craigh
Dedicated LVC Member
Might anyone have a source for one?
Looking for an automatic headlight sensor for my Gen 1
- Thread starter craigh
- Start date
04_Sport_LS
Dedicated LVC Member
craigh
Dedicated LVC Member
Thank you! This helps. Initial searches are turning up nothing. This might end up being a junkyard hunt.
04_Sport_LS
Dedicated LVC Member
Truthfully... I never liked the "auto" setting because it left the tail lights off (like most late model cars do).
I popped my headlight switch out and took it apart... and did a "bypass" so if I could run with just fogs only (DRLs) or headlights on, which let me have tails all the time.
I popped my headlight switch out and took it apart... and did a "bypass" so if I could run with just fogs only (DRLs) or headlights on, which let me have tails all the time.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
That's not remotely true!
Auto lights on the LS (like other Lincolns, Mercuries, Fords,...) turn all the parking lights on and the headlights. It always did on both my Lincolns and on my Grand Marquis and so on. I can show you the schematics to show it has no way to not turn the rear lights on with the headlights.
I once talked to someone that has a similar complaint about their GM car. It took a minute to realize that they were not talking about automatic headlights at all (thought they thought they were), they were talking about driving lights. (AFAIK, only Canadian LSes have driving lights.) My current car has driving lights, but you can only enable them if you have auto lights turned on too.
Auto headlights : Turns the headlights and parking lights on when it is dark enough to need them and the car is on. Turns them off when it is light enough not to need them or after a delay after turning the car off. Some cars (the LS is one) also will turn the headlights (and parking lights) on if the wipers are on.
Driving lights: Turns the low beam headlight on only (or the high beam at half power) anything the engine is running and the parking break is not set.
04_Sport_LS
Dedicated LVC Member
You are correct. Now that I think about it... I did the bypass for fogs, so both they and the headlights were on.
What I basically did... was make it so I didn't have to pull the switch out... and had fogs/DRL with headlights... full time... or fogs/DRLs only.
What I basically did... was make it so I didn't have to pull the switch out... and had fogs/DRL with headlights... full time... or fogs/DRLs only.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
That's not a bad idea at all.
I had thought about a design that would have a electronically latching momentary switch so that the fogs being on could be retained for a few hours between using the car, but would expire after that.
My current car uses a camera for high-beams and such. I am a little tempted to look into some programming to see if I could teach it to recognize fog. It does a really good job at figuring out if it is raining enough to need them.
04_Sport_LS
Dedicated LVC Member
It was just a matter of filing down a tab inside the switch... and pop it back together.
oddball
Dedicated LVC Member
Just a warning - replacing the sensor might not help. I've replaced all the easily accessible parts (light sensor, switch) and auto headlights are always on. I spent a bit of time every few years trying to figure it out and never made any progress.
Most likely a junkyard trip.
Most likely a junkyard trip.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
Sounds like that leaves the wiring and the instrument cluster. I have the pin-point tests for the 2nd gen, but not the 1st gen.
craigh
Dedicated LVC Member
I have replaced the sensor before and it did fix the issue with the head lights. Hoping that is still the issue.