I have automatic headlights and suddenly the sensor is not working. I have had to turn my headlights on and off manually. The Horror. I am curious if anyone else's MINI, and owner, has suffered this malady and if anyone knows the cure.


07 MC BRG/w

 

Have you checked your settings on the car's computer? I know you can turn that feature on and off.

 

That's the first thing to check.. it's highly possible you don't have it programmed in your settings.

 

Hmmm. My automatic headlight sensors were dutifully doing their jobs and suddenly quit. Did they reverse program themselves. I have been sick in bed for the past several days and have not even looked at my MINI so I haven't check the programming issue.

 

These guys talking about the "settings" in the computer, those are for DRL NOT really the auto sesnsing lights which is just a position on the stalk.

 

My lights seem to be over sensitive. I pull into my garage and they turn on with in a few sec's. As far as I know there is no way to change the settings. The manual says there is but its not on are cars.

 

Mine do that but I'd prefer it to being under sensitive. My old car had automatic headlights and half the time I had to turn them on manually anyways. So far in the Mini I haven't had to turn them on manually at all and that includes in the fog. So happy about that.

 

Another problem with the lights being over sensitive is the repeated
on and offs. That shorting the lift span of the ballasts. In the end its better to use then in manual I guess.

 

I've noticed on my fiance's r56 MCS with xenons, you actually can program the automatic lights (not DRL), well DRL you can program too. On my R56 MCS with the halogen bulbs, I only have the option to modify DRL through the car's computer.

 

Not referring to DRLs, but program them to do what? On mine they are controlled by the stalk, either auto, on or off. Are you saying there is a setting for Xenons to adjust how much/little light is required to get them to function automatically, once the stalk switch is in the auto position?

 

I think he's referring to a sensitivity setting like for the wipers but for the xenons. I have an 08 with xenons and took a look and couldn't find the setting to do so on my way home.

 

There is no sensitivity adjustment on mine either. There is for the auto wipers but not headlights.

 

Same here. Week 36 build '07 MCS.

I haven't felt the need to adjust the sensitivity yet, as mine work quite well. However, since the feature is available for the wipers, I'm surprised not to see it for the headlights as well. Especially with them using the same sensor.

 

Auto wipers and headlights use the same sensor?

 

According to what I've been told.

 

Doesn't seem right since you can get auto headlights without the wipers.

 

The two features are listed as a single option on the order sheet. You can only get both at the same time. They might use the same actual sensor or separate ones, but they both use the additional module that is attached to the windshield in front of the rear view mirror.

 

i doubt they use the same sensor.... they definitely use the same housing but if you look at it from the outside, there are 2 sensors in the housing.

 

The rain sensing wipers are part of the convenience package. The auto headlights are not; you can get auto headlights without auto wipers.

 

The MINIUSA order sheet says the convenience package does include auto headlights, and the separate option lists auto headlights and auto wipers as being packaged together: http://motoringfile.com/wp-content/u..._packages2.pdf

 

Yep, too bad MiniUSA didn't detail that on the site when I ordered mine.