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Adding automatic headlights


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Yes, I have this. Now, some one please tell me how they removed the defroster cover which includes this little UFO looking thing!

The proper answer is to remove both of the A pillar covers, then use a pry tool and lift the defrost cover off. Then you can pull the sun sensor up. I skipped removing the A pillar covers and just pryed the defrost cover up and off. If you look at your dash you'll notice that as you look at the windshield the dash bumps down a bit, that is where the seem of the defrost cover is.

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both of my journeys have that and i don't have the auto lights, i am sure if it comes from the factory with auto lights then the sensor would be there but i don't believe dodge would put a sensor in there if it wasn't ordered for the auto lights. by the way when i bought my 2011 i asked the salesman and someone in the service dept. what that was and no one could answer that....LOL

Nowadays they typically use a common harness in the same model vehicles, regardless of trim. The only harnesses that would be missing would be ones that are not part of some other system. The sunlight sensor should be in all of the DJ as it is part of the main harness behind the dash.

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All this is because there are TWO components involved in the automatic headlight, coupled with the need for the dealer to add the LMG sales code as a 'dealer installed option'.

The code should cost between $25 and $50 to add.

The two components are the automatic headlight switch which replaces the 'regular' switch that manual-only headlight-equipped vehicles have AND the twilight sensor.

The sensor goes under the dash below that 'bump' neat the windshield . . . but the bump needs to be removed/cut, or the sensor won't be seeing daylight.

It should require a couple of hours for the entire job.

As to why SXTs and below don't have the feature as standard? It is to keep costs on the budget vehicles down and to entice the buyer to purchase a more fully equipped vehicle.\

Interesting enough, the Canadian edition of the Crossroad has the automatic headlights as standard equipment.

Okay so I understand that pretty much all dodge journeys have a sun sensor becuase it is also part of the multizone heating and cooling (It senses the difference in sun intensity from the drivers and passengers side of the car to adjust the heating and cooling accordingly) But are you suggesting that in the cars with automatic headlights have a different sensor which has a clear dome or cut out?

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So BramFrank got me thinking and on the right track (I think). I got on the moparone.com site and started looking up parts for the Sentinel sensor. And found three different ones below are the part numbers that were listed and their uses. Obviously I ordered one and will update this when it comes in.

68230113AA - w/o Auto Temp Control, w/o Auto headlights

68230115AA - w/o Auto Temp Control, w/ Auto headlights

68230114AA - w/ Auto Temp Control, w/ Auto headlights

That being said, I also looked up the wiring diagram on ShopKeypro. The only diagram I could find referenced it as the Sunlight sensor and showed that it had a four wire connecter that runs to the HVAC control. So I'm assuming that the sensor I have in my dash already has the wires all ran to it, but that it is just the wrong sensor to work with auto headlights since the car didn't come with that option.

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I have Auto heat. So what you are saying I would need the third sensor listed and the switch. If I can figure out how to get the harness that is strapped to the steering column up to the bobble on the dash, I would plug the sensor into the bubble, and then the harness into the sensor. Then change the switch, and have my Dealer add the LMG code. Sounds easy enough.

My Dealer quoted be around 2 grand in labor, saying something to the effect of having to take out most of the dash to do this. I'll see if I can figure it out. The defroster cover does not appear to be under the A pillar trim

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Nope - you use the harness that is plugged into the sensor you already have. You unplug the present one and replace it with the one the list specifies in addition to changing the light switch AND having the sales code flashed.

The vehicle is CANBUS - so the sensor likely sends extra messages that refer to ambient light in addition to whatever messages that the vehicle needs for the auto air.

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You are making it sound too easy. What about the harness that is supposedly taped to my steering column?

Is the defroster cover also the cover for the dash speakers?

Here I was thinking all I had to do is somehow get the harness up to the center of the dash, swap out the sensor for both Auto Lights and Auto AC/Heat, replace the light switch and then have the sales code. I presently have the sensor for auto heat only

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I believe that it would only be taped to the harness if it wasn't being used (as in my no-auto-lights/no-auto-air SE Plus).

Like I wrote - this is a CANBUS vehicle. hey customise the sender and the data is all sent to the BCM.

So, simply delete the one step of relocating the connector and you would seem to have the procedure defined.

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  • 1 month later...

So. . . I still haven't given up on this issue, just haven't had any luck. I've given up working with the stealership that I was working with. They flashed the computer 3 times but they never added the sales code to my VIN in DealerConnect. Which is a no brainer why it didn't work.

I talked to the dealership I bought my Jeep from and they wouldn't add the sales code becuase they didn't install the part on the Journey even though I offered them money.

So this morning I started talking to another Dodge stealership, at first they were kind of iffy about it becuase they didn't install the parts. . . But after talking to them and asking them to take my money they told me they would need to call me back. They called back a couple hours later stating that they were talking to their Regional rep becuase they did it once before and had to have them add the sales code at the factory in Detroit.

With that said. . . If anybody on this forum either works at a dealership or has had luck with a dealership adding the LMG sales code as a dealer installed option, I would be interested in having a point of contact to call and give my VIN to over the phone, and then I'll just have the local dealer reflash the computer.

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Yeah, some of the dealers (maybe a majority of them) seem to have their heads up their butts or are simply very greedy. I'm lucky in that the dealer that sold me my last 2 Journeys is a listener and is willing to help. While he is a big proponent of upselling, I am immune to his sales pitches on that score.

But here on the forum we do have a friendly service manager or two here that can help you out. They can update the database with the sales code and then you simply have a local dealer REFRESH the vehicle, and if he wants to charge for that you may be able to convince him not to.

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With that said. . . If anybody on this forum either works at a dealership or has had luck with a dealership adding the LMG sales code as a dealer installed option, I would be interested in having a point of contact to call and give my VIN to over the phone, and then I'll just have the local dealer reflash the computer.

PM the last eight digits of your VIN along with the approximate mileage and I'll add the code for you.

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PM the last eight digits of your VIN along with the approximate mileage and I'll add the code for you.

I tried sending you a message it said you could not recieve my message .....if youdont mind please do mine also dealer said it cant be done there is no code here is my last vin 3c4pdcbb3et150780

I have 15250 miles i really appreciate if you could thanks LeRoy

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PM the last eight digits of your VIN along with the approximate mileage and I'll add the code for you.

I'm having the same problem sending you a PM, it says that you can't recieve anymore messages. The last 8 of my VIN is FT533875 and the milage is sitting about 3,600.

By the way. Thank you very much, you wouldn't believe how much time I've spent at the dealerships trying to get this taken care of.

Edited by Sean Lester
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Sean lester. Can you tell us what you installed to get the auto headlights to work and where the harness is? Also did your car come with the sensor or did you have to cut out and install one

So far. . . I still haven't got them to work properly becuase the cars onboard computer needs to be told that I have the automatic headlight option. But this is what I have done, I ordered two parts that I looked up in the parts manual.

The switch for Auto headlights with fog lights is mopar part # 56046258AC (Without Fog lights # 04602890AC)

The sun sensor was part # 68230115AA

To change out the headlight switch, turn the switch to the off position, then push in on the dial and turn it clockwise, it only moves about a 1/4" and then you can pull it out of the dash, disconnect the wire and plug the new switch in.

I'm not 100% sure if I needed to replace the sun sensor, we already had a sun sensor in the middle of the dash to control the zoned temperature, the part number that was in the dash that I pulled out was 68230114AA. All you do is pop the defrost cover off the top of the dash and you can then slide the current sensor out, unplug it and plug the new one in, then pop everything back down and together.

My biggest challange so far has been getting somebody to attach the "LMG" sales code to the VIN at the dealership.

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My biggest challange so far has been getting somebody to attach the "LMG" sales code to the VIN at the dealership.

Sean - I checked your VIN and tried to add LMG to your options, but it does not appear in the drop-down menu of sales codes. This is why you've not been able to get it added. While I was there, I added LMK for you so you can enable your Daytime Running Lights the next time a vehicle restoration is done at the dealer.

We went through this last year with DRL - the sales code LMK just vanished one day and was missing for months with no explanation from Chrysler - and at the beginning of this year, it re-appeared in the same drop-down menu that used to contain LMG.

Your dealer may have to open a STAR case and request that LMG be added, if possible. Once your dealer does this then the STAR center will respond and advise if it is possible. Sorry that I could not be more help to you.

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LeRoy - I checked your VIN and tried to add LMG to your options, but it does not appear in the drop-down menu of sales codes. This is why you've not been able to get it added. While I was there, I added LMK for you so you can enable your Daytime Running Lights the next time a vehicle restoration is done at the dealer.

We went through this last year with DRL - the sales code LMK just vanished one day and was missing for months with no explanation from Chrysler - and at the beginning of this year, it re-appeared in the same drop-down menu that used to contain LMG.

Your dealer may have to open a STAR case and request that LMG be added, if possible. Once your dealer does this then the STAR center will respond and advise if it is possible. Sorry that I could not be more help to you.

Not sure why your PM was blocked - I've been receiving them from some other members.

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Dang... Well that sucks. Thank you so much for updating me on this, I don't know why my local dealership couldn't just tell me that. I'm wondering if that is why I haven't heard back from the new dealership. Anyway I'm not going to give up on this and will continue to follow the thread so if you happen to notice LMG starting to work again, I would appreciate a heads up. Hopefully the new dealership I've been talking to does submit a STAR case. I don't suppose there is anything I could do to help that along? When I was dealing with Dodge cares it didn't seem like they had much ability to affect change. Is there maybe somebody at Chrysler that I could start a case with as a consumer or is that a complaint that only a dealership can make?

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Journeyman425 - I still wonder why I can't PM you, but I had an epic thought about taking another approach at this. . . The Popular Equipment group (ALW)

Since our Journey is equiped with all the options besides the Universal Garage door opener, would adding the ALW sales code allow adding the LMG code or include it? Just an idea, is it even possible?

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Sean, this is interesting - I didn't realize it was so simple. My dealership told me it would be impossible to add automatic headlights to my 2012 Journey, but from what you describe the technical piece isn't that difficult provided you can get the code listed to your build sheet.

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Is there maybe somebody at Chrysler that I could start a case with as a consumer or is that a complaint that only a dealership can make?

You can contact Chrysler's customer service number, but in this case I don't see that as the most effective solution. That is usually reserved for issues where your dealer is not helping you or if you wish to complain about a specific, unresolved problem. They will not likely have any knowledge of missing sales codes and they have no contact with STAR (Service Technical Assistance Resource center) so I don't feel that a call to them will help you. STAR cases are opened by the technician in the shop or by the service manager. I'm not certain if that will resolve the missing sales code issue, either, but I'll explain. Just before the DRL sales code "LMK" was put back in the menu, I found a STAR case that advised the shop to open a case and request the sales code. I don't know the end result of that request since is not something I can see unless my shop opened the case. So, in this instance the only thing that I think your dealer could do would be to contact STAR and request the sales code and see what happens. I'll monitor the menu from time to time and see if it comes back just like the DRL code did.

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