auto headlights sensor position

darko · Post by **darko** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 3:27 pm

If anyone knows where the sensor for auto headlights is positioned i would be very greatfull.
In my country there is no need for lights on at all the time but on holidays I allways forget to put them on.
If I knew where is sensor i would trick it to run them allways
Cheers

neildavies · Post by **neildavies** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 5:13 pm

I think it's where the wiper sensors are, by the rear view mirror, at the top of the windscreen.

Post by **DaiRees** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:09 pm

Isn't it the thing right in the middle of the dashboard, between the screen blower vents?

neildavies · Post by **neildavies** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 7:04 pm

No Dai, that's a sun sensor for the climate control. I had one on my old D8 (no auto lights).

In fact, it's all in the manual, at least the D8 manual it was.

jameslxdt · Post by **jameslxdt** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 7:19 pm

yeah, as far as i can remember its combined with the rain sensor
did you know that the latest bmw's have a FOG sensor? how lazy are people getting these days!

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 8:25 pm

please please please please tell me it stops the foglamps from illuminating UNLESS there's good readon to...

neildavies · Post by **neildavies** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:12 pm

I hope that's the case too. Was some market research done and they found that BMW drivers are the worst for using foglights. When you can see the foglights that is, if their behind you, their normally too close to see the front of the car.

Post by **DaiRees** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:19 pm

jameslxdt wrote:did you know that the latest bmw's have a FOG sensor? how lazy are people getting these days!

Any truth in the rumour that they're also thinking of fitting indicators to BMWs?

neildavies · Post by **neildavies** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:16 am

DaiRees wrote:Any truth in the rumour that they're also thinking of fitting indicators to BMWs?

Behave yourself Dai and don't be silly. BMW will never have any intentions of fitting indicators as the drivers wouldn't have a clue how to use them.

Rumour has it though that fonrt parking sensors are going to be standard, so they can get as close as possible when tailing you on motorways.

darko · Post by **darko** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:16 am

Thanks for disscusion but I think my make is not BMW althought I had CAR 635csi and after that only VEHICLES, so u think could be the rain sensor which is by the way is stupidity, headlight sensor is realy something and scan on the fm which we do not have on PUGS

Post by **DaiRees** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:55 am

Neil, I think you may have upset him......

Darko, we think that the headlight sensor is combined with the rain sensor, which isn't stupidity but would make good sense.

You could test this by putting a piece of tape over the sensor, but I don't know whether that would make the wipers go mad

Tell you what I'll have a dig around and see if I can find any more info for you.

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:22 pm

darko wrote:so u think could be the rain sensor which is by the way is stupidity

Someone offers an answer and you call it stupid?

Post by **Welly** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:57 pm

I wish I had auto lights

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 3:08 pm

I don't. Heck the bloody auto windscreen wipers are bad enough ;)

Post by **DaiRees** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 4:21 pm

Yup that's deffinately it!

Right this is the way I think it works, I reckon that the shiny bit in the middle is the rain sensor, that works by projecting a beam of light into the windscreen so that it reflects off the front surface of the glass. This relection is measured. When it rains the water droplets on the screen refract the light and scatter the beam, so the amount of light reflected changes, and the wipers operate.

I also reckon that the 8 "pads" around the outside of the device are Light Dependent Resistors which measure the level of ambient light. When it goes dark the resistance change triggers a switch which turns the lights on.

If my technical [s]guess[/s] explanation as to the operation of there sensors is bolox, I look forward to being corrected, however......

I've just been in the garage with the lights off

. Started the car so that the headlights came on then shone an inspection lamp right at the sensor, moved it away, moved it back again etc..... (lights go off, lights go on, lights go off, lights go on, lights go off...........wooohooo

very Homer Simpson-esque

).

So the sensor for the automatic headlights can be found at the top of the windscreen in the same place as the sensor for the automatic wipers.......

Stupidity huh????