Auto lights always coming on ? Hillbilly hack.

[siteguru]

Well it's only been a few days, but mine (from @Crawfyp) seems to be doing very well - even the Sellotape cover on the slots.

 

[Rolfe]

I haven't yet been in the position of actually driving the car as it has got dusk. Both times I've been out as late as ten the car was parked up as dusk started to fall and it was already dim enough for the lights to come on when I got back to it. I'll be interested to see at what time the sensor actually decides to turn the lights on when I'm driving!

As far as I remember, there was no clear indication inside the car as to whether the lights were on, in my old Golf. Maybe the central console lit up, but that itself wasn't that obvious. There was no clear "lights-on" indication as there is with the MG4. This had its problems. A couple of times a car mechanic left the lights switch on manual and when I got the car back and didn't notice, I parked up then returned to a car with a completely flat battery! So I appreciate the MG4's clear indication that the lights are actually on.

I have wondered if the MG4 isn't the only car to have this issue, as I have seen other cars with very obvious lights showing in shady places during the day. But the one I really looked at, a car that I turned out in front of in a tree-lined road, turned out just to be very obvious DRLs, as the lights were still on and looked the same once we had driven out of the trees and back under a wide sky.

 

[johnb80]

I haven't yet been in the position of actually driving the car as it has got dusk. Both times I've been out as late as ten the car was parked up as dusk started to fall and it was already dim enough for the lights to come on when I got back to it. I'll be interested to see at what time the sensor actually decides to turn the lights on when I'm driving!

As far as I remember, there was no clear indication inside the car as to whether the lights were on, in my old Golf. Maybe the central console lit up, but that itself wasn't that obvious. There was no clear "lights-on" indication as there is with the MG4. This had its problems. A couple of times a car mechanic left the lights switch on manual and when I got the car back and didn't notice, I parked up then returned to a car with a completely flat battery! So I appreciate the MG4's clear indication that the lights are actually on.

I have wondered if the MG4 isn't the only car to have this issue, as I have seen other cars with very obvious lights showing in shady places during the day. But the one I really looked at, a car that I turned out in front of in a tree-lined road, turned out just to be very obvious DRLs, as the lights were still on and looked the same once we had driven out of the trees and back under a wide sky.

Does it not trigger the screens to go into night mode?

 

[Kithmo]

Would transparent orange PETG filament work, the other clear stuff I have is PLA.

 

[Rolfe]

Does it not trigger the screens to go into night mode?

I suppose it will if you have that set to auto. I haven't had it on auto. The way it's been behaving I wasn't even going there. Maybe I'll shift to auto now the problem is fixed.

 

[johnb80]

I suppose it will if you have that set to auto. I haven't had it on auto. The way it's been behaving I wasn't even going there. Maybe I'll shift to auto now the problem is fixed.

It would just allow you to monitor the lights on/off state easily.

 

[siteguru]

Yes - my screen theme changes when the lights go on/off.

 

[Rolfe]

It would just allow you to monitor the lights on/off state easily.

My dealer asked me how I wanted it set when I picked the car up. In hindsight I'd say he was steering me away from having it on auto, and I opted for light setting. I wonder if he knew about the sensor problem and had had people complaining about the screen switching modes like a yo-yo when driving in and out of shadow?

I opted for light setting, and it's been fine, but I've done very little night driving so far. This is Scotland. We don't do "night" much at this time of year. But the one time I did drive from Kilbirnie to Largs in full dark I could see that I'd want the dark setting for that. If the lights are going to behave it would seem sensible to put the screen on auto.

With my old Golf the only indication I had was the central screen backlight coming on when the lights came on, and in daylight that wasn't particularly obvious.

 

[Rolfe]

OK, this is a pain. After I typed the previous post I went out, and the lights came on when I drove along a tree-lined road, even with the new sensor cover. It's better, but it's certainly not right.

I went back and did some experimenting. The lights behaved as they should with no cover at all. As soon as I put the new cover back, parked in the shade, they came on. Took it off, and they went off. Prised off the transparent plastic I'd used to cover the holes in the new cover and put it back. Lights came on. It was almost instantaneous, too. No wait to see if this was just a temporary shadow, bang the lights went on. I didn't time how long it took for them to go off after I took the cover back off again but three or four seconds maybe. When I drove the length of the avenue and back the lights stayed off, with no cover at all. (Other cars' lights were not coming on.)

It seems this sensor only works correctly when it's pretty much unshaded by anything.

What next? I think I'm going to leave the cover off completely for a few days to see how it performs. But that's not even a medium-term solution. Any suggestions? I think it needs a completely transparent cover.

 

[siteguru]

Mine has been OK so far - but maybe I haven't driven anywhere that would be shaded enough to fool the sensor.

 

[AndyL61]

OK, this is a pain. After I typed the previous post I went out, and the lights came on when I drove along a tree-lined road, even with the new sensor cover. It's better, but it's certainly not right.

I went back and did some experimenting. The lights behaved as they should with no cover at all. As soon as I put the new cover back, parked in the shade, they came on. Took it off, and they went off. Prised off the transparent plastic I'd used to cover the holes in the new cover and put it back. Lights came on. It was almost instantaneous, too. No wait to see if this was just a temporary shadow, bang the lights went on. I didn't time how long it took for them to go off after I took the cover back off again but three or four seconds maybe. When I drove the length of the avenue and back the lights stayed off, with no cover at all. (Other cars

It seems this sensor only works correctly when it's pretty much unshaded by anything.

What next? I think I'm going to leave the cover off completely for a few days to see how it performs. But that's not even a medium-term solution. Any suggestions? I think it needs a completely transparent cover.

Yep that's exactly what I thought too. But I didn't like to leave it uncovered completely from a looks point of view so that's why I ended up with my current setup. I have noticed the lights come on within a couple of seconds of going through a darker area but take at least 8 to 10 seconds to turn off when you come back into the light. I have also been observing other makes of car and TBH , my set up at the moment is pretty much the same as other cars for switching on but other makes seem to turn off quicker. So conclusion, it's better than it was before I altered it but still not where I'd like it to be , but it'll have to do , only other way is manual switching.

 

[Rolfe]

Mine has been OK so far - but maybe I haven't driven anywhere that would be shaded enough to fool the sensor.

Here's the road, from a Google Streetview image taken in July. I think this picture is from earlier in the day, nearer noon.

I wasn't seeing anyone else's lights come on while I was there.

I'm back to wondering how to get a completely transparent cover. Anything I have bodged up has looked pretty makeshift.

 

[johnb80]

OK, this is a pain. After I typed the previous post I went out, and the lights came on when I drove along a tree-lined road, even with the new sensor cover. It's better, but it's certainly not right.

I went back and did some experimenting. The lights behaved as they should with no cover at all. As soon as I put the new cover back, parked in the shade, they came on. Took it off, and they went off. Prised off the transparent plastic I'd used to cover the holes in the new cover and put it back. Lights came on. It was almost instantaneous, too. No wait to see if this was just a temporary shadow, bang the lights went on. I didn't time how long it took for them to go off after I took the cover back off again but three or four seconds maybe. When I drove the length of the avenue and back the lights stayed off, with no cover at all. (Other cars' lights were not coming on.)

It seems this sensor only works correctly when it's pretty much unshaded by anything.

What next? I think I'm going to leave the cover off completely for a few days to see how it performs. But that's not even a medium-term solution. Any suggestions? I think it needs a completely transparent cover.

If you can draw round the base of the cover and send me the sketch, I'd be happy make you a clear cover from Acrylic.

 

[Rolfe]

I think you'd need the actual cover, although that could be arranged. The way it slots into position is quite important and just drawing round the base wouldn't show that.

Someone else mentioned 3D printing the version on the file that doesn't have any holes, but doing it in a transparent material. It would still have to be heat-proof though.

 

[johnb80]

I think you'd need the actual cover, although that could be arranged. The way it slots into position is quite important and just drawing round the base wouldn't show that.

Someone else mentioned 3D printing the version on the file that doesn't have any holes, but doing it in a transparent material. It would still have to be heat-proof though.

The offer is there if you need one making.

 

[Rolfe]

Thanks. Let me think about this for a bit.

 

[Diggsy]

The offer is there if you need one making.

Would you be making this by laser cutting the acrylic to match the shape of the hole as such, or can you manipulate it / mould it as such

 

[Rolfe]

I'm thinking about this post here, where the poster said even perspex over the hole was causing the lights to come on again.

Yeah, I found even fitting a bit of perspex over the open hole triggered unwanted lights on episodes again.
So I figure bollox to it, it can't be seen unless you peer through the windscreen so I've left it open, I'm sure the sensor can deal with a little dust.
Its pretty good now I find, never comes on in sunlight as before, only when rain is threatening and it's pretty overcast, so fair enough I guess

I'm wondering if anyone has tried the most open of the designs from Pliskin's file, and whether that works (with or without a transparent cover).

It may be that the cross-hatching on the one I have is holding back too much light, but that light from the side isn't needed to get it to work correctly. If this design works as well as the naked senson does, it just becomes a question of finding a suitable dustproof cover for it.

 

[Diggsy]

I'm thinking about this post here, where the poster said even perspex over the hole was causing the lights to come on again.



I'm wondering if anyone has tried the most open of the designs from Pliskin's file, and whether that works (with or without a transparent cover).

View attachment 18157
It may be that the cross-hatching on the one I have is holding back too much light, but that light from the side isn't needed to get it to work correctly. If this design works as well as the naked senson does, it just becomes a question of finding a suitable dustproof cover for it.

I’d say that one should be fine. If I recall correctly, @Macadoodle found when drilling a hole in the original cover, that it had to be in the perfect spot, otherwise it didn’t work as planned, so it may be the case that the one you have now has a line that covers a crucial area.

Edit - yes he did have to elongate the drilled hole…see his post here: Auto lights always coming on ? Hillbilly hack.

 

[Rolfe]

That is quite possible, and what I'm hoping. I liked the pattern, but it may have a line in the wrong place.

My concern with that is that Macadoodle ended up leaving his drilled hole open, I think, because any attempt to close it up with something transparent caused the lights to come on again.

I note this picture from Pliskin's page. It's the most open of his designs, with the top completely uncovered, no plastic.

That is quite a decent visual result, as you don't see the green PCB of the sensor looking all naked on the fascia. I wonder how susceptible it really is to dust accumulation, and whether simply vacuuming it out from time to time might suffice?