New truck, no auto drl light. Wtf

Turn the switch to DRL. Leave it there. When you turn the truck off, they go off. Next start, they come on.

While technically that is auto off, it does serve as auto on as well. In a sense.

No law requiring them in the US. Yet. Thank goodness.

I disconnected the automatic ones on my 2004 Highlander over a decade ago.

I do like power windows, steering and brakes. All the other stuff I'd rather engage when I need it.

But please, feel free to continue your whine/rant. Soon you'll talk yourself back into a domestic. Or have you considered a Ridgeline?

EDIT:

BTW, you might enjoy hooking up with @iseeu1001, another new member. Seems like you have some things in common.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/why-doesnt-toyota-put-keyless-start-with-a-manual.614874/

 

All you need to do is leave the switch on DRL. They turn on and off with the vehicle. With a manual trans they come on as soon as I release the E-brake. Not sure about an automatic.

 

3rd gen buyer problems?

 

Toyota's marketing seems to be attracting a different buyer, since the days of these commercials, and it appears to be working. Truck isn't quite keeping pace with the buyer demographic their receiving it seems, but hey, they still made the sale.

https://youtu.be/u-niz_X55xY

 

There must be a thread of a 3rd gen owner wondering why the headlight switch doesn't come with a switch position that turns the headlights on automatically when it gets dark enough. I used to do work in the DFW area. Sure enough, every night you would encounter on the highways there at least 2 or 3 people within a 45 minute commute, that were driving with just their DRL s on, oblivious to the fact that their taillights were not visible, while travelling at 75-80mph.

 

It isn’t just Toyota.... Majority of people are buying pickup trucks because they look cool, not because they need them or plan to use them. Personally, I would give up ride comfort for a solid front axle and a manual transfer case. Most are more concerned with power seats, lighting, and their stereo than utility.

 

On my '12 the yellow DRLs are on all the time. I prefer that to white DRLs. I see far too many people driving with their lights off at night, being fooled by their white DRLs. They may be able to see where they are going, but aren't visible from behind.

Try as they might, as hard as auto manufacturer's try to idiot-proof their vehicles, they just end up creating bigger idiots. Same could be said for society.

 

Maybe 3rd gens are different, but the 2nd gen US trucks have a 4 position switch. Off, DRL, parking and headlights. Canadian 2nd gen have a 3 position switch with no off position because DRLs are mandatory in Canada. On my US truck, I leave the switch on DRL and they automatically go on and off with the key. The off position is useful in situations you really do want lights out; like getting on a ferry boat at night. The DRLs can be quite annoying to others in that kind of situation. One nice feature is the parking light position. That turns on the, yes . . ., the parking lights and other lights around the truck. But, when you release the hand brake, the front parking lights go to the brighter DRL mode. I use this on foggy days for example, where headlights are useless, but the DRLs AND other marker lights are a good idea.

 

As far as I know, DRL's are NOT a law. If it were a law, Toyota would damn well make sure you could not turn them off. DRL's are a nanny switch because "someone" did a study that having the lights on made you more "visible"? What they DIDN'T tell you is that they have caused more accidents than you realize because drivers thought that had their headlamps on & ran into a tree in low light conditions. Free countries let you choose what you want. I leave mine off. (mainly because I can)

 

BINGO!
Do you know how many elderly drivers die of carbon monoxide poisoning because they left the newfangled car with the stop / start switch running in the garage after they came home?

HINT: It wasn't the stop/start switches fault.

 

Im genuinely curious on the statistical sources you found for those statements. Everything I’ve read has proven that DRLs have indeed lessened accidents.

Regardless, I agree they should be able to be turned off because sometimes no-light is needed.

 

I’m in the camp of I like to be able to shut of my lights when appropriate. For instance to not bother people when in picking up kids an a lot full of similarly waiting parents or working on it at night in the driveway.

 

True.. "In the daytime".. Same reason motorcycles require "full power" beams. So you can be seen. Fact is those same DRL's cause dusk / nightfall accidents lulling drivers into thinking they have the headlamps on.

Here is one.. (I think I linked it right?)

https://www.thedrive.com/sheetmetal/10503/the-dangers-of-daytime-running-lights

Fix one thing.. Cause another..

 

My DRL stay on all the time. I leave the stalk setting on DRL. I guess I'm failing to see the issue here...

 

I remember when you couldn't get carpeting in a truck unless you got the "Shiny Wheel" package.

 

Take the warning labels off everything, let nature work it's course.

 

Decent read but that’s an opinion article. I was talking about NTSB stats or something equivalent.

 

My '99 only has regular on/off lights. So my drl's are whatever I choose to turn on, just like my nrl's (nighttime running lights!) So far no one has run into me...
Yes new tacos are pricey.
Welcome!

 

The problem with DRLs lulling people into thinking headlights are on is a human engineering problem. Some vehicles, my Tacoma included have continuously illuminated gauges. As it gets dark, you can still see the dash just fine. Were it not for the yellow DRLs, you could easily drive along thinking your headlights were on.

VW got it mostly right in my old GTI. The DRLs were the lowbeam headlights. Unfortunately, they couldn't be turned completely off. Being Xenon lights, they illuminated the road just like the headlights they were. The difference, was that the tach, gauges and speedometer weren't illuminated until to turn the headlight switch on. They had it set up so that if you couldn't see the gauges, you oughta have your lights on. Then the gauges became illuminated. Quite a few times, I backed out of my garage in the dark with just the DRLs on. As I started off down the road, I could see fine, but the dark dash clued me in to hit the headlight switch.

 

There is, its called Auto.