GR86 Anyone else find the Auto Lights quite irritating?

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Tony458

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Posting as a bit of a sanity check - but does anyone else get quite irritated by the way the auto lights decide to come on and off on the GR86?

Never had this issue on any of my previous cars but I just find the auto lights way too sensitive to coming on, and then flicking back off again.

They’re absolutely fine when its actually dark and its night time.

But during the day, they just seem way too sensitive.

For example, I might drive under a bridge or pass a big tree that is creating shade for a literally a second or two, and the lights will decide to flick on. For my other cars, I’d usually expect it would need to be a slightly prolonged period of darkness (let’s say 10secs) before they flick on, but the GR86 just seems way too quick to come on.

This wouldn’t be so bad, but about 10 seconds later (feels like less sometimes) , they will turn off again. When in reality, I’d normally expect the autolights to have a built in timer where it will say, decide to keep the lights on for at least 1 minute once they have come on, before turning off again. I can imagine at times it might look like i’m flashing someone. The worst is when you are driving in an area with lots of shade popping up at random intervals at which point the autolights are working overtime!

So is it just me or anyone else find the autolights too sensitive?

I did have a quick look at the online manual, but maybe this is the point where someone points out to me that there is actually a way to adjust the sensitivity? 😂
 
Tony458 said:
I did have a quick look at the online manual, but maybe this is the point where someone points out to me that there is actually a way to adjust the sensitivity? 😂
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Yup - this was a common complain with the old car too, and I believe there's a setting in the ECU where the sensitivity could be adjusted.

Unfortunately, it can only be done by a dealer, or if you have access to Techsctream software. On the old car you could also do it with apps like Carista which give access to customisation settings, but I don't know if that supports the GR86 yet.
 
Thanks Conscript. That’s annoying, guess i might have to go back to the old fashioned way of turning lights on and off myself.

If nothing else, you’ve at least confirmed its not me going mad in my middle age!
 
I've found the same. Some sunsets with change in cloud cover, lights will come on, go off, etc.

Carista still isn't compatible and from convos I had with them, unlikely to be which is silly, given it's almost the same.
 
I was going to post exactly what the OP wrote the other day! I go under the same bridge quite often and the lights come on for a few seconds then off again, same with trees, and when it was cloudy the other day that was enough to set them on and off. I thought there might be a menu setting to have auto lights on hi/low sensitivity but couldn't see anything. The algo on my 18 year old BM was far superior to the 86. Think I will switch them off, I got through years of driving without having auto lights I think I will be OK to switch them on myself. In fact I think they should be banned, the number of plonkers I see driving with only DRL's under street lights lit at night is scary because they rely on the car turning the lights on for them.
 
I really cant see why this would bother anybody! All you notice is the light on the Dash, just keep your eyes on the road.
 
Are we talking about the headlights or the dimming on the dash? Can't say I use the auto headlights, I always switch to full ‘on’ whatever the weather or time. It’s a low silver car, anything to help it be seen is a positive. However, the auto dim on the dash has caught me out a couple of times, really ‘clunky’ and seemingly for no real reason.
 
TigerJim said:
Can't say I use the auto headlights, I always switch to full ‘on’ whatever the weather or time. It’s a low silver car, anything to help it be seen is a positive.
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Same. I have got into the habit of just turning the lights on whenever I drive the car.

Probably because I picked it up two days after the UK's shortest day in December and it's become a habit.

I don't think there's any downside - apart from perhaps a 0.000001% increase in fuel consumption.
 
Just to follow up on this thread, can confirm there is a setting in Techstream to change the sensitivity. More details: https://www.gr-zoo.com/threads/coding-via-service-departments.3261/post-65694

1686219593037.webp
 
Sorry to revive a dead thread, but did anyone find out the optimum setting for the sensitivity? My car is going in for a service soon, previous one I got it set to +20%, and made it worse I think, so I think I'm going to ask to go to -40%? I know there is a good setting, on my GT86 Pro the auto headlights came on exactly when I needed them!
 
I've left mine at default for now. There's been a couple of times when they've been a bit indecisive, but not yet annoying enough to make me deal with the laborious Techstream software. That may change as it's my first winter commuting though...
 
SmokingPancakes said:
Sorry to revive a dead thread, but did anyone find out the optimum setting for the sensitivity? My car is going in for a service soon, previous one I got it set to +20%, and made it worse I think, so I think I'm going to ask to go to -40%? I know there is a good setting, on my GT86 Pro the auto headlights came on exactly when I needed them!
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I set mine to minimum (-40%) and it's very slightly better - there's not a lot of difference between the settings tbh.
I tend to just switch them on and off as required now, especially as the lights turn off with the ignition anyway.
 
This happened to me yesterday. from the way their road behavior changed, I swear the car in front thought I was blasting them with the headlights out of frustration but I was just poodling along enjoying my heated seat and listening to Gary Anderson talking about F1 fuel tanks :)
 
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