Is it best to manually turn off the headlights before you shut the vehicle down? I know the Prius has the auto shut off function, but I'm not sure if that's killing the life of the bulbs (including fogs). I know that the LEDs are supposed to last a very long time, so maybe it's okay to keep them on whenever you're driving??
Why would you assume that shutting them down by turning the switch off is any different from the automatic shut down? Am I missing something?
LEDs do last a very long time. Assuming that you keep the 30 second auto-off setting, I cannot see that it would have a dramatic effect on the long term life of them. If anything, the extra 30 seconds once or twice per day, over the life of the car, may add up to several days, so I suppose that if we have a method to measure the lifespan to the day, you may see a slight difference, but I doubt it. Besides, if you bought the V, then you can most likely afford to replace the lights. (Speaking only from personal experience).
Considering the LED headlights in the V have a 15 year lifespan, I wouldn't worry much about them staying on an extra 30 seconds if you don't want to turn them off... I turn em' off personally, I can't see leaving them on.
If someone who (like me) couldnt afford V but like to put in LED headlights in II what hardware is needed? I know it cannot be a straight switch.
On the V, it is much more than just a bulb - there is a sensor to adjust aiming, and an entirely different housing. The after market LED bulbs are not bright enough to be legal, an usually say as much.
There are several threads where this question has been asked and answered... It involves more than just buying them and swapping them in after the halogen headlight assembly's are removed.
I leave them on all the time to act as Daylight Running Lights - much safer. The auto-off function works just fine.
The longevity hit is equivalent to driving 30 seconds slower each trip. If the lights being on for 30 seconds before auto-off bothers you, you can have the dealer adjust it to go off at 0 second.
Well if you're worried, just press the LOCK button twice on the fob (or once if you've already locked the car via SKS). That'll turn off the lights remotely.
