Headlight Protocol: Exploring Mechanics’ Reasons For Turning Them Off

I hadn't thought about this before, because I usually don't obsess about the little things. Well, my wife would argue that fact.

Recently we have both had work done on our vehicles and she informed me that the headlight switch had been turned to 'off ' from 'auto', where she always leaves it, so she doesn't have to worry about turning them on every day.

If it were a one-time thing, no big deal, but it has happened several times, and this time, the same thing happened with my vehicle, when I had my brakes replaced.

I understand that lights are checked during an annual inspection, but for something like brake pad replacement, why would a mechanic turn the light switch from auto to off?

Not being one who is mechanically inclined, I thought it would be interesting to find out why, or if this is just something that happens only to us.

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So, I threw out the question social media, to find out what our readers had to say about the subject. Did I get any responses? Wow, I sure did, along with a few that had nothing good to say, but decided it was important to tell social media how they felt.

So, what is the reason?

Josh P. from B&B Automotive Service and Restorations notes: "Because while in the garage, your headlights are constantly on. We turn them off, so we don't kill your battery and so we don't blind ourselves."

Josh W. from Diesel Wizard Garage also chimed in: "When I work on a car I typically turn the lights off so as not to drain the battery as mentioned previously and during some procedures, it is required to leave the ignition on and the lights will drain the battery. On some occasions, we also turn off the heater & a/c."

A friend of mine, who is a mechanic also chimed in that when your vehicle is on the lift, it is in neutral with the key in the ignition, so anything like the lights, radio, etc, needs to be turned off for the reasons mentioned above. It all makes sense. Thanks for the clarification!

By the way, here are some other responses I received:

Amy S. - To keep them off while the vehicle battery is on inside of the facility where it is dark enough most likely to activate them.

Jaime H. - I'm no mechanic, but I'm guessing whatever space they're using for your repairs is dark enough for the headlights to automatically turn on. I'm also guessing that can be annoying to them while they're working on your vehicle.

Nate E. - Good question! I’m sure there’s a reason but it’s annoying when you’re not paying attention and used to having them on auto. I bet people have been pulled over because of this.

Kandie B.- While you're at it, can someone please tell me why my lights won't go off unless the battery is unhooked? No one can seem to tell me.