headlight switch working backwards?

[blackertracker]

In my car the 'Travel Mode' is set to 'L-hand traffic' by default.

It refers to the side of the road you're driving on, not the steering wheel.

[Guy]

That's interesting. When I first noticed this I asked my dealership and they said Travel Mode should definitely be set to Right Hand! And the headlight dipping seems to be more to the Left and Downwards with that setting. However given this, with Travel Mode set to Left one might have expected the dipping to be to the Right and that wasn't the case - it was just less downwards to the left

I've just been out to my garage to double check this. With the garage door half closed and the car facing the end wall it's easy to get an approximate idea of the headlight distribution.

It's not sufficient to just have the ignition on - the engine must be running as well.

Traffic mode does not affect the full headlight beam setting at all as one might expect.

With Traffic Mode = L-Hand Traffic, the headlights dip down and to the left.
With Traffic Mode = R-Hand Traffic, the headlights dip down and to the left but noticeably more so - particularly lower. There is a sharp upper cut off to the beam.

Also toggling between the settings I can hear a brief slight noise from the front of the car as if something motorised is operating.

[Guy]

That's interesting Guy - sorry I assumed you had the Light & Sight pack. Yes you will only get that menu option if you have it.
So it seems the instrument lighting may have its own ambient light sensor separate from the auto headlights sensor (which is mounted above the rearview mirror).

I've located the instrument lighting sensor. It's built in to the rev counter. It can be found approximately half way between the centre needle spindle and the rim near the 8 (for 8,000 rpm) figure.

I tested this in my garage just now where it's dark inside. Switched ignition on, initially speedo and rev counter instrument lighting came on with needle sweep but soon the instrument lighting went off. I then shone an LED torch at the sensor in the rev counter and the instrument lighting immediately came back on full.

I suppose theoretically one could mount a lens in front of the sensor to increase the amount of ambient light it receives and so lower the threshold of operation. But that's not very practical!

[Guy]

That's interesting Guy - sorry I assumed you had the Light & Sight pack. Yes you will only get that menu option if you have it.
So it seems the instrument lighting may have its own ambient light sensor separate from the auto headlights sensor (which is mounted above the rearview mirror).

Could it be that the sensor above the rearview mirror is only operating the automatic mirror dipping function? If that is the case then unless there is a third light sensor, the implication is that the sensor in the rev counter operates the automatic instrument lighting dimming/extinguishing and, if you have the option, the automatic headlights. But if that is true it seems strange to exclude the "Early/Late" menu option you don't have the automatic headlight option.