UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Do you not have auto headlights?

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barrywi wrote: ↑Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:26 am As winter draws on my car keeps popping up a warning to put my headlamps on in the centre of the electronic dash. Even just passing under trees triggers it, which allows the message to cover up the information underneath it.
Is there any way to stop it coming up as much or even better stopping it come on at all? After all I can tell when the lights need to come on with my eyes.

If you put your lights dial switch into Auto (2o'clock position) then they will come on when they want and not bother you. You may find the threshold at which they come on a little (or a lot) early. This threshold can be changed with a coding cable and software such as VCDS or OBD11, but it doesn't change much.

On the Seat Ibiza you can alter the sensitivity of the lights in the settings, early,normal or late, this was one of the first settings I looked for on the polo but unfortunately it does not have it.

Cadwest wrote: ↑Tue Sep 18, 2018 11:25 am On the Seat Ibiza you can alter the sensitivity of the lights in the settings, early,normal or late, this was one of the first settings I looked for on the polo but unfortunately it does not have it.

Hum, I was going to suggest that but it seems like VW have "improved" on what was available for you to alter when they moved from 6C to this model, another sign of progress?

VW Group do seem to have been getting slated for years for making things akward/annoying in respect of forcing you to switch your lights on when they should be on, but I've never had any issues with that, I accept the "slap on the wrists" when either of our cars issue any version of it, I should know better!

The only reason that I don't leave the light switch on auto is because I keep my cars in a garage and I find it annoying when the HIDs on my car get switched on just because the inside of the garage is darkish in day time!

Certainly when I'm out and about, the lights either get switched on manually when conditions become "poor" but not quite enough to use the auto setting, or switched to auto when I'm driving "into" the hours of darkness.

OK the car does have auto headlights but it seems a shame the sensitivity cannot be adjusted. No cost involved, just a change in software. VW work in mysterious ways.

barrywi wrote: ↑Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:47 pm OK the car does have auto headlights but it seems a shame the sensitivity cannot be adjusted. No cost involved, just a change in software. VW work in mysterious ways.

They want to remove your discretion from any situation which may affect the safety of the car. I'm amazed they let you turn off front assist. The lights do come on very early even with a VCDS update to max settings. I haven't done it with the Polo yet, but the setting translates weirdly, something like "opacity of sensor" changes.

Some odd decisions legislatively regarding lights, DRLs are a waste of time. Motorbikes used to stick out in your mirrors because they (and Volvos) were the only things lit up on a sunny day, and you could prepare yourself for their next Kamikaze maneuvre. Now everyone has them on and the motorbikes don't stick out any more.

And with that topic in mind, someone on the Skoda Fabia MK3 forum has just bought a used Fabia MK3 and spotted that the rear position lights come on at reduced brightness when the engine is running and the headlights off, which I've suggested, means that the previous owner has allowed someone to add the rear position lights, ie tail lights to the DRLs and for some strange reason has chosen to reduce the brightness of the rear lights when used in day light????? Maybe slightly better than having no rear lights on with DRL, but what a shame that the brightness was reduced.

A minor irritation confirmed today after a few days of thinking it might be me - The front parking sensors coming into play while crawling in heavy traffic (and not in a parking manoeuvre) has annoyed me in a minor way since I took ownership. I knew that somewhere in menus there would the means to disable this feature (as my Golf has this option in its menus). So I found it the other day (untick "park assist" - it still kicks in when you engage reverse, which is fine). Every time I untick it, it comes back on with the next trip cycle (after the car has been unused more than 2 hours). It stays off with the Golf until you tick it back on. Does anyone else disable this option, and does it stay off for you (only applicable to Polos with front parking sensors)?

roywolfey wrote:Managed to sneak over 50mpg on my commute. This dropped a little once I got back in to town driving. Overall I tend to see over 45mpg so I’m pretty pleased with the mpg.

That's amazing, how many miles on the clock? I have 1100 and best ever mpg is 43 in eco mode driving as carefully as possible. That was speeds around 40-50mph on a 30 mile trip. Hopefully it will improve with mileage (not that I bought it for the economy!)

jylydesign wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 6:39 pm

roywolfey wrote:Managed to sneak over 50mpg on my commute. This dropped a little once I got back in to town driving. Overall I tend to see over 45mpg so I’m pretty pleased with the mpg.

That's amazing, how many miles on the clock? I have 1100 and best ever mpg is 43 in eco mode driving as carefully as possible. That was speeds around 40-50mph on a 30 mile trip. Hopefully it will improve with mileage (not that I bought it for the economy!)

48 miles in an hour, if most of that was sat on an uncluttered road with few stops for roundabouts and crossings e.g. motorway doing around a constant 50mph, it's not going to be nigh-on impossible to achieve. On my 13 mile commute on relatively uncluttered roads, I can't really better 40mpg. I did only 34mpg home tonight and yet the blue driving trainer gave me 95/100 - I wonder what Roywolfey would've scored on that 50mpg journey.

I once had a 46 mile journey in my wife's "74mpg" Audi A1 1.6TDI back from Barnard Castle and for most of ut I was stuck on monitored 50mph motorway for 2/3 of the journey and 75mph for most of the other 1/3, and achieved 79mpg. The way down had no such speed restrictions so it was 80 all the wsy and got 59mpg.

Distance travelled, traffic volume and cruising speed are just as important as driving style for mpg.

My best in the GTI+ is 43mpg coming back from York (86 miles), doing around 80mph for about 70 miles of it up the A19 after getting out of the back roads, in Sport mode.

Got about 1300 miles on the clock now and my mpg is worse than running-in as I put my foot down more.

jylydesign wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 6:39 pm

roywolfey wrote:Managed to sneak over 50mpg on my commute. This dropped a little once I got back in to town driving. Overall I tend to see over 45mpg so I’m pretty pleased with the mpg.

That's amazing, how many miles on the clock? I have 1100 and best ever mpg is 43 in eco mode driving as carefully as possible. That was speeds around 40-50mph on a 30 mile trip. Hopefully it will improve with mileage (not that I bought it for the economy!)

Around 1600 Miles on the clock. I'm on Dual Carriage way and motorways and use ACC for around 90% of the commute. I saw closer to 52MPG this week, but as always, it drops off as I do the final leg in town.

monkeyhanger wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 8:11 pm

jylydesign wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 6:39 pm

roywolfey wrote:Managed to sneak over 50mpg on my commute. This dropped a little once I got back in to town driving. Overall I tend to see over 45mpg so I’m pretty pleased with the mpg.

That's amazing, how many miles on the clock? I have 1100 and best ever mpg is 43 in eco mode driving as carefully as possible. That was speeds around 40-50mph on a 30 mile trip. Hopefully it will improve with mileage (not that I bought it for the economy!)

48 miles in an hour, if most of that was sat on an uncluttered road with few stops for roundabouts and crossings e.g. motorway doing around a constant 50mph, it's not going to be nigh-on impossible to achieve. On my 13 mile commute on relatively uncluttered roads, I can't really better 40mpg. I did only 34mpg home tonight and yet the blue driving trainer gave me 95/100 - I wonder what Roywolfey would've scored on that 50mpg journey.

The Commute is mainly A1, M25, M4. Generally I'd be at around 70mph with only traffic and roadworks slowing me down (using ACC). I'll check the Think Blue trainer on my next commutes.

Just to add that now there's a few miles on the clock I'm enjoying the car when the opportunity, and an open A-road allows. Making 'good progress' on an A-Road makes me realise just how capable and much fun the Polo GTI is. Its 200PS and 320Nm torque translating into a big grin and lots of fun factor. I tend not to check the MPG when during spirited driving.

The Polo GTI has really hit the spot in terms of fulfilling my wish list. A grown up, accommodating, and relatively understated car which is capable of transporting 4 Adults and with a reasonable fuel economy figure for the commute, and loads of fun when the opportunity to use its capabilities arises.

I’m getting around 40 mpg must be my heavy boots. I’m happy with that considering the way it drives. Not sure how you got 50mpg not sure I could


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Changing the subject slightly, well completely.
Winter tyres?
I have a very sloping 20-30 metre long driveway up to a main road which is kept clear as a priority. I am retired so have no need to worry about getting to work if it snows, but was wondering about options for being able to get up the drive on the few times it snows up here in the Lake District.
Fantasy option was to buy a cheap 4x4 such as a Fiat Panda four wheel drive just for winter use. Expensive really for the few days our current cars would be stuck.
We have bags of salt ready from last winter, but I broke my leg a few years ago on the icy drive trying to spread it!
Lock the doors and hibernate till the snow goes away, making sure we are well provisioned( Sensible option)
However in Wednesday's issue of Auto Express was a comparison of winter tyres. My dealer said that would be a good option to just fit some on the front wheels, or if I could get hold of a pair of Parker wheels to match my current wheels to fit some winter tyres to them to make it an easy swop.
A longer term option would be to fit all weather tyres to the Polo when the current ones need changing.
Has anyone any experience of these type of tyres compared with normal ones?
Are they noisier? Do they grip badly in dry weather? Do they wear more quickly. Do they not suit a performance car like the Polo Gti?
Any sensible comments welcome, but please do not tell me to "Get a grip" !

Read this Barry, I’m thinking of fitting the Michelin cross climate +.

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Mi ... Review.htm

I’ve had two Fiat panda 4x4 and loved them as I used to be in the mountains twice a week come sunshine or snow, my mate used to leave his Range Rover at the bottom of the hill in frost and snow and we would go up the tracks in the panda as it came fitted with mud and snow tyres. If I lived in Cumbria I would still have one.