Auto HeadLights

[trailshredder]

I have an 02 chevy truck and a 97 oldsmobile that have the automatic headlights. They come on about a half hour earlier that my 02 GP. I have also noticed that the truck and the olds both have a little tinted dome over top of the sensor on the dash and the GP doesn't. Has anyone else noticed this compared to other GM cars? Do you GP owners have a tinted dome over your sensor?

[swift13]

i got a little dome i thought it was the sensor--- 98 gtp

[oldscsc]

I'd also like to know what makes them turn on and how to adjust it. In the truck, they come on at the perfect time. In the Equinox though, they turn on probably half an hour too late IMO.

[89SupremeCutty]

i have them in my 98 lumina. i used to have a little dome, but cleaning the dash of all the dust on there one day made it disappear.

[Scottster]

The sensor on my 90 had a little pin hole in the top that let light in. I forgot to put the cap with the hole back in the housing one time I was reassembling the dash and it left the sensor open to much more light within the housing, which made it much more sensitive. You could apply the same concept to the domes and drill a small hole in the top to let a little more light at the sensor.

[AL]

I have DRL so I am not 100% sure when the Auto lights come on

[swift13]

when your interiors come on is when the autos kick in

[AL]

I will have to watch for that... I dont do much evening driving but I might be making a road trip here soon so I will be able to check things out then

[grandprixnyc]

I believe the little ball on the dash is actually for electronic climate control and not the headlights. I thought the headlights had another sensor in the front of the car, and the sensitivity is adjusted via a dial on the dash. Thats how it was in Bonnevilles, anyway. Some cars w/o ECC my still have the ball, but notice it is plastic and not glass.

 

Also, there is a difference between DRL's and automatic headlights. DRL's are on all the time regardless of light conditions, and automatic headlights come on in low-light environments and are adjustable.

[oldscsc]

I believe the little ball on the dash is actually for electronic climate control and not the headlights. I thought the headlights had another sensor in the front of the car, and the sensitivity is adjusted via a dial on the dash. Thats how it was in Bonnevilles, anyway. Some cars w/o ECC my still have the ball, but notice it is plastic and not glass.

 

Also, there is a difference between DRL's and automatic headlights. DRL's are on all the time regardless of light conditions, and automatic headlights come on in low-light environments and are adjustable.

 

No, I'm pretty sure that dome is for headlights, because my dad's '01 work truck Silverado has it. The Bonneville is called twilight sentinel or something to that effect, and it wasn't put on a whole lot of models from what I hear.

[carkhz316]

I believe the little ball on the dash is actually for electronic climate control and not the headlights. I thought the headlights had another sensor in the front of the car, and the sensitivity is adjusted via a dial on the dash. Thats how it was in Bonnevilles, anyway. Some cars w/o ECC my still have the ball, but notice it is plastic and not glass.

 

Also, there is a difference between DRL's and automatic headlights. DRL's are on all the time regardless of light conditions, and automatic headlights come on in low-light environments and are adjustable.

 

No, I'm pretty sure that dome is for headlights, because my dad's '01 work truck Silverado has it. The Bonneville is called twilight sentinel or something to that effect, and it wasn't put on a whole lot of models from what I hear.

Agreed. I know the little dome is for the headlights, because I have it in my Silverado and when you cover it up, the lights come on (with a delay), and the opposite is true. In the dark, shine a flashlight at it, and guess what happens. X2 on the Twilight Sentinal. Only on a few models that I've seen. Bonne's and Buicks and such.

[ZoomZoomFan]

On my GA at least, the sensor is definitely on the dash...just below the opening for the defroster vent. How do I know? Cuz when I park under a street light at night, the lights won't come on until I drive away.

[grandprixnyc]

I could have sworn there was a (very old) post discussing that little ball's role in the ECC.

[Addicted to eaton]

I have DRL so I am not 100% sure when the Auto lights come on

 

I do to but.. all the lights in the car go on and off.....

[trailshredder]

Mine has a small red dome on the dash that flashes to tell you security is armed. Right next to it is a hole for the automatic headlight sensor. This is the hole that I am thinking should have a tinted dome over it. This is on an 02 GP GT.

[runt]

I have a '01 GP GT and I've never seen a little dome over the sensor. If i'm not mistaken, I think the GP's are under the hole in the dash near the light for the security.

 

If you want them to come on quicker, you might try taping the hole and putting a hole in it.

 

I do know that the 97's GP's used to come on too quickly, so it was common that guys would drill the hole a bit bigger.

[89SupremeCutty]

I could have sworn there was a (very old) post discussing that little ball's role in the ECC.

 

could have been on a different gm car. i know the 88's use them for the ecc. they have 1 on each side of the dash if it has dual climate control.

[GnatGoSplat]

My 99 Silverado doesn't have ECC and it also has the black dome sensor for auto headlights. I have an extra one as well, there's no hole in the dome, but the dome is black so I guess it detects infrared light. The trucks with ECC have 2 dome sensors.

I don't believe it's adjustable on newer cars, it's entirely BCM controlled and there are no trimpots or adjusters in the BCM. It's possible the BCM can be recalibrated using Tech II or whatever it is they use nowadays.

 

[grandprixnyc]

Our former Bonneville (96) did not have ECC, but had the Twilight Sentinel, and had that dome. I remember looking at the dome a million times and thought it just looked like molded plastic that was part of the dash. It only had one dome, though.