when the parking brake is not engaged. When the headlights come on in the AUTO mode situation, I can turn off the headlights by turning them off on the switch. However, the parking brake scenario, the only way to turn off the headlights is to open the driver's door. I have a Canadian Prius which has auto headlights and DRLs (which seems pretty redundant).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Sep 19 2006, 10:32 PM) [snapback]322050[/snapback]</div>

Headlights Darrell, headlights... As great as your leds are, I seriously doubt that they are a good substitution for HID headlights.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Presto @ Sep 20 2006, 01:32 AM) [snapback]322128[/snapback]</div>

I'm a relatively lucky new owner and not sure what you mean by AUTO mode. I know that if you leave the lights ON when you stop and leave the car they will go out - and then come back on when you restart later on. Is this what you meant? or am I missing something?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius biker @ Sep 20 2006, 02:24 PM) [snapback]322474[/snapback]</div>

US Priuses don't have the Auto mode available. That is a mode that detects the current light level and automatically turns the headlamps on when it is dark.

And your statement is mostly true. If you leave the lights on, when you stop the car and open the drivers side door the lights go off. Opening the passenger door does not turn off the lights.

 

I like the feature. Sometimes if I'm parked in a well-lighted parking lot at night I'll forget to turn the lights on because it is light enough to see well without them. This feature lets me leave the light switch in the ON position when I leave the car, so the lights will come on by themselves when I get back in.

But I never leave the car by the passenger door. I'm not limber enough for that. And I turn the lights off when I park in my garage.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius biker @ Sep 20 2006, 02:24 PM) [snapback]322474[/snapback]</div>

I think toyota must've mixed up something. AUTO would make perfect sense for Prius going to the states. In Canada, the DRLs pretty much make the AUTO headlights useless

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Presto @ Sep 21 2006, 01:32 PM) [snapback]322954[/snapback]</div>

Certainly seems that way, doesn't it?

Actually, AUTO and DRL are not quite the same, since the former is 100% brightness and lights the tail lamps and dims the cluster/MFD while the latter is slightly lower headlight intensity (not sure of %) with no taillights and full-brightness cluster.

But otherwise, I don't know why the US did not get this option... Could it have anything to do with a conflict with HID technology? :huh: That's an option Canada does not get...