Toyota Camry Headlight System

A Toyota Camry headlight system is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. The headlights can be operated manually or automatically.

Operating instructions

Operating the switch turns on the lights as follows:

1. Auto
   The headlights, daytime running lightsand all the lights listed below turn on and
   off automatically. (Vehicles without a smart key system: When the engine switch is in the “ON” position)
   (Vehicles with a smart key system: When the engine switch is in IGNITION ON mode)
2. The side marker, parking, tail, license plate, instrument panel lights, and daytime running lights turn on.
3. The headlights and all the lights listed above (except daytime running lights) turn on.
4. *1 The daytime running lights turn off.
   *2 The daytime running lights turn on.

*1: For U.S.A. *2: For Canada

Turning on the high beam headlights

1. With the headlights on, push the lever away from you to turn on the high beams. Pull the lever toward you to the center position to turn the high beams off.
2. Pull the lever toward you and release it to flash the high beams once. You can flash the high beams with the headlights on or off.

Daytime running light system

• TypeA:
  The daytime running lights illuminate using the same lights as the headlights and illuminate darker than the headlights.
  Type B:
  The daytime running lights illuminate using the same lights as the parking lights and illuminate brighter than the parking lights.
• To make your vehicle more visible to other drivers during daytime driving, the daytime running lights turn on automatically when all of the following conditions are met. (The daytime running lights are not designed for use at night.)
  • The engine is running
  •  The parking brake is released
  • The headlight switch is in the tion
  • *: When the surroundings are bright(Canada only)

The daytime running lights remain on after they illuminate, even if the parking brake is set again.

• For U.S.A.: Daytime running lights can be turned off by operating the switch.
• Compared to turning on the headlights, the daytime running light system offers greater durability and consumes less electricity, so it can help improve fuel economy.

Headlight control sensor

The sensor may not function properly if an object is placed on the sensor, or anything that blocks the sensor is affixed to the windshield.

Doing so interferes with the sensor detecting the level of ambient light and may cause the automatic headlight system to malfunction.

Automatic light off system

Vehicles without a smart key system

• When the headlights are on: The headlights and tail lights turn off 30 seconds after the engine switch is turned to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position and a door is opened and closed. (The lights turn off immediately if on the key is pressed twice after all the doors are closed.)
• When only the tail lights are on: The tail lights turn off automatically if the engine switch is turned to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position and the driver’s door is opened.

To turn the lights on again, turn the engine switch to “ON” position, or turn the light switch off once and then back to or .

If any of the doors or trunk lid is kept open, the lights automatically turn off after 20 minutes.

Vehicles with a smart key system

• When the headlights are on: The headlights and tail lights turn off 30 seconds after the engine switch is turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned off and a door is opened and closed. (The lights turn off immediately if on the key is pressed twice after all the doors are closed.)
• When only the tail lights are on: The tail lights turn off automatically if the engine switch is turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned off and the driver’s door is opened.

To turn the lights on again, turn the engine switch to IGNITION ON mode, or turn the light switch off once and then back to or .

If any of the doors or trunk lid is kept open, the lights automatically turn off after 20 minutes.

Light reminder buzzer (except when the light switch is in )

Vehicles without a smart key system:

A buzzer sounds when the engine switch is turned to the “LOCK” or “ACC” position and the driver’s door is opened with the key removed from the engine switch while the lights are turned on.

Vehicles with a smart key system:

A buzzer sounds when the engine switch is turned off or turned to ACCESSORY mode and the driver’s door is opened while the lights are turned on.

Windshield wiper linked headlight illumination

When driving during daytime with the headlight switch turned to , if the windshield wipers are used, the headlights will turn on automatically after several seconds to help enhance the visibility of your vehicle.

Battery-saving function

In the following conditions, the remaining lights will go off automatically after 20 minutes in order to prevent the vehicle battery from being discharged:

• The headlights and/or tail lights are on.
• Vehicles without a smart key system:
  The engine switch is in the “ACC” or “LOCK” position. Vehicles with a smart key system:
  The engine switch is in ACCESSORY mode or turned off.
  This function will be canceled in any of the following situations:
• Vehicles without a smart key system:
  When the engine switch is turned to the “ON” position. Vehicles with a smart key system:
  When the engine switch is turned to IGNITION ON mode.
• When the light switch is operated
• When a door or the trunk is opened or closed

Automatic High Beam

The Automatic High Beam uses a front camera located behind the upper portion of the windshield to assess the brightness of the lights of vehicles ahead, streetlights, etc., and automatically turns the high beams on or off as necessary.

Activating the Automatic High Beam

Push the lever away from you with the headlight switch in the

Press the Automatic High Beam switch.
The Automatic High Beam indicator will come on when the system is operating.

Turning the high beams on/off manually

Switching to the low beams

Pull the lever to its original position.

The Automatic High Beam indicator will turn off. Push the lever away from you to activate the Automatic High Beam system again.

Switching to the high beams Press the Automatic High Beam switch.

The Automatic High Beam indicator will turn off and the high beam indicator will turn on. Press the switch to activate the Automatic High Beam system again.

Conditions to turn the high beams on/off automatically

• When all of the following conditions are met, the high beams will be turned on automatically (after approximately 1 second):
  • The vehicle speed is approximately 21 mph (34 km/h) or more.
  • The area ahead of the vehicle is dark.
  • There are no vehicles ahead with headlights or tail lights turned on. • There are few streetlights on the road ahead.
• If any of the following conditions is met, the high beams will turn off automatically:
  • The vehicle speed is below approximately 17 mph (27 km/h).
  • The area ahead of the vehicle is not dark.
  • Vehicles ahead have their headlights or tail lights turned on.
  • There are many streetlights on the road ahead.

Front camera detection information

• The high beams may not be automatically turned off in the following situations:
  • When a vehicle suddenly appears from around a curve
  • When the vehicle is cut in front of by another vehicle
  • When vehicles ahead cannot be detected due to repeated curves, road dividers or roadside trees
  • When vehicles ahead appear in a faraway lane on a wide road
  • When the lights of vehicles ahead are not on
• The high beams may be turned off if a vehicle ahead that is using fog lights without its headlights turned on is detected.
• House lights, street lights, traffic signals, and illuminated billboards or signs and other reflective objects may cause the high beams to change to the low beams, or the low beams to remain on.
• The following factors may affect the amount of time taken for the high beams to turn on or off:
  • The brightness of the headlights, fog lights, and tail lights of vehicles ahead
  • The movement and direction of vehicles ahead
  • When a vehicle ahead only has operational lights on one side
  • When a vehicle ahead is a two-wheeled vehicle
  • The condition of the road (gradient, curve, condition of the road surface, etc.)
  • The number of passengers and amount of luggage in the vehicle
• The high beams may turn on or off unexpectedly.
• Bicycles or similar vehicles may not be detected.
• In the following situations the system may not be able to correctly detect the surrounding brightness level. This may cause the low beams to remain on or the high beams to flash or dazzle pedestrians or vehicles ahead. In such a case, it is necessary to manually switch between the high and low beams.
  • When driving in inclement weather (heavy rain, snow, fog, sandstorms, etc.)
  • When the windshield is obscured by fog, mist, ice, dirt, etc.
  • When the windshield is cracked or damaged
  • When the front camera is deformed or dirty
  • When the temperature of the front camera is extremely high
  • When the surrounding brightness level is equal to that of headlights, taillights or fog lights
  • When headlights or tail lights of vehicles ahead are turned off, dirty, changing color, or not aimed properly
  • When the vehicle is hit by water, snow, dust, etc. from a preceding vehicle
  • When driving through an area of intermittently changing brightness and darkness
  • When frequently and repeatedly driving ascending/descending roads, or roads with rough, bumpy or uneven surfaces (such as stone-paved
    roads, gravel roads, etc.)
  • When frequently and repeatedly taking curves or driving on a winding road
  • When there is a highly reflective object ahead of the vehicle, such as a sign or mirror
  • When the back of a preceding vehicle is highly reflective, such as a container on a truck
  • When the vehicle’s headlights are damaged or dirty, or are not aimed properly
  • When the vehicle is listing or titling due to a flat tire, a trailer being towed, etc.
  • When the headlights are changed between the high beams and low beams repeatedly in an abnormal manner
  • When the driver believes that the high beams may be flashing or dazzling pedestrians or other drivers

Temporarily lowering sensor sensitivity

The sensitivity of the sensor can be temporarily lowered.

1. Turn the engine switch off while the following conditions are met.
   • The headlight switch is in .
   • The headlight switch lever is in high beam position.
2. Turn the engine switch to the “ON” position (vehicles without a smart key system) or IGNITION ON mode (vehicles with a smart key system).
3. Within 5 seconds after 2 , repeat pulling the headlight switch lever to the original position then pushing it to the high beam position quickly 9 times, then leave the lever in high beam position.

Automatic High Beam (headlights) may turn on even when the vehicle is stopped.