Auto headlight sensitivity

[daveNJ]

Probably every car that I've owned in the past 10 years has had auto-headlights and they always just worked. Only time they'd come on during the day was when stopped completely under an overpass in traffic (and usually only on a cloudy day or near dusk). Never saw this weird hair-trigger change that flashes the lights on and (with Nav) blacks out the instrumentation on a sunny day when going under a two-lane overpass.

It seems odd that the sensitivity and time-delay can't be appropriately adjusted (or just designed right from the start -- I've never had any of my other cars "adjusted" for this). And this from a company that doesn't give you Bass, Middle and Treble adjustments but frequency bands that can have their "Q" factor adjusted.

[AA9ZZ]

Confirmation on the 2011. I switched from a Cadillac CTS with proper time adjustment. I have my first oil change in a month. I'll ask if the 2011 can be adjusted.

[mpnret]

Originally Posted by AA9ZZ

Confirmation on the 2011. I switched from a Cadillac CTS with proper time adjustment. I have my first oil change in a month. I'll ask if the 2011 can be adjusted.

Be careful with this. They will give you exactly what you are asking for. There are like 3 sensitivity levels they can adjust to. It comes set on normal by default. If they adjust the sensitivity down 1 level, you will find that the lights still flash on and off when you go under overpasses and you now have the added problem of the lights not coming on when it starts to get dark out. I had many cars with auto hadlights and this is the first time I have ever experienced this.

[erickrocks1126]

Lots of chatter but I didn't see that anyone answered if you can change the sensitivity of the sensor yourself or if only the dealer can do it. I the same issue as everyone else and brought mine to the dealer to have it adjusted. They said it can't be done so I showed them the reference in the manual stating the dealer can adjust it. Still they said it can't be done. They did that to me twice now...I tired a few months later during another oil change and they said the same thing.

So, can someone answer the question: Can an end user adjust the sensitivity him/her self? (Aside from taking it off Auto, which is basically turning off the auto-headlight function, not adjusting the sensitivity)

If we can do this adjustment as a DIY, please share how to do so.

[1-3-2-4]

I'm way late but I'm glad other owners noticed, I would be a rich guy for all those bets I made on every legacy that went under a underpass the headlights would come on..

At least the factory setting should of been between 5-10 seconds.

[BillC]

Had the dealer adjust it, can not be DYI, Still have the problem going under bridges. Not sure if I will take it back to them.

[welsh12uk]

When I had my 2010 I took the issue to the dealer who adjusted the sensitivity but it didn't help because as others have pointed out its a timing issue. With my 2013 Subaru must have been aware of the problem because the problem was corrected. On the 2013 Limited you can DIY the sensitivity but it doesn't adjust the timing delay. I wonder if the Dealer can swap out the sensor in the 2010-12 for what's in the 2013? Clearly Subaru recognized and corrected the issue.

[mpnret]

Problem is definetly fixed in 2013 but I doubt the delay is in the sensor.