Auto Headlights and Wipers
Thread Starter
5 Year Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 181
Likes: 21
From: North Central Ohio
Auto Headlights and Wipers
I had a strange thing happen to me in my 09 FX4 yesterday. In the middle of a drizzly gloomy day with the windshield wipers on an intermediate setting, I noticed my auto headlights were on. Now I know what you are thinking...that's what their supposed to do. Only problem is, they usually don't come on until it's much darker. I got to wondering if they came on because the wipers were on.
I pulled into a parking lot in a position I could see a reflection of my headlights. Here is what I observed.
When I started the truck with the headlights in the auto position, the headlights wouldn't come on. About five seconds after turning the wipers on, the headlights would come on. Then after turning the wipers off, the headlights would remain on. I tried this several times and waited different amounts of time before turning the wipers on and in each case, the headlights wouldn't come on until about five seconds after I turned the wipers on.
Any thoughts?
As a side note, one of my wiper blades was bad. The dealer replaced both of them today under warranty. 14000+ and 6 months old.
I pulled into a parking lot in a position I could see a reflection of my headlights. Here is what I observed.
When I started the truck with the headlights in the auto position, the headlights wouldn't come on. About five seconds after turning the wipers on, the headlights would come on. Then after turning the wipers off, the headlights would remain on. I tried this several times and waited different amounts of time before turning the wipers on and in each case, the headlights wouldn't come on until about five seconds after I turned the wipers on.
Any thoughts?
As a side note, one of my wiper blades was bad. The dealer replaced both of them today under warranty. 14000+ and 6 months old.
Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 44
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I don't own a truck this young, but my best guess would be that they designed it this way because more states are moving to put into law that if your wipers are on, your headlights must be also (NJ/PA).
*Just a thought, and not based on any actual facts whatsoever*
*Just a thought, and not based on any actual facts whatsoever*
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 166
Likes: 13
From: Moscow ID
Its a safety feature put on some of the higher priced Ford vehicles. Some states have a law that states your headlights must be on if your wipers are on. Our 2007 Edge SEL AWD has this feature. As long as the headlights are in the "auto" position, they will come on after the wipers get turned on. Once you turn the wipers off, the headlights will remain on the same amount of time that they would remain on if it was dark and you just turned the car off (like three min on the Edge). Its a pretty nifty feature, i wish my truck had it.