daylight sensor: how to make it more sensitive?

*Ed8r* · 08-27-2012, 03:51 PM

My question is, how does the sensor work? Does it detect angle of rays or overall brightness or what?

I do most of my driving between Salinas and Monterey, CA, so that means lots of marine-layer days, with low lying cloud cover or high fog, however you want to picture it. These gray, dark days need headlights for safe driving, but my daylight sensor seems to think there's enough light that headlights are not needed.

What can I do* ... short of taping it over completely dark with a swath of duct tape ... to encourage the headlights to turn on, on these gray days?

Anyone have useful ideas?

*Yes, I know I can just manually turn the headlights on and off, but I'm trying to find a workaround.

[EDIT: I should have titled/asked about how to make it LESS sensitive!]

Pretherius · 08-28-2012, 02:30 PM

I agree, the auto headlights suck. It gets way too dark before they turn on. The easiest thing is probably to find something semi-transparent and stick it over the sensor, like you said. The translucent Scotch tape might work, or a bit of window tint... Let us know if you find something good.

*Ed8r* · 08-28-2012, 03:12 PM

Currently I have the sensor covered with 2" x 2" Post-it notes.

A single layer was definitely not enough, so now I have a double layer of pink post-its and they happen to be sort of tweaked so they lie almost cupped around it, even though they are only stuck at the very front. It helps, but isn't quite enough yet.

I'm afraid to try anything more permanent ... I read somewhere a suggestion of marking it up with a black permanent marker! ... but I'm not prepared to try that yet.

There are enough people who are frustrated with it that I don't understand why the engineers haven't found a workable solution yet!

CDNFocusFan · 08-28-2012, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Ed8r*

Currently I have the sensor covered with 2" x 2" Post-it notes.

A single layer was definitely not enough, so now I have a double layer of pink post-its and they happen to be sort of tweaked so they lie almost cupped around it, even though they are only stuck at the very front. It helps, but isn't quite enough yet.

I'm afraid to try anything more permanent ... I read somewhere a suggestion of marking it up with a black permanent marker! ... but I'm not prepared to try that yet.

There are enough people who are frustrated with it that I don't understand why the engineers haven't found a workable solution yet!

Sorry maybe I haven't read up on this enough, but when I find the lights should be on but aren't, I just turn them on. If I forget when I get out of the car it beeps. It's really a minor annoyance, unless maybe you guys are talking about them not coming on at all...?

*Ed8r* · 08-28-2012, 04:34 PM

More like the opposite. We want them to come on automatically "sooner," i.e., before it gets even darker.

Yes, of course we can turn them on and off manually (as mentioned in my OP), but we're looking for something to make them do it automatically.

Bliky · 08-28-2012, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Ed8r*

Currently I have the sensor covered with 2" x 2" Post-it notes.

A single layer was definitely not enough, so now I have a double layer of pink post-its and they happen to be sort of tweaked so they lie almost cupped around it, even though they are only stuck at the very front. It helps, but isn't quite enough yet.

I'm afraid to try anything more permanent ... I read somewhere a suggestion of marking it up with a black permanent marker! ... but I'm not prepared to try that yet.

There are enough people who are frustrated with it that I don't understand why the engineers haven't found a workable solution yet!

You could probably take a piece or three of scotch tape and draw over it with sharpie to make it dark and see if that would help.

I, like many here, have noticed that they come on way too late when it's way too dark. A few times i've found myself wondering why peoples lights arent on in storms and realizing mine arent either >.<

brent375hh · 08-28-2012, 05:21 PM

I cut a 3/8 square of black electrical tape for mine. It seems to work well and does not stick out like a sore thumb.
The hard part is getting your arm up there.

*Ed8r* · 08-28-2012, 06:11 PM

Tell me about it. I have to kneel sideways on the driver's seat, brace myself with one hand on the passenger seat, and then reach to the full extent in the opposite direction. What were they thinking?

I think I can do that to get a piece of black electrical tape up there, but a sharpie marker? Not so much (even though I'd rather try this, using removable tape . . . the tacky kind that doesn't leave any residue).