# Keep headlights on



## lancegoddard (Apr 21, 2016)

When arriving at my mailbox at the end of a private road in the evening the headlights often go out before I can retrieve mail and packages. This can be very irritating, especially if it is raining. Is there a way to keep the lights on for a longer period?


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## Karl Sun (Sep 19, 2018)

Before you ext the car, set Headlights (main page on settings page) to On.

It resets/defaults to Auto every power-on cycle. One of the MOST frustrating thing about this car.


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## PaulK (Oct 2, 2017)

Karl, that doesn’t work. Even if you switch it to “on”, when you step out of the car the headlights (and parking lights) go out. So just like th OP, when I get mail at the end of my street all I can do is turn on my hazards to not become a hazard!

I’ve reported this via bug report but should probably email also. Most cars just nag you (ding ding ding) if you leave the lights on with the door open. Model 3 could easily ping your phone as a reminder as well if you forget. No need to turn them off immediately.


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## BluestarE3 (Oct 12, 2017)

PaulK said:


> Karl, that doesn't work. Even if you switch it to "on", when you step out of the car the headlights (and parking lights) go out. So just like th OP, when I get mail at the end of my street all I can do is turn on my hazards to not become a hazard!
> 
> I've reported this via bug report but should probably email also. Most cars just nag you (ding ding ding) if you leave the lights on with the door open. Model 3 could easily ping your phone as a reminder as well if you forget. No need to turn them off immediately.


If you enable the "Headlights after Exit" option, the lights will remain on for 60 seconds rather than turning off immediately. In the OP's case, he wants the lights to stay on longer than the 60 seconds.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

I just spent 15 minutes playing with the lights settings to see how the headlights behave when leaving the car. Interestingly, it didn't seem to make a difference if I took my phone with me or left the phone in the car.

The two settings I changed were:

Headlights (HL): switched between ON and AUTO
Headlights After Exit (HAE): on and off.
And here are the results, showing how long the headlights stay on after exiting the vehicle for the various combinations of settings.

HL: ON, HAE: OFF headlights stay on for 2 minutes.
HL: ON, HAE: ON headlights stay on for 2 minutes.
HL: AUTO, HAE: OFF headlights turn off immediately.
HL: AUTO, HAE: ON headlights stay on for 1 minute.
So, if 60 seconds isn't long enough, but 120 seconds is, there's at least a workaround for you.
And the good news is that the headlights still turn off, so you don't have to worry about your battery going dead if you forget to change the headlight setting back.


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## Darrenf (Apr 5, 2016)

Yeah, this lack of customization options in a car where everything can be controlled by software is very frustrating. My wife is disabled, and it takes her more than 60 seconds to get out of her car and up the driveway, so the lights going out so quickly is actually dangerous for her. This was never an issue with any of her cars before this one, as the lights stayed on longer. Hell, my mid 90's Cadillacs allowed me to turn a knob to adjust the duration the lights would stay on for! Looks like I'm going to have to install some lighting along her pathway now.


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## Rick Steinwand (May 19, 2018)

Have you tried leaving the door ajar? Obviously only helps if you're returning to the vehicle.


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## gary in NY (Dec 2, 2018)

I have a similar situation as the OP. I have HL:Auto, HAE:On. Headlights stay on for long enough to cross the road, check mail, and return to the car, but the tail lights (and all other lights) go off immediately or within seconds. Even with the headlights on, it's very hard to see the car from the back when unlit. Ive tried leaving the door open, but it doesn't change this. My phone is usually in my pocket. I'm on a dark road, and while unlikely, someone could pull in my driveway while I am across the road. (My mailbox has been taken out by cars pulling off the road onto the shoulder numerous times). It's a concern I never had before, or with my second vehicle. It's just one example of some of the differences between this car and others, which may change over time with software updates.


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## PaulK (Oct 2, 2017)

OP and I both have to get out for a mailbox on a road. Headlights and tail lights (parking lights) should be on to avoid being hit.

I use the hazard lights, but also having the parking lights and headlights on would be much better. 

I feel strongly that if the driver specifically puts the headlights (or parking lights) to “ON” mode that they should stay on even if the driver leaves the vehicle. At least for several minutes.


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## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

PaulK said:


> OP and I both have to get out for a mailbox on a road. Headlights and tail lights (parking lights) should be on to avoid being hit.
> 
> I use the hazard lights, but also having the parking lights and headlights on would be much better.
> 
> I feel strongly that if the driver specifically puts the headlights (or parking lights) to "ON" mode that they should stay on even if the driver leaves the vehicle. At least for several minutes.


if you leave the phone in the car (or assume if using the card, don't lock the car when exiting), the parking lights stay on.


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## Feathermerchant (Sep 17, 2018)

If you depart the car and use the phone App to turn the car on, at least some lights come on. Which lights depend on weather it is light or dark outside.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

PaulK said:


> I feel strongly that if the driver specifically puts the headlights (or parking lights) to "ON" mode that they should stay on even if the driver leaves the vehicle. At least for several minutes.


If you set your headlights to ON instead of AUTO, then they stay on for two minutes.
Furthermore, the parking lights (including the rear lights) stay on for the full two minutes as well.


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## PaulK (Oct 2, 2017)

Not my car, on 48.12. 

Melinda, leaving my phone in the car doesn’t appear to make any difference. 

Garsh, even with “headlights after exit” on and setting headlights to “ON”, the rear lights go out as soon as the driver leaves the car.


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## BluestarE3 (Oct 12, 2017)

PaulK said:


> Not my car, on 48.12.
> 
> Melinda, leaving my phone in the car doesn't appear to make any difference.
> 
> Garsh, even with "headlights after exit" on and setting headlights to "ON", the rear lights go out as soon as the driver leaves the car.


I see the same behavior on my car as @garsh . Car in Park, headlights set to "ON", "Headlights After Exit" enabled. Both the headlights and taillights are illuminated. After exiting the vehicle and closing the door, both sets of lights remain on for ~2 minutes. Interestingly, the headlights extinguish first and the taillights some seconds later.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

PaulK said:


> Garsh, even with "headlights after exit" on and setting headlights to "ON", the rear lights go out as soon as the driver leaves the car.


I've noticed two different behaviors, and I haven't yet figured out how to choose which one happens:

Sometimes the car will switch the headlights to "auto" when I exit the car. In these cases, the taillights turn off.
Other times, the headlights remain in the "on" position. When this happens, the taillights remain on.
I tried to figure out what I was doing differently to have one or the other behavior happen, but I couldn't figure it out. If somebody else can, please let us know.


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## SyncUp (Oct 21, 2018)

*WORKAROUND SOLUTION:* For those of you (like me) who are dealing with the "*checking the mailbox on a dark street in the evening*" scenario, I've found a workaround solution that will allow your parking lights to remain on when you walk away from the car. It appears that the car takes into account whether or not you are seated in the driver's seat (i.e., using a sensor) to determine how it handles the lights.

What I've found that works is that if you press the Parking Lights button AFTER YOU HAVE STEPPED OUTSIDE THE CAR (i.e., by leaning inside to touch the screen while standing), the parking lights will stay on. They will remain on even when you close the door. It's definitely very annoying to have to do this, but it is a workaround I've found that works for me, at least until Tesla changes the behavior (hopefully very soon) of the lights. Hope this workaround helps others!


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## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

SyncUp said:


> *WORKAROUND SOLUTION:* For those of you (like me) who are dealing with the "*checking the mailbox on a dark street in the evening*" scenario, I've found a workaround solution that will allow your parking lights to remain on when you walk away from the car. It appears that the car takes into account whether or not you are seated in the driver's seat (i.e., using a sensor) to determine how it handles the lights.
> 
> What I've found that works is that if you press the Parking Lights button AFTER YOU HAVE STEPPED OUTSIDE THE CAR (i.e., by leaning inside to touch the screen while standing), the parking lights will stay on. They will remain on even when you close the door. It's definitely very annoying to have to do this, but it is a workaround I've found that works for me, at least until Tesla changes the behavior (hopefully very soon) of the lights. Hope this workaround helps others!


when i tested mine using the parking lights this afternoon, i selected it while in the seat, got out, left the phone in the car, closed the door and they stayed on (both front and back). after 3 minutes i turned them off.


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## PaulK (Oct 2, 2017)

So I’m sitting here in my car now doing some testing. 

if I lift my butt off the seat, it simulates getting out of the car. No matter what I do, when my weight leaves the seat after parking, the rear parking lights go off. 

Once they turn themselves off, I can turn them back on again by tapping “parking” or “on” and they will then stay on (It doesn’t matter if I’m sitting in the seat or not, it will stay on the second time).

So my workaround is the same as Syncup’s - but I’ve found I only need to temporarily lift my butt, let the lights turn off (I can then sit again), then tap the lights on. I can then leave with the lights remaining on. 

Is everyone on 48.12? Strange we have different behaviors.


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## gary in NY (Dec 2, 2018)

I noticed last night that if I left the directional on, it stayed on after I left the car. But no taillights. V48.12. By the time I returned to the car, the headlights were off (I don't think it was more than 2 minutes), but the directional was still on. This is just plain weird behavior, and I am pretty sure I am not going to take extraordinary steps to keep the lights on for my mail run, although they do provide some ambient lighting behind the car. I also noticed that the trunk lights do not always come on after parking???


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## SyncUp (Oct 21, 2018)

PaulK said:


> Is everyone on 48.12? Strange we have different behaviors.


Yes, I'm on that same version.


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## Kizzy (Jul 25, 2016)

I have the opposite wish. I often spend some time in my car after parking. Rather than blinding folks by my not-being-used headlights, I'd prefer a setting that allows them to go off after parking. Make it a ternary (three way) switch with Headlights After Exit.


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## LUXMAN (Apr 4, 2016)

lancegoddard said:


> When arriving at my mailbox at the end of a private road in the evening the headlights often go out before I can retrieve mail and packages. This can be very irritating, especially if it is raining. Is there a way to keep the lights on for a longer period?


I have a had what I thought was a bug with my 3, yet they say it is supposed to be that way. I wrote about it several times.
If I open the door (press the button) while my foot is still on the brake, then exit, the car stays on (wanna say about 15 minutes), even if I take my phone with me. It is something I have to pay attention to as I have gotten into stores and come back to find the car on, lights on, AC running and unlocked.
So maybe try that, consciously open the door with your foot on the brake and then see if it stays on for you to retrieve the mail.


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## gary in NY (Dec 2, 2018)

LUXMAN said:


> I have a had what I thought was a bug with my 3, yet they say it is supposed to be that way. I wrote about it several times.
> If I open the door (press the button) while my foot is still on the brake, then exit, the car stays on (wanna say about 15 minutes), even if I take my phone with me. It is something I have to pay attention to as I have gotten into stores and come back to find the car on, lights on, AC running and unlocked.
> So maybe try that, consciously open the door with your foot on the brake and then see if it stays on for you to retrieve the mail.


Tried this twice now, but still left in the dark. Even tried opening the door while in drive, stopped with the brakes on. The car shifts to park automatically, but the tail lights go off.


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## Karl Sun (Sep 19, 2018)

Kizzy said:


> I have the opposite wish. I often spend some time in my car after parking. Rather than blinding folks by my not-being-used headlights, I'd prefer a setting that allows them to go off after parking. Make it a ternary (three way) switch with Headlights After Exit.


 I would like the option ot have ALL LIGHTS stay off: headlights, running lights, interior, DRL, etc.

I work with large telescopes and, at might, ANY light is a disturbance and unwanted noise. All my other cars (and all our fleet cars) have the option to turn off all lights and then manually enable them as the vehicle gets a couple miles away from the domes. Can't do that in the Tesla without cutting wures, installing relays, etc.

The Mdl3 has an "Off" selectable button #General tab) that auto-resets to "Auto" for light settings. It should be saved as set by the user (profile). And an additional option ot switch off the DRL.


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## LUXMAN (Apr 4, 2016)

gary in NY said:


> Tried this twice now, but still left in the dark. Even tried opening the door while in drive, stopped with the brakes on. The car shifts to park automatically, but the tail lights go off.


What about the headlights? I thought that is what you wanted to stay on....did I misread that?


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## gary in NY (Dec 2, 2018)

LUXMAN said:


> What about the headlights? I thought that is what you wanted to stay on....did I misread that?


Yeah, somewhere in here we got talking about the taillights going off when we want them to stay on when in park. Maybe on page 1. Headlights do stay on, but in this case, that's the wrong end I want lit up. Even with the headlights on, it's still hard to see the car from the rear in some situations.


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## processengr (Aug 17, 2017)

When I stop at the mailbox to get the mail at night, even with the driver door left open, the tail lights are off although headlights are on. Is this normal?


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

processengr said:


> When I stop at the mailbox to get the mail at night, even with the driver door left open, the tail lights are off although headlights are on. Is this normal?


It's normal. I don't know if it *should* be what happens, but it does.

As a work-around, after you exit the vehicle, reach in and change your headlights to either ON or PARKING. That will turn the taillights back on, at least for a minute or two.


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## RolfS (Oct 2, 2017)

Don’t know if this works for some. If you used the app to unlock the door the headlights come on for a minute, not the taillights. When they go off you can lock and unlock the car again, to repeat as much as you like.


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