Purpose of Auto headlights on XL/XLT

[commadorebob]

I highly doubt you comprehended that I was speaking in a general term about the whole Nanny State.

I actually read the entire thread before I made that comment.

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[Javskies]

LEDs have a lifespan of 50,000 hours, which is 5.7 years. Assuming you only average 30MPH, that is still 1.5 million miles. The truck will go bad before the LEDs.

Have you never had something rated for X amount and had it die halfway through?

 

[commadorebob]

Have you never had something rated for X amount and had it die halfway through?

I've worked with LEDs for over two decades. The 50,000 hour note is because they can't say they last forever.

 

[23grayXLT84]

No. DRL's run at reduced power to extend bulb life. When the headlights are on, the headlights use full power. So Auto lamp feature will use the normal power on the headlights.

Next time you are being a van / truck at a stop light (daytime) turn your headlights on. I'm pretty sure you will see the reflection brightness not change....

 

[Bob The Builder]

For me the setup as described for me is awesome. As someone who always uses their headlights during the day for superior visibility all I need to do now is make sure the headlamp switch is left in the Auto position so the taillights come on at dusk as I sure as hell would forget to do that otherwise.

This such a great thread. I remember all the way back in to 1973 picking up my brand new Kawasaki H2 750 and discovering the bike had no light switch. The lights were on from the moment the key is turned to ON. I was so upset about that at the time. Some things never change.

 

[LSchicago]

Next time you are being a van / truck at a stop light (daytime) turn your headlights on. I'm pretty sure you will see the reflection brightness not change....

You may not notice a difference. But DRL's use the high beam bulbs at 4-8 volts. This ensures your low beams do not burn out prematurely. Auto headlamps light the low beams at full voltage by default.

 

[RedRider]

Each headlight costs $1000+ to replace so if I can do something to make em last longer I will

The headlight will last for 30-40k hours, or about a hundred years. Stop worrying about what ancient lights used to do, they are not going to burn out on you,

 

[Jk87669]

Have you never had something rated for X amount and had it die halfway through?

The LED bulbs can be replaced, and honestly the chances of the entire headlight/taillight assembly going bad is low as it is.

If you feel like you need to worry about DRL’s killing your headlights then I guess I can’t do anything but respect it but the chances of them failing are low enough that I am willing to accept it

 

[Hoagus]

How exactly is not having drl on less safe?

I like them on so people coming from side streets might notice me before they roll through the stop signs. I like to drive defensively, and the lights are part of that.

 

[Baloo]

I like them on so people coming from side streets might notice me before they roll through the stop signs. I like to drive defensively, and the lights are part of that.

How did you drive prior to the invention of DRL?

 

[Hoagus]

How did you drive prior to the invention of DRL?

I turned my headlights on. We get an insurance discount for DRL’s. Apparently, the insurance companies have found them effective.

 

[Baloo]

I turned my headlights on. We get an insurance discount for DRL’s. Apparently, the insurance companies have found them effective.

They also find other things effective, like having police departments fill out reports they should be doing, because 99% of crashes are civil issues. Yet, insurance companies use tax dollars to do their work.

 

[Tailender]

I like them on so people coming from side streets might notice me before they roll through the stop signs. I like to drive defensively, and the lights are part of that.

Driving defensive is a good thing, but unfortunately the guy rolling through the stop sign doesn't care if you have your lights on. He's not stopping anyway. Luckily, you are prepared when he pulls out because you are driving defensively.

 

[TheWizziard]

For me the setup as described for me is awesome. As someone who always uses their headlights during the day for superior visibility all I need to do now is make sure the headlamp switch is left in the Auto position so the taillights come on at dusk as I sure as hell would forget to do that otherwise.

This such a great thread. I remember all the way back in to 1973 picking up my brand new Kawasaki H2 750 and discovering the bike had no light switch. The lights were on from the moment the key is turned to ON. I was so upset about that at the time. Some things never change.

It would have been nice if my first motorcycle, 500 Yamaha, had this feature. I would leave my house in the dark and arrive at work after sunup. The lights were separate from the key switch. Many a day i would leave work and find a dead battery.

 

[Ozarkbeard]

Please forgive my ignorance, but are you referring to the settings that are accessible in the dash?

Yes. Read your owners manual.

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