# Is there a way to disable the stupid automatic headlight feature?



## moko (Oct 2, 2018)

It’s getting annoying, sometimes the headlights turn on during daytime, and have to manually turn the rotary dial to turn it off.

I know there’s a sensor in the middle of the dashboard right behind the windshield. Sometimes it just doesn’t accurately detect the actual light source and causing the headlights to come on.


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## 17Hatch6MT (Dec 28, 2015)

A while back, someone posted a procedure for removing the return spring in the headlight switch. It would stay on the left manual position then. Or something. I'm sorry but I don't have a link for it. Pretty sure it was Gen 2 as it was interesting to me. I agree, this 'feature' among other car-is-smarter-than-you features is annoying to me.


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

I like the feature. I don't have to turn em off and on. 

As for coming on and dimming the dash.
It happens under overpasses, etc.
They go back off after a couple seconds. Provided the sun is out. Might take longer if the weather is cloudy.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

*Love* automatic lights in the three out of the four cars we have that has them. Literally never have an issue with it.


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## 17Hatch6MT (Dec 28, 2015)

They're halogen headlights that will need to be replaced at some point, and as I understand it, it's almost impossible for an average owner to do the job. So the fewer times they snap on & off for no reason, the less likely I am to have to repeatedly shell out.


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## jimmyc (Jun 27, 2020)

On the headlight knob....it is normally on the "Automatic Headlight ON' station. Rotate it one click to the left and it will say "Automatic Headlight OFF" This is what I get on MY car.
Do you have to do this each time you start the car up? I have no idea. But anyway..Is it really worth worrying about? It's just the "daytime running" lights..and that sensor you mention will react to full headlights when it gets dark out.

Just my opinion.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

jimmyc said:


> On the headlight knob....it is normally on the "Automatic Headlight ON' station. Rotate it one click to the left and it will say "Automatic Headlight OFF" This is what I get on MY car.
> Do you have to do this each time you start the car up? I have no idea.


Yes you do. The knob is spring loaded to go back to "Auto". 

The fix one person came up with was to remove the spring so it would stay in "off".


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

17Hatch6MT said:


> They're halogen headlights that will need to be replaced at some point, and as I understand it, it's almost impossible for an average owner to do the job. So the fewer times they snap on & off for no reason, the less likely I am to have to repeatedly shell out.


Five and a half years and 110,000 miles on ours with the stock lights and we had no issues. Nor do they "snap on and off for no reason". If it's dark, they go on, if it's light, they go off. If we go through a long tunnel, they turn on, if we go under a bunch of trees, they don't. No need to fix what ain't broke - but people doing this is probably what attributes the stupid behavior I see often of driving around with them off at night, on vehicles I know for a fact have automatic lights. And I've been seeing that an awful lot these days - more and more.


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## grs1961 (Oct 23, 2012)

Nothing more aggravating than a vehicle you *know* has automatic lights doing the "stealth mode" thing - until they add in not being able to engage cruise-control.


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## 17Hatch6MT (Dec 28, 2015)

They turn on every time I start the car, because the car is stored in a garage. Even with it facing an open door and bright sky.

As for 5 1/2 years and 110,000 miles, that's less than half the period of ownership and far short of the mileages I drove my prior two cars to.


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## Ma v e n (Oct 8, 2018)

The bulbs in a gen2 are changed in about 5 minutes with no tools or special skills , and use probably one of the most common and inexpensive bulbs available, 9005. Leave it alone. Flicking it to "off" eveyt8me also disables your DRLs a safety feature.


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## 17Hatch6MT (Dec 28, 2015)

Ma v e n said:


> The bulbs in a gen2 are changed in about 5 minutes with no tools or special skills , and use probably one of the most common and inexpensive bulbs available, 9005. Leave it alone. Flicking it to "off" eveyt8me also disables your DRLs a safety feature.


Thanks, didn't know they were easy. Thought it was something that took time & tools & skills. I know about the DRLs. For a while, was turning it to the parking position but realized the LEDs were only 1/2 bright or less in that position.


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## Ravenkeeper (Sep 10, 2017)

moko said:


> It’s getting annoying, sometimes the headlights turn on during daytime, and have to manually turn the rotary dial to turn it off.
> 
> I know there’s a sensor in the middle of the dashboard right behind the windshield. Sometimes it just doesn’t accurately detect the actual light source and causing the headlights to come on.


Some locations DRLs are mandatory. As I recall, the DRLs are LED strips on the Gen2s, but they are the headlight bulbs on the Gen1s. If you want them off during the day and only on when you want them on, find the thread to mod the headlight switch and remove the OFF return spring. Good luck.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Ravenkeeper said:


> Some locations DRLs are mandatory. As I recall, the DRLs are LED strips on the Gen2s, but they are the headlight bulbs on the Gen1s.


I believe they are on the mid to upper trim levels - I think the lower-trim Gen 2s did not get the LED strips.

On the Gen 1s, that is correct - _except_ for 2015-2016s - they got small strips above the fog lights.


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