Auto Light on sensor

[GoLowDrew]

At dusk and dawn (to and from work), the lights keep turn on and off. It seem to turn on when it's still bright out there. Is there a way to adjust it at all?

[Triton]

Only adjustment there is right now is to disable them like several other members have. Mine used to do the same thing until I got help disabling them.

[redlava]

I just took the dark plastic cover off of the sensor, and then put some saran wrap over it to keep the dirt out. Haven't had a problem since. Works almost exactly the way they should.

[DavidPIL]

Hiya...I thought someone had replaced their 03 sensor controller (not the thing in the dash but the brains elsewhere) with an 04 sensor controller and it worked as it's supposed to as well. I think the product number was different too which meant it wasn't the same controller. I would search and give the link but I'm too tired... Just did the Mequires Deep Crystal 3 step clean/polish/wax and I'm beat! Vibe looks mighty spiffy too.Dave

[ColonelPanic]

Is your Vibe an '03 or '04? They supposedly made some improvements to the light sensor setup for '04, and a few around here have been successful at getting this annoying issue corrected by their dealers. I wasn't so lucky, even after taking the issue beyond the dealer and bringing it up to Pontiac, they still didn't acknowledge that this was an issue. I know what you're going through! Nothing more annoying than having your lights cycle frequently on a bright day.In a nutshell, there are a few different routes you can take:1. Talk to your dealer about it. 2. Disable the automatic light control by disconnecting the wiring harness that goes to the ambient light sensor on the dash. You'll still have DRL's and will need to control your lights manually.3. You can also disable the DRL's, which takes out the automatic light control in the process.4. I wanted to keep the automatic lights and DRL's, so the route I chose was to cut one wire going to the ambient light sensor and install a switch. This mod keeps the DRL's, and I can select whether I want the automatic light control or not. On bright days, I keep the switch in the off position preventing the lights from coming on, and at night I can switch it back on to have the lights automatically controlled. I'm quite pleased with this solution.

[GoLowDrew]

Quote, originally posted by redlava »I just took the dark plastic cover off of the sensor, and then put some saran wrap over it to keep the dirt out. Haven't had a problem since. Works almost exactly the way they should.It's an 04. I know it's a safety feature to turn the lights on. Just that it's a bit earlier than I think it's necessary, and I can't turn it off. BTW. The method above. Does that require removing the dash, etc.?

[ragingfish]

Nah. Just use a small screwdriver and pry around the sensor to pop it outta the dash.

[GoLowDrew]

I don't this sound dumb, but how about if I drill a few hole on the light sensor cover to let more light in, will that help the sensor turn on the lights when it's darker?Anyone tried that? If not, what do you think?

[DavidPIL]

I may try that but I have to assume that spots of light coming through the cover wouldn't be as effective as something like a semi-clear cover which would cause a more constant glow of light into the sensor. I tried to mold an opaque/clear plastic into the same shape as the sensor cover but had problems getting it to stay in place. I didn't spend much time with it though so I may try again soon. If you try the pin-hole idea, let us know how it works!Dave

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by ragingfish »Nah. Just use a small screwdriver and pry around the sensor to pop it outta the dash.Since the plastic dash scratches so easily, you cna also just yank on the air vent/mirror control trim panel, it pull straight back, and then you can reach in and push the sensor up from the bottom.