2008 T&C headlights and mirror
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Welcome to the forum!
Your T&C doesn't have power mirrors? I have a 2009 base model SE and it has power mirrors, you sure they are manual?
The auto headlights are VERY easy to add from 2008-2010. All the wiring is present in the van for them, and no programming is necessary. You need a auto headlight switch from a GCV or T&C, and a sun sensor, which looks like a black bubble just aft of where the center speaker spot is (on vehicles with either auto headlights or auto climate, both have the same sensor). Take a flat head and gently pry it up. The hard part will be the actual connector for the sun sensor in your van. It is tapped to the main harness, getting it is hard, you have to reach from the driver footwell or through the spot for the center speaker. If you don't have a compass indicator in your instrument cluster there will also be a second connector taped to the harness also aft of the center speaker spot, probably in the opposite direction.
If you don't want to do all that work for the sun sensor, grab a headlight switch with the auto position, and replace it for yours. It's not an issue, but anytime the vehicle engine is on it will turn on the headlights, as if it was always night. You will also have the extra halo button and fog light button which I assume your van doesn't have.
What options does your van have? There are a lot of connectors around that you can buy the pieces needed and they will plug in and work, the center auto mirror is one of them too.
Your T&C doesn't have power mirrors? I have a 2009 base model SE and it has power mirrors, you sure they are manual?
The auto headlights are VERY easy to add from 2008-2010. All the wiring is present in the van for them, and no programming is necessary. You need a auto headlight switch from a GCV or T&C, and a sun sensor, which looks like a black bubble just aft of where the center speaker spot is (on vehicles with either auto headlights or auto climate, both have the same sensor). Take a flat head and gently pry it up. The hard part will be the actual connector for the sun sensor in your van. It is tapped to the main harness, getting it is hard, you have to reach from the driver footwell or through the spot for the center speaker. If you don't have a compass indicator in your instrument cluster there will also be a second connector taped to the harness also aft of the center speaker spot, probably in the opposite direction.
If you don't want to do all that work for the sun sensor, grab a headlight switch with the auto position, and replace it for yours. It's not an issue, but anytime the vehicle engine is on it will turn on the headlights, as if it was always night. You will also have the extra halo button and fog light button which I assume your van doesn't have.
What options does your van have? There are a lot of connectors around that you can buy the pieces needed and they will plug in and work, the center auto mirror is one of them too.
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How do you adjust the mirrors?
The power mirrors have the circular 4 button piece which you press to adjust the mirrors on the driver side master switch. You pick left or right and adjust each separately.
The power mirrors will have a door module they plug into, you may need programming to activate the function. The wiring for the switch may or may not be present in your van.
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I have to adjust the mirrors by hand where the switch is on driver door has window up and down and lock unlock so iguess im stuck which sucks b/c me and my wife drive it and mirrors are know where in the same spot
I'm not entirely sure what you need to get power mirrors, most likely the switch, the mirrors themselves with the power function, and maybe the door modules as well.
Although it must be a very base model T&C because I have not seen any with manual mirrors, I also haven't been looking for them either.
Although it must be a very base model T&C because I have not seen any with manual mirrors, I also haven't been looking for them either.
Have the switch and the power mirrors but need the modules but not sure if it will work dont think i have the wiring for the modules might have to get creative
I believe the module is thee already. The module is used for all the electrical functions, so it may be plug and play, but who knows.
Okay last question for you but you have been helpful thanks a lot but I put the auto headlight switch in and the sensor found the plug it was not easy but nothing has change the lights still stay on all the time even in direct sunlight no I need to have it programmed or did I miss something my light switch does have the A on it all the way to the left thanks again
Did you put the sunlight sensor into it's slot above the center speaker facing up or did you connect the sensor and drop it back through the center speaker where it was tapped to the harness? It is light sensitive and if it's covered by anything it will treat it as night, it must be in it's slot like in my photo above, which means you must get the wires through the small hole it slides into. If you're inside, take a flashlight and shine it on the sensor directly from above, it should turn off the headlights if they are on and the engine running, then turn off the flashlight or cover the sensor, see if they turn back on.
I did this with my 09 SE (which was pretty much a base model minus 3 zone manual climate, power mirrors, heated rear window, full stow and go, and all windows powered including vented 3'd row). I plugged in the auto headlight switch and the sensor, and it worked instantly without any programming. Make sure the sensor is plugged in properly, unplug the sensor and plug it back in to see if it allows the van to recognize the sensor if the flashlight doesn't allow the headlights to turn off in the auto position.
It is also a fairly sensitive sensor, it turns on the headlights earlier then I personally would, so maybe it is working, just not enough light. Let me know if it works, if the headlight switch in the auto position works, the sensor will work too as the system looks for resistance as current passes through the sensor.
Edit: I re-read your post, the headlight switch is in the auto position (far left) when you try this?
Okay I put the sensor in the proper hole took out the cap and dropped it in like in the pic above so it is in the correct spot I plug the harness in it the only plug in one way I have tried 2 different sensors maybe my light switch could be bad im not sure its raining now so ill try it tomorrow but the lights act like there is no sensor is plugged in all lights are on dash ,tail lights ect
Okay, let me know if it works or doesn't tomorrow. What vehicles did you get the sensors from? Were the wipers on when you tried this? For my van in the auto position the headlights come on in any wiper setting.
I don't think it will be the switch itself as you mentioned in the auto position it treats it as if it was always night. so that means the switch is working and communication with the vehicle computer properly.
The only other thing that comes to mind is the climate control unit itself, because the auto headlights sensor actually goes from the climate controls, to the sensor, and back to the climate controls.
Do you have single zone manual climate (meaning no rear climate) or do you have 3 zone manual climate (you will have driver, front passenger and rear adjustable knobs for their own temperature settings). I ask because I'm not entirely sure if the base single zone actually had the auto headlights as an available option, but seeing the wires are already there it seems unlikely.
No wiper were not on and I have the three climate control the driver passenger and rear and thanks for all your help and I got the sensor from a 2009 T n C. the climate controls I have notice it takes a while for the air to change from hot to cold or vise versa dont know if that means anything
Try tomorrow, and try the flashlight suggestion I mentioned above. I hope it is working, it really should work
Hmmm, I guess it needs programming at this point, the dealer will probably have no idea what you are taking about and likely not know how to add the programming to your vehicle config.
What you can do, if you're interested, is you can buy appcar for your van, and with that program you can activate as many options as you'd like, including auto headlights. You can do more things with the program then the dealer can do if you take your van to them, and it reads every code in the vehicle, even ones that don't trigger a check engine light.
In addition, not sure if you got the power mirrors or not, but there are also heated mirrors, power folding mirrors, auto dim mirror (driver and center only, no passenger auto) and also mirrors with chrome accents on the outside and a turn indicator on each. These functions (except the auto dimming mirrors and possibly power mirrors) all must be activated before they will work.
I have successfully added auto 3 zone climate control, premium 10 speaker sound system, factory power inverter, factory fog lights, dual screen overhead displays and the DVD reader, halo lighting for the console, and next task will be adding power sliding doors. These are all thanks to this one program, and whenever I have any engine issues, or check engine light, I plug the program in and it will show me exactly what code(s) are stored and active, and I can test the units to ensure they are at fault.
Otherwise, you could try contact a dodge or chrysler dealer, see what they say.
I'm sorry your auto headlights wasn't plug and play, mine was and a lot of others also were able to get it working without any programming. Maybe because your van was a base model?
That probably won't be for a while though, I will let you know if and when I do start working on it!
Okay my friend has a 2012 town and country and I tried my sensor in his van and it works his is a limited mine is a kc and a 08 but his senior connector has 4 wires mine only has 2 could that be my problem how many wires did you have
That isn't the issue. Only vans with automatic climate control will have 4 wires to the sensor, 2 for auto headlights, and 2 for the climate control sensor.
Vans without auto climate will have just the 2 outer wires for that connector, these are just for the auto headlights. (and the sensor will for both vans with and without auto climate as well)
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