Mechanics need to be able to turn them off when they work on them or they’ll get blinded. Every car I’ve driven in the last 10 years seems to have an auto mode though.
I’d be surprised if the Chevy’s these are based on don’t have an auto mode. It could be that a fuse blew here.
I bet it is something boring, like a fuse blew, or maybe they still have the auto/manual lights selector even though the car is autonomous, and somebody misconfigured it.
You'd think 'are the lights on' would be a self-check it would perform, though. GM has to know that headlights go out occasionally, right?
It could also be that some bumbling meat-man clumsily knocked the switch out of the "Auto" position. The Bolt has a truly idiotic headlight switch which always indicates "Auto" even when its been disabled by turning the switch counterclockwise.
In Canada it's programmed to reset to Auto every time the car is started, but not the U.S. model.
Somehow I thought they would have hooked the selector up to the AI but you’re right. This probably just got missed on the checklist when the car went out. That selector also makes it seem highly likely to be missed.
Detailers always turn headlights off. (At least they do for my car.) They probably always turn them off when they come in to be cleaned then need to be turned back on when they go out.
> In Canada it's programmed to reset to Auto every time the car is started, but not the U.S. model.
That's a Volt. My Bolt & Camaro (in the US...) also have momentary switches that default to auto, and they both actually default to auto. You can only turn off the headlights until the next time you turn off the car.
The same cars sold in Canada have the tail and head lights on when it turns dark since September 2021. If the mechanic is scared for their eyes they can just have well lit area to work and the lights will not turn on.
Let’s not be so dismissive of issues for the plebs. You wouldn’t want bright lights in your face while trying to work either.
Artificial lights are not very bright in terms of lux, even very bright ones. Headlights need to come on at dusk which is still far brighter than a shop.
It seems Canada thought of this by allowing lights to be disabled when the car is in park.
I don't know how you've come to the conclusion that's a reasonable solution. Wiring harnesses on cars are a pain in the ass and definitely are not heavy duty enough for being removed many times. With a fuse you have to find the fuse box, remove the cover, find which fuse to remove, then pull it out with pliers. It's far more work than you're implying. Also, this is done every time I take my car in for service whether it's a tire change, oil change, or engine change.
More importantly you need to remember to put it all back together when you return the vehicle—not necessary with a switch.
It seems Canadian vehicles handle both use cases by allowing the vehicle to have the headlights off but only when parked.
I’d be surprised if the Chevy’s these are based on don’t have an auto mode. It could be that a fuse blew here.