adaptive headlights - auto yes, manual no
 

The 2008 manual (p. 102) convinced me that the adaptive headlights might work only when using the auto feature rather than manually turning on the headlights. My salesperson and service rep thought that not to be the case.

After a little testing at night, I had the service rep test it yesterday and now he is convinced that the adaptive lights function only in auto mode.

Just curioius why this is the case and if the dealer can do anything about this. I prefer to use manual so the lights don't come on when they are not really needed during the day but am happy to use auto at night.

No, there is no way around this. You are better off just leaving it in auto all the time. If you do not want to have the headlamps activate when you drive into your own garage, you can turn the switch into the off position.

However, by early dusk, your headlamps should come on. (I dislike folks that run their DRLs wayyy into the late evening hours......I can't see them!)

Thanks for the clarification(s).

Its not only the garage, but other times they pop on that distract me. I assume that shortens the life of a xenon bulb.

My daily problem is that I go to the office early and either there is just a shade too much darkness and maybe clouds from coming rain that I prefer the combination of DRLs and fog lamps. But if its dark whatever time of the day and I'm having trouble seeing others then the head lamps are put to work so I can been seen as I weave through the traffic.

First of all, if the lights go on automatically during the day that is because they should be on at that point. When you are going to the office early in the morning, they should be on. The fogs should not, or the DRL.
Second, why are you weaving through traffic?
Yes, it might shorted the bulb life just a tiny bit. But I have never seen a burned out HID bulb...they last almost forever.

Sorry, but from my perspective the auto switch is too sensitive and the lights come on at times when they do not appear needed. And when they are on auto, I forget to turn them off when pulling into the garage.

Thanks for enlightening me about the life of these bulbs.

Weaving? Well, how else can you get anywhere on US roads? If we had the European system, then I would be fine.

Slow down. You may get lower fuel consumption as well by not constantly accelerating when you change lanes.

Yes, German driving etiquette is much better. But since we're stuck here, that doesn't give anyone an excuse to drive faster. I'd love to set cruise at 120 km/h on the freeway. However, since folks here find that terrifying (:rolleyes:), you may as just slow down, sit back, and follow along. It doesn't matter what car you drive.......we share the road. I get angry at BMW drivers who drive needlessly aggressively as well.

Foglamps are really designed for fog only. The Corona Rings on modern BMWs are bright enough to be seen in most daylight cloudy conditions anyways.

If you don't like the sensitivity of the automatic headlamp control, you can always just leave it off, and then click it to Auto when you feel like it. I do believe that low beams should be switched on whenever there is rain.

Very helpful reply, but I would ask that you not equate my off-the-cuff reference "weaving through traffic" to mean agressive dirving that puts me and everyone else at risk. I have 45 years of driving without causing a wreck and have little patience with agressive drivers or tailgaters for that matter (you know, 'follow the rabbit').
Whether I'm flying to then driving in another of 50+ countries or driving in OK or a densely populated area, my goal is always safety first.
Three of my last trips have been to Europe and it is impossible to not come back and be frustrated with the driving patterns on US roads. That's all I meant to say rather than trying to advocate reckless driving.
Ironically I do remember a driving trip in NC where I went the speed limit and did get great gas mileage, but I found the driving in that lane at that speed less safe than my usual approach of getting in the clear, a pattern which I have followed in any vehicle I drive.
Sorry to belabor this point, but I drove sedans until a job change forced me into SUVs. I drove conventional SUVs until I lost a brother-in-law who could not navigate a S-curve in his SUV. He rolled several times and was ejected. What I saw at Vanderbilt Hospital will never leave me.
My work requires driving through not only the main highways but also remote parts of Appalachia and an X5 seemed like the safest choice for my needs. I do make bad driving decisions at times, but those are despite my best intentions.

This seems like a really dumb design. Why would this be the case, for heaven's sake? I cannot think of any use case that would support linking the adaptive headlights to the automatic switch on the lights.

To the point earlier of sensitivity, I've had my lights come on during a sunny day, at 2:30 in the afternoon. I even took it to the dealer who stated it was normal. Indeed, I did see other BMWs (a couple of 5ers, I think) that had their lights on the same time of day I did. I was not at all overcast or dark.

Joel

So it can give you the option to turn on or off the system? I would say it's a good design.

It is linking two unrelated systems into one decision point. That is not good. There is no correlation between having headlights turn on at dusk and having them follow the path of driving when dark. One is convenience (lights turn on automatically), the other is safety (lights illuminate as much road as possible when driving).

Simply, the use case is flawed. Apparently, however, the people at BMW agreed with you. Perhaps, like iDrive's many versions, they'll figure out the problem and correct it.

Joel

Why do you all bother about this?

I see no issue in the fact that my headlights turn on when it isn't really needed... Even when I run into the garage I'm used to the fact that the beemer will tun the headlights on... What's the problem with that?

Personally I'm starting to understand the US dealers :D . If someone would come in with his vehicle to complain that the headlights turn on when they drive into the garage... :stickpoke

I've ran a replacer a while ago with no automatic headlights and that was hell for me: not turning on in tunnels, not turning on when rain, not turning on when little dark, not turning on in complete darkness,... Although I didn't have a problem that they didn't turn on when pulling into my garage :p:

^ I also have no problems with the lights coming on when going into the garage. Why wouldn't/shouldn't they come on? Besides, you're turning the vehicle off 5 seconds later and the lights WILL go off then.

I'm on the road and can't look this up, but I thought I remembered that at least the 2004 manual said that one way to shorten te life of the xenons was to have them turn on and off many times even if just briefly.
See 2008 manual, p. 248.
Do I have this wrong?

xenons last almost forever...they aren't like halogen.
No need to worry about them burning out.

I don't have a problem with them going on in the garage. I have a problem with them coming on at 2:30 in the afternoon in bright sunlight--on the 405 freeway.

Aside from that, there is the core issue stated at the onset of this thread: the linking of the adaptive headlights to the automatic on switch is questionable.

Joel

I think the ability to turn adaptive headlights to non adaptive to be a great thing, you can turn them from "auto" to "on" without the lights going out if you want to turn the adaptive function on.

I personally dont like driving round towns with foglights turning on and off as you turn corners at 5mph. Its just too pretentious.
I use the adaptive drive when driving down country lanes at nightby turning to auto, but the rest of the time just keep them "on"