2009 Mazda 6: Auto Headlights, Auto Dark Screen

I really don't like automatic headlights. They don't turn on automatically when it's foggy, rainy, or heavily cloudy. And since people with them are used to the car taking care of it, they don't bother to turn them on manually in such conditions. Plus, they can't tell the difference between a shadow and darkness. I think it's hilarious when I'm stopped under a bridge and all the cars with automatic headlights have them come on, and then go off again as soon as they've passed it.

I do, however, like automatic wipers and automatic climate control. Both of those, unlike headlights, need frequent adjustments depending on vehicle speed/rain intensity and inside/outside temp, respectively. To simply be able to set the climate control and headlights to auto, and not have to touch them again, is very convenient.

There is a daytime switch on the instrument cluster opposite the trip odometer reset button. Just push it and the nav switches back to daytime mode.

I'm sorry, but the above comments are slightly ridiculous.

@jeepsrt

How's it easier? What can be easier than you not doing anything at all? My lights come on in all conditions except for fog. But if you were going to manually turn your lights on anyways in a car without auto lights, where's the added work? And if people around you are still warning you that your lights are still on when you leave the car, they are behind the times indeed.

@barich1

If the auto headlights are designed properly, they'll do all of the above. My BMW's lights come on fairly early at dusk, and within a reasonable amount of time in cloudiness. In the fog, you got me. And once again if its like my BMW, or even my family's previous 2001 Chrysler Town & Country, there's a delay built in for passing under bridges. If you're stopped, then games over. But who cares? So what if your lights go and then off, there's absolutely no harm done.

'There should be a way to brighten the screen, either by a "Dimmer" button like in my MS6 or by changing the settings on the touchscreen.

I know that on the CX9 with auto headlights you can change the brightness of the screen so it can always be seen, and you do so by increasing the brightness via the touchscreen. Should be the same process with the 6.

BTW, I thought this was interesting:

http://www.motortrend.com/features/consumer/112_0906_our_favorite_interiors/index.html

Three of your cars made it onto this list, including the M3, S5, and Mazda6.

Make that 4...the Dodge Ram is on there, too.

And the Honda Fit. I promise this is my last post.

And the Genesis, Mazda3, and XC60. So that's eight long-termers on MT's Favorite Interiors List.

"So what if your lights go and then off, there's absolutely no harm done. "

Might blind nearby pedestrians in a parking garage. Or make other drivers think you're angry at them. HIDs also highly dislike being turned on and off over short periods of time, as it cuts down their life quite a bit.

If u dont like auto stuff, just dont use it and stop complaining or just dont buy cars with that stuff.
For the rest of us that really make good use and actually care about them,lets keep enjoying them.

barich1 says:
I think it's hilarious when I'm stopped under a bridge and all the cars with automatic headlights have them come on, and then go off again as soon as they've passed it

Im laughing so hard right now, u are such a great comediant, yeah that is so hilarious.....

What's a comediant?

Just push the instrument panel illumination dial that is in the bezzle with the tach. That switches the lighting (nav included) between day and night mode.

The auto headlamps on the 6 are programmable. The dealer can set, between 2 options, the light level at which the lights come on. The factor setting requires lower light. You can get them set to come on earlier if you like. The fog lights can be set to come on automatically with the headlamps as well.

The auto wipers have a sensitivity adjustment on the stalk. So, it's a pretty configurable set up.

We also had our turn signals set up so that touching them left or right results in 3 flashes.

I hope in whatever next vehicle I buy if it has a auto lights I can pull a fuse or something and have traditional lights.

I like how the lights work in my 07 Forester. It is impossible to leave the lights on by accident as they completely turn off, including the parking lights, if the key in the off position. So I just leave the switch in the parking light position.

In the urban environment where my car spends 90% of it's life, the DRL's function fine as headlights. On those occasions when I hit the road and leave the well lit city behind I turn the headlights on full.

The HHR I rented yesterday has auto lights. It was very confused by the gray overcast sky and I had to turn them on manually to get the dash to light up so I could see the gauges better.

@frazier500 says
"How's it easier? What can be easier than you not doing anything at all? My lights come on in all conditions except for fog. But if you were going to manually turn your lights on anyways in a car without auto lights, where's the added work? And if people around you are still warning you that your lights are still on when you leave the car, they are behind the times indeed."

I guess I'm not lazy and don't mind the "added work" of twisting a knob. As for the wipers, I spent a Saturday morning washing my car and on a sunny day trip to Denver a truck sprayed some water in front of me causing my brilliant wipers to come on and smudge it across the windshield. I will admit they work pretty good in a storm but no better than me choosing what I want and when.

I used to think automatic headlights were a good thing. I see far too many idiots driving around with no headlights on in the middle of the night, so I figured if the state wasn't going to prevent these idiots from driving, at least auto manufacturers could keep the rest of us a bit safer by turning on their headlights automatically. Unfortunately, in practice they just don't work well enough yet. My car has the same problem - in broad daylight the sensors think it is dark outside and turn on the headlights, which also puts the interior displays into night mode. Then they are completely washed out. I now treat my lights as though they were manual to begin with, and that also helps me adapt to my wife's car, which does not have auto-lights.