Automatic headlights
 

So I'm getting rid of that lousy factory antenna.......and it's too expensive to have that area painted over so I'm thinking I would like to have it functional in some way. What I want to do is install something like what they have on some GM cars that when it gets dark the lights automatcially come on (not daytime driving lights). I would like to stick the "eye" in the area where the old antenna would be. Anyone done this before? Does anyone know what exactly I would need to buy ?...

thats something definately i have not seen done on our cars, as for the type of sensor, it's a type of photo-electric sensor that is even simple to purchase at radioshack, however, the implications of wiring such a project is mostly greek to me, basically, you would need the 'eye', so to speak, to trigger a switch on your headlight ground or positive. something you'd wire directly into your steering colum to turn on your dash backlighting and everything. it's not something mazda has designed for our cars and would take a bit of engineering to do. i mean, i'm pretty sure GM had a development team to create this product, test it, modify it and wire it. here's your first step in this is figuring out how the system works, mainly by researching how GM cars automatically sense daylight versus darkness, maybe even retro-fitting some parts from they're dealership catalog of parts. you might be in way over your head on this issue, but if it's a true desire and you have the money and the time, do the research... not many people here would be able to help you with this system, and if they can, they haven't been reading this post. sorry for the short-commings, but good luck. hope this piece helps you out a little bit.
peace

Actually it would be pretty easy. Just have the photoelectric cell trigger a relay that is in parrallel with your headlight switch. Could be done very eaisily unless I'm forgetting something.

easy my ass... what happens when you drive at night under street lights or inside a VERY well lit tunnel? yeah.. the lights will flicker... think about the little night lights with the sensors...

Ah, I did forget something. You might be able to use a delay of some sort....Then you would have the problem of making sure the lights went off when you turn the car off....Hmmm...seems as if I wasn't thinking very well....:D

that is why you need a computer module... let's not talk about the wiring hell either

The automatic headlights come on as soon as the car is placed in drive on my old man's Impala.No they are not the running lights I'm talking about. There is no photo electric cell. There is something on my friend's Tbird super coupe, where there is one of those PECs that lowers the beams if there is an oncoming car. If I'm not mistaken the running lights on his car, like most other cars come on when you release the parking brake.

that's DRL retard... it doesn't matter how it's activated.. read what eltonr said... he doesn't want DRLs!

Automatic headlights are what it said in the fuckin brochure, and they come on when he puts the car into drive. the parking lights and low beams come on.

it's still a DRL/100% on headlights if it doesn't "automatically detect" anything

wow...easy there, why is everyone so bitter on this site?

Yeah I want something like they have on gm cars....on my father's car he never puts the headlights (or the interior lights) on they come on automatically. The Mazda Running lights don't automatically put the dash lights on..I never really thought of the whole nightlight scenerao where the lights would be coming on and off all the time..I guess the easiest thing would be to take my dad's car apart and see how it works and then hopefully buy the parts for it.........hmmmmmm anyone know any websites that might have info on how the gm version works???? I'll search the internet but if you have come across a good site PM me.

Thanks

oh yeah on my fathers's intrigue his daytime running lights are ambers lights like the ones that are in the headlights of the 2000+ progtege. When it gets dark then the headlights automatically turn on and the lights inside the car turn on. when he enters a tunnel or a dark garage then the lights come on too......they seem to work pretty well...I haven't noticed the lights flashing on and off when it's gettting close to dusk.

if you want to waste your time/put your effort into making something work so that you can be lazy from turning on the lights then go for it..... get the wiring diagrams for the cars and figure it out from there

Try this site

Auto Barn

Why the fuck do people want auto headlights?!?!?!?! I work at a dealership and I HATE them!

I even disabled my DRL's!

I don't see why this would be so hard to do, frankly.

First of all - aren't the sensors for cars made in such a way as to not be so "sensitive" to streetlights, etc? I mean, if not, why don't cars that have this feature as stock have the flickering problem?

So - lets assume that problem can take care of itself by using an existing automotive sensor.

From what I can see, all you'd need to do is wire it to trigger the headlight switch. Now, if you could leave the headlight switch in the ON position all the time, then the sensor would only need to complete the circuit. It would be just like putting a toggle switch inline with the headlight switch, only the darkness would trip the switch instead of your finger ;). Might need a relay, as the sensor itself probably doesn't have the ability to "power" the switch, but even that should be simple enough.

The only other complication I see is you would want an override - for rain driving, etc - to have the headlights on during the day if you want.

I know I may be over-simplifying this - but somehow I think some of the other guys are over-complicating it. I wouldn't know how to do it, but I believe it can be done without that much hassle if you have some wiring knowledge (mine is admittedly very limited).

I say go for it if you can - what the hell? It'd be an interesting experiment.

~HH

LOL :D

One word...

LAZY

Although it would be nice to have the headlights come on if it starts raining. I sometimes forget to turn my lights on, even if its a light rain and sunny. Its illegal to drive without your headlights on in the rain (Louisiana). Not sure if this is the law in most states.

Hmmm...which is lazier:

The guy who spends a lot of time and effort installing an auto headlight system so he doesn't have to turn them on all the time..

or.....

The guy who doesn't feel it's worth the effort and doesn't do it?

Hehe.

"Takes much thought and hard work to keep from working"
--Bill Cosby.

I think it's a cool idea. I'M too lazy to try it, but a cool idea nonetheless.

~HH

Wait until the Mazda 3. I'm sure it will have auto lights.

Probably... but I think what Edwin is saying that you need to wire that whole electronics system that's usually built into the GM cars...it's more than just the photoelectric sensor, otherwise, yeah, there'd be flickering headlights or whatever. The photo-electric sensor is running into a computer that then decides what to do. I don't really know how complicated that module itself is, (or how much$$$), but it probably has a provision on it that let's it wire in with a standard style switch, so that the headlights can activate even in the "off position". Of course to do that you'd probably also need to run a switched power supply to the auto-headlight module. :)

Now if the autoheadlight module is just that -- a small mostly self contained box, I wouldn't see too much of a problem. Run the sensor, run the power wires, etc. Of course if it is a huge hodgepodge of wires and equipment then it'd probably be hell. :) Or especially if it's just part of the main ECU itself....probably wouldn't be if the auto-on headlights is an option though.

It's not worth it guys... Just turn on the switch! :rolleyes:

The reason why i posted the question was to find out if it was ever done successfully or not. I guess i wanted some knowledgeable feedback on whether it was a hornet's nest or not (which from the sounds of it is). What i'm not looking for is some smart ass comments about how lazy Iam (if only you knew the amount of time i have spent looking up wiring diagrams to figure out how this could work). I think that this is a nice feature that GM cars have that prevents accidently leaving your headlights on. I'm still working on the wiring diagram to rewire the factory keyless entry system to allow me to open the trunk (which i previously posted a question and got pretty much the same type of response). Anywho once i figure out that one i'm going to try my hand at this one. Hopefully it works out better then that my last attempt at a mod (opening up my clear tail lights, or my handmade l.e.d brakelights... :( )

I installed a system like that in my '85 S10 and it worked fine. It had the option of turning on the lights with the wipers but that one I never installed.

The sensor was mounted behind the grille and it didn't do an 'auto on when dark'. Instead, lights would respond some 15-20 seconds after light level fell or rise from a preset level. That way headlight flickering was avoided.

Mounting the sensor where the antenna used to be on the Protege might not be a good idea unless the module is desensitized and made to respond to very slow changes in brightness. Otherwise streetlights are going to cause problems... :(

I bought mine a couple of years ago at Pep Boys from one of their clearance tables. Paid $25 for it.

Here are other links offering similar controllers:

http://www.caraccessories.com/electronics_entry.asp

http://www.truckspecialties.com/lights_on.htm

http://www.pacificinsight.com/afterm..._automatic.htm

I think its a cool idea. Ever been in a parking lot slightly light and forgot to turn on the lights? Any way, I have a post lamp in my front yard that has a photo eye in it. It has a 45second delay. You can get photo eyes with different time delays on them. Or you could listen to some of the wire loom kings and just do that!........Duncan

Autolamp
 

My dad's 1963 Buick had headlights that automatically came on at dusk (and I think had a dimming function also.....don't quite remember). Pretty sure it didn't have a single computer in the whole car.

Wouldn't mind having this feature on my Mazda3. Don't really like the location and ergonomics of the headlight switch. (probably getting lazy in my old age too.)

As far as I can tell the auto headlights on my MS3 are an annoyance designed to burn out the HID headlights prematurly. This morning at 9 AM on a bright sunny day without a cloud in the sky my headlights turned on! WTF? They always turn on, on a cloudy day and if I pull out of the garage. Be nice if they turned off when the Sun hits the sensor but nope, only way to get them off is to turn off the lights or the car.

Mine must be broken or out of adjustment, I can't believe they are supposed to work the way they do. BTW my windshield is perfectly clean.

The auto wipers seem to be useless too.

definitely sounds like the sensor is out of wack. mine don't work anything like that. get mazda to take a look at it.

Auto Headlights work now.
 

I took it in for the first service. They said it had 3 sensitivity levels set by computer and they switched it to the lowest. Now they seem to come on when I would expect them to. Still trade the auto headlights and the wipers 10 times over for heated mirrors.