Automatic headlight sensor

Originally Posted by AzNMpower32

I just think that the auto headlamp control just gets more and more needlessly sensitive with each new iteration of software.

To be honest, it wouldn't bug me that much. I'd just switch the headlights off manually then turn them back on when it was dark enough.......is it really that hard to live with manual headlights folks?

No, it's not that it's so hard. It's just weak that I'm driving an $80k 550i with manual headlights. BMW's sensitivity is terrible in general. All the late model BMW's I see have their headlights on in broad daylight. Never noticed that before.

I think my 2012 has a setting under lights for "daytime running lights", could this be related?

Originally Posted by davesf

I think my 2012 has a setting under lights for "daytime running lights", could this be related?

No. That just activates the DRL (halo rings). My DRLs are active. The issue is that in auto mode my low beam headlights are always on regardless of the time of day or amount of light.

I believe the system is working as intended.

The problem will become more apparent in the winter months for anyone not living near the equator as the sun sits lower in the horizon.

As of today my lights could be on between 3PM to 10:30 AM, it thinks I live in Alaska

What is interesting ( I may need to check again) is that it knows it's not dark outside since the navigation screen stays well lit and the information on the dashboard clusters stays white rather than the orange color I get at night with the lights on.

There are probably two or three sensors at play. Including possibly, dare I say it, wait for it, the all mighty "DOT"

I am driving an E90 loaner car with automatic headlamps while they check out my car. The 328 does not have this problem.

Also yesterday I was experiencing this issue at noon in the South of the US.

Originally Posted by Stealth.Pilot

I am driving an E90 loaner car with automatic headlamps while they check out my car. The 328 does not have this problem.

Also yesterday I was experiencing this issue at noon in the South of the US.

My E46 and E90 did not exhibit this, I noticed it immediately when I got my F10 in Sep 2010. They say "normal", and I also think that BMW is more aggressive in high sun conditions as perhaps a safety issue - to have headlights on when competing with sun in sky. Again, as I mentioned earlier, this does not happen on a cloudy bright day -- it knows the difference.

I see good reason for the headlights coming on in broad daylight if the sun is low in the sky, sometimes it is very hard to see oncoming traffic when the sun is behind them, low in the horizon. Having their headlights on helps.

What is strange though is my 2006 E90 had adjustable sensitivity in the idrive system that made a big difference. My e93 M3 didn't and now this f10 doesn't. Wonder why they pulled this...

Originally Posted by kmac1980

I see good reason for the headlights coming on in broad daylight if the sun is low in the sky, sometimes it is very hard to see oncoming traffic when the sun is behind them, low in the horizon. Having their headlights on helps.

What is strange though is my 2006 E90 had adjustable sensitivity in the idrive system that made a big difference. My e93 M3 didn't and now this f10 doesn't. Wonder why they pulled this...

Problem is that they would be on for me at noon in the middle of a sunny summer afternoon.

There seems to be a complete disconnect between the sensors/control for changing the dash/speedometer area from daytime colors (white/red, etc.) into the nighttime colors (amber) and the turning on of the headlights (little green indicator on dash screen). It seems that most people would probably be happy with automatic headlights turning on at the same time as when the vehicle makes the decision to chnage to nighttime colors. But the two systems seem to work independently of each other. What I'm curious about is when the headlights come on during the day (the little green indicator on the dash screen) do the other running lights (tail, parking, side marker, etc.) come on too or do they come on when it is truely getting dark (as when the dash color changes)?.

Dealer acknowledged the issue and reduced the sensor sensitivity setting (or so they claim). Lights did not come on at 2pm, but did come on at 3:30pm.

Will keep an eye on it. Still think it may be too sensitive.

Originally Posted by Stealth.Pilot

Dealer acknowledged the issue and reduced the sensor sensitivity setting (or so they claim). Lights did not come on at 2pm, but did come on at 3:30pm.

Will keep an eye on it. Still think it may be too sensitive.

Interesting -- my dealer said there was no adjustment. They've been wrong before. I'm going to ask again next time I go in, about 3K miles to my scheduled oil change.

Originally Posted by markl53

Interesting -- my dealer said there was no adjustment. They'be been wrong before. I'm going to ask again next time I go in, about 3K miles to my scheduled oil change.

Interesting, I think there are more adjustments possible that only the tech has access to.

Last service visit my SA read my key and says my left front tire is a few psi's low (had not alerted on the TPMS).

Same here (I thought it was just me!). I get so annoyed that my headlights are for no reason (bright, sunny day). Cloudy bright day - no problem (headlights off).

My '07 335 had a sensitivity adjustment in iDrive for the auto headlights. No such luck on the F10 iDrive.

Originally Posted by markl53

My E46 and E90 did not exhibit this, I noticed it immediately when I got my F10 in Sep 2010. They say "normal", and I also think that BMW is more aggressive in high sun conditions as perhaps a safety issue - to have headlights on when competing with sun in sky. Again, as I mentioned earlier, this does not happen on a cloudy bright day -- it knows the difference.

Originally Posted by laser

Interesting, I think there are more adjustments possible that only the tech has access to.

Last service visit my SA read my key and says my left front tire is a few psi's low (had not alerted on the TPMS).

I have asked (as has Markl) and we were both told no, there is no adjustment to be made.

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

I have asked (as has Markl) and we were both told no, there is no adjustment to be made.

They may have mislead me, but they did claim they adjusted the sensitivity. However the paperwork says something different (below)

Originally Posted by markl53

And that's one reason I'm so glad I got the stand-alone heated seats, without those darn headlight washers. Regardless of whether the headlights are on when you think they should be off, the fact that BMW doesn't provide a separate washer control is poor. I used to turn off my headlights very briefly when needing to do a quick spray of the windshield to avoid fluid all over the hood. My '02 MB had a separate button for the headlight washers.

So there's no way to turn off the headlight washers? I see that my headlights are on during the day sometimes but I was letting that slide. Sending the plume of washer fluid all over my hood this morning at a stoplight when I was trying to wash a bug off my windshield ... now that was annoying.

has anyone solved this problem? In the auto setting, my headlights are on a majority of the time during the daytime on my 2013 F10. Kinda annoying.

No, it is even worse since I had my software updated.

Please note have 2011 and got my software updated in Spring 2012.

Originally Posted by bodonx

No, it is even worse since I had my software updated.

Please note have 2011 and got my software updated in Spring 2012.

Please see the following for a possible solution:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=671889

JEG23