I did a search with out any success, has anyone retrofitted the automatic headlights system onto an older van? After I stop driving my 2000 I was thinking about switching the system to my 98, if it's not to hard. Just curious, it's not high on my list to do.
Automatic headlights does you no good when you drive through an area that requires headlights on at all times. It takes me 2 seconds to reach down with my left hand and turn on the headlights.
It's pretty easy. Grab the auto dimming rear view mirror with the auto headlight feature from a '92 or '93 Chrysler in a junkyard. Hook it up, and all is good. Relays will be required.
You must have had a lebaron or something. The smaller ones that that, the larger C/Y new Yorker, Dynasty, and Imperial had the whole thing on the mirror.
Were those the older RWD cars? Had a '95 LHS (based off the FWD Intrepid) with the sun sensor on the dash, with auto headlights & auto climate control. And that was a HUGE car...
No, that mirror was only used on the Dynasty, New Yorker, and Imperial... front wheel drive. Only for '92 and '93, 88-91 used a mirror with auto dimming only, and no headlight control. The mirror is controlled by two photocells, one in the glass facing the rear window, the other in the back side of the mirror facing the front. The glass will darken in relation to the difference in brightness. The headlights are controlled by a photocell attached to the windshield mount, facing up. It reacts to light mostly outside the visible spectrum (UV, IR), and does not get fooled by street lights, gas station lights, or tunnel lights. I tried my damdest, and was not able to fool the sensor. very well designed. Also has a delay control so the headlights will stay on up to 2 minutes after the vehicle is shut off.
I didn't mean the DRL's. My 98 does have those. I mean the sensor in the dash that triggers the headlights to come on when it's dark. Not sure what's all needed, I would definitely think the dash sensor, but not sure what else. I know the DRL's only turn on the head lights, not the tail lights.
Yes, this has what you need. Nothing to do with DRLs. The mirror is normally used to control headlights and tail lights, 2 separate circuits are controlled by it. These are low power circuits, if your headlights are not already controlled by relays, they will need to be added. I'm tellin ya, this is a very good self contained upgrade. I even know how they are wired, if I can find the damn FSM. If iron S-10 axles are unicorns, these things are the golden goose. Only problem with them is they are kinda heavy, and sometimes fall off with hard bumps.
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