As part of one of my regular journeys, I often have to sit under a two lane overpass for a while waiting for traffic lights. Even on a bright day (like today), it's dim enough for the auto headlights to come on. The problem is that when the lights turn green and I emerge into the sunshine, the lights stay on. They don't turn off until the car is switched off.

Has anyone else experienced this, and is it an easy fix for my dealer to sort out?

Yes and NO !!!!

For several weeks now I've been having a similar but intermittent fault. When I start up in my garage then I expect the lights to come on and sure enough they do; usually, they'll turn off as soon as I emerge into daylight but other times they'll stay on for several minutes or occasionally even till the end of the day.

Yesterday I drove out of garage around 9am and lights stayed on. I drove up to front door and switched off whilst I fetched some things from indoors leaving the car facing the (admittedly weak) sun through a large gap in the clouds. When I started up again the lights came back on. A mile or so from home I parked on the hard shoulder of a slip road to the Chesterfield bypass facing directly into the sun (now rather stronger), switched off then back on a minute or two later; again the lights came on. They then stayed on for the whole of my 25 mile trip to Nottingham (so facing the sun most of way). Car parked up till dusk so not surprised lights came on for journey home.

However, this morning I backed out of garage and lights went off long before I got to front door (just as you might expect).

I reported several similar incidents when I booked car in for last weeks service; report was "this is quite normal" ! FWIW, same 'technician' thought it quite normal that car sometimes tries to demist windscreen with cold air although more often the air blows warm within a few seconds; also denied all knowledge of any software updates for the car !

I wouldn't be all that worried about the lights' erratic behaviour except that when they're on the satnav screen is dimmed. It's really frustrating to be simultaneously dazzled by low sun and unable to read screen because it's dimmed !

 

Yes and NO !!!!!

Further to my post @2:24, I've just driven down town and back. Lights were working properly on outward journey. I didn't notice what happened as I set off to come home but halfway back I glanced at satnav screen to find it was dark and sure enough lights were on. That happened until I got home but on arrival I switched off, unloaded shopping and got back into car to drive down to garage. Lights worked perfectly for that little trip.

I've seem Orrery's post above but really don't see how it would help a front mounted camera to have headlights on - but in any case when I drove from front door to garage, I started off and finished facing sun but was not facing sun for most of that short 'journey'

 

As part of one of my regular journeys, I often have to sit under a two lane overpass for a while waiting for traffic lights. Even on a bright day (like today), it's dim enough for the auto headlights to come on. The problem is that when the lights turn green and I emerge into the sunshine, the lights stay on. They don't turn off until the car is switched off.

Has anyone else experienced this, and is it an easy fix for my dealer to sort out?

I posted about the same issue too:

anyone else had this happen?

 

Well, I wasn't expecting such a response! It sounds like a basic fault that Nissan HQ needs to address. It is obviously not "working as intended". Maybe a tweet to Nissan is in order.

As other posters have said, the dark SatNav screen is easily overcome by pressing the day/night button.


Which is why it's always helpful to have a meaningful thread title.

Fancy a BEV mate? posted about this on Youtube, so must be a common issue with the LEAF 40kwh

Thanks for the link!

Always the case regardless of car.
Solution, turn Auto lights off.

How? Is there a LeafSpy setting?

 

It looks to me as though the lights will stay on if the car is facing directly into the sun. Whether this is a strategy to assist the front mounted camera, I don't know.

 

I have had this on all the cars I have owned with auto headlights.

My Leaf is no different in its behaviour to the above posts or to my previous Leaf or Yeti before that.

 

I have had this on all the cars I have owned with auto headlights.

My Leaf is no different in its behaviour to the above posts or to my previous Leaf or Yeti before that.

3 wrongs don't make a right

 

I have had the problem with the auto headlights coming on and not auto turning off since the Autumn.

When I set off in the mornings, with the early morning sun level on the horizon, it activates the auto headlights and they won't switch off. I have tried pulling over and turning the power off and switching on again, it cures it for about 2 minutes and it auto switches on again. There is never a problem when it is cloudy or overcast and have never had a problem later in morning or in the afternoons when the system works as it should do. Ironically, the other day I had to drive though freezing low lying fog on a country road and the auto headlight wouldn't auto switch on and I had to do it manually.

George the taxi man on Youtube (Fancy a Bev) has had the same problem and has done a video on it, and he took the car to his dealer and they spent a couple for days testing the auto headlight sensor. The prognosis was that the system was working as it was designed to do and there was nothing wrong with the system (a bit like the BMS in rapid gate). From memory I think he was demanding the at NISSAN instigate a repair, but was getting no where.

When it happens now, I just accept it, and turn the switch to side lights, the problem is, as others have mentioned, it makes the infotainment / satnav screen dark and the speedo binnacle dark. The infotainment / satnav screen can be brought back to normal brightness by pressing the day/night button, cannot do anything about the speedo binnacle, though.

Pity there is not a turn off switch for the auto setting, I don't have a problem switching the light on when it gets dark, I have been doing it for forty years.

There is various settings for adjustments of the auto headlights in service menu of Leafspy, including "Disabling" the auto setting, but doesn't seem to work.

 

When it happens now, I just accept it, and turn the switch to side lights,

Yes, that's what I do too. However, it appears (from reflections from vehicles in front when I stop behind them) that when I switch to sidelights it turns the daylight running LED lights off, so that there are no lights on at the front, just the rear sidelights on (I presume). If I turn on to sidelights when the auto headlights have not come on, then the DRL LEDs stay on. That seems weird to me - why would it turn the DRLs off when it thinks it's dark enough for headlights?

 

Fancy a BEV mate? posted about this on Youtube, so must be a common issue with the LEAF 40kwh

 

Always the case regardless of car.
Solution, turn Auto lights off.

 

Always the case regardless of car.
Solution, turn Auto lights off.

I wish we could...... no off switch on mine.

 

It's the same on my 2014 leaf, and if you look at other cars lots of them have their lights on on sunny mornings when they aren't needed and don't have them on when it's overcast and having lights on would be a good idea.
I often turn them off so I can read the central screen and turn them on when the lights should be on. Glad it's not only me.

 

Tweet just sent to Nissan:

@NissanEV_UK I have a Leaf 40kWh. When can we expect a recall to fix the auto headlights coming on in broad daylight when temporarily in the shade, and then not turning off again when emerging from the shadow until the car is fully turned off? Loads of people have this problem!

 

I've found this is an issue on my new 40kWh eNV200 as well. However, the old 24kWh one behaved normally, and only turned the lights on when it should do, such as going into a tunnel, and then off again the other side. Never had a problem with the lights staying on due to low sun or otherwise.

First world problem, but it's annoying having to now turn the lighting switch to off and then remembering to switch it back to Auto later on in the day.

 

Before all this "auto" stuff, we used to turn the lights on when it was getting dark and turn the wipers on when it rained. I think all these gimmicks over complicate things, causing more problems. Imagine what it's going to be like if/when these cars get to ten years old or more. It'll be a nightmare to keep it all working! I personally hate all this automation and prefer to be "old school". Although the systems seem to be functioning on my 14 plate Leaf for now, I'm glad it's got off switches.

It would be nice for Nissan to actually do something about these issues though. They seem to make a habit of sticking their heads in the sand over the many issues with their cars, regardless of whether they are ICE or electric.

 

Yes, that's what I do too. However, it appears (from reflections from vehicles in front when I stop behind them) that when I switch to sidelights it turns the daylight running LED lights off, so that there are no lights on at the front, just the rear sidelights on (I presume). If I turn on to sidelights when the auto headlights have not come on, then the DRL LEDs stay on. That seems weird to me - why would it turn the DRLs off when it thinks it's dark enough for headlights?

Side lights just dims the DRLs. They are still on. Side lights are both front and rear.

Just having rear lights on would be wierd and probably against some regulation.

 

Sorry #GOSPORT DAVE I hadn't read that part of your post before posting my reply. I didn't intend repeating your reference to Fancy a BEV mate's youtube video. We obviously watch the same youtube videos about the LEAF.

There is no need to be sorry, I am very grateful to you for posting the link, I couldn't remember which one of his videos it was, as he has done quite a few. Just remember see it and thinking "that exactly the same problem I am experiencing" and was very disappointed at the usual and typical NISSAN response.

I have the first service next month, I will of course mention it but I do not expect any resolution, vehicle manufacturers have a standard phrase to cover such system defects: "A Characteristic of the Vehicle"

 

Which is why it's always helpful to have a meaningful thread title.

Too true! I thought that when I linked to my post and I've done it again since, doh (face palm).

 

Apologies, I guess it shows how little attention I pay.
I wrongly assumed my 40 was the same controls as my 30 where you could turn auto lights off.
Back to school for me.
Ok, only advice is onto sidelights if it's such a bugbear.

 

Yesterday I was stopped under the same overpass at the lights and after a short while the lights came on. However, unlike the other day when there was bright sunshine, and it was much dimmer under the overpass, it was very dull and there was no noticeable difference. Which leads me to believe that the sensor must be looking directly upwards, so if the sky goes dark it must be night. This time I switched to sidelights and after a while switched back to auto and the headlights were off.

I will need to do further experiments, to see if that is repeatable.

 

Just messing about with my menu's and I found there is a light sensitivity setting. Have you tried playing with that? Does the 40kw have that?

 

Yes, tried altering the sensitivity, made no difference what so ever, thanks anyway, thoughtful suggestion, cheers.

 

Oh well. Can't say I didn't try.

I'm just nipping out to make sure the headlight switch in my 24kw Leaf is in the "OFF" position *he said, rubbing it in".

 

Just another thought that could be very stupid, so sorry if it is...

I know that Rainx causes problems with auto wiper sensors, so is it possible for it to affect the light sensor too? Don't see how it should or could, but it's only a thought..

 

I think the light sensors are on either side of the rear view mirror.

 

It just gets stranger ! I've been out this morning with headlights working 'properly' (i.e. as most of us think they should) at first but it was a bit snowy so I turned on headlights. Without making any attempt to adjust screen brightness, it stayed on the normal daytime setting even though dipped headlights were on. I'm not of course 'complaining' - I'm more than happy for screen to stay at full brightness unless & until I press a button to dim it.

 

As part of one of my regular journeys, I often have to sit under a two lane overpass for a while waiting for traffic lights. Even on a bright day (like today), it's dim enough for the auto headlights to come on. The problem is that when the lights turn green and I emerge into the sunshine, the lights stay on. They don't turn off until the car is switched off.

Has anyone else experienced this, and is it an easy fix for my dealer to sort out?

I just had this after a service. It took me a couple of days to figure it out.

They had left the foglight selector in the position that illuminates the front foglights.

 

This issue hasn’t gone away, had it again this morning, auto head lights came on when I set off and would turn off, even the daylight was good.

When this happens I turn the switch to side lights, problem with this is that it automatically switches the satnav to night mode and makes the screen dark. This can be rectified by pressing the day and night button which restores the normal day light mode.

When switched to side lights it also switches the vehicle information screen to night mode and makes it dark, previously I have had to put up with it being dark. I have found by accident that if you have the vehicle information screen brightness switch set to maximum brightness, then the screen does not go dark when the side lights are on.

The brightness switch is next next to the switch that you would use to reset the mileage trip counter on the right hand side, just above your knee.

come on Nissan, if your reading this, do something about this issue with the auto head lights, it drives me nuts.

 

This issue hasn’t gone away, had it again this morning, auto head lights came on when I set off and would turn off, even the daylight was good.

It's only happened to me a handful of times over the summer but about 4 times in the last week. It mainly affects me as I st off from home along a heavily wooded lane (when I guess it's not unreasonable for lights to come on) then emerge into better light (sometimes even full sunshine) as I join the main road. Sometimes the lights go off as I get near the main road but often they don't. Luckily, there's a clear area just before the junction where I can stop, switch off then start up again and lights stay off after that (unless I go under a railway bridge !)

 

Since nissan did the recall (software update) my headlights are behaving themselves now. Seems like they changed somthing.