Auto-Headlights Tied to Wipers - 2014 Mini Cooper Hardtop Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Auto-Headlights Tied to Wipers - 2014 Mini Cooper Hardtop Long-Term Road Test

Some 34 states require headlight use when it rains, so it's good to see our 2014 Mini Cooper automatically turns them on when the wipers are in use.

Read the full story here

yellowbal

Yes, headlights should be on during adverse weather, or at night, or in fog, or during rain. I paid a bunch of money to have fancy lights; I leave mine on all the time. Why not? There is less glare from my main headlights than DRLs that use the high beam bulb.

ebeaudoin

yellowbal said:

Yes, headlights should be on during adverse weather, or at night, or in fog, or during rain. I paid a bunch of money to have fancy lights; I leave mine on all the time. Why not? There is less glare from my main headlights than DRLs that use the high beam bulb.

Lack of headlight use in common-sense situations is one of my biggest driving pet peeves, EVER.

kirkhilles1

I've always wondered why they don't do that automatically. That being said, I also wonder what happens if you're turning them off and on frequently. You know, when its raining VERY slowly or misting and the slowest speed isn't slow enough. Do the headlights go off and on too??

darex

I can answer: MINI's auto-wipers are extremely accurate and appropriately sensitive. Ditto the auto-headlamps. I leave my headlamps on "auto" exclusively, and activate the auto-wipers when it's raining. Both work so well, why not?

Kudos to BMW. This and other on-board systems are clearly well thought out, and thoroughly tested. Well, except for the bizarre and maddening keyless entry scheme.

bankerdanny

I am perfectly fine with this. I see way to many schmucks driving in rain, snow, and fog without lights under the "I can see fine, why do I need lights" theory.

brenro

Several vehicles have this feature. Hell, even my Jeep Wrangler has it.

allthingshonda

This is not anything new. My friend's 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee had automatic lights on with wipers. Just about every GM vehicle has this feature and the system on the Chevy Colorado is more advanced than the Mini's system. On the Colorado the delay time before the lights turn on is dependent on the wiper speed selected. If you turn the wipers on to the longest intermittent setting it can take about a minute before the lights turn on. Turn them on the to high speed setting and the lights will turn on immediately. The lights will stay on for about 30 seconds after the wipers are turned off.

veedubber86

ebeaudoin said:

Lack of headlight use in common-sense situations is one of my biggest driving pet peeves, EVER.

Mine too! Sometimes I wish I was a cop so I could hand out some tickets...

baggs32

darex said:

Kudos to BMW. This and other on-board systems are clearly well thought out, and thoroughly tested. Well, except for the bizarre and maddening keyless entry scheme.

No kudos to any mfr that just implemented this now. Every Ford I've owned for like the past 10 years has had this feature and so have many others as allthingshonda wrote. I say shame on BMW if they are just adding this to an overpriced mini car.