I want my headlights on when driving!
 

Living here in the damp and dreary Pacific Northwest, it's best to keep the headlights on for safety. My old Toyota truck you could leave the switch in the on position, but in the X5, if you do that, it's jumpstart time. If you have it in auto mode, the lights only come on when it's dark.

Is there any way to change this so that the headlights are on whenever the car is running?

Another question is that when you flip the high beams on by pushing forward, the halogen beams come on, but when you pull back, the standard high beams come on. Is there a way to either reverse this, or even have both come on? I honestly prefer the coverage of the standard bulbs

Is it that hard to turn the headlight switch on if you must have the headlights illuminated when you get in the car?


Don't you already have a DRL active on your X5? If not, the DRL should be able to be enabled by your local dealer. I'm assuming you have a facelifted X5 as you are talking about 2 different kinds of high beam, you can enable both high beams by coding your LCM for it, TerminatorX5 and SlickGT1 should know the line. Subsequently, if you are coding it you can also code your DRL to be active (if it isn't already)

^what he said.
OR you can hard wired them to a key-on wire in the ECU (ONLY when you know what you're doing) It's just a thought, and NO, I haven't done it since I don't see the need to.

I think the sensitivity of the light sensor for the automatic lights can be tweaked via coding to have your lights come on accordingly.

I coded mine to US2 for DRL so the lows are on at low wattage all the time.

When set to auto, the lights come on in the dark when I start driving.

Yes, it's post-facelift. 2006 4.4i

Turning the switch on isn't the problem - it's remembering to turn it off!

I can order the scanner - certainly don't want to pay the dealer to do it. Is there a link to instructions for the scanner?

Thanks for the info!

Please consider creating a signature that includes your model, model yer, build date. It helps us to help you better by allowing us to direct our answers & suggestions based on ow your x may be optioned based on where it falls in the production range.

It also helps others when thy are searching for issues or DIYs etc, they will know if the directions, issue, resolution affects them or not based on he model/model year/build date. :) For example, the description of your headlights along with your reveal of a 2006 model year...clearly tells us that you have the adaptive bi-xenon headlights...those with halogen & regular HID headlights can just move along...there's nothing here for them to see. :D

this is so easy, like taking a candy from a baby!!! lol...

if you want to do it yourself, go to ebay, order cable and software from a dude in romania (he had made a killing off this forum!!!)... once you have the hardware and the software, then it is time to program

program the low beam for DLR - the low beams will come on every single time the engine is running, regardless of the switch position... if you have xenons, the intensity is standard, if you have halogens, you should be able to modulate the output from 5% to 100% of the light intensity...

about the highbeams, there is another line in the programming that will allow you to have both, the low beam in bi action (i suspect, that you have xenons, therefore, bi-xenon) and the high beams (when using stalk to flash-to-pass, only the real highbeams come on, when pushing away, all four are shining highbeam), and you also can program the lower light, the fogs, to stay on regardless of the highbeam (in the US it is required to extinguish the fogs when highbeams are engaged)... so, you should be able to have all 6 front lights shining at the same time...

let us know when you are ready to do the programming, we will get you the lines...

My '01 squawks like a monster if I leave any light on, and turn off the key. How could one not remember?

Also, not a fan of DRLs, even in gloomy climes, as we m'cycle riders get 'lost' in the sea of minivan DRL lights.
GL, mD

x2 on both mD. Cars/SUV's are easy to spot with no lights on, our scoots, not so much. I prefer to save DRL for my 2-wheeled machines that really need them