covering the light sensor with electrical tape

[Stang70Fastback]

Here's a comparison of mine. Took these photos at the fastest shutter speed to get the darkest image possible. The DRLs are definitely the brighter set during the day on my car.

[pcguru2000]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

Here's a comparison of mine. Took these photos at the fastest shutter speed to get the darkest image possible. The DRLs are definitely the brighter set during the day on my car.

Could be that subaru is different. Can you please post all three pictures. I want to take a look at the exif information.

Also what angle and how far away were you when you took these pics.

Do you have the LED headlights or other types of headlights (incandescent, etc)

[Stang70Fastback]

Originally Posted by pcguru2000

Could be that subaru is different. Can you please post all three pictures. I want to take a look at the exif information.

Also what angle and how far away were you when you took these pics.

Do you have the LED headlights or other types of headlights (incandescent, etc)

What information are you looking for in the EXIF info? I used Pro Mode on my phone and set everything manually, so the exposure did not change for the two images
Also that's only two photos above. The top image is just narrower since it doesn't include the DRLs, which were off.

I was about... maybe 20-25 feet away from the car, and the phone was about 4 feet off the ground.

They are the factory HID headlights from before the facelift.

[pcguru2000]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

You can, however, turn on your running lights without turning on your headlights. That is what I'm referring to. That cannot be done with the sensor.

I apologize, I misunderstood what you were trying to say. I believe you are right, you can't turn off the DRL's with the sensor, they come on if it's night or day. On my 86, the sensor is causing all the other lights to come on, all the time which I think is cool. Most cars that don't have led DRL's use the headlights at a reduced brightness. I get the headlights at full brightness which is a win-win.

Ok...with the car light stalk on auto and able to shut off automatically.

On my 86
List of Lights that are on
In daytime, with sensor uncovered.
DRL LED strip

In daytime, with sensor covered. (Like light mode)
Headlight
DRL LED strip
Rear L-Shapped parking light
Left and Right fender parking lights

Is it the same on your brz?

[Stang70Fastback]

Originally Posted by pcguru2000

Ok...with the car light stalk on auto and able to shut off automatically.

On my 86
List of Lights that are on
In daytime, with sensor uncovered.
DRL LED strip

In daytime, with sensor covered. (Like light mode)
Headlight
DRL LED strip
Rear L-Shapped parking light
Left and Right fender parking lights

Is it the same on your brz?

"Day Mode": DRL strips.

"Night Mode": Headlights, boomerangs, front side marker lights, rear side marker lights, tail lights, all interior dash lights.

[pcguru2000]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

What information are you looking for in the EXIF info? I used Pro Mode on my phone and set everything manually, so the exposure did not change for the two images

Oh ok. Very cool and scientific. There's three possible variables. Aperture, shutter speed and ISO. I was going to see if the three changed any between the two photos. Not sure how much control you have of the three on a cellphone. There's no exif information in the photos.

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

Also that's only two photos above. The top image is just narrower since it doesn't include the DRLs, which were off.

I was about... maybe 20-25 feet away from the car, and the phone was about 4 feet off the ground.

Great idea. Instead of using my pixel xl, I'll see if can take a picture with my DSLR and set shutter to highest, my aperture to 22, and my iso to 100 and see if the picture is any better and teases out the possibility of sensor saturation.

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

They are the factory HID headlights from before the facelift.

Do you notice any cutoff from 2 feet up or is it gradual?

[pcguru2000]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

"Day Mode": DRL strips.

"Night Mode": Headlights, boomerangs, front side marker lights, rear side marker lights, tail lights, all interior dash lights.

Wow...so on the brz, no DRL strips at night at all! :-(

Someone had also mentioned that my radio display would be unreadable, I have noticed no change in brightness. Maybe on the toyota version, the difference between night/day is minimal on the display?

On your BRZ, if you cover up the sensor, do you noticed a difference in brightness of the radio?

Originally Posted by PandaSPUR

But then you'd have to switch the light level for the screen back to normal at night if you dont wanna get blinded driving around. So instead of flipping switches at the stalk, the OP would be messing with the scroll wheel :\

No need to mess with the scroll wheel. I don't see much difference in brightness. Then again I wasn't paying much attention but would think I would have noticed.

[Kodename47]

@pcguru2000 you're making this so much harder than necessary. If you have a button pushed 86 I would assume that it's the same as my UK pre-facelift GT86. That would essentially have 3 modes:

0 or Auto in daylight: Front DRLs after handbrake has been dropped for the 1st time.

Sidelight: Front DRLs and rear lights

Main beam or Auto when "Dark": Front DRLs dimmed, headlights on and rear lights on.

They should also all turn off when you take the key out. Therefore why is leaving the stalk on main beams any different to putting tape over the sensor? The BRZ is different as the DRLs are low down in the bumper and they have the Boomerang in the main lights. These operate in different conditions and not like the GT86.

[Stang70Fastback]

Originally Posted by pcguru2000

Oh ok. Very cool and scientific. There's three possible variables. Aperture, shutter speed and ISO. I was going to see if the three changed any between the two photos. Not sure how much control you have of the three on a cellphone. There's no exif information in the photos.

I am able to control all three of those things on my Samsung.

Aperture: F2.4
Shutter Speed: 1/24000
ISO: 200

Great idea. Instead of using my pixel xl, I'll see if can take a picture with my DSLR and set shutter to highest, my aperture to 22, and my iso to 100 and see if the picture is any better and teases out the possibility of sensor saturation.

A DSLR photo sure would be better than the first one you posted :P It looked like that was taken from inside the car reflecting off of a storefront window or something, lol.

Do you notice any cutoff from 2 feet up or is it gradual?

I'll have to take a better picture when the car is outside in daylight. This was quick on my way to work. The car was in the garage, so surrounded by darkness, which is why I decided to just photograph the raw light output, and leaning the phone on the trash can at the end of our driveway to have the photos be as consistent as possible. A lower photo would definitely be ideal.

Wow...so on the brz, no DRL strips at night at all! :-(

Correct, because they would be a bit blinding to oncoming traffic at night.

Someone had also mentioned that my radio display would be unreadable, I have noticed no change in brightness. Maybe on the toyota version, the difference between night/day is minimal on the display?

On your BRZ, if you cover up the sensor, do you noticed a difference in brightness of the radio?

No need to mess with the scroll wheel. I don't see much difference in brightness. Then again I wasn't paying much attention but would think I would have noticed.

It sounds like the Toyota unit you have functions differently, or is perhaps smarter than the NAV unit in my BRZ. This is something I struggled with for the first month of ownership. By default, "max brightness" of the radio in day mode (DRLs only) is much higher than "max brightness" in any of the other modes. As I mentioned, I drive with the running lights on during the day, which only gave me the "max brightness" of night mode... which was incredibly dim. It took me a month before I noticed that the head unit had TWO brightness settings you could manually adjust: one for day, and one for night. I pumped the night brightness up to the max, so that it matched the day mode brightness. Now as long as that scroll wheel is clicked into the final position, the screen is the same brightness day or night. Click the wheel down one position, and the head unit jumps all the way down to night mode. That's why I toggle that scroll wheel one click depending on when I drove the car last.

[sharpsicle]

If ever there was a thread about reinventing the wheel, this is it.

-Manufacturer keeps feature that allows OP to do what he's intending.
-OP doesn't like that, decides to instead bypass and/or modify other features to achieve the same effect.
-Meanwhile, simplest solution is sitting unused, supplied by the manufacturer.

So yeah, want your headlights on when you drive? Turn the selector as needed. This falls in the same category as "I want my fogs on 100% of the time because vision" threads.

Let the DRLs do their work, let the sensor do it's work, and if you come across a situation of heavy rain or thick fog, then turn on your headlights as needed.

Also, as someone else mentioned I believe, many new cars use that sensor in conjunction with climate control as well. Not 100% sure if ours do but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. If it gets inaccurate info, it would either have trouble adjusting the set climate controls, or throw a code and enter into a "default" control mode. Another reason to let it do it's work.

[HKz]

pcguru2000 still fighting against the world..





who will win?

[pcguru2000]

Originally Posted by HKz

pcguru2000 still fighting against the world..





who will win?

I did.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by pcguru2000

I did.