i read on here if you had the basic headlight control switch (no tip or reset or a/b or automatic lights options ) you could switch the control with one that had these features and it should be plug and play

aye yeah no go.

then i read about dash board light sensor? not sure where this is located, and if i need a fuse to have this option.

i thought the sensor was in the rear view mirror along with the rain detector, atleast looks like that to me.

confused and fustrated, again, any one know how to get this to work?

 

What are you trying to get to work, the auto dimming rear view mirror? The sensor should be where you think it is. I think the dash board sensor is only for the HVAC system (sunlight sensing). Not 100% sure, maybe a tech will chime in.

 

no i have the auto dimming rear view mirror.

im talking the sunlight sensing. where if its dark headlights turn on, if its light headlights are off.

i replaced the dash headlight switch from my standard one to the one that has the options for the trip, reset, a-b buttons and the automatic headlight option on the lights knob.

didn't work like i was hoping, so now im guessing i need to get the hvac sunlight sensor?

 

See I'm not sure if that sensor performs both duties. Logically you would think so, but making assumptions could get expensive.

The sensor and system are diagramed here (page 111): http://jaguar.bttlxe.com/xtype/Elect...ec%20Guide.pdf

Perhaps do some wire tracing and see if you can figure it out.

 

i'll see if i can figure it whenever i go home.

i'll post success or fairlures or findings incase someone else wants to do this

 

chris -

i think im about done playing with wires
i have traced(tried) every wire trying to get 'plug and play' features
i am out of options

i guess this isn't windows, plug n play is not an option.

it strange though - i have the light sensor, rain sensor, and all equipment for heated seats under the seats. i have tried to 'plug n play' these three things and haven't gotten anywhere.

if a tech could chim in and point me in the right direction or if im gonna have to go spend $$ by all means please do.

i think im going to stop blowing money on features 'i wish i had' and go buy a mesh grille like i have been wanting.

 

jn_lego, first, lets see if you have everything that is necessary. First, you will need to access the plug going to the headlight switch. Now, locate pin #14 on this plug. It should have a green wire attached to it. If you don't have a green wire there, then you definitely don't have the rest of the stuff needed to make all of this work. Next, connecting a multimeter between pin #14 and chassis ground (set to resistance), cover the light detector (rear view mirror). Does the multimeter drop to a very low resistance? If no, then you are missing the light sensor. If yes, then your system should be working. If not, then let me know and we will take it from there.

 

thermo -

i almost said 'maybe thermo can jump in and answer this' but i put tech insted.

pin #14 is green. i do not have a multimeter .. i'll see if my neighbore does but i doubt it. if not i will have to pick one up tommorow and get back to you.

besides the multimeter, on the far left side of my windsheild vent is a wired sensor, leading me to beleive it is the light sensor.

also whenever i follow the headlamp switch control wires up into the dash, i come accross a yellow connector that says 01/02 amp and im not sure how many pins as foam is glued arond the head. not sure what this is? or if it is important. combing down the dash from what i beleive to be the light sensor is a red and black wire that connects into the main stream of wires.

sorry not the best at explaining wires, above my head but trying.


thanks

 

Lego, I know what sensor you are talking about. That has nothing to do with the headlight circuit. That is specifically for the heating/cooling system inside the car to determine the amount of heat that is being absorbed by the body of the car and to help keep the interior of the car at the desired temp.

Looking at the diagrams, it is using the plug that is going to the rear view mirror to control the autolamp feature. So, your light sensor is up there.

Not to ask the silly question, but when you are testing the headlights, are you placing the ignition key in the tumbler and turning it to the "RUN" position (motor doesn't need to be running). The system is set up to not allow the lights to be on with the key out of the car. This can make one think that the system is not functioning properly.

The other thing that you can do is get a small piece of wire and strip back about 1/2" of insulation on both ends. Now, place the headlight switch into the "AUTOLAMP" position and going into the back side of the plug (where the wires enter the plug), stick this small jumper wire between pins #13 and #14. Do the headlights come on now? If no, you have a bad/wrong headlight switch. If yes, you either have a wiring problem between the headlight switch and the autolamp sensor or you don't have the autolamp sensor installed in your rear view mirror. You can pull down the overhead console and see if you can spot the green (pin #5) and the green/black wire (pin #4) in one of the plugs up there. You can re-perform the test there using these two wires and the short jumper wire to confirm the wiring is good.

We will come to an end with this.

 

thermo -

i have the key in the III position, and i have even turned the car on.

i have work till 5 - i will try the jumper wire this evening as soon as i get a chance and let you know.

i thought that it was controlled by the rearview mirror.

heres a quick description of the mirror so you might be able to determine if it is the correct mirror:

auto dim works, it has what i refer to as a little 'eyeball' sensor looking thing in the front towards the bottom. on the outside of the windsheild it is black where the rear view is with a dark black circle appearing where the mirror connects (chris x said it matches the description for rain sensor).

is the other sensor on the front the light sensor? that what i thought. its toward to the middle lower on the front of the mirror. it matches the light sensor that i had in a buick.

i'll go through what you suggested as soon as i can and let you know the outcome.

thanks

 

termo - thank again. after listening to what you wrote and looking at the diagram, i have a much better understanding of how the electrical diagram works.

that will probably help me out with alot of things.

 

ok thermo

headlights came on using the jumper wire from the switch.

havent gotten inside of the overhead console, i think i pulled it out on the wrong end so i am going to research how to perform this before i break something i wont want to.

if i can locate pin 5 and pin 4 inside the overhead console i will test with the jumper wire. if i dont locate the 2 wires - what does that mean? if i do and it works there does that mean i require a sensor? from a peep it looked like everything was connected inside.

thanks in advanced for your help

 

thermo - i have to buy a new overhead console now .. circuit board for lights went up n smoke

buuuuuuut no green and black wire. so my guess in rear view mirror does not have sensor. please let me know if this is correct.

thanks

 

jn_lego, by the connector designation, it should be up in the roof area. I would find it hard to believe that it would not be up in that little cubby hole under the lights. It is possible that the harness you have going up to the overhead console is different than cars that have this feature from the factory. To verify this, you will need to pull off the cover for the A pillar on the driver's side (the cover between the front door and the windshield). Down near the dash, you will find 2 plugs (may be labeled, one will be labeled CA1, the other labeled CA36). Plug CA1 will have your wires at pins #17 nd #18. Plug CA36 will have your pins at #3 and #15. What you will more than likely find is that one side of a plug will have your green and green/black wires and the other side will be left blank. If that is the case, you would need to run your own wires up the A-pillar and over to the overhead console. But then, that would also more than likely mean that if you didn't find an empty plug, that you will also need a different mirror (one that has the autolamp feature built into it).

If you can trace the wire bundles, connector CA1 is the cabin to instrument cluster plug and CA36 is the cabin to roof harness plug.

On another note, what happened to lead to smoking of the circuit board. I am just curious so if I send someone else up into that area, I can give them a heads up of what not to do.

 

thermo.

im not sure what caused the death of the circuit board. i would guess the connector for the overhead lights hitting the board wrong ( it was when i was re-inserting it)
i started off wrong and pulled the back out first, i think i could have saved the board if i would have disconnected the battery. whenever my replacement gets here im going to disconnect the battery and take my time. that thing is a bitch though. i'd reither drain and refill the transfer case or do the brakes.

im going to research about removing the a pillar, if it is something difficult im probably just going to forget about it before i break something else.

thanks thermo

 

thermo while im in this area

the 3 buttons that are on the light switch control, a-b, reset, and i think the last is trip.

they don't work either, do you have any suggestions to get them to work? i have the plug that connects to them & all but nothing comes from them

 

jn-lego, not sure what to tell you about the 3 buttons. That should be another one of those things that as long as you have the wiring between the buttons and the computer, that should work. IT is just a resistor behind the buttons. The computer knows which one is being pressed by the the voltage developed by each resistor (think of a voltage divider network and you have a known resistor that is inside the computer and a few different value resistors that you can pick from, by knowing the voltage in and the resistance of the known, you can figure out the rest).

 

thermo - dont want you to think i abonded this project. im waiting for the new overhead to come so i can try and tackle it all at once.
expecting it within the next day or too.

 

jn_lego, I'm not worried. I know you ran into a stumbling block with this. I am moving at your pace. We don't always get the time we want for working on our cars.

 

thermo - finally got to trace the wires. rear view does not have the light sensor, thought it did but doesnt. i am searching for a new one from ebay or something although im having alot of issues finding the overhead console, i have received to broken ones and have to get refunds ect. pita.

if anyone attempts this to be safe i would disconnect battery to avoid frying the light circuit board on overhead console, i dont have the lightest hands though


i will let you know the final outcome after i get the new r/v

appreciate all your help, thanks