[mark3988]

Happy new year to you all firstly, hope you have a great 2013.

Just wanted to see if anyone is finding there main headlights are on more than the running lights.

We drove back from Kent yesterday (new years day) brilliant sunshine all the way back but the main headlights wouldn't switch to daytime running lights???

I've wiped the area of the screen that triggers the lights but no different.

 

[SeaBox]

Did you start your journey when the light level was lower? We had a similar experience to you but I think once the auto lights have activated they wont switch off until you stop and restart the car.

 

[mark3988]

Hi, no when we set off it was bright sunshine.

The lights will turn off but then come back on within a few minutes.

Also when they are working correctly and we go under a bridge or through a tunnel the auto lights take over which you would expect but when you come out the other side they don't turn off again.

 

[rontheman]

I have sometimes noticed that the headlights remain on in strong sunshine, especially early in the morning, which appears at odds with what one would expect.There is a setting in car systems to specify how sensitive the headlights are to ambient light. My car has Xenons, so perhaps this is not available on cars with normal headlights. Worth a check!

 

[reilsab]

I don't have xenons and i'm sure i don't have any settings to change the sensitivity of the auto lights. I notice my main lights on every day but i put this down to the car being kept in the garage and the low light level when it's started. They never go off until i've restarted the car, even switching the lights off and then back onto Auto brings them right back on.

There must be some logic to them but it baffles me.

 

[mark3988]

Hi I have xenon headlights but no setting. Can you post where this setting is.

 

[Jules]

I have noticed that my headlights appear to be on quite often, when I wouldn't expect them (non-Xenons) - I did wonder whether there was a "seasonal" factor - because I don't remember them being like this in the Summer!
I'll check the manual for the sensitivity settings and see if it is set "oddly" - Is it a DIS setting, or one of those switches/sliders on the light-switch panel?

 

[reilsab]

I couldn't find it in the DIS Jules, the sliders at the side control the instrument lighting and thelevellingso no luck there.
I have often thought my main lights were onduringthe day when sittingbehindcars as I can see the reflection when in fact it's just the drl's as they are fairly bright.

 

[daytona]

my headlamps always come on when i get it out of my garage , i usually turn them off or on to side lights while i close garage door and open gates then put them back on auto and just the DRL's come on

Edited by: daytona

 

[Del]

I find my headlights areon when I don't really expect them to be on, I think the sensor sensitivity needs to be changed, Ireckon Audi could do this this with a software upgrade as I cannot find a setting in the MMI.

 

[Del]

I couldn't find it in the DIS Jules, the sliders at the side control the instrument lighting and thelevellingso no luck there.
I have often thought my main lights were onduringthe day when sittingbehindcars as I can see the reflection when in fact it's just the drl's as they are fairly bright.

When your headlamps come on the green light on the headlamp switch will also come on, easy way to tell

 

[SETIG]

I think I read in the handbook that you need to be careful when driving in fog / mist.

The headlight sensor thinks there is enough light and does not switch the headlights on. Another good reason to look for the green light around the light switch to confirm the status.

 

[reilsab]

I really need to rtfm some more

Cheers Del, i'll look out for that tomorrow

Yesterday i was over at my Dad's to see why he couldn't get his DVD player to work, looked round the back and yep no hmdi or power cable in the back. He thought it didn't need these things as it said easy setup on the box!!

 

[reilsab]

Good thinking setig although i swear i've never seen this mysterious green light

 

[Del]

I really need to rtfm some more

Cheers Del, i'll look out for that tomorrow

Yesterday i was over at my Dad's to see why he couldn't get his DVD player to work, looked round the back and yep no hmdi or power cable in the back. He thought it didn't need these things as it said easy setup on the box!!

I'm just as bad, I only found out because somebody else on the forum told me in another thread

 

[JayN]

I have noticed that my headlights appear to be on quite often, when I wouldn't expect them (non-Xenons) - I did wonder whether there was a "seasonal" factor - because I don't remember them being like this in the Summer!

Exactly what I have been thinking lately also! I have also been wondering why the lights tend to go on in the middle of the day now, not noticing this in the summer. (Aug-Sept at least, got the car in August.)
I was also thinking maybe there is some subtle difference in how these sensors and our eyes work, maybe they (sensors) "think" it is darker than what weperceive? I have also often thought that mobile phones and pads are a bit "off" in their light level sensing...

 

[JayN]

I really need to rtfm some more

Cheers Del, i'll look out for that tomorrow

Yesterday i was over at my Dad's to see why he couldn't get his DVD player to work, looked round the back and yep no hmdi or power cable in the back. He thought it didn't need these things as it said easy setup on the box!!

I'm just as bad, I only found out because somebody else on the forum told me in another thread

Same here...

I thought the green light was just to make it easier to see the symbol on the switch. You are talking about the light on the switch itself, right?!

 

[SteveW]

Headlight sensitivity is another setting that you can change in the MMI of most other Audis models but not the Q3. #recurringtheme?

 

[SETIG]

Same here...

I thought the green light was just to make it easier to see the symbol on the switch. You are talking about the light on the switch itself, right?!

[/QUOTE]
The green bulb symbol appear around the edge of the light switch and does come on in my car when the headlights come with the switch in the auto function

 

[JayN]

Hmm. Then I don't think I have that particular feature. Or I'm misunderstanding something.
Unfortunately, I cannot get to the manual right now (oh why, oh why, don't we get the manual in pdf format?!?!) but is this green light evident in this picture?
http://greasengasoline.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/audi-q3_2012_1024x768_wallpaper_62252812529.jpg
In the picture, the selector points to an icon lit in green, I thought first this was the light you were thinking of. (Is it the parking light?) The one to the left ("auto") is lit orange in my car, but I have not been able to see any differences inside whether the sensors choose to go for the "full xenon light" or just the "LED running light". The big "O" once more to the left will turn off xenon and on LED light for me, independent of outside lighting conditions. Unfortunately, it also turns off all lights on the instrument panel...
Maybe there are some national differences on the various Q3s.