Backup Lights On, Not in Reverse--BAD IDEA!

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: mpvue
I haven't noticed this GM 'feature'; how long do the white reverse lights stay on? is this like headlights that stay on after you've parked? (causing everyone to yell at you "HEY! you left your lights on!")


Yeah, it's similar to the headlights that stay on, which I don't understand either. It's very rare that I need my vehicle's headlights to be on when I am outside of it, so I don't see the point of putting that drain on the battery. I guess it's a "convenience," because turning a switch is so hard.

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
It's called perimeter lighting guys and it is programmable on or off...people don't read the manual though.


Perimeter lighting sounds like a feature intended to appeal to SAFETY MOMS who want to check for rapists before entering their Suburban.

 

[MNgopher]

Doesn't matter to me if its programmable or not. As a driver, its annoying. If I see reverse lights on, I have to assume the vehicle is going to be backing up (with the usual poor rearward vision). This "feature", while legal, just muddies the waters.

 

[CBR.worm]

It is annoying. I see a car with it's reverse lights on and I stop and wait, assuming that the driver can't see me. And I wait and I wait, then finally cautiously go around, only to see there is no one in the car.

It is idiotic.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
It's called perimeter lighting guys and it is programmable on or off...people don't read the manual though.
Factory default should be OFF.

I read the Mountaineer manual and finally figured out how to turn off the stupid seat belt bell. I couldn't sit in a parking space with the engine running unless I was belted or the bell would keep going off. The deprograming is complex but works. Not the bell only goes off at startup and then is done.

 

[Win]

My wife appreciates the approach lighting on the new GM vehicles. I also think it's a nice feature. I program them to stay on for the maximum interval.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
It's called perimeter lighting guys and it is programmable on or off...people don't read the manual though.


So true. This is even on my 05 Silverado, it's hardly 'new'. Personally I like it, it's nice to light up the whole area around the truck when you're in a certain kind of area.

 

[TallPaul]

It would be nice if there was a way to apply the backup light feature only when desired, such as the rare occasion that you are in a bad neighborhood. Kind of like the panic feature which sets off your horn and is on a separate button.

As for me, I don't want a car with these remote entry devices. Give me a standard key, crank windows, manual levers or dial for the HVAC controls, and a radio with two dials (one for volume, one for the radio band) so one can diddle with the radio without taking the eyes off the road. Forget the fancy electonics such as touch screen and all that. Too distracting, too difficult to work, one more thing to go wrong.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I, too, have been victim of a driverless GM vehicle with reverse lights on. I guess those of us considerate enough to watch for that kind of thing to give the driver plenty of room to back up are most prone to this "gotcha". I guess what they say really is true: no good deed goes unpunished!

 

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
It's called perimeter lighting guys and it is programmable on or off...people don't read the manual though.


So true. This is even on my 05 Silverado, it's hardly 'new'. Personally I like it, it's nice to light up the whole area around the truck when you're in a certain kind of area.


I like it too. I have an LED light bar across the back that lights up white too, which adds to the OEM perimeter lights. I find it a safety feature so I can see in parking garages and dark situations. Comes in handy. Very rarely do I see someone stop because they think the vehicle is backing out (reverse lights on). I do try to minimize those scenarios, however, by pressing my unlock button after someone has driven by.