Yesterday morning, I left for work when it was still slightly dark. Started the car, and the auto headlights put the lights on as normal. As it was very foggy, I put the front and rear fog-lights on.

About twenty minutes later, still driving in thick fog, it had become brighter. Next an oncoming car started flashing me, and I realised that the brighter daylight had switched off the headlights!! Very scary when you think what could have happened. Dread to think what the insurance companies would say if this happened and caused an accident. 

I saw several cars without their lights on, maybe they had the same thing happen!

I don't know if the handbook suggests not using auto headlights in foggy conditions, I'll have to have a look. Shame there isn't an audible warning to say that the auto headlights have been turned off/on. Will remember to turn the headlight switch to manual next time it's foggy!!

can you switch the fogs on when lights are on auto ?im sure with mine i have to put them on manual to switch fogs on

My headlights act as normal when on with auto, allowing the fogs to be put on, etc. What you're saying would be a good idea as you would have made the conscious decision to have the fogs on and therefore would have to turn the headlights to manual to allow this. 

Same, can't use fogs in auto mode, and even then I swear at people that do! The sensors can only cope with light and dark and not visibility, so just like anything else in a car, *always* continue to think like you're driving an older one with nothing automatic.

On the Mk2.5 you have to turn off auto to use fogs...I'd be surprised if that changed for the Mk3??

I find mine are pretty good in inclement weather though, not sure if they work with the wipers or if it's just a coincidence but they seem to come on 'earlier' in dull rain than dull dry.  However, they obviously can't detect fog in bright daylight.  But presumably you're frequently checking the clocks to note the speed, revs, temperature etc so should see the headlight light really.

Mk3 you can have front and rear fogs on while in auto position assuming light levels are low enough to bring headlights on.

1 hour ago, iantt said:

Mk3 you can have front and rear fogs on while in auto position assuming light levels are low enough to bring headlights on.

Confirm my fogs can be used in auto (mk3).

im glad then on the mk 2.5 you cant put the fogs on with head light on auto.i have to put them on manual to use the fogs.im safe

I'm glad I don't have any fancy stuff such as auto lights to worry about [emoji14]

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2 hours ago, iantt said:

Mk3 you can have front and rear fogs on while in auto position assuming light levels are low enough to bring headlights on.

Well that seems pretty unsafe when there are oblivious people driving them such as the OP... :P  Seems odd they'd remove a safety feature like that though for the newer models.

 

28 minutes ago, GingerFlame said:

I'm glad I don't have any fancy stuff such as auto lights to worry about

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Lol, auto lights, wipers and cruise control ftw...  Just a shame they don't have auto steering in cars yet lol!

Wouldn't mind cruise control ;)

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To be fair if you dont notice that the lights have gone off with accompanying warning light on , thats preety poor on the drivers attention, and its not just one warning light, up to 3 showing depending on front and rear on.

So I dont see the issue.

I can see what you mean iantt, and I was waiting for someone to mention this. I regularly look down at the dash to make sure all is ok, but if you looked down once every five minutes (which is plenty), then you could have been driving without lights for up to five minutes, not good in these conditions. The lights on the dash are obviously not as noticeable in daylight as they would be at night. Also when it's so foggy, you're concentrating a lot harder on where you are going.

Just to confirm, my fogs operate when the headlights are in 'Auto' mode. Strange if it's been changed since MK2.5.

You will look at dash more than 5mins at a time, even if you dont realise it, checking the speedo reading is quite a regular veiwing. Cant speak for mk2, 2.5 owners warning lights but on the mk3 the warning lights for the headlights and fogs are very visible even in bright conditions.

As it says in the manual, it is still the driver's responsibility to monitor and override the auto lights as necessary.

This morning the Auto lights turned themselves on as expected, but once I started driving in to the low winter sun they went off, despite visibility being reduced as a result of the sun, so I had to switch them back on manually.

I do miss having a dashboard indicator for dipped beam on the MK3 though, you only get the sidelight one. Fortunately on the facelift, you can have a graphic of the car in the driver's display which nicely shows whether your lights are on.

Do the sidelights come on singly on auto then?  I thought it was always dipped & sides unless you manually switch it to sidelights so one dash light is enough for both? 

Can't see any green dash warnings on a Mk2.5 in sun, makes cruise control interesting in you accelerate to overtake then let it drop back for a slip road or something and it suddenly starts picking up again.   Sounds like they've fixed that in the mk3 though lol.

Auto lights never uses sidelights, but it doesn't matter whether you have the light switch on sidelights, dipped beam, or Auto (and they are on), you only get a sidelight symbol.

I just think it would be better to have a dipped beam symbol too. If you want to manually override it, without the graphic, you'd have to look at the light switch to know if you have dipped or sides on.

That's how it is in most modern cars though, 06 Vectra was the same (also had auto lights), as is the Mk2.5 Focus, never seen a problem with it myself but each to their own.  :) I personally think side lights should be binned off anyway, they don't serve any purpose, I can't see that using those instead of dipped for visibility saves a noticeable amount of power and fuel/emissions so may as well just put dipped on lol.  Would also stop people driving round town at night on sides alone as well!

The graphic shows dipped, main, front and rear fogs.

I think.

A good memory is essential for driving, knowing which gear one is in & which lights one has selected,etc, without looking at the controls are all useful skills . . . .

You can usually feel if you are in the wrong gear.

I'd rather check to make sure my lights are in the right position than rely on my memory. It's not a problem on my current car as I have the graphic, but I found it a bit annoying in my old blue Focus.

Always feel like I'm in the wrong gear cruising with the DV6 gearing, the amount of times I go to change up and realise that's all its got in 5th....   Not to mention pulling away in 3rd a few times lol.  Too much going on for a small brain like mine to take in sometimes. :P

I'd rather know which lights etc i have on, rather than spend any more time than is necessary checking, due to a poor memory

does anyone find the auto headlights are too sensitive? Drive under a bridge and mine come on.