Auto Lights

[Citigopher]

Inspired by the @SashaGrace posts about automatic light switches (back in Jan 2017) and subsequently reading about something very similar over on the Audi A2 Owners Club site, I bought a light switch on ebay. It's a slightly different design to the one that Sasha used as it's all in one piece (i.e. just the switch unit body, with a wire coming out of it for the daylight sensor). As it turned out to be such a simple mod, I made a quick How-To as it's something that just about anyone could do.

 

The light switch I bought is sold by California_Dog on ebay. They are a Chinese seller and I have absolutely no connection with them whatsoever. I was pretty dubious of what the quality would be like for £27 inc. delivery, but as it turns out, the build quality and finish is excellent - at least as good as the original Skoda switch, with the added bonus that the trim on the switch knob is exactly the same silver as the ones on my (Elegance-spec) centre dash. The original one was all-black, so didn't really match. The switch action is just as good as the original; positive and smooth. The graphics are crisp and the icon illumination even, if a little more 'Christmas Tree' than the Skoda one as it's multi-coloured. Still, no harm in that. It even comes with a plastic trim removal tool, so everything you need to complete the job is supplied.

 

First up, use the trim removal tool to prise the panel off the end of the dash, drivers' side. Easy to do as there are no vicious barbed metal clips like you get on some cars:

 

 

 

Lift the panel away (it hooks into the dash down its leading edge). If you look in the hole in the end of the dash, you can then see the back end of the light switch, with all of the wires coming out of it. Hold this with your right hand (I found no need to disconnect the battery when making the change, by the way - just do it in good daylight) and with your left, push and hold the light switch knob in and turn it clockwise slowly until it's pointing to the gap between  "0" and the sidelights icon. You will feel a slight build-up of resistance as you do this - it's the barbs that hold the switch in place being retracted into the switch body. Push the back end of the switch body towards you with your right hand; if the barbs are retracted, the switch will slide out of the dash. It may take a few attempts to get the feel of this. If you turn the switch knob too far, it will pop back towards you and turn the sidelights on. If this happens, the barbs won't be retracted so you won't be able to remove the switch. Just set it back to "0" and try again.

 

 

Once it's out, you'll see this:

 

Press in the two barbs I've marked with red arrows and pull the plug off of the back of the switch.

 

For anyone looking for pin-out references for the two switches, this photo shows the back end of the original (on the right) and the ebay auto-switch (on the left):

 

 

 

Then push the loom plug on to the new switch. It will only fit one way round.....

 

 

....and slide it back into the hole in the dash until it clicks into place:

 

 

Edited 21 May, 2018 by Citigopher

[Citigopher]

To finish off, you'll need to route the daylight sensor and its cable to somewhere it can see daylight. I routed the sensor around the back of the plastic strut in the end of the dash, so that it wouldn't get trapped by the end panel....

 

 

....then used the trim panel tool to ease the A-pillar trim and dash-top apart to make room for the cable, working my way towards the front of the car:

 

 

It only takes a minute or so to work it along the joint. Then stick it in place. The adhesive pad is already applied to the back of the sensor.

 

 

I reckon it could be mounted even more discretely, so that it isn't visible to the normal drivers' line of sight. But that's a minor tweak.

 

That's is pretty much it - job done. There are quite a few additional functions that the switch offers, which can be played around with by various combinations of light switch and ignition switch position shenanigans. I like that it can be set to turn the lights on automatically when you unlock the car and set the length of time they stay on too:

 

FUNCTIONS:

 

I. Automatic headlight

Set Switch to AUTO, lights will turns on/off automatically when Ambient brightness is Lower/Higher than the set value.

 

II. THREE lighting Modes

1. Tunnel mode (Reaction time:1s)

2. Normal mode (Reaction time:3s)

3. Delay mode (Reaction time:5s)

 

III. Coming / Leaving Home

① Low beam will continue to light after Flameout (time setting range: 0-60s)

② Low beam/Fog light lights Automatically when unlocking the car (time setting range: 0-60s)

 

IV. Quick response

It needs less than 1second to be automatic open headlight

 

V. Protect your Battery

Before the car Starts, lights turn off automatically.

After the car starts, lights turn on after 3s.

Edited 21 May, 2018 by Citigopher

[Hyphons]

@Citigopher Great write up, @mannyo are you alright to move this into the Citigo guides and pinned so it doesn't get lost?

[Toby7243]

Do you have a link to the eBay listing? Interested in doing this mod myself

[OndrejMensik]

Hi guys I think I have found it.

Switch number on etka is 3B0 941 531

Number showing from seller is 3BD 941 531

It’s very good price if you think that you can only get light sensor with citi save and rain sensor pack for £355 when ordering new citigo!

Will definitely put on my “want to do list”

Many thanks Citigopher!

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Chrome-AUTO-Headlight-Switch-Light-Sensor-Module-Kit-For-Skoda-Fabia-07-14/162770388031?hash=item25e5df043f:g:YIoAAOSwduNZvImF

[Citigopher]

That looks like the one. The listing I bought from has expired, so there's no point linking to it.

 

Having used the switch for a few months, a small word of caution: The light sensor has some problems with hysteresis, or more to the point, the lack of it. If you're driving around dusk, the switch will turn itself on and then off again if for example you're driving along a road with the occasional overhanging tree. The sensor reacts very quickly to the sudden 'darkness' and turns the lights on, but it also reacts almost as quickly to the daylight restored on the other side of the tree's shadow. The on-off-on-off behaviour gets a bit tiresome. I've been digging around on the web to see if there's a function to adjust the hysteresis, so far without success.

 

Other than that, the switch is very good. There are no problems with the quality of build - it looks, feels and switches just as well as the rest of the dash controls. The car has also just passed its MOT with the switch in place, so no problems on that front.

Edited 28 September, 2018 by Citigopher

[lynxblaine]

Wouldn't delay mode fix this problem?

[Citigopher]

From what I've seen, that only delays the time it takes for the lights to turn on. What it really needs is a delay in the lights turning off. When you're driving into tunnels, underground car parks etc you want the lights to come on quickly, not have to drive in blackness for 5 seconds before your lights come on....

[JimbotheScot]

this is coo, will follow this to see if you can iron the kinks out

[Mickbr]

Thanks for the guide , done mine yesterday took less than 10 minutes .Found a UK based seller received it in 3 days :-)

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chrome-Car-Auto-Headlight-Light-Switch-Sensor-Module-For-VW-Golf-Mk4-Passat-Polo/122478543822?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

[lynxblaine]

1 hour ago, Mickbr said:

Thanks for the guide , done mine yesterday took less than 10 minutes .Found a UK based seller received it in 3 days :-)

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chrome-Car-Auto-Headlight-Light-Switch-Sensor-Module-For-VW-Golf-Mk4-Passat-Polo/122478543822?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

Only downside is that's the VW one so the lights are red not green 

[Mickbr]

1 hour ago, lynxblaine said:

 

Only downside is that's the VW one so the lights are red not green 

 

i think they are all like that 

[lynxblaine]

53 minutes ago, Mickbr said:

 

i think they are all like that 

If you search for Skoda or green version on Ali express or eBay you can find the matching ones. 

[JimbotheScot]

this one has the light sensor build in

 

 

 

Edited 4 October, 2018 by JimbotheScot

[Gazzmondo]

Anyone know how to change the switch delay settings etc.

My switch came without any info.

[Toby7243]

Anybody know of one of these for a Citigo with only back foglights? 

[Gazzmondo]

The one i fitted which was for a Fabia 7-14 will do the job, it also lights up green to match the other switches.

[Toby7243]

On 04/10/2018 at 10:00, JimbotheScot said:

this one has the light sensor build in

 

 

 

 

Anyone used this one with the light sensor built in? Not sure how well that'd work....

[Toby7243]

3 minutes ago, Gazzmondo said:

The one i fitted which was for a Fabia 7-14 will do the job, it also lights up green to match the other switches.

Sweet. Are the fog lights one-stage or two-stage (i.e. do you have to pull the switch out one click for the rear and two for both, for example)?

[Gazzmondo]

Yes the switch is 2 stage for the fogs.

[Gazzmondo]

Got sent these instructions by the switch supplier, if anyone can understand them then feel to enlighten us.

Setting Manual For POLO, Passat B5, Golf mk4, Skoda Fabia-1.doc

[Gazzmondo]

Couldnt get link to work

[tomshep]

That is a good tweak. I'll be having one of those. Thank you.

[Mickbr]

On 28/09/2018 at 12:37, Citigopher said:

That looks like the one. The listing I bought from has expired, so there's no point linking to it.

 

Having used the switch for a few months, a small word of caution: The light sensor has some problems with hysteresis, or more to the point, the lack of it. If you're driving around dusk, the switch will turn itself on and then off again if for example you're driving along a road with the occasional overhanging tree. The sensor reacts very quickly to the sudden 'darkness' and turns the lights on, but it also reacts almost as quickly to the daylight restored on the other side of the tree's shadow. The on-off-on-off behaviour gets a bit tiresome. 

 

Yep having the same issue with trees/dusk might try relocating the sensor somewhere else 

[Mickbr]

After a bit of searching ive found this , has instructions to adjust sensitivity on headlights , haven't tried yet but i followed the instructions for Coming/Leaving-Home functions: and it worked so when unlocking /locking my headlights stay on for 60 seconds .

Auto Headlight Module.pdf