Light sensors

[Toon]

Where are the light sensors on the GTI please? I get the auto headlamps coming on when it's nowehere near dark, not going off when the sun comes up etc. Also - where is the sensor for the internal instrument binnacle lights and the discoverpro navigation screen - it's a nightmare - always far too dim to read and no way of adjusting it. Instruments are hard to see in low light as the lights don't come on etc. Is the light different in Germany?
Very frustrating

[phazer]

The light sensor is incorporated into the rain sensor unit on the windscreen (the mirror mount).

You can adjust the sensitivity of the auto lights in the car menu. They're still more likely to come on than my Audi but hey...

[p3asa]

I also think their is a sensor in the rear view mirror to measure the light from the rear to give it an average.

[phazer]

Not saying it isn't the case in the Golf as I genuinely don't know but in Audi's the sensors in the mirror body are purely for the auto dimming, nothing else.

[itavaltalainen]

Might just be set to 'early', not the end of the world though if they are on is it.

I have changed coding on mine so they are always on in auto mode and they have not burnt out in 95k miles.

[Mk7-GTD]

Better to have your lights on early rather than driving around like some of the other tw@ts on the road driving around without their lights on or just with their DRL's on and no rear lights.

[kalimon]

I have always driven with side lights on regardless of the car.
Why would you not@
Volvo's have used it as a safety feature for ever and it makes sense.

[itavaltalainen]

I always have mine on dipped beam, sidelights are not really bright enough, hence they some time ago came up with DRL. No idea why they made them front only by law.... sadly DRLs are doing the opposite, I think even more idiots now forget to switch their lights on when I gets dark or when they are driving in rain or through a forest.

[dv52]

Where are the light sensors on the GTI please? I get the auto headlamps coming on when it's nowehere near dark, not going off when the sun comes up etc. Also - where is the sensor for the internal instrument binnacle lights and the discoverpro navigation screen - it's a nightmare - always far too dim to read and no way of adjusting it. Instruments are hard to see in low light as the lights don't come on etc. Is the light different in Germany?
Very frustrating

Toon: Hi - I'm not sure about the light in Germany, but it is certainly different to the light that we get in the very deep south! Anyway, there are a few things that you could try to make your situation better (I think).

Discoverpro screen
Are you aware of the facility in the MENU for brightening/darkening the discoverpro navigation screen? Here is a pictorial description of the process. Start by pressing the MENU button on the RHS escutcheon plate of Discover Pro screen:


Headlights
If you have access to a VCDS cable, it is possible to alter the turn on/off threashold for the light sensor (separately to the MENU adjustment facility) by tweaking the setting shown below


Instrument Panel illumination
Again, you will need access to a VCDS cable, but I developed a tweak for altering the instrument cluster illumination during daylight which you can find in the link below (you can also alter the dash lighting during night-time conditions using a different set of dynamic curve values if you want - see the link)

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/f197/vcds-vag-com-codes-programmable-options-golf-mk7-84619-post1124686.html#post1124686

Don

[dubber36]

I have always driven with side lights on regardless of the car.
Why would you not@
Volvo's have used it as a safety feature for ever and it makes sense.

By side lights, you mean parking lights. Volvo's of old had a brighter bulb as a running light, which dimmed when used as a parking light, much like many DRL's work today.

In the 80's we had dim-dip for a while, which I think was a good thing. It stopped people from driving with just parking lights on as if the ignition was on, a low voltage would be sent to the dipped beam bulb as well.

If people are going to the effort of reaching for the headlight switch anyway, I don't understand why they can't just turn in one extra notch and put the headlights on properly.