Twilight headlight problems

They do not automatically come on at dusk. On occasion they will come on at night when I start the car but then they cycle off after about 30 seconds. Ideas?

any wiring repairs on your car that you did, know about, or can find by looking at the wiring to the headlight switch and the body control module (one of the Riv's computers)?

Albertj

No nothing, Where is the headlight switch and the body control module?

You are asking me where is the headlight switch?

Albertj

Hey guys, been awhile since I've been here. I've just come across a problem that is puzzling me. I recently had the dash apart to replace some bulbs in the gauge cluster. So I had the dashboard out, the dash itself, knee bolster etc... While it was out, the headlight switch was detached from the housing behind the dash and remained connected to the wiring harness. One day it dangled out of the car, and when the driver side door was shut "by accident", the circuit board was cracked. So I ordered another one from Morads. When it cam I immediately noticed that the circuit board on this one was beige in color as opposed to the blue color my original one had, and the new one had considerably fewer amount of components on the board. Anyway I installed it and now the light switch controls the HVAC head unit the heated seats and the lights. Meaning that if I don't pull the knob to the first step and it is light, out the hvac unit, heated seats and light will shut off when the twilight sentinel "clicks". When I say shut off, I mean no functionality, no beeps or anything, pull the knob and all of a sudden everything works right. At night however everything works without pulling the light switch knob. So not sure if the light switch is the issue, the twilight sentinel itself or what. Any ideas?

I have a spare dash with that module out of a 96. It's in the garage attic, but if you would like I can find some time to go up there and pull it out. Not sure what color the PCB is though.

Hey Matt, if you could that would be great. It would interesting to know if your 96 is blue like mine. But I'm still not sure if its the sentinel or the switch causing these issues..

96riv wrote:

They do not automatically come on at dusk. On occasion they will come on at night when I start the car but then they cycle off after about 30 seconds. Ideas?

Usually, the problem is the ambient light sensor dead center of the dash, on top, at the base of the widshield.  You can get them at the dealer, and they have the same mounting like a 194 bulb.  They pull right out from the top.  That is the simplest, most likely cause of the problem.

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t4581-write-up-replacing-twilight-sentinel-photo-cell?highlight=ambient+light+sensor

Thanks Larry. That would be much easier than taking apart the dash to try a different light switch, but I gotta think the different circuit board on the new light switch is causing these issues, but its worth a try. Just a quick note of how my old light switch worked. I never needed to pull on the light switch knob. The DRL would come on if it was bright out at start up, then when the sentinel would sense the light, there would be that familiar "click" and then the DRL would turn off and just leave me with the display in the HVAC unit and the radio, but my heated seat switch and HVAC functionality never had anything to do with the light switch before.?

My 98 does not turn on the DRL's upon start up. They only come on with the car in gear. In Park, they do not illuminate. When my sensor went bad, my headlights were on all the time, and the dash illumination would dim making it very hard to see the time and radio station. The new sensor fixed that.

Actually you're right Larry, mine did not turn the DRL's on start up either but rather when the car was put in gear, just wanted to correct that. Just wanted to post an update. I replaced the twilight sensor and still have the same issues.

BMD wrote:

Actually you're right Larry, mine did not turn the DRL's on start up either but rather when the car was put in gear, just wanted to correct that. Just wanted to post an update. I replaced the twilight sensor and still have the same issues.

Maybe one of morad's staff accidentally sent the wrong switch?  Maybe telephone Ed Morad to discuss.  Won't take long, he probably has another.

albertj wrote:

BMD wrote:

Actually you're right Larry, mine did not turn the DRL's on start up either but rather when the car was put in gear, just wanted to correct that. Just wanted to post an update. I replaced the twilight sensor and still have the same issues.

Maybe one of morals staff accidentally sent the wrong switch?  Maybe telephone wEd Moradmto discuss.  Won't take long, he probably has another.

Well that's just it, I didn't realize that there was more than one switch but as you can see from these photos, they are vastly different

The only difference I found on the outside is a code in the back where the last digit in one is 1 and the other ends with a 2


Not sure if that means anything but I will be sending the guys at Morads these pics and see what they think.

Again, I'm posting to an old topic: a Twilight Sentinel thread.

My TS system seems to be working fine, except I would like it be much more responsive.
I routinely go through a short tunnel that is fed by several parking lot exits, and it's mucho easier for those merging to see an approaching car if their lights are on.

Problem is, and I quote from the user's manual, "Twenty-three seconds after entering a darkened
environment, the headlamps and parking lamps will turn on."

My lights don't come on at all before I get all the way through, making the Riv system virtually useless in this case.

Any inkling how the system can be made to respond in, say 2 seconds, like the system on my old 2006 SUV does very nicely?

Apparently I've misunderstood how the Twilight Sentinel works and am now realizing I probably have a bad ambient light sensor, for which a replacement pretty much can't be found.

Anyone here a wizard with small electrical devices that could replace the light sensitive cell in my sensor?

Or know what other, available sensor might be adapted to do the job on a '98 Riv?

Willing to compensate, of course.

denim wrote:

Apparently I've misunderstood how the Twilight Sentinel works and am now realizing I probably have a bad ambient light sensor, for which a replacement pretty much can't be found.

Anyone here a wizard with small electrical devices that could replace the light sensitive cell in my sensor?

Or know what other, available sensor might be adapted to do the job on a '98 Riv?

Willing to compensate, of course.

Right behind you on that. I guess we could fish one out of a junkyard but it's a crap shoot if it's going to be any better.

Can anyone tell me if a '95 ambient light sensor could be swapped into a '98 Riv?