Smart Start night time interior light trick

roger · 11-02-2004, 09:38 PM

yeh.. we dont do daytime running lights here... We put them on when it is raining badly and visibility is low... but then there is the button to change the brightness of the dash lights and MFD illumination.

**Tideland Prius** · 11-02-2004, 10:26 PM

Perhaps on vehicles not equipped with automatic headlights, the "sensor" is just simply a cover without the actual sensor underneath it?

DanMan32 · 11-02-2004, 11:08 PM

OK guys, let me settle this.
There are two holes in the dash at the spot you are talking about. One has the THERMO sensor for the climate control. It is to detect any solar radiant heat. I believe it is a simple thermistor set in black plastic near a window that would be very sensitive to solar radiation.

The spot next to that is just a spacer in the american market, and the daylight sensor for the automatic headlights in the canadian market.

Why they couldn't have an auto-on, auto-off in the US I don't know. I know the HIDs can't be DRLs, but they can be turned off.

roger · 11-02-2004, 11:46 PM

Dan, you are the man.

11-02-2004, 10:26 PM	#22
Tideland Prius Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 13,765 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: B Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 11	Re: Smart Start night time interior light trick Perhaps on vehicles not equipped with automatic headlights, the "sensor" is just simply a cover without the actual sensor underneath it?

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11-02-2004, 09:38 PM	#21
roger Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Australia Posts: 126 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	yeh.. we dont do daytime running lights here... We put them on when it is raining badly and visibility is low... but then there is the button to change the brightness of the dash lights and MFD illumination.

11-02-2004, 11:08 PM	#23
DanMan32 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Tampa Bay, FL Posts: 3,775 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	OK guys, let me settle this. There are two holes in the dash at the spot you are talking about. One has the THERMO sensor for the climate control. It is to detect any solar radiant heat. I believe it is a simple thermistor set in black plastic near a window that would be very sensitive to solar radiation. The spot next to that is just a spacer in the american market, and the daylight sensor for the automatic headlights in the canadian market. Why they couldn't have an auto-on, auto-off in the US I don't know. I know the HIDs can't be DRLs, but they can be turned off.

11-02-2004, 11:46 PM	#24
roger Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Australia Posts: 126 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Dan, you are the man.