# Auto headlight sensor - where is it?



## shucky (Jun 2, 2003)

Does anyone know where the sensor is that turns on/off the auto headlights? Mine seem to be on far more than they should be. In the morning with a few clouds in the sky, my headlights turn on. During a cloudy afternoon, yep ... headlights on. Are they this sensitive or do mine have a prob?


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## vw60606 (Jan 19, 2009)

*Re: Auto headlight sensor - where is it? (shucky)*

Rearview mirror base. Mine behaves pretty much the same as yours. VW clearly would prefer to have lights on when unneeded, rather than off when needed.


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## Veedubin02 (Mar 26, 2002)

*Re: Auto headlight sensor - where is it? (vw60606)*

mine wasnt that bad until recently I have even found on sunny days Ill drive under a bridge, they come on but then dont turn back off sometimes. Its annoying.


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## spencerjw (Jan 2, 2008)

*Re: Auto headlight sensor - where is it? (vw60606)*


_Quote, originally posted by *vw60606* »_Rearview mirror base. Mine behaves pretty much the same as yours. VW clearly would prefer to have lights on when unneeded, rather than off when needed.

Pretty sure it's not on the mirror, that would be for the auto dimming of the mirror.
The sensor for the head lights is the little bulb like thing on the top of your dash in the center.


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## Veedubin02 (Mar 26, 2002)

*Re: Auto headlight sensor - where is it? (spencerjw)*


_Quote, originally posted by *spencerjw* »_
Pretty sure it's not on the mirror, that would be for the auto dimming of the mirror.
The sensor for the head lights is the little bulb like thing on the top of your dash in the center.

Incorrect that is the internal motion sensor for when your windows are down and people reach in, I had it on my Audi and I didnt have audi headlights. The Light sensor is in the bas of the mirror you can see the photocell from outside the car look at where the mirror mounts. The rain sensor is also located here.


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## spencerjw (Jan 2, 2008)

*Re: Auto headlight sensor - where is it? (Veedubin02)*

I swore Paul (Ask a VW Sales Guy) had a video about that and said that was the sensor for the lights as well.


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## DubbHatch (Dec 14, 2005)

*Re: Auto headlight sensor - where is it? (spencerjw)*


_Quote, originally posted by *spencerjw* »_I swore Paul (Ask a VW Sales Guy) had a video about that and said that was the sensor for the lights as well.

x2
also, the CC doesn't have internal motion sensors. 
The sensor for the rain sensing windsheild wipers are in the rearview mirror mount.


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## Veedubin02 (Mar 26, 2002)

*Re: Auto headlight sensor - where is it? (DubbHatch)*

Riddle me this how is it that I have auto headlights and no little guy on my dash?


_Modified by Veedubin02 at 10:37 AM 10-7-2009_


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## vw60606 (Jan 19, 2009)

*Re: (jaronbrass)*


_Quote, originally posted by *jaronbrass* »_Veedubin02 is correct. The sensor for the lights is integrated into the rearview mirror mount housing. The rain sensor is also located here.

Yes. The sensor on the top of the IP is for the automatic temperature control.


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## spencerjw (Jan 2, 2008)

*Re: (vw60606)*


_Quote, originally posted by *vw60606* »_
Yes. The sensor on the top of the IP is for the automatic temperature control.

IP?
As far as internal temp control I know the sensor on the face of the dash (in my prior '08 Jetta) was what did it. But off the top of my head I am drawing a blank as to what that area looks like on my CC.


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## pgeller (Jun 28, 2009)

*Re: (spencerjw)*

A little black dome on top of the instrument panel ("IP") is typically the "sun sensor", used to bias the A/C command when the sun is shining. The air temperature sensor is on the dash face area. 
pg


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## caj1 (Feb 16, 1999)

*Re: (pgeller)*


_Quote, originally posted by *pgeller* »_A little black dome on top of the instrument panel ("IP") is typically the "sun sensor", used to bias the A/C command when the sun is shining. The air temperature sensor is on the dash face area. 
pg


This is correct..


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## shucky (Jun 2, 2003)

*Re: (caj1)*

Interesting. Yeah, mine have gotten progressively worse over the past month or so. Past two days, the lights have not shut off once during broad daylight. We are talking direct sunlight here. Guess I'll take it in. No biggie. Thanks peeps....


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## adam's rotors (Sep 20, 2006)

instead of arguing about the location why dont u do the simple test in putting a rag/sheet of paper/your hand over the obviously looking sensor location veedubin mentioned and see what happens to your head lights? same deal with a glass of water...


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## wwittman (Apr 10, 2009)

*Re: (remembertofocus)*

hmmm, as my daytime running lights are on ALL THE TIME, the only difference when headlights turn on is that the rear lights go on
no?
what difference does it make?


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## TheRodfather (Oct 26, 2005)

*Re: (wwittman)*

Don't your dash lights turn on too?


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## Tim Birney (Jun 2, 2003)

*Re: (shucky)*


_Quote, originally posted by *shucky* »_Interesting. Yeah, mine have gotten progressively worse over the past month or so. Past two days, the lights have not shut off once during broad daylight. We are talking direct sunlight here. Guess I'll take it in. No biggie. Thanks peeps....









Illinois is about on the same plane as Michigan.
You will note sporadic operation of the Auto Headlights in early fall, and early spring, each and every year that you own the car.
I have noticed this behavior since the fall of 2005, and nothing has changed since then.
A lot of what you notice is power of the UV Rays through our atmosphere.
The sun is going lower on our horizon, and the rays have to travel through a larger amount of our "air", and they don't have the same amount of energy when they arrive at your sensor as opposed to mid-July.


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## Pelican18TQA4 (Dec 13, 2000)

*Re: Auto headlight sensor - where is it? (shucky)*

I noticed the same habits with my '08 R32 and like Tim said above, it was more noticeable at certain times of the year. Also, and I don't know if the CC's have this turned on or not, but there is a 'highway light' feature that turns on the lights while travelling above a certain speed. I know it was on by default on my R32 and for the longest time I couldn't figure out why my headlights would turn on by themselves everytime I went on a highway.
And, to clear up some confusion, the light sensor is integrated into the rain sensor, hence the 'RLS' terminology in VCDS. The little bump in the center of the upper dashboard is the infrared sensor for the Climatronic. It factors infrared heat into its regulation of the climate control system. The interior air temp sensor for the Climatronic is built into the Climatronic head unit and is the shiny black dot in the middle of the the panel.


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## travelguy_73 (Sep 5, 2008)

*Re: Auto headlight sensor - where is it? (Pelican18TQA4)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Pelican18TQA4* »_I noticed the same habits with my '08 R32 and like Tim said above, it was more noticeable at certain times of the year. Also, and I don't know if the CC's have this turned on or not, but there is a 'highway light' feature that turns on the lights while travelling above a certain speed. I know it was on by default on my R32 and for the longest time I couldn't figure out why my headlights would turn on by themselves everytime I went on a highway.


The CC has this "feature" as well, but I'm not sure if it works the same. I noticed it on my way to NOLA last month, when traveling about 85, I flashed-to-pass, and the lights stayed on. I don't recall them coming on until I flashed, though, but they might!


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## kredopapa6 (4 mo ago)

anybody here...? i have an amazing case my 2014 jetta se has no auto lights switch but the cluster is on all the time as i enter the dark tunnel or it's going dark, the light of dash slowly goes off like it has a light sensor buut butt i dont have any light sensor on dash and nor on the base of rear view mirror. it seems like there is another sensor somewhere that cause this


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