Automatic Headlights staying on.

[wwrightsc]

Hi again! Thank you so much to everyone who has answered my other questions! I have a new one here. My Explorer is equipped with the second type of mirror listed in the manual with just the slide switch. The automatic headlights will turn on just fine, but will not turn off, even if the slide switch is clicked to off. Do you know what could be causing this? I'm doing everything right according to the manual. Also, the compass and thermometer display lights up about every other time I start the car. Is there anything possibly causing one or both of these problems? I'm not as concerned with the temp/compass display as I am with the headlights.

 

[Kevin Barry]

The auto on/off feature only works with the main headlight switch in the "off" position. Then the light sensor takes over and activates the lights provided the slide switch is not set to off.

I've never heard of this but since you say they are coming on, the light sensor is obviously working and the slide switch is at least sending a signal that it is on. I would presume that the slide switch is linked to some type of timed relay as you can adjust how long the lights stay on for after you shut the car off with this switch. I would presume the timer simply is not working. As far as the compass, I again am presuming but that sounds like a loose connection.

How are you turning the lights off currently with the auto feature not working?

 

[wwrightsc]

Right now I've been using the normal headlight switch to manually turn them on and off. I unplugged the auto headlight wires from my rearview mirror so they won't run all night and drain my battery. Would a new mirror fix the problem?

 

[Kevin Barry]

Are you new to this car, or is this a new problem with the car? Not to discount what you are stating, but this problem was happening with the main switch in the off position and using the mirror slider in the off position was leaving the headlights on?

I don't want to suggest getting a new mirror, as I am not 100% sure where the timer and/or relay switch could be. I was just using a bit of process of elimination to see what was and wan't working.

Just a silly suggestion though if it is a relay of sorts, have you plugged the mirror back in since to try and see if it works?

I haven't seen anyone else post this issue, so it leaves me baffled.

 

[gtyates]

Mine starting doing that as well. I simply cut the green wire, which is the power wire for the delay feature. Now my lights come on at night as they should but when I shut the truck off they turn off at the same time, no delayed feature. I park in a garage so the delayed feature is not a big deal to me anyway, but I do like the auto on feature. Also, since you have unplugged the mirror your auto dim feature in the mirror is currently not working. I have heard some people have had luck spraying a little WD40 in the slider area and freeing up the internal mechanism but I did not even attempt that myself.

 

[Kevin Barry]

Having dug through this topic a little more this morning and searching on this issue it does appear that there is a under hood relay involved. It also appears that there is a white and purple combo wire that goes to this relay that affects the auto on/off.

 

[gtyates]

The white/purple wire send the signal from the mirror to turn the lights on. Don't cut it if you like the auto on feature. The green wire is the one that handles the delay feature. At least on my mirror it is green. If you do not have a green wire, what color wires do you have in the harness at the mirror?

 

[gtyates]

this link explains what each wire in the harness does:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84968

 

[wwrightsc]

Thanks for all this help. Yes, I'm using it with the headlight and mirror switches off. The wires going into my mirror are white, 2 blacks, green, and purple. Is there any way I can fix this? I'm pretty skilled when it comes to wiring and there are about 10 explorers at my local junkyard I can get parts from. Where exactly is this timing relay?

 

[wwrightsc]

Ok this is what I have:

The first pic is my mirror, the second is my switch, the third and fourth are under the hood and the last is the plug that goes into the mirror

http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee18/wwrightsc/?mediafilter=images

 

[gtyates]

Nice pics. The delay timer is in the mirror itself. Your best bet is either try a junker one or simply cut the red wire on the end of the mirror plug. The red wire is for the timer. The green wire is constant power.