Auto Head lights and Wiper Question?

[X5_Rules]

Are the head lights suppose to come on when the auto wipers are on?

Just today I noticed that the wipers where on but the heads light did not come on, even when it was raining quite heavy. The head lights came on for 30 minutes whilst it was still raining and then suddenly switched off again for 10 minutes and came back on again.

Do I have a faulty auto head light sensor?

The reason I am asking is because on my x Audi A6 the Head lights used to come on as soon as the auto wipers where on.

Thanks for the help.

[rayxi]

No, the headlights are not tied in to the rain sensor. The fact that the lights came on when the wipers were on was coincidental. The auto headlight was just responding to the changing light levels during the rain.

On a side note, my 330xi the headlight washers are tied in to the lights. The headlight washers only come on if the headlights are on. I don't have headlight washers on my X5 so I don't know if it's the same.

[X5_Rules]

Thanks for the reply.

I have headlight washers on the X5 and they are tied to the headlights being on just like the 330xi.

[blondboinsd]

Not true, all X5's include automatic headlight control, after several intervals of the wiper the headlamps are activated, its happened in both my X5's, my 325i and the Z4, its part of the headlight control

[X5_Rules]

I guess blondnboinsd is right, I just got this out of the X5 2005 Owner's Manual:

"Automatic headlamp control* When you set the switch to this position, the system activates and switches on and off the low beams in response to changes in ambient light conditions, for instance, in tunnels, at dawn and dusk, and in rain and snow."

I will have the dealer check it out next time I go in to for service.

Thanks for your help guys.

[UCrewX5]

Auto headlights were not available on the 2000 or 2001 X5's. Not sure about the 2002 or 2003's

[iop9000]

i have auto headlights on my 02

[rayxi]

Most of the time the light level drops during a rain so it's hard to say whether the wiper activity is turning on the lights or not. Time to read the owners manual again.

[LI_BIMMER]

I have auto headlights on my 03.