Retrofit Automatic Headlights

[Pablotti]

I’ve just picked up a 2020 Ducato/Boxer-based van. Despite almost every bell and whistle, it doesn’t have auto headlights…

I’m so used to them. Is it possible to retrofit? My van has the LED DRLs

 

[EuroTrotters]

Where there is a will, as they say.

 

[Figaro]

I’ve just picked up a 2020 Ducato/Boxer-based van. Despite almost every bell and whistle, it doesn’t have auto headlights…

I’m so used to them. Is it possible to retrofit? My van has the LED DRLs

I know they're convenient, but honestly, how much of a problem is it to turn your lights on when needed ?

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Not that much of a fan of auto vehicle lights. On cars they seem unpredictable whether on or off. Drive through a shadow they come on to go off seconds later when in bright sun again, change sensitivity and they stay on all the time, drive in poor visibility such as spray on road and they don't come on ..... one area where automation isn't always better.

 

[Pablotti]

I know they're convenient, but honestly, how much of a problem is it to turn your lights on when needed ?

It more a case of forgetting to put them on.

I’m not trying to figure out if I should do it or if it’s a problem. I’m just seeing if it’s easily possible.

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[Lenny HB]

I doubt it as it will probably need the ECU reprogramming or changing.
I know you can't even change the headlamps from LED DRL to ones with bulbs without changing ECU and then it has to be coded to the body & costs a fortune, otherwise you get a permanent warning light on the dash.

 

[Pablotti]

I doubt it as it will probably need the ECU reprogramming or changing.
I know you can't even change the headlamps from LED DRL to ones with bulbs without changing ECU and then it has to be coded to the body & costs a fortune, otherwise you get a permanent warning light on the dash.

A helpful response, thanks Lenny

 

[MisterB]

I’ve just picked up a 2020 Ducato/Boxer-based van. Despite almost every bell and whistle, it doesn’t have auto headlights…

I’m so used to them. Is it possible to retrofit? My van has the LED DRLs

It wouldn't surprise me if you could leave your lights on permanently and put some sort of light/dark sensor as an interrupter in the wiring, not linked to the ECU etc.
As the interrupter is effectively just an off switch, how would the ECU know?

Of course I could be completely wrong, which I am often reminded of by the boss.

 

[Pablotti]

It wouldn't surprise me if you could leave your lights on permanently and put some sort of light/dark sensor as an interrupter in the wiring, not linked to the ECU etc.
As the interrupter is effectively just an off switch, how would the ECU know?

Of course I could be completely wrong, which I am often reminded of by the boss.

A simple solution. The challenge though is if the lights work when the ignition is off. If that were the case, they'd be on every night.

 

[Guigsy]

There's a module to detect light levels that attaches to the windscreen that you probably don't have. Which might also need a different windscreen due to the shade screening they put on the edges. The ECU won't have the coding. And if the feature only came with full LED lights, then that's another completely different module you don't have. Along with the change in the headlight units and wiring looms. Basically, what should be an easy job could be really hard and hideously expensive.

Or... it could be a case that you've got all the kit required and its just a change in software. A previous car had an option of £400 for folding mirrors when you locked the car, which I didn't take. But a friend had a a laptop with some software to change the settings in the ECU. So we just switched it on.

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[TheBig1]

Very simple to fit. You tap a feed into the wiring behind the light switch so the ECU is fooled into believing the switch is on

I have seen retrofit universal kits for auto lights

 

[TheBig1]

[Broken Link Removed]

 

[Guigsy]

[Broken Link Removed]

I guess the issue is that your dash will light up to say they're on, but they might not be. Just make sure you switch them over to manual (I assume with that button on the back of the sensor???) when you take it for an MOT.

 

[TheBig1]

I guess the issue is that your dash will light up to say they're on, but they might not be. Just make sure you switch them over to manual (I assume with that button on the back of the sensor???) when you take it for an MOT.

The BCM controls the lights and dash, the switched live (at the switch) carries low current so the BCM only turns the lights on when a live feed from the sensor comes on. The dash light will work the same. Take power for the sensor circuit from an ACC circuit that is only live with the engine running

 

[Pablotti]

[Broken Link Removed]

Not compatible with a Boxer unfortunately!

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[TheBig1]

Not compatible with a Boxer unfortunately!

I fail to understand why? Ignore the ebay compatibility chart, they are universal. If wired correctly the will fit nearly any vehicle

 

[Landy Andy]

Just leave the headlights on all the time. When you turn off the ignition the lights go off until you restart. Well they do I’m my van.

But then I hate anything auto, and don’t have it in my daily life.

 

[Reallyretired]

My car has auto headlights which is a pain as they keep turning on and off in bright sunshine, but doesn't have auto wipers which I have found useful.

 

[Pablotti]

I fail to understand why? Ignore the ebay compatibility chart, they are universal. If wired correctly the will fit nearly any vehicle

Surely they have the compatibility check for a reason. It seems like a lot of hassle if it's irrelevant, especially if their goal is to sell.

 

[fred_jb]

I’ve just picked up a 2020 Ducato/Boxer-based van. Despite almost every bell and whistle, it doesn’t have auto headlights…

I’m so used to them. Is it possible to retrofit? My van has the LED DRLs

As someone else said - where there is a will ...

I too was disappointed to find that my new 2023 Ducato based camper came without several bells and whistles, with auto headlights being a particularly mean omission, as it would be simple to add what should really be a standard feature. After one occasion when I found that I had driven some distance with it getting dark on a motorway with just the LED DRLs lit I was determined to rectify this.

The problem is the scarcity of circuit diagrams for these vans - the best I found was a partial diagram showing how the lighting stalk interfaces with the BCM. That example showed a a lighting stalk with multiple positions, signalled by switching in different resistance values to an earth connection, but with the headlights in the on position, the connection goes direct to the earth wire with no resistor in circuit. I suspected the simple on/off switch on my van would be similar, which proved to be the case.

Due to the difficulty of getting at the wiring for the lighting stalk I did consider other methods, including the eBay light sensor kits, but these all seem to involve wiring up completely parallel circuits to supply the headlights independently of the van's systems, which was messy, involving modifying wiring to the headlight units and arranging an alternative 12V supply to them. Also, depending on how this is done it might bypass the automatic dimming of the DRLs when the headlight is switched on, and would almost certainly not provide the night time signal to the van's systems which in turn switches my Pioneer head unit into night mode, and also enables the headlamp levelling system, though you could always turn the lights on manually to get these features.

I decided that the optimum method would be to add a circuit which just triggered the vans own headlight switching, so effectively a light sensor circuit which would use a relay to make a connection across the same two wires that the headlight switch on the stalk connects together when in the ON position. This involved stripping the upper and lower cowls off the steering column (not easy) and using a 12 way header with attached ribbon cable plugged in in place of the normal connector so that I could test connectivity across all the contacts and identify the two wires which are connected by the headlight ON switch. These turned out to be the black wire and the yellow/black wire, so I removed a little insulation from each of these and soldered on a pair of wires to make an extension taking these back to my auto switch-on circuit. This is a ready made board from Amazon which uses a light sensor to turn a relay on when dark and off when light. The relay is used to either connect or disconnect the two wires extended back from the van's wiring.

This picture (if I succeed in making it appear!) shows the location of the connector with the insulation stripped back ready to add my extension wires.

This picture shows the light sensor placed at the right hand edge of the dashboard:

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[68c]

I do no like having permanetly lit instrument panel lights. So easy to drive thinking you have turned the lights. My wife had auto lights on one car, my wife followed me in that car and I noticed her lights going on and off. Worse in the winter with the low sun flickering been trees and houses. In the end I disabled it as scared someone would think I had flashed them to pull out. Just be grateful you do not have auto lights.

 

[fred_jb]

I do no like having permanetly lit instrument panel lights. So easy to drive thinking you have turned the lights. My wife had auto lights on one car, my wife followed me in that car and I noticed her lights going on and off. Worse in the winter with the low sun flickering been trees and houses. In the end I disabled it as scared someone would think I had flashed them to pull out. Just be grateful you do not have auto lights.

Any factory installed system should have a degree of hysteresis or delay built into the system - that is it should not trigger the lights on and off at exactly the same light level. Instead once triggered they should stay on for a while even if the light increases and vice versa. This would make rapid flicking on and off impossible.

I do have a concern about this with my homemade system and intend swapping out the light sensor/relay board for one which not only allows adjustment of the trigger light level like the current one, but also allows an adjustable switching delay which should eliminate any tendency to flicker.

 

[Itsmcb]

Just my opinion but the less electronic bits on a vehicle the better. I'm happy to stick a key in a lock to open the door, wind the handle to open the window and flick a switch to turn on the lights, wipers, heater etc. I like to be involved with the driving experience.

 

[fred_jb]

Well we are all different, so that is a perfectly valid opinion. In my case I find the lack of such helpful amenities detract from, rather than add to the driving experience. However, I do like physical switches for non-automated stuff, rather than touchscreen interfaces which I think are a step too far and far too much of a distraction!

 

[gus-lopez]

It wouldn't surprise me if you could leave your lights on permanently and put some sort of light/dark sensor as an interrupter in the wiring,

Yes can be done quite easily

A simple solution. The challenge though is if the lights work when the ignition is off. If that were the case, they'd be on every night.

You use a relay switched by a 12v live from the ignition to power it on .The switched live from the actual light switch you link each side to relay,via an auto light sensor,switched in /out.
When relay energises when key is switched on it supplies power to the light sensor which can then activate lights as & when .i.e for tunnels etc.
This also solves the problem of lights that remain on when the ignition is off.

[Broken Link Removed]

Thanks for links

As someone else said - where there is a will ...

I too was disappointed to find that my new 2023 Ducato based camper came without several bells and whistles, with auto headlights being a particularly mean omission, as it would be simple to add what should really be a standard feature. After one occasion when I found that I had driven some distance with it getting dark on a motorway with just the LED DRLs lit I was determined to rectify this.

The problem is the scarcity of circuit diagrams for these vans - the best I found was a partial diagram showing how the lighting stalk interfaces with the BCM. That example showed a a lighting stalk with multiple positions, signalled by switching in different resistance values to an earth connection, but with the headlights in the on position, the connection goes direct to the earth wire with no resistor in circuit. I suspected the simple on/off switch on my van would be similar, which proved to be the case.

Due to the difficulty of getting at the wiring for the lighting stalk I did consider other methods, including the eBay light sensor kits, but these all seem to involve wiring up completely parallel circuits to supply the headlights independently of the van's systems, which was messy, involving modifying wiring to the headlight units and arranging an alternative 12V supply to them. Also, depending on how this is done it might bypass the automatic dimming of the DRLs when the headlight is switched on, and would almost certainly not provide the night time signal to the van's systems which in turn switches my Pioneer head unit into night mode, and also enables the headlamp levelling system, though you could always turn the lights on manually to get these features.

I decided that the optimum method would be to add a circuit which just triggered the vans own headlight switching, so effectively a light sensor circuit which would use a relay to make a connection across the same two wires that the headlight switch on the stalk connects together when in the ON position. This involved stripping the upper and lower cowls off the steering column (not easy) and using a 12 way header with attached ribbon cable plugged in in place of the normal connector so that I could test connectivity across all the contacts and identify the two wires which are connected by the headlight ON switch. These turned out to be the black wire and the yellow/black wire, so I removed a little insulation from each of these and soldered on a pair of wires to make an extension taking these back to my auto switch-on circuit. This is a ready made board from Amazon which uses a light sensor to turn a relay on when dark and off when light. The relay is used to either connect or disconnect the two wires extended back from the van's wiring.

This picture (if I succeed in making it appear!) shows the location of the connector with the insulation stripped back ready to add my extension wires.

View attachment 869434

This picture shows the light sensor placed at the right hand edge of the dashboard:

View attachment 869441

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[TheBig1]

Pardon our interruption...

updated with a current link with adjustable sensitivity and an over ride switch to turn the system off

 

[fred_jb]

Pardon our interruption...

updated with a current link with adjustable sensitivity and an over ride switch to turn the system off

This alternative one has some wiring diagrams which might be useful:

Headlight Sensor kit

 

[Petroleumblownapart]

This alternative one has some wiring diagrams which might be useful:

Headlight Sensor kit

So much easier to have a small multi sensor with light sensor, movement and temperature sensor linked to Alexa then write a routine, or two, which could speak to you and say "Turn the bloody lights on, haven't you noticed it's dark?" or "Blimey aren't your feet cold? Turn the bloody heating up." or "Stop moving about, you keep waking me up".....
So much more sophisticated a solution!

 

[plug]

I do no like having permanetly lit instrument panel lights. So easy to drive thinking you have turned the lights. My wife had auto lights on one car, my wife followed me in that car and I noticed her lights going on and off. Worse in the winter with the low sun flickering been trees and houses. In the end I disabled it as scared someone would think I had flashed them to pull out. Just be grateful you do not have auto lights.

Totally agree these auto lights are a pain, how many twats have you seen driving down the the road in the dark thinking there lights are on because the dash board lights come on straight away, back in the day you had to turn them on and in doing so would turn your external lights on at the same time.

 

[nicholsong]

I’ve just picked up a 2020 Ducato/Boxer-based van. Despite almost every bell and whistle, it doesn’t have auto headlights…

I’m so used to them. Is it possible to retrofit? My van has the LED DRLs

I had never heard of them before you started this thread.

Can they be set to be permanently on, because some countries demand dipped beams be on all the time, e.g. here in Poland? If not they would be illegal.