The small dark thing with a bump in the center of the dashboard just under the windscreen is the sunlight penetration photosensor (hope you can find it).

I take this as the ambient light detector. I don't think it's using the mirror sensors

I never knew what this bump did in my A2 and used to attach my TomTom right over it. Then in the heat of summer always though my AC needed new gas as it was not pumping out enough cold air. Doh! The moment I drove sans TomTom I realised that the car did not know how sunny it was (and thus warm in a car)! From then on the TomTom was mounted slightly to the right and I had cold air blasting into the car.

LOL

All I wanted to know was:- Why do my instrument lights go out when it goes dark outside?????

And, more important, which bit of wire do I tear out to stop it happening.

now if i understand it correctly, they don't just go out in the dark, but all the time.

unless, of course, your lights are on.

you just don't notice in daylight because of ambient brightness.

now if i understand it correctly, they don't just go out in the dark, but all the time.

unless, of course, your lights are on.

you just don't notice in daylight because of ambient brightness.

Nope... the instrumment lghts are always on in daylight, they go out when it goes dark unless you put your exterior lights on (but the needles stay illiminated all the time that the ignition is on.).

As has been said previously, they do this to draw attention to the fact that you should have put your lights on. If they didn't act this way, you could easiliy be driving around on lit streets with no exterior lights on - as you will quite often see with early Hondas, Toyotas etc.......

The small dark thing with a bump in the center of the dashboard just under the windscreen is the sunlight penetration photosensor (hope you can find it).

I take this as the ambient light detector. I don't think it's using the mirror sensors

It might be as you say. I thought it was another heat sensor. But the Map Reading "Spotlights" (Oh yes they are - Graham!?!?!) do not shine on this particular sensor so I cannot see that this lump affects the instrument lights.

For all those who have kindly written, may I clarify. The instrument lighting failed to come on in daylight (about 10 AM) It was overcast but certainly not dark enough to require the car lights to be switched on. Just a normal dull day.

So the mystery remains:- Where is the photocell that affects the instrument lights? Maybe I will never find it.

And, for those who feel that I need reminding about lighting up, if there were any lit streets around here, which there are not, I would certainly have my lights on if I was to drive them.

The small dark thing with a bump in the center of the dashboard just under the windscreen is the sunlight penetration photosensor (hope you can find it).

I take this as the ambient light detector. I don't think it's using the mirror sensors

And here I was telling all the Yeti's admirers that the lump is it'sAdam's Apple !

Best bit of banter to a thread that Ive seen in a long time - great stuff !

bal (Ugly Yetis' owner)

bal (Ugly Yetis' owner)

Stone him!!

He called the Yeti ugly!!

Stone him!!

He called the Yeti ugly!!

Graham - you most certainly are NOT a teenager!!

bal (Ugly Yetis' owner)

bal, that is VERY funny. :rofl:

My yeti, harry, says can he take her out when she has her braces off?

Graham - you most certainly are NOT a teenager!!

Aren't I?

All I know is after I got to 50 I promised to grow old DISGRACEFULLY!!

tis a well known fact that as a man turns 50 the proper thing to do when deciding his age is...

add the two numbers of his age together. ie 5 + 0 = 5

next year i shall be 6

and i intend to act my age, specially when my grown up children are about so i can return the embarassment they caused me as kids :moon: