Hi All,

I did a quick search in this forum and couldn't find an answer to my question, so I'm hoping that some kind soul out there will either answer the question or point me to the prior thread without flaming me for asking again.

I have an '06 MCS with the convenience package. I thought that the headlights were supposed to trigger ON regardless of the ambient lighting if the wipers were also on. In other words, if I'm driving in the rain during the day, and it's not necessarily dark enough for the lights to turn on automatically, shouldn't they turn on anyway if the wipers have been activated?

Is this an option that wasn't programmed in my car or am I no doing something right? I have the headlight switch always set to "A", and I turn the wipers from OFF to the first stop (auto) whenever it's raining. I hate to have to take the headlights from Auto to manually turn them on in the rain, but would rather have them on if it's raining.

Thanks!

 

I have the same packages but I have never heard of the "lights on in the rain" option, only the speed-sensitive automatic wipers and the automatic headlights - as separate systems. In fact, the lack of this option lead me (really my wife nagging me) to have them set the computer for the driving lights (non-Xenon low power) to stay on all the time. It is not as annoying as I originally thought - and given how drivers are occasionally failing to notice me, I figure it helps some with that.

Would this option make great sense?? Sure !! I think most states require lights on in the rain - but if you have a dark and gloomy enough rain storm, I am sure that your auto sensing lights will come on anyway....

Bill

 

The automatic headlights and the rain sensing wipers are independent systems of each other. If you want your headlights to turn on and off automatically everytime, then leave the stalk setting to "A" (Auto). The rain sensing wipers stalk setting needs to be reset everytime you turn off and on the engine.

I have had a few instances were we get a really bad downpur and it gets so dark that the headlights turn on automatically and the wipers adjust themselves accordingly.

 

Thanks for the replies, guys. I thought I read somewhere that if the headlights are set to "Auto" and the wipers are engaged, that the lights would turn on regardless of the level of ambient light. I guess I just presumed it, though. It should be a feature, though. Oh well. I'll just manually turn on my lights (no longer Auto) whenever it's raining and not quite dark enough out.

 

I agree with the responses you've received so far. This doesn't exist in the 06 Mini. As a side note though, I have an 01 Jeep Grand Cherokee that does have this feature. It used to work pretty well until I had to stop using the auto headlights as I kept finding them on in the garage with no key in the ignition. Probably a faulty module somewhere but the warranty had expired so I never looked into fixing it.

This is a great safety feature though. It always amazes me how many people will drive down the freeway in a downpour without their lights on. If the rain is bad enough you can't see them until your just about on their tail (or they on yours).

I won't debate the merits of it, but for information, California passed a law that went into effect last year requiring your headlights to be on whenever the windshield wipers are required continuously.

Phil

 

I wish this was a LAW and was a feature of EVERY car...the high percentage of cars I see driving around with no lights no matter how hard it is raining or snowing drives me nuts.

 

I agree with you 100%. It seems as if a lot of people think that if the headlights cannot help them see better then they don't have to be on DESPITE laws that clearly state they must be on in low visibility conditions.

 

I also wished they would intoduce/enforce a law for people driving around in perfect visibility conditions with their foglights switched on

 

Just wondering...why does this bother you? I mean, foglights aren't annoying to oncoming traffic...and how are you supposed to play perdiddle without foglights?