Topic: 2009 Matrix - lights won't shut off?

[SteelyDon]

The manual reads:  "To make your vehicle more visible to other drivers, the headlights turn on automatically whenever the engine is started and the parking brake is released."

So, if I start the car, the lights don't come on until I release the parking brake.  OK so far.  If I stop the car and apply the parking brake, the headlights do NOT go off.  Is this what they had in mind: that you can't turn the lights off once the car is running, even if you are stopped and idling? 

Thanks.

[rrocket]

Yea..my Echo is like that.  Beats me...

Is it really that big of a deal though?

[initial_D]

Stick in P?

[xviper]

I think most new cars are like this.  Release ebrake to activate DRLs, but pulling ebrake keeps them on.  Only by going through the ignition cycle again, do the DRLs begin in the OFF mode.

[rrocket]

^^Agreed.

[Honda Owner]

ALL new cars are like that and have been since 1996. The daytime running lights must go off when the handbrake is applied by Transport Canada specs. It is to differentiate between a car that is just sitting and one that is, or about to, move. If you want lights while the brake is on, use the headlight switch.

[SteelyDon]

ALL new cars are like that and have been since 1996. The daytime running lights must go off when the handbrake is applied by Transport Canada specs. It is to differentiate between a car that is just sitting and one that is, or about to, move. If you want lights while the brake is on, use the headlight switch.

I'm talking about the night time running lights. When the handbrake is applied, the lights stay on.
""Only by going through the ignition cycle again, do the DRLs begin in the OFF mode.""
So it seems.  I just returned my 2004 Civic, which had no such retarded mechanism.

If one is sitting in the parking lot of a mall, at 20 below zero, with heater on, idling for 2 minutes, talking with a client, wth is the point of having your lights on, blinding the guy 20 feet away, waiting for his wife to come out of the grocery store?  Or better yet, shining in the living room window of some neighbour?  It is unnecessary, rude, and a waste of energy.  The designers seem to love exercising as much control as possible.  They should take turns driving for me.

[rrocket]

Energy use of DRL while idling would be next to nothing...could you even measure it??  LOL

As far as shining the lights?  Oh well.  Guess you'll have to back in if you care so much....LOL 

[initial_D]

DRL isn't very bright, IMO.

Worry about enery? Turn car off. 

[tortoise]

I'm talking about the night time running lights. When the handbrake is applied, the lights stay on.


If one is sitting in the parking lot of a mall, at 20 below zero, with heater on, idling for 2 minutes, talking with a client, wth is the point of having your lights on, blinding the guy 20 feet away, waiting for his wife to come out of the grocery store?  Or be

I'm a little confused,  what do you mean by "Night Time Running Lights".  It sounds as if you're wondering why the lights don't go off after you've turned them on.  If you turn the lights off then engage the handbrake do they not turn off?

In my P5, with the lights off I can pull up the handbrake and my DRL's will go out.

But yeah, what RRocket said.  Is it really a big deal?

[mrthompson]

Recharging the battery during a triple feature at the drive-in...

[quadzilla]

In my P5, with the lights off I can pull up the handbrake and my DRL's will go out.

But yeah, what RRocket said.  Is it really a big deal?

My Mz6 does the same thing....pull brake, DRL's go off.

Maybe some people need a stealth mode when coming home too late?

[johngenx]

In response to the 99% of Gen 9 (2003-2008) Corolla drivers that drive at night with their headlights off (DRL only) Toyota installed a sensor that automatically switches the full lights on when it is dark.  This sensor system cannot be overidden, so if you stop and idle after having engaged the lamps, you must have them on.

I find it annoying as I was planning on being one of the morons that drove around at night with DRLs only.

You can thank the moron-brigade for this measure.  Had people been smart enough to turn their lights on at night (Hello, calling all Toyota and Honda drivers, MDX being second only to Corolla!) we'd not be subjected to the car deciding that we must have our lights on.  Lowest common denominator...

[xviper]

I'm talking about the night time running lights. When the handbrake is applied, the lights stay on.
""Only by going through the ignition cycle again, do the DRLs begin in the OFF mode.""
So it seems.  I just returned my 2004 Civic, which had no such retarded mechanism.

If one is sitting in the parking lot of a mall, at 20 below zero, with heater on, idling for 2 minutes, talking with a client, wth is the point of having your lights on, blinding the guy 20 feet away, waiting for his wife to come out of the grocery store?  Or better yet, shining in the living room window of some neighbour?  It is unnecessary, rude, and a waste of energy.  The designers seem to love exercising as much control as possible.  They should take turns driving for me.

Are you perhaps getting the 2 systems confused?  The "night time" lights are your standard driving lights that either you must turn on with the switch or, on some "fancier" cars, are turned on by a light sensor that detects impending darkness.  The "daytime" running lights are mandated by government in Canada (and are on many cars in the USA).  Also known as --- "DRLs" utilize either the highbeam circuit at approx. 50% to 60% power OR (in some cases such as some Chrysler products) the amber running lights, whenever the ignition is ON and the ebrake released.  Therefore, they aren't that bright.  The driver has no input on this function except to purposely (and illegally) disable them by pulling the DRL fuse.  To turn the DRLs off if you have come to a stop and are just idling, you must turn off the ignition with ebrake pulled, then restart the engine.  It's goofy, but I'm sure those amazingly intelligent politicians and bureaucrats know what they are doing.   

PS.  It should be noted that using DRLs only at night time does NOT activate your rear running lights or your dash lights.  You can seem like you are invisible at night to those following you and when it gets really dark, you won't be able to see your instrument panel.  I guess this is why some cars have light sensored activation of the main headlight system.

[SteelyDon]

{...sigh...}

I'm talking about the full headlights.  If one stops the car, puts it in park, and idles for a minute of two, the headlights stay on, can't be turned off until the car is turned off.  No, I am not talking about driving around in the dark.

To the LOL people, consider this an IQ test, and you flunked.

Others refer to the post by johngenx.

[xviper]

So, you're saying that on a 2009 Matrix, Toyota has elected to use the low beams as the DRLs?  Can anyone confirm this?  If so, this is a departure from the standard use of the high beams at reduced power for DRLs and thus, there isn't much you can do about it.  This would be by design and you can thank Toyota for it.
I wasn't implying you were driving around in the dark.  I cited each example merely to try to distinguish between the various systems on a modern day car.  It would seem that Toyota has gone their own way in dealing with the DRL requirement.  Can you tell if there is any difference between the DRLs and when you manually turn on your low beams?

[johngenx]

He's not talking about the DRL's.  He's talking about the full lights.  The Corolla/Matrix use the highbeams as DRLs.

What happens, AT NIGHT, when you release the parking brake, is that the lights come on just as if you'd switched them on manually.  NOT the DRL's, but the headlamps, taillamps, etc.  See, the cars have a light sensor, meaning there is NO WAY to drive in the dark with either the headlmps off or just the DRLs on.  Then, when you park the car, the headlamps stay on if it is still dark.  The sensor system does not allow you to turn them off.

Why is this?  Well, and this is the only part that involves the DRLS, is that people (pretty much all Corolla owners) were driving at night without swtiching their headlamps on.  They just drove with the DRLS on.  Why?  Cause they're morons.  So, Toyota installed an automatic system that turns the full lights on in the dark.

Other models that need to have this feature?  MDX.  Rarely have I seen an MDX being drven at night with the lights on.  Always DRL's only.  All other Honda products, but the 06- Civic is the next worst offender after the MDX.

Anyway, the OP's gripe is that when he stops and sits in the car with the engine running after driving in the dark, and the lights are no on, there is no way to swtich them off.

[xviper]

He's not talking about the DRL's.  He's talking about the full lights.  The Corolla/Matrix use the highbeams as DRLs.

What happens, AT NIGHT

OK, got it!  However, the OP never made any reference to this happening at night.  In fact he stated the following:

No, I am not talking about driving around in the dark.

This further confused things.
I had this way back in my Corvettes, some 20 years ago.  The headlights came on way before it got dark enough for them to come on.  The fix was to take the sensor cover off and drill out the hole so more light got in.  If the OP doesn't want this feature, it can be defeated by installing a small LED over the sensor.  Depends on badly he is annoyed by it.  Of course, this would mean that he would have to manually turn the headlights on at night.

[mwqa]

One of the things I find annoying about my Aerio is that the DRLs go off when I apply the handbrake.

Which, being old-fashioned, is at every stop light.