Auto headlight conversion with coming home/ leaving home lights

Birchall said:
6 "Auto" fog lights ???.
Not sure why you wouldn't just pull up the switch? When I tried to set them onto Auto, the front fogs were on while driving (might be like DRLS?)
to switch on or off the front fogs do the following.
Ignition ON, turn to the sidelight position , then to Auto and back to sidelights quickly and the fog lamp will indicate the setting. Your front fogs will be on.
Click to expand...

I have a new auto-lights switch assembly (well, it was waiting for years to be fitted) because the previous one didn't get my best skills ;) (to cut and glue the symbols ring) and because the new assembly is hard touch and thus best matches my climate control panel.
The old switch had a separate module, the new one is an integrated one (without Bluetooth), so the one that Steve "Birchall" is describing.
I have a question about the "auto fog lights" feature.
I tried it, but it seems that it's only working in conjunction with the low beams when they come on.
I thought it was a DRL mimic : fog lights come one immediately, but no...
Do some others have tried this and came to the same conclusion, or did I do something wrong ?
Thanks in advance 👍
Fabrice
 
IMG_1987.jpeg
Has anyone bought the auto headlight switch with no sensor wire. Instead it has the sensor built in to the top of the rotary switch instead. I got it direct from aliExpress (China)

It was cheap too. £19.19. Arrived in a week too, super quick.

I am wondering if it will work, but worth a try at that price. No Bluetooth but the app doesn’t work anyway.
If it does work it is going to make it even easier to install. Around 10 mins. (I don’t cut holes in the surround, I am too lazy to do that and it looks ok anyway IMHO
 
Birchall said:
View attachment 107301Has anyone bought the auto headlight switch with no sensor wire. Instead it has the sensor built in to the top of the rotary switch instead. I got it direct from aliExpress (China)

It was cheap too. £19.19. Arrived in a week too, super quick.

I am wondering if it will work, but worth a try at that price. No Bluetooth but the app doesn’t work anyway.
If it does work it is going to make it even easier to install. Around 10 mins. (I don’t cut holes in the surround, I am too lazy to do that and it looks ok anyway IMHO
Click to expand...

Following


Sent from thin air
 
Birchall said:
View attachment 107301Has anyone bought the auto headlight switch with no sensor wire. Instead it has the sensor built in to the top of the rotary switch instead. I got it direct from aliExpress (China)

It was cheap too. £19.19. Arrived in a week too, super quick.

I am wondering if it will work, but worth a try at that price. No Bluetooth but the app doesn’t work anyway.
If it does work it is going to make it even easier to install. Around 10 mins. (I don’t cut holes in the surround, I am too lazy to do that and it looks ok anyway IMHO
Click to expand...

Following


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Hope it works although I suspect it may be too sensitive with the sensor located low in the dash and switch the lights on too easily. The normal auto headlight switches all have their sensor near the rear view mirror for this reason.
 
audifan said:
Hope it works although I suspect it may be too sensitive with the sensor located low in the dash and switch the lights on too easily. The normal auto headlight switches all have their sensor near the rear view mirror for this reason.
Click to expand...
But the sensitivity is adjustable on these so I wouldn’t think that would be an issue. The sensor is at the top of the switch pointing straight up and so gets enough light.
On the ones with the separate wired sensor I tend to keep them further back anyway because I find that it works better there.
But a good point to consider, thanks.

We will see
 
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Birchall said:
But the sensitivity is adjustable on these so I wouldn’t think that would be an issue. The sensor is at the top of the switch pointing straight up and so gets enough light.
On the ones with the separate wired sensor I tend to keep them further back anyway because I find that it works better there.
But a good point to consider, thanks.

We will see
Click to expand...
Some good news and some bad news.
The good news is that this switch functions correctly. The bad news is that you would have to do the full hole cut out conversion rather than the “ plug and play” simple installation.
The reason is the it is impossible to get the switch through the headlight switch surround. On the other version (with the wired sensor) you can remove the chrome trim from the new switch. To get it through the standard hole.
I had to break the icon ring and dig out a chunk of the surround just to get the switch through the standard fascia (As in the pictures).
My fascia was worn away so I didn’t mind hacking it to get the switch in so that I can test it in use.

But if you were planning on cutting a hole in the headlight switch fascia anyway then you will be fine.

Worth a try with it just being £19 delivered in seven days and I like the inbuilt sensor.
Steve B
 
These switches are "stacked" so the operating knob must be fitted last. If it is "welded" in then not much hope but if on claws or lugs there is a chance the knob can be taken off the switch without destroying the fascia.
 
Unfortunately the operating knob is not removable. I tried it when I bought my first auto headlight switch.
Steve B
 
I know on the older generation Auto switches the chrome trim on the switch unclips to make the knob smaller and can be removed from the fascia without issue.

Looking at the latest switch perhaps the chrome partial trim can be unclipped and that may expose something else that can be removed?
 
Unfortunately not. It is the black plastic that is too big and the chrome trim doesn’t come off and it wouldn’t help anyway.
Steve B
 
Cenick said:
Have you got a photo of it in situ Steve?


Sent from thin air
Click to expand...
Not yet and it is too dark. It looks a mess But it is in and working
My plan is to get a nice switch fascia and just trim it neatly.
I will do my best to get this done.
 
Morning Steve,

As you say, these latest switches of course do work when connected up but can be difficult to fit. The trick is to understand/work out the assembly order and Graham @audifan, as he so often does, has hit the nail on the head. On this type of switch you can actually remove the top touch-part that houses the 2 sensors.

The switch simply pulls off but this isn’t the end of the remedial works required to get it correctly fitted. Once the switches knob had been removed you will see 2 wires (red and black from memory) which you’ll have to cut the rejoin once you’ve sandwiched the 2 parts of the switch either side of the factory switch surround trim panel.

Be careful when removing the top of the switch as you could damage one of the light sensors or the wiring to them. There is a possibility of removing the 2 sensors from the switch and push them back in afterwards, this would of course save cutting the 2 wires. So far I’ve only removed the upper most sensor as the lower (central) sensor wouldn’t easily pop out. This modification has taken a back seat the last couple of weeks but I’ll revisit it this evening if time permits. One important feature that I’ve not checked so far is if the fog light illuminations are correct like the are on the later Bluetooth variants. Hope that all makes sense.

I’ll try to get pictures added on here this evening once back home from work to show what I’ve probably poorly explained above.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
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2work said:
Morning Steve,

As you say, these latest switches of course do work when connected up but can be difficult to fit. The trick is to understand/work out the assembly order and Graham @audifan, as he so often does, has hit the nail on the head. On this type of switch you can actually remove the top touch-part that houses the 2 sensors.

The switch simply pulls off but this isn’t the end of the remedial works required to get it correctly fitted. Once the switches knob had been removed you will see 2 wires (red and black from memory) which you’ll have to cut the rejoin once you’ve sandwiched the 2 parts of the switch either side of the factory switch surround trim panel.

Be careful when removing the top of the switch as you could damage one of the light sensors or the wiring to them. There is a possibility of removing the 2 sensors from the switch and push them back in afterwards, this would of course save cutting the 2 wires. So far I’ve only removed the upper most sensor as the lower (central) sensor wouldn’t easily pop out. This modification has taken a back seat the last couple of weeks but I’ll revisit it this evening if time permits. Hope that makes sense.

I’ll try to get pictures added on here this evening once back home from work to show what I’ve just poorly explained above.

Kind regards,

Tom
Click to expand...
Thanks Tom.
I tried pulling it off but was worried that it might break. I used a fair amount of force though. I will have another go and see what I can do. Does the switch have to be in any particular position or does it simply pull off after a bit of force?
Thanks to you and Graham 👍🏼
 
Birchall said:
Thanks Tom.
I tried pulling it off but was worried that it might break. I used a fair amount of force though. I will have another go and see what I can do. Does the switch have to be in any particular position or does it simply pull off after a bit of force?
Thanks to you and Audifan 👍🏼
Click to expand...
Hi Steve,

I pulled it off from the Auto position but don’t see why it couldn’t be removed from any other position Sir. It will come off, promise.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Steve,

The switch was still in the car so just re-pulled the touch-part off and can confirm the wires are red and blue and not red and black.

I initially thought the central light sensor was adhered in but it isn’t. Just push it back with your finger mail and it’ll pop out. No need to cut wires. I’m about to set off so will come back to you later with how it looks fitted with a standard fascia trim panel.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
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