Headlights on Before or After you start the car?

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EmpiresofNod@reddit

I leave my headlight on and they turn off automatically... Once the battery is dead.

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drumming4coffee@reddit

If the car doesn’t have automatic headlights, I turn them on after. Like you, I drove POS cars and couldn’t risk having the lights on before starting.

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Total_Tumbleweed_870@reddit

I turn them on after I've started the car. And yes, I have a car that has that auto setting, but I'm old and stubborn and don't like it.

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pjhk75@reddit

I haven’t turned on headlights manually in 23 years. The car does that for me.

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fadedtimes@reddit

I still turn them on manually after starting. I turn auto lights off

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ConclusionFlat1843@reddit

Wait, people have to turn headlights on and off still?

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MountainTomato9292@reddit

I leave mine on all the time. They automatically turn off when I turn the car off.

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RoyalPuzzleheaded259@reddit

I keep mine on auto and don’t worry about it.

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Dancinfool830@reddit

Same, had to convince my wife to leave my lights alone.

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OnlyGuestsMusic@reddit

I can’t believe there’s people turning their own headlights on and off in 2026.

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Dismal-Web-4312@reddit

Like I said above, my 2000 Mercury (and my 2003 Ford) don't have that option.

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I love my little minty manual 2002 VW Cabrio! It has daytime running lights but for actual headlights I do have to twist the little knob on the stick. I have all manner of buttons, knobs, and switches in my little car.

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jrsixx@reddit

Well, not every car on the road today has auto headlights, nor ones that don’t stay on after the ignition is turned off.

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OnlyGuestsMusic@reddit

That’s the real crime. The supposed luxuries they upsell you on today cannot be all that expensive. This one seems like a no brainer for vehicle/battery “health” and safety.

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AdhesiveSeaMonkey@reddit

I’ve never heard of anyone turning in the headlights before starting the car. Who is doing this? I bet they also pour the milk before the cereal.

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purplishfluffyclouds@reddit

I’ve never heard of anyone turning in the headlights.

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silvermanedwino@reddit

Car does it all now.

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Advanced_Tax174@reddit

The car makes that decision now.

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Psychological_Mind_1@reddit

There was a brief time in the 90s where some cars required turning on the headlights before starting as some sort of anti-theft measure. I'm not sure how that was supposed to work, as it must have become common knowledge among car thieves quite quickly.

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MarcooseOnTheLoose@reddit

They stay on all the time. Not DRL. The proper headlamps. The car cuts off the lights to crank the engine.

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Auntie_Venom@reddit

Mine are auto, but it seems like every time I get an oil change they turn them off. So I have to remember to switch it back to auto. I’ve noticed quite a few cars the last few months without headlights on at night, with just their daytime running lights. It’s hard to notice in suburbia… I always think, they must’ve had an oil change recently because they are always modern cars and have auto headlights.

That said, I do have a 1995 Ranger that I have to turn on manually… Always AFTER I start the truck.

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ancientastronaut2@reddit

Mine are automatic

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travelinmatt76@reddit

Before? Never, my battery needs all the help it can get

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nunyabizthewiz@reddit

Mine are always on auto. I never touch that button

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cabhop@reddit

This question has Millennial energy.

GenX doesn’t care or worry about inane shit like this.

When it got dark when we were growing up we knew it was time to go home.

When it gets dark now we know it’s time to make sure that the headlights are on one way or another.

It’s not that complicated.

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joshua_addison_music@reddit

After

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stolendimes@reddit

I turn them on after I start the car, and turn them off before I shut off the car. Been doing it that way from the beginning, because my dad told me something about not draining the batteries. (Probably not relevant anymore, but I still do it that way.)

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Grizzl0ck@reddit

Why would you possibly turn them on before?

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This-Professional-39@reddit

In the "on" position. Meaning they would turn on as soon as engine starts. If you're battery sucks, the lights trying to turn on at same time you're trying to start engine could be enough to keep engine from starting

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WiWook@reddit

But every car in the last 50 years cut off power to all accessories when turned to "start". So this is a moot point

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This-Professional-39@reddit

Since 75? I'm aware it's different now, but that doesn't line up with my experience

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WiWook@reddit

first 2 cars: 73 Ford Station Wagon and 77 Pontiac station wagon. The lights and radio cut out when turned to start.

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Grizzl0ck@reddit

Yeah even my new cars from like '99 the sidelights woukd stay on.

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Select-Belt-ou812@reddit

only the stuff on the accessory terminal of the ignition switch is subject to the cutoff. lights are typically *not* there, presumably so parking lights (and interior lights, and emergency flashers) can be on when ignition is off. if you have a car with lights on accessory instead of battery, it's an anomaly.

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Grizzl0ck@reddit

Sorry but no they don't. At least not all. My car from '99 the sidelights would stay on. My wifes car fron 2012 same thing. I literally just tested it.

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Rhapdodic_Wax11235@reddit

Mine has DRLs with an auto switch

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three-9@reddit

God help us……

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Sweaty-Possibility-3@reddit

I got automatic lights, but I always turn them off before I shut off the vehicle. Because "Murphy's Law" 100% applys to my life.

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bluenoser613@reddit

In Canada they automatically come on as soon as the parking break is released, by law.

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BWWFC@reddit

auto turns them on/off whenever.

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Fistofpaper@reddit

You turn your lights off? My cars have done that for me since emo.

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WKRPinCanada@reddit

How old is your vehicle? 🤔

Everything on AFTER you start the vehicle & everything OFF before you shut it off (back in the day)

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ab39z@reddit

I have always turned everything off before I shut off the car so nothing's running when I start it. These days, the lights are automatic. So, that isn't an issue.

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JasminJaded@reddit

Seatbelt isn’t even on until I start the car despite the beeping. It was such an after (or non) thought as a kid that even though I’m pro seatbelt, it’s still in the last steps.

When I got my first car that beeps if you don’t buckle up before starting the car, I didn’t even know that’s what it meant for years.

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steveoa3d@reddit

After.. need all the battery power to start the car. Turn off the fan blower when you shut off the car as well.

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staplesgowhere@reddit

Yep, a lifetime of owning vehicles with questionable electrical systems made me fearful of draining the battery.

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NotAtAllExciting@reddit

Mine are automatic but back in the 80s driving older cars it was start car then headlights.

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Raskal37@reddit

After. And I shut everything off as soon as I park the car, never understood people that don't do that, then at 5am when the next person goes to use the vehicle, the wipers are in full swing, the radio is blasting, the AC is on max....ugh!

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Raskal37@reddit

After. And I shut everything off as soon as I park the car, never understood people that don't do that, then at 5am when the next person goes to use the vehicle, the wipers are in full swing, the radio is blasting, ugh!

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BeowulfsBalls@reddit

Kill the headlights and put it in neutral

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Tndnr82@reddit

Stock car flamin' with a loser and the cruise control.

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MaximumJones@reddit

Baby's in Reno with the vitamin D

Got a couple of couches, sleep on the love-seat

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MommaGuy@reddit

I haven’t touched my headlights in years. My last 3 cars have been automatic.

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Romanmir@reddit

Yep, this, right here.

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OnlyGuestsMusic@reddit

I’m pretty sure my ‘85 Eldorado had automatic headlights.

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MommaGuy@reddit

My husband wishes his GTO and Roadrunner had them. Then he wouldn’t leave them on

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Dismal-Web-4312@reddit

The newest car I've had is a 2003 and I've never had automatic lights. That's what happens when you only buy cars that cost 3000 dollars or less I guess.

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Practical_Wind_1917@reddit

My last two vehicles have an automatic setting for the lights. I never touch them.

Before it was always after the vehicle started. Hell I remember times working nights, getting done at 2 or 3 am driving through town with my lights off in the middle of winter. Because the street lights were so bright. Totally forgot to turn them on since the snow made it so bright.

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TripMaster478@reddit

I'll turn them ON during daytime storms, helps with the being seen part. It seems to get dark enough to need them but not dark enough to trigger the automatic feature.

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Phobos1982@reddit

Automatic lights. But before then always after starting. Wanted all power for starting.

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MaximumJones@reddit

The lights come on and go off automatically.

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YourGuyK@reddit

I leave mine on. They turn off on their own when the car is off, and the car is more visible, even during the day. The only downside is when I get an oil change they turn them off, but I usually remember to flip them back on right away.

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Melodic_Caramel1777@reddit

Mine are on auto, but back in the day I turned the headlights on after I started the car.

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elpollodiablox@reddit

Start --> seatbelt --> lights.

That's the muscle memory now.

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Exciting_Pass_6344@reddit

I haven’t owned a car in the last 20 years where the headlights weren’t automatic. But the answer is after you start the car.

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kevbayer@reddit

Mine are automatic. Set it and forget about it...

Until I take it for an oil change and the techs turn them off, then it's nighttime later and I'm wondering why my dashboard lights are off.

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Leather-Material9731@reddit

I break out in a cold sweat when I get out of our civic and the lights stay on. I know they're going to turn off in 45 seconds, but it still freaks me out a little bit. I've started the car before the sun is up and got to where I was going after sunrise and left the lights on enough times to have that residual trauma about dead batteries.

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IHaveBoxerDogs@reddit

My car does it for me! But back in the day I think I started the car first.

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stantheman1976@reddit

I'm still driving a 2007 vehicle without automatic lights. I've never even considered the idea of turning the lights on BEFORE I start the vehicle. It feels totally unnecessary to me. I know the extra load on the battery is minimal but why take the risk?

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Coyote_Hemi_B58@reddit

I haven’t had I turn them on manually in 20 years

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Standard-Cockroach64@reddit

Mine are automatic

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Old_Goat_Ninja@reddit

After. I had how modern headlights turn on before and stay on after you turn it off.

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Bartlaus@reddit

Haven't had a car where you had to do that manually since the 90s.

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Channel_Huge@reddit

Seriously. Me also. How old is OP’s car?

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Dismal-Web-4312@reddit

I'm not OP but I have a 2000 and a 2003 and neither has auto lights. My 2003 doesn't even have auto door locks.

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Channel_Huge@reddit

I have two 25 Explorers. The base Active and the upscale Platinum. They both have auto headlights. You can of course turn it off, but that makes no sense, especially the auto high beams which work incredibly well.

Some older vehicles like yours didn’t have this feature unless you had a higher trim or a luxury brand. Your vehicles are technically classics now, right?

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Dismal-Web-4312@reddit

Yep. 2003 is the newest car I've ever had and 5000 dollars is the most I've ever spent on a car. One day maybe I'll be able to step more into modern times.

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casewood123@reddit

Mine does it automatically.

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Relevant_Fuel_9905@reddit

After

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CB_Chuckles@reddit

It’s been years since I had a car that didn’t have an auto on option for the headlights. But I used to turn the headlights on after starting the car.

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SushiGirlRC@reddit

I just leave mine set to Auto.

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xylarr@reddit

Exactly. I haven't touched the headlight switch in 15 years.

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Dismal-Web-4312@reddit

I guess your car is newer than my 2000 Mercury because I don't have that option.

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VirtuaFighter6@reddit

Same. Don’t even think about it any more.

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No_Hovercraft_821@reddit

With manual headlights I do it the same way for the same reason. With automatic headlights I guess they come on when the key is on but I can't say that I pay a lot of attention because... it is automatic.

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bizzybaker2@reddit

Turn them on after I start the car. I am 🇨🇦, every province and Territory has slight variations in driving rules, I learned how to drive in our Northwest Territories (albeit what little roads they have, 😂 ) and it is the law there that you drive at all times 24/7 with your full blown headlights (not brights, I mean what you normally use when it is dark) .

Therefore it is habit for me, and we have taught our kids to do the same even though we no longer live there. Nice to have as a habit because then am not driving down the highway in the fog for example oblivious to the fact I do not have my lights on (like I see many do)

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workntohard@reddit

I turn them on when it rains. For some reason Subarus don’t turn on headlights with wipers like my last car did. Otherwise I let the auto control turn them on and off.

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Dude_1980@reddit

Odd question. It's like asking " do you turn your a/c on before or after starting the car"?

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antmakka@reddit

Before the days of auto lights I used to turn them on/off while the engine was running. Then I read that on very cold mornings you should turn on the lights first. This was to allow the battery to begin some low current flow before the huge demand of the starter motor.
No idea if it helped.

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librarykerri@reddit

My headlights are on auto and always have daytime running lights on.

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Engchik79@reddit

Um, in the last 30 years after my 86 Buick, I’ve never touched the headlights button… don’t most cars do that automatically? Pretty sure I don’t even know where I could do that lol.

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SnowblindAlbino@reddit

None of our four vehicles have auto headlights, and they were all made between 2011-2015.

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user86753092@reddit

Mine goes on and off automatically

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Revolutionary-Fan235@reddit

The auto setting doesn't activate the lights as much as I'd like. I have the headlight setting set to On. I haven't noticed if that is before or after I shift into gear.

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ItsRedditThyme@reddit

After. My millennial wife loves auto, because she has ADHD and will forget to turn them off. I hate auto, because on some cars, they don't turn off right away after you get out of the car, and it makes me think I forgot to turn them off.

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Craiss@reddit

I turn on anything I want on after starting the car. I turn off all accessories before I turn off my ignition.

Because I don't mind the inconvenience and my intuition and experience both tell me that it's the better practice for component longevity. That benefit may be nearly negligible in some cases, but the sacrifice in convenience is so small that I think I've ritualized it over the years.

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TheRatPatrol1@reddit

Yes, we were taught this too as kids growing up.

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krakatoa83@reddit

Headlights on auto

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TheJokersChild@reddit

As. I let the car decide when to turn them on. In cars without automatic lights, after.

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Mycatreallyhatesyou@reddit

After. Too poor to have a fancy automatic setting.

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eatsleepdive@reddit

Depends on if Aniston is driving

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jrsixx@reddit

Heyoooooo

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Equivalent-Speed-631@reddit

I used to turn the lights on after I started my vehicle and off before I turned it off. I finally converted and just have it on auto.

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Zesty-B230F@reddit

I think most old cars cut the headlights circuit when cranking. I always switched on after cranking, but modern cars just use auto. Even my 2013 Xterra was smart enough to kill the headlights if left on. I don't think about it anymore.

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Fritz5678@reddit

The only time I manually turn on the headlights are in bad weather. The car is older, while they are typically set on auto, I do not have a indicator light to tell me they are on. Or when driving long distance on the highway.

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Murky_Possibility_68@reddit

What's the advantage of before?

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texan01@reddit

After. But like you it’s because I’ve driven cars with questionable batteries and starters and need all the pixies to focus on cranking.

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Historical_Bath_9854@reddit

I don't even know where that is in my truck🤷

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boybrian@reddit

You can still see to drive after dark?!

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try_rant@reddit

Lights? We don't need no stinking lights.

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PahzTakesPhotos@reddit

Mine have been automatic since I drove a 1999 GMC Jimmy.

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notguiltybrewing@reddit

After.

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Distinct_Magician713@reddit

My headlights are automatic.

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Geezerker@reddit

I’ve had my truck for eight years and I’m not even sure where the light switch is

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jaxbravesfan@reddit

Always after. I’ve never had a vehicle with auto lights. My current vehicle is a 2014, and it doesn’t have them, whereas every car my wife has owned since about 2000. I’m so used to turning them on and off, I do it out of habit whenever I drive my wife’s car and she fusses at me because the next time she drives her car at night the lights don’t come on automatically because I turned them off manually.

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BusyDark7674@reddit

Why would you turn them on before starting the car?

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Dismal-Web-4312@reddit

After. Same with the radio. It is just easier on your battery (I tell myself even though I don't really know shit about cars)

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accidentallyHelpful@reddit

Your car turns off the electricity to everything except the starter

Confirm this by turning on the radio, wipers, lights and then start the car and see what stops working for the 2 seconds or whatever

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Retracnic@reddit

After, with the type of rides I drove when I was young.

Here's my question: Does anybody else remember driving a car that you controlled the high beams with a foot switch on the floorboard?

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doglady1342@reddit

I never personally owned a car with a foot switch, but I remember this being a thing in a couple of my dad's cars.

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chicken-farmer@reddit

Yea, I had a '57 A35

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SubstanceNo1544@reddit

Yeah its been a minute since i had to manually turn on the headlights.. think it was 98 jimmy

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RangerRaven619@reddit

Always after starting the car.

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Deer-in-Motion@reddit

After, at least on the cars that didn't have automatic headlights.

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Laredoan-Puertorican@reddit

Old days after. Now they do the job for me

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EarlyMoose2481@reddit

I haven't manually turned on headlights since 2001.

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abstractraj@reddit

Automatic

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Poneke365@reddit

Just after. I have a grey hatchback so generally have the lights on day and night.

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AnxiousConsequence18@reddit

Even my 05 has automatic lights on engine start. Don't think about it anymore.

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Astronaut6735@reddit

That's what I did on the clunkers I used to drive. My 2018 pickup has auto headlights, so I never touch the switch. If it's dark out the lights will come on before I start it. Otherwise they won't. Doesn't really matter now because my pickup is reliable (I maintain it very well).

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052-NVA@reddit

Agreed

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CurtG79@reddit

Growing up in Canada I make sure everything is off before starting. Especially in the winter.

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tvieno@reddit

Wasn't the reasoning for turning on the headlights before starting was that the electric draw from the battery would generate heat and help with starting the car?

I can't imagine that the headlights would draw that much juice from the batteries.

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