I very recently purchased a 2007 CPO LS 460--same problem. Fortunately, I returned to the garage an hour or so after leaving the car with the lights set on "Auto." I brought the car back to the dealer who fixed the problem. Turned out to be a short in the courtesy light door switch, driver's door. According to the service manager, this problem will keep the "Auto" mechanism from working. The service history indicates this car is on its 3rd or 4th battery. Let's hope this issue is resolved.

 

Somehow I have gotten caught up in this twighlite zone of a forum without finding much useful information pertaining to what features have to be set by the dealer. I remember seeing a list of those features from a google search but am having a hard time sifting through all these useless comments like " getting out your stopwatch"

 

Watch it on those useless comments about useless comments!

We'll be sending you our customary bill for a "book reading fee."

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...-settings.html

 

I have the same problem as previously described.
I had no problem for years until recently.
Lights have always been on auto. I will close the door and press the lock button on the door handle as usual and hear the audible tone as always.
Sometimes after 30 sec delay lights will not turn off and battery once was discharged completely.

 

You are experiencing the classic symptoms of a defective "door jamb switch" on the driver's door jamb. Repair is simple and inexpensive. The part is available at Lexus and Toyota dealers and is inexpensive. You can get the switch replaced at Lexus dealers, Toyota dealers, body shops, independent mechanics or you can DIY. The labor takes about 10 minutes.

 

Thanks so much jm. Really appreciated!!!!!

 

What I don't see explained in the posts is why my lights don't stay on in stalk positon #2, which is just BEFORE the Automatic position #3. If the auto off sensor is default, why is it letting me run out bmy battery in that positon..doors locked, key removed etc. I understand perfectly how the AUTO position works, and am happy with it EXCEPT when it's rainng or snowing, in which case my sensitivities tell the head/tail lights its usually still too bright to turn on lights, so I switch the post to position two and almost always forget they're still on when I stop, being that there's no annoying bell that chimes to warn of the lights on in daylight.
Is position two an override, for diagnostics, etc...it sure doesn't shut down for me within any time interval. If so, I wonder if ANY of the lighting auto sensitivity adjustments can be accurate enough (this is an sc430) to sense rain or snow and come on...seems to me it would be impossible, but I like DRL's on all the time, so maybe I shouldn't care!

 

I don't think you have a clear understanding of how the headlights work. It is not possible to deplete the battery by accidently leaving the headlights on if all is well with the car. It is very likely that you have a defective door-jamb switch on the driver's door. We have discussed this extensively in this thread and several other threads. If you will read this thread from Post #1 - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...rning-off.html - I think you will be able to resolve your problem quickly. Although you seem to be talking about an SC430, most modern luxury cars have had this technology for many years and this will apply to your car too.

 

I can tell, by watching the "views" count on this thread, that there continues to be some interest in this subject.

Here is a link to another thread that might be helpful too: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...mb-switch.html

If you find that you have a defective Door Jamb Switch I hope you will report your experience to the NHTSA at: www.Safercar.gov

 

Does anyone remember the talking voice that reminded Eddie Murphy about that s-#%?
For all the techno speak, I can't get a straight answer from this board or my Lexus service advisors: ARE THE HEADLAMPS SUPPOSED TO AUTO SHUT OFF IN ANY HEADLAMP STALK POSITION (OTHER THAN 'AUTO' OR OFF, OF COURSE).
MY CAR AUTO SHUTS THE HEADLAMPS IN 'AUTO'' POSITION, SO I THINK THE WRITER WHO SAID SHUT OFF IS AUTONOMOUS IS NOT WRITING FROM AN 02 SC430!
The fact that my headlamps turn off in 30 secs in the auto setting and not in others leads me to believe it ain't the door jamb.

 

I will try again to explain the headlight operation to you.

The AUTO position on the light control stem affects how the lights behave only when the IGNITION SWITCH is ON. When the IGNITION SWITCH is ON the headlights are off and on in response to the ambient light conditions - ON for low light and OFF for bright light conditions. The light sensor for this feature is located in the top of the dash near the windshield margin. If you cover the sensor operation is uncertain. The AUTO feature is a nice safety feature that prevents you from driving without your headlights in low light conditions. The AUTO position has nothing to do with turning your lights off after you turn the ignition off.

For the past 30 or 40 years most cars have been equipped with a lights-auto-off feature to insure that the lights don't remain on after the ignition is turned off. This feature is autonomous, with no controls and no adjustments as to off and on or sensitivity. Some cars have an adjustable delay to set the interval from ignition-off to lights-off. For most of the cars this auto-off sequence is started by ignition off - driver's door open - driver's door closed. For most cars the driver's-door-open/driver's-door-closed is sensed by the door jamb switch on the driver's door.

 

After carefully reading what you said, I think it is likely that you don't have a problem and what you are experiencing is a result of your testing method. The lights-auto-off feature has a function that allows the Parking Lights (you refer to this as "position 1") or the headlights (you refer to this as "position 2") to remain on when the ignition is off for circumstances when you would not want the lights to go off after the delay. You invoke this by turning the **** on the control stem to OFF after the IGNITION is OFF and then back to Parking Lights or Headlights. Then the lights will remain on until the ignition is turned on and then off and a door is opened followed by all door closed or the battery is depleted or the lights are turned off with the **** on the control stem.

If you want to test the lights-auto-off feature for the parking lights (position 1) or headlights (position 2) then you need to set the stem control to parking lights on or headlights on and then turn the Ignition Switch OFF, if it is on, or ON and OFF, open at least one door and then insure all doors are closed and wait for the delay to expire. This sounds a little complex but normally if you turn your ignition OFF while any of the lights are on and open a door and close all doors the lights will go off after the delay, no matter how the stem control is set if you don't change the stem control after you turn the ignition off.

I hope this helps.

 

I think my multiplex network door computer went bad also. Where is it located? My bulb is good and my door switch is good but there is only 9v going to the door connector when the door is open and then it actually raises a bit when I push in the door switch. So, there is a constant drain in my battery. What else could cause this? I don’t think it’s a bad ground because I also noticed that the oem bulb assembly plastic has weird discolored residue in it and therefore something must have happened to blow it out or short it in some way?

 

*i searched*
The "automatic" setting that you are referring to has nothing to do with turning your headlights off automatically when you park. The "automatic off" feature is always enabled. I ask because I forgot my headlights were not switched to auto due to me liking them on during day time when it dimmer out but as I went out to my car I didn't notice them on until I got in