Irritated at Headlight Switch Selection

[TbonePdx]

Forgive me, but my car has already had a few electronic gremlins ever since I pulled her off the lot, so I'm not sure if this is faulty system or if it's performing as intended (and the manual wasn't very much help).

On my '15 fully-loaded 3.8, the lighting/turn signal stalk on the left side the steering wheel has the following options (from bottom position to upper position):

1. DRL off
2. Auto
3. Parking lights on
4. Headlights on

First of all, this car has some great-looking white LED DRLs. But the DRLs mentioned in #1 are the amber-colored parking lights in the front grille, not the LED DRLs. With that in mind, here's what the switches do in my car: #1 and everything is completely off...fine. #2 is auto, which means the headlights will be off when it's light outside and will come on when it's dark, but the LED DRL's are off during the day and the outdated amber parking lights are on (who doesn't want these gorgeous LED DRLs on during the day?). #3 indeed turns on the true parking lights as well as the LED DRLs...but will NOT turn the headlights on automatically when it gets dark. #4 Obviously this turns on the headlights (and the LED DRLs) all the time, light or dark.

So. On #2 I have the outdated amber parking lights (what Hyundai considers DRLs), no LED DRLs, the headlights will come on at night, BUT...every time I try to manually turn on my high beams the stupid auto-high beams feature comes on (but the high beams don't) and the only way I can manually activate my high beams is to manually bump the stalk forward TWICE. This turns off the auto-high beam feature (temporarily) but when you turn the high beams off and try to turn them on again you've got to push the stalk forward TWICE again. The only way to be able to use the high beams like a normal person would (you know, turn them on with ONE push of the stalk) is to put the switch into #4, which is silly because now I'm driving around all day with the head lights on which totally defeats the purpose of having an "auto" setting that senses the ambient light and activates the headlights for you, like most every car I've owned in recent years. So this leaves me the choice of never using option #1 or #2 if I want my LED DRLs on and forever manually turning the switch between #3 and #4 as daylight/darkness requires (and hoping I don't forget to turn them on when it gets dark). It makes me appreciate all these newer luxury cars I see driving around at night with their DRLs and/or parking lights on but no headlights (which I always assumed were idiots that didn't know how their lights worked). Anyway, I've had other cars with LED DRLs and automatic high beams and they worked beautifully, not sure why Hyundai did it this way.

Sure would appreciate a second or third opinion. Congratulations if you could keep up with my rant!!!

Tony

 

[Nikgen]

Forgive me, but my car has already had a few electronic gremlins ever since I pulled her off the lot, so I'm not sure if this is faulty system or if it's performing as intended (and the manual wasn't very much help).

On my '15 fully-loaded 3.8, the lighting/turn signal stalk on the left side the steering wheel has the following options (from bottom position to upper position):

1. DRL off
2. Auto
3. Parking lights on
4. Headlights on

First of all, this car has some great-looking white LED DRLs. But the DRLs mentioned in #1 are the amber-colored parking lights in the front grille, not the LED DRLs. With that in mind, here's what the switches do in my car: #1 and everything is completely off...fine. #2 is auto, which means the headlights will be off when it's light outside and will come on when it's dark, but the LED DRL's are off during the day and the outdated amber parking lights are on (who doesn't want these gorgeous LED DRLs on during the day?). #3 indeed turns on the true parking lights as well as the LED DRLs...but will NOT turn the headlights on automatically when it gets dark. #4 Obviously this turns on the headlights (and the LED DRLs) all the time, light or dark.

So. On #2 I have the outdated amber parking lights (what Hyundai considers DRLs), no LED DRLs, the headlights will come on at night, BUT...every time I try to turn on my high beams the stupid auto-high beams feature comes on and the only way I can activate my high beams is to manually bump the stalk forward TWICE. This turns off the auto-high beam feature (temporarily) but when you turn the high beams off and try to turn them on again you've got to push the stalk forward TWICE again. The only way to be able to use the high beams like a normal person would (you know, turn them on with ONE push of the stalk) is to put the switch into #4, which is silly because now I'm driving around all day with the lights on assuming I don't have to hassle with the switch every time the sun goes down which totally defeats the purpose of having an auto setting that senses the ambient light and activates the headlights for you, like most every car I've owned in recent years. So this leaves me the choice of never using option #1 or #2 if I want my LED DRLs on and forever manually turning the switch between #3 and #4 as daylight/darkness requires (and hoping I don't forget to turn them on when it gets dark). It makes me appreciate all these newer luxury cars I see driving around at night with their DRL's and/or parking lights on but no headlights (which I always assumed were idiots that didn't know how their lights work). Anyway, I've had other cars with LED DRLs and automatic high beams and they worked beautifully, not sure why Hyundai did it this way.

Sure would appreciate a second or third opinion. Congratulations if you could keep up with my rant!!!

Tony

Sorry, but you bought a 2015 USA Genesis and, unfortunately, that means you have amber incandescent DRL's and not the white LED surround DRL's like the 2016 has. So far, no workable solution has been ID'd to change that and it's doubtful there will be one given the way the 2015 headlights are wired (imho).

Some here say they run their 2015 in parking light position to simulate the 2016 look - but the surround LED's are very dim in the daytime when in parking light mode, so not the same. The 2016 makes the LED surrounds MUCH brighter in DRL mode.

I love the auto high beam feature - it works really well. So, I can't relate to your second concern as I leave my switch in auto and activate auto high beams every time I get in at night.

 

[smirn0ff]

Mine is European model and here on position 0 the white DRL is on from engine start. On Auto the DRL is on when there is sunlight and when there is no - it switches to lowbeam with softer DRL. Other 2 positions are same.

Maybe with the diagnostic software the DRL on the US Genesis can be turned on as the European. It will be completely insane Hyundai to build 2 different main softwares for the same car. So get to your dealer and ask him to check the features. Maybe they will be refusing to do it because for them this is additional work without being paid, but you must insist on yours

 

[nickpike]

Mines a UK version, but the auto works really well for me. I am really impressed with all the auto settings. The auto defog is really useful.
Here we have the white DRL LED's that surround the head lamps. Thing is, these things are bright, I mean really bright.
Looking at the front of my car with the engine running and the light stalk set to off, the DRLs are glaringly bright. I sometimes wonder why oncoming traffic doesn't flash me.

I'm a bit confused about the Parking lights. Is this American speak for what we call Side Lights. That is, are the headlights off, but a sort of dim headlight is on and the rear lights also on? If so, why call them Parking Lights?

 

[TbonePdx]

I'm a bit confused about the Parking lights. Is this American speak for what we call Side Lights. That is, are the headlights off, but a sort of dim headlight is on and the rear lights also on? If so, why call them Parking Lights?

Maybe this what you call side lights. Our parking lights are usually when the front corner bumper (side marker) and rear lights are on (and maybe rear side marker too), but not the headlights. Not sure why they're called parking lights, but they are.

Tony

 

[TbonePdx]

Sorry, but you bought a 2015 USA Genesis and, unfortunately, that means you have amber incandescent DRL's and not the white LED surround DRL's like the 2016 has. So far, no workable solution has been ID'd to change that and it's doubtful there will be one given the way the 2015 headlights are wired (imho).

Some here say they run their 2015 in parking light position to simulate the 2016 look - but the surround LED's are very dim in the daytime when in parking light mode, so not the same. The 2016 makes the LED surrounds MUCH brighter in DRL mode.

I love the auto high beam feature - it works really well. So, I can't relate to your second concern as I leave my switch in auto and activate auto high beams every time I get in at night.

Hmmmmm. That makes me quite angry, about the LED DRLs that is.

I've driven my car all over at night in places that were really dark and in auto-high beam mode the high beams never came on once. I'll have to be patient and try some more and make sure I'm not doing something wrong.

Tony

 

[Bill Georgia]

Hmmmmm. That makes me quite angry, about the LED DRLs that is.

I've driven my car all over at night in places that were really dark and in auto-high beam mode the high beams never came on once. I'll have to be patient and try some more and make sure I'm not doing something wrong.

Tony

Auto high beam only works if the light switch is in AUTO position. It does not work when it is in manual lights on (your position 4).

 

[balfor]

Auto high beam only works if the light switch is in AUTO position. It does not work when it is in manual lights on (your position 4).

Also I think the car has to be over 30 mph, otherwise it reverts to low beam. I've found the auto high beams work well.

 

[TbonePdx]

Auto high beam only works if the light switch is in AUTO position. It does not work when it is in manual lights on (your position 4).

I realize this, but even when in the AUTO position mode with the green AUTO high beam symbol on above the gauge cluster, the lights refuse to come on.

Also I think the car has to be over 30 mph, otherwise it reverts to low beam. I've found the auto high beams work well.

I was out on the back roads at 55+, no other traffic or street lights anywhere.

Thanks for the input you two!! Maybe there's something wrong with the system. Like I said earlier, I have a few gremlins (for example my trunk opened by itself while parked in the driveway when I was inside the house, and the stereo volume turned way up by itself when I was parked trying to figure out why my iPod Classic wasn't integrating with the car).

Tony

 

[Genentec]

your iritated at a switch that is working the way it was intended to work ?

wait til u get a bmw when both headlamps stop working, stuck with a repair bill for 5000 dollars. thats what you call irritation.

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[Fight4Hemp]

He is right it is irritating how they wired the 2015 headlights. The so called parking light mode (marker lights) are decent and are decently bright but no where near as bright as 2016. There are people on here that have made mods to their headlights, if it's that much of a big deal I would inquire about that. As for me I love my genny the way she is.

 

[Nikgen]

Also I think the car has to be over 30 mph, otherwise it reverts to low beam. I've found the auto high beams work well.

It's actually 27 mph - no idea why and seems pretty arbitrary?

 

[Nikgen]

I realize this, but even when in the AUTO position mode with the green AUTO high beam symbol on above the gauge cluster, the lights refuse to come on.



I was out on the back roads at 55+, no other traffic or street lights anywhere.

Thanks for the input you two!! Maybe there's something wrong with the system. Like I said earlier, I have a few gremlins (for example my trunk opened by itself while parked in the driveway when I was inside the house, and the stereo volume turned way up by itself when I was parked trying to figure out why my iPod Classic wasn't integrating with the car).

Tony

Sounds like sonething might be wrong with your car. At that speed the auto high beams should be coming on as long as it's dark enough and it doesn't see other car's headlights or tail lights (or other lights that can confuse it) in fronf of you.

 

[TbonePdx]

your iritated at a switch that is working the way it was intended to work ?

wait til u get a bmw when both headlamps stop working, stuck with a repair bill for 5000 dollars. thats what you call irritation.

I wasn't aware we were comparing irritations...

Tony

 

[TbonePdx]

Sounds like sonething might be wrong with your car. At that speed the auto high beams should be coming on as long as it's datk enough and it doesn't see other car's headlights or tail lights (or other lights that can confuse it) in fronf of you.

Agreed. And just to confirm that when you have it in auto-high beam mode and you want to manually turn your high beams on (let's say on a street with street lights that may confuse them with oncoming traffic) you have to push the stalk forward twice?

Tony

 

[Nikgen]

Agreed. And just to confirm that when you have it in auto-high beam mode and you want to manually turn your high beams on (let's say on a street with street lights that may confuse them with oncoming traffic) you have to push the stalk forward twice?

Tony

When it's in Auto switch position AND auto headlights are turned on, I'm pretty sure you only need to push the stalk forward once to switch to manual high beams. I'll check tomorrow to be sure.

 

[ksoze]

When it's in Auto switch position AND auto headlights are turned on, I'm pretty sure you only need to push the stalk forward once to switch to manual high beams. I'll check tomorrow to be sure.

That is correct and it displays an icon showing so in the display.

 

[TbonePdx]

So drove mine again last night, same time of night, same stretch of road, speeds, etc. and voila! The auto-high beams worked just fine. Such a neurotic car...

Tony

 

[Nikgen]

When it's in Auto switch position AND auto headlights are turned on, I'm pretty sure you only need to push the stalk forward once to switch to manual high beams. I'll check tomorrow to be sure.

Checked last night, and it's as I thought. In auto mode, 1 push forward on the stalk goes to manual high beams and another push forward goes back to auto high beams. If desired, 1 pull back disengages auto high beams.

 

[lobsenza]

I believe there is an option in the setup menu to turn off the automatic headlights if you don't want them.