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Auto Headlight Conversion Switch Very Warm

5K views 50 replies 14 participants last post by  BigIan 
#1 ·
Hi All,

I have carried out the conversion to make the headlights come on automatically and I have a few questions,

1. The switch itself, I noticed the area (Backplate) behind the switch was very warm, the only thing I do not know is whether this was very warm using the lights normally.

2. I have mucked around with the settings on the EVIC TC and THLD and to be honest they do not seem to make much difference, I was out the other day and it suddenly went dark and rained, the lights came on. But when the Sun came out again they did not turn off, I checked the EVIC the settings were on 30 TC and 150 THLD the actual amount of light being picked up on the sensor was 25 which should have had the lights switching off but they did not. This is puzzling me, because when I go through a local tunnel (Dartford) they come on fairly quickly, and go off fairly quickly after exiting the tunnel as they should.

Any thoughts anyone, all replies welcome,

SDM197
 
#2 ·
I noticed the area (Backplate) behind the switch was very warm...
Sorry. Don't have anything on this. I'll check mine and let you know how it feels. I'd keep an eye on it if it's really warm, if I were you.
I have mucked around with the settings on the EVIC TC and THLD and to be honest they do not seem to make much difference...
I haven't personally been able yet to the tell the difference with various TC settings. mouserider found that TC is the damping - which I interpret to be the delay before the lights come on or go off - the higher the number, the longer the delay. With THLD, I definitely can tell the difference. I kept raising the value because I thought the lights were coming on when it was still too bright out. One evening as I was getting ready to leave work they didn't come on when I thought it was plenty dark enough, so I backed it back down. I'm now at 194 and will see how that does.

Just before or near dusk, I can make the lights come on and go off almost at will by cycling the THLD value around; at 150 they come on and that evening mentioned above, they went off at 198. That going-back-off level changes pretty rapidly as the sun sets. See mouserider's thread here on the topic. http://www.300cforums.com/forums/general-discussion/48395-2008-evic-diagnostic-mode.html
 
#5 ·
Yer needin' tae eat mair parrich!! Seriously a small screwdriver inserted directly opposite the knob "pointer" with a credit card or similar under it to protect the switch body levered it out for me. It is heart stopping getting it out and I certainly didn't enjoy the experience.
Cheers John
 
#9 · (Edited)
the lights stayed on because of the rain,the wiper senor is linked to the auto headlight feature.So many sweeps of the wiper(cant remember how many) and the lights come on no matter how light it is outside
 
#10 ·
Do the lights not go back off after so many seconds of no wiper... uhh, wipes? On my 300M (different animal, I know - no rain sense, but...) the lights came on a few seconds after I turned the wipers on. But, after I turned the wipers back off, the lights would go back off after some few number of seconds. So on the Cs, if the wipers are activated by the rain sense, and in turn light the lights, the lights will stay on even after rain sense turns the wipers back off? Thanks.
 
#11 ·
Im not sure on that one,I havent taken much notice if the lights turn off,when it next rains I'll take note of what happens
 
#12 ·
Hi thanks for all the replies so far,

I dont think it has any bearing on the wipers, the reason I think this is that on the US spec cars they have settings on the EVIC for the lights and wiper combination, and ours (European) do not. However it would make an interesting experiment, maybe if someone put a hose on the car and simulated rain we could find out. I cannot try it I dont have a hose for a sustained water flow, I would guess a bucket of water would be no good.

I will be playing with the THLD settings later to see if they make any difference at dusk, I have played with them whilst I have been driving, but maybe the car has to be in Park with the engine running to actually change them, I really dont know whether it would ,make any difference.

SDM197
 
#13 ·
In all honesty I have played about with the settings for the lights and really have never noticed any difference worthy of note. They come on a little early for my personal choice and that can be irritating during dull winter days. I reckon you just have to learn to live with it.
Cheers John
 
#16 ·
Hi Watson
I think our cars are probably set up pretty much the same. Its just that I like my lights on as soon (if not sooner) as the daylight begins to go. I trust you're not one of those drivers who waits for inky blackness before switching on? We have a few of those in these parts.
 
#17 ·
I just made the modification to the switch and let it do it's own thing.Lights come on under long bridges in multi-story's and just about right for me at pre-dusk.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Hi Guys,

I have been playing,

UK CHRYSLER 300C was absolutely right in the respect the Auto headlamps are indeed linked to the wipers, I went outside and turned my wipers on, after about 8 or 10 sweeps the lights do actually come on. They do not appear to go off afterwards unless you turn the engine off and restart it.

I then started playing with the settings on the EVIC, I set it at 30 TC and 150 THLD. I made sure my engine was running and I patiently sat there in the drive like a numpty waiting for the lights to come on. I should add it was just beginning to get dark, I had the THLD set at its lowest setting of 150, the reading on the Auto HL Sens was 148 so i figured I did not have long to wait......

Well I waited the sensor went up to 150,151,152,153,155,156,157,158..... still had not triggered the lights. I then covered the nipple or sensor which is in the middle of the dash in front of the central speaker, the sensor immediately went up to readings of 238 but the lights still did not activate.

This got me thinking again about the wipers, I got out of the car and covered the rain sensor (The big red square under the rear view mirror) and BAM the lights immediately came on, took my hand away and they went off.

By this time the Auto HL Sens reading from the nipple on the dash was reading 168 but still the lights were not triggering.

So I mucked about cycling the THLD through from 150-220 and the lights did not come on, then I cycled the TC from 30-180 still the lights did not trigger, the engine was running and in Park

So I can only conclude that the sensor on the dash has nothing to do with the lights but the sensor on the mirror most definately does.

Also adjusting the settings makes no difference. Except that when you change the TC setting the speed at which the reading to the right of the TC equals the live reading at the top of the display Auto HL Sens after you have covered it or uncovered it, is either quicker at a low setting i.e.30 or slower to match the live reading of the sensor if set at 220. This does not have any effect on the lights though.

Thirdly that when it rains the lights will come on but will not then switch off unless you switch them off at the switch or stop the engine and restart it.

Generally the lights work OK but they come on a little early for my liking, and I could not work out why they would not go off the other day after it had been raining, well now I know.

Oh well! learning all the time, I do love this car though,

All Replies welcome,

SDM197
 
#19 ·
Hi Devil,
Nope, I am a see and be seen man myself. I would think that out of any 10 cars at dusk where 3 have their lights on mine will be the 3rd. Through choice I would rather I was 5th but what the hell. SDM197 has certainly done some research - now I know it just isn't worth playing with the so called adjustment. Generally the lights work perfectly well for me and I am more than happy to have the automatic setting.
Cheers John
 
#20 ·
Hi All,

Quick update, I have not tried this yet, but I have been Googling and found out that the only way to turn the lights back off after auto activation by the wipers (apart from switching them at the light switch or switching the engine off) is to apparently turn the wipers off, if you leave them on the rain sensitive setting they will stay on till you switch them at the light switch shut the engine off or switch the wipers off.

I will check this tomorrow,

SDM197
 
#21 ·
Interesting stuff. Thanks for the tests and the info, particularly on the wipers and light activation, and not turning off. It does seem like Chrysler should have included an auto-off to the lights from the wipers, if they're going to have an auto-on. But I'll settle for the way it is rather than give up the auto-on. Lights on with the wipers is the law here, and I guess most places today. I don't ever have to think about it.

The only difference I've found with your results on my car was with my THld settings. Lower settings on that definitely make my lights come on earlier - while it's still lighter. Wonder if that's another difference between US and European builds, though I can't imagine why. Like you getting all of the auto-on lights hardware except the switch setting itself. Are there any Euro markets that you've heard of that proscribe auto-on headlights for some reason?
 
#25 ·
Wonder if that's another difference between US and European builds, though I can't imagine why. Like you getting all of the auto-on lights hardware except the switch setting itself. Are there any Euro markets that you've heard of that proscribe auto-on headlights for some reason?
I have a sneaking suspicion this may be correct, we have the capability, but we are not able to set the switch, for instance there is no setting on our EVIC for lights on with wipers yet there is with US cars. I do not know of other Euro markets requirements.

Thanks for your reply

SDM197
 
#23 ·
Hi Guys.
Popped into hospital for a few days to be fitted with a new hip leaving you to sort out the lights.

Wish I'd hidden the keys better because according to her who must be obeyed, she was very impressed with the way they work. I'm assuming she found out when visiting me !!

I have all my settings at maximum and the lights work perfectly in auto mode. Car parks tunnels rain and dusk . By the way I never did snip the little lug behind the switch - just eased the switch so I have an extra setting on the dial
Derick
 
#26 ·
Just a quick thought.
The headlight switch shares the same assembly as the dimmer for the lights - might it be the rheostat (is that the right word) for the lights that is doing the warming up its turned down low ?

 
#27 · (Edited)
Hi All,

Been playing again,

I covered the dash sensor with black velvet, absolutely no light was getting in, it made the Auto HL Sens read 238 which is higher than when it is dark!

Still the lights did not switch on, so then I went about experimenting with covering the sensor below the mirror (Rain Sensor) to varying amounts, plus changing the THLD figure from the lowest 150 to the highest 220 to see if they would cut in at different stages, it made absolutely no difference to when the lights would switch on.

Also tried the wipers today, the lights come on only when the wipers are set on the rain sensitive settings, they do not go off after the rain stops.
I said I would try the suggestion of turning the wipers off, it did not work, however this time I turned the light switch to the "O" off position then back to the auto position and this time it did work the lights stayed off.

SDM197
 
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