Automatic Headlights installed & working

That was genious putting the override switch where you did. Very classy. Where did you get the toggle switch?

 

I feel like a complete DA. With me knowing nothing about cars and my Prius being a 2005, I was extremely nervous about someone working on the electrical system. Had no idea that the Toyota dealership would do this, but they agreed to let their main Prius mechanic install the auto headlamp kit on my car. I felt like this mechanic would not accidentally fry something in the electrical system, even if he hadn't seen the kit before. I took the car on Monday of this week. He kept the car all day and worked on it sporatically and kept running into issues. He said that the instructions mentioned a white wire, but the kit didn't have a white wire. It turned out to be a big cluster, and he installed the kit finally, but it does absolutely nothing. DEI has very poor technical support or none at all that I can find. If you aren't a authorized dealer, you cannot so much as get anything from their website unless I was just not looking in the right places. The store I bought the kit from on the Internet apparently didn't enter my email address or maybe only authorized dealers can log into the part of the site I was trying to get into.

At last, I was able to get a telephone number that gave you authorized dealers in your area after you entered your zip code. I called the number locally and a guy named Jason talked to the mechanic. But the kit still didn't work after installation based on Jason's instructions to the mechanic.

I need to take the car back in next Monday on my day off and was wondering if anyone knows of how to get in contact with someone who can help this mechanic troubleshoot what is wrong with the system?

 

Thanks for all your help with this. I actually had printed out your step by step instructions and included that with the kit so the mechanic could see how you did yours. I'll show him your last comment about the wiring like a lighter. As I understand it, if the master toggle switch that came with the kit is in the on position, but your factory installed headlight switch is in the OFF position, the system should work on the photocell. Does your high/low beam work? I read in the instructions that on some cars you will not be able to swithc from high to low beams or vice versa when the automatic system is engaged. I am taking the car back in on Monday. Spoke with the mechanic today and he said he ran out of time and didn't get a chance to test the wiring and he thinks it will not take long on Monday to check it out. We'll see. I'll keep you posted...

 

Thanks for all the great help!

 

Great news.! Just got back from the dealership... The mechanic went back over his connections and he said he left something disconnected. Anyway, the kit works great. I noticed in darkness, the lights go off immediately when I press the power down/shut off button and the kit mentioned the sentinel delay. Imagine it's because the direct power source connection, just like when your cell phone charger doesn't power with the ignition off to prevent dead batteries. It would be nice to have the sentinel delay but if the kit's computer malfunctioned and it didn't switch off the lights....YIKES. My main objective with buying this kit wasn't the sentinel delay or the daytime running lights since daytime running lights could be achieved by leaving the lights on all the time and using the auto-off feature when you open your door. Instead, my main objective was just to have the photocell auto on/off feature, that we all know should be available on the Prius here in the US. One thing I did notice that didn't happen before the kit was installed is that now the navigation system display dims when the auto lights kick in! For three years I was driving at night with this bright display because I didn't want to cut the display off or mangle with the brightness at night, to only have to reset during the day. Was the car supposed to do that anyway and maybe through some quirk it didn't? Anyway, if I have any problems with the Autolite system, I'll let you know. Thanks again Problemchild for all your help.

 

Thanks problemchild!
It seems you did not interface the wiper sensor. Do you know (assuming you have the wiring schema) what wire I would need to tap?

Thanks again!

-Fred

 

I see that you only hooked up the headlight function. Doesn't most auto headlight functions also turn on the parking lights at dusk along with the headlights? Or does your wire hookup also turn on the parking lights?
Question #2: Why wouldn't you hook 12 volt positive up to the ignition side also instead of the battery. that would prevent draining the battery and if you needed the headlights while you were parked you could just turn them on manually.

 

Hey Problemchild, great write-up! I'm getting ready to install this kit myself. I was also wondering if the parking lights turn on with your wiring? One more thing, does high and low beam function normally?

Finally, if anyone still needs info on the wiper wires, I may be able to help. I've already installed 'Rain Tracker' auto wipers and would have to dig through my manual for the proper wires to tap.

 

Just like the rest of you, I have a car with auto lights and love it. But all you have to do with the Prii is turn on the lights and leave them on. When you open your door the lights shut off. When you start the car the lights come on........this is CHEAP....and it works.

 

Not at all the same, IMO. I do not want to leave my lights on all of the time. I want them to come on 'automatically' depending on lighting conditions and wiper use. Leaving the headlights on wastes energy and fuel, detracts from the life of the (expensive) components, and has been proven in recent studies to not be as effective of a safety measure as when DRL's were first introduced years back. Your way works, but not for me...plus I get to wire in more 'stuff', always a benefit in my book.

 

Does anyone who installed the kit have the HID lights? Would there be any problem with HIDs?

Thanks

 

I installed mine using Problemchild's instruction on my 08 touring with HID. No problems and works great............:mod:

 

I thought the touring came with auto lights but I guess not. Thanks for letting me know. Did you tap into the wipers?

 

Does anyone know if the 2010 Prius in the US will come with the auto on/off headlights? it seems to have all the other bells and whistles like parking assist, backup camera on the navigation system, lane assist, cruise distancing, etc.

 

Do you have HID lights? Do you know if this will work with HID?