My $5 mod in 5 mins.
- Thread starter tjnptel1
- Start date
jsun_2k
New member
does this sensor work when the headlight is on or off or both? thanks!
97BlackAckCL
Elite Member
Installed my $8 sensor from Kentucky yesterday, install literally took 30 seconds. I spent the most time ensuring that I had the connector pins lined up correctly and then snap. Do you have to enable night mode on the GPS? Any other settings I need to enable?
as long as the thumb wheel on the left side of the steering wheel isn't on max brightness, it will auto switch from day and night. If it is on max brightness, that will override everything.
only when the headlights are on, so it doesn't work when you have the switch on DRL or Off
97BlackAckCL
Elite Member
OK, that would be my issue. I was playing with it this morning but I have the max brightness on at all times, thanks!
aaronRR
New member
Can anyone confirm this?
weaselbob74
New member
That's crazy that Toyota left that ability off. My Limited has the light sensor and in auto mode it's annoying driving under bridges during the day with the nav going from day to night mode and back. I'll have to pay attention to the interior lights
ElectroBoy
Banned
Just to clarify:
This sensor will enable your dash lights and Entune screen to dim at night without you having to fiddle with the light control thumbwheel (located left of the steering wheel).
It does not dim or turn on your headlights.
The way I use it is to set the thumbwheel to max brightness without clicking it to the highest override setting and leave it there all the time. Check out how this functions at night (or in a dark garage) by turning the ignition ON but do not start it. Turn ON the head lights or parking lights. Your dash lights are now dim in “night mode”. Take a flashlight and shine it closely on the sensor. In two to three seconds the dash lights brighten to “day mode”. Take the flashlight away and they dim again to”night mode”. Yay.
Now to set up your Entune screen hit the Home button, hit the gear symbol in the upper right corner, (should now be in Setup menu), hit Display. As long as your headlights are still ON you’ll see the “Adjust Contrast/Brightness” menu with a “Day Mode” and checkbox. Deselect the checkbox.
Now hit the General button and with headlights (or parking lights) still ON adjust the brightness and contrast to how you like the Entune screen to look at night. Hit the OK button to save the settings.
Now you’re back at the Adust Contrast/Brightness menu again. Turn OFF the headlights and everything get bright. You are now in “Day Mode”. Hit the General button and adjust contrast and brightness to your favorite daylight settings. Hit OK to Save.
Back out of the menu and get to the Navigation screen (showing a map). With headlights OFF your dash and navigation screen are bright in Day Mode. Turn the headlights ON and everything dims to Night Mode and the nav screen goes to the dark background with white text.
With headlights ON shine your flashlight on the sensor and watch the dash and Nav screen go bright in Day Mode. Take away the light and it dims. Eureka!
Now you may be wondering what the “Day Mode” checkbox does. That’s for a third contrast/brightness setting for the Entune screen. If you were driving in the day and suddenly it starts raining and you want your headlights ON, the dash and Entune screen would also dim. Which you probably don’t want, you want normal Day Mode brightness. So you have this option to drill into the menu to get to this screen and check the box to force the screen to stay bright even if lights are ON. While you are driving. Right. A pretty useless feature since you can just click the thumbwheel to max position and it’ll do the same thing.
Or if it doesn’t get too dark during the storm, the light sensor module will keep you in Day Mode anyway. No driver intervention needed!
This sensor will enable your dash lights and Entune screen to dim at night without you having to fiddle with the light control thumbwheel (located left of the steering wheel).
It does not dim or turn on your headlights.
The way I use it is to set the thumbwheel to max brightness without clicking it to the highest override setting and leave it there all the time. Check out how this functions at night (or in a dark garage) by turning the ignition ON but do not start it. Turn ON the head lights or parking lights. Your dash lights are now dim in “night mode”. Take a flashlight and shine it closely on the sensor. In two to three seconds the dash lights brighten to “day mode”. Take the flashlight away and they dim again to”night mode”. Yay.
Now to set up your Entune screen hit the Home button, hit the gear symbol in the upper right corner, (should now be in Setup menu), hit Display. As long as your headlights are still ON you’ll see the “Adjust Contrast/Brightness” menu with a “Day Mode” and checkbox. Deselect the checkbox.
Now hit the General button and with headlights (or parking lights) still ON adjust the brightness and contrast to how you like the Entune screen to look at night. Hit the OK button to save the settings.
Now you’re back at the Adust Contrast/Brightness menu again. Turn OFF the headlights and everything get bright. You are now in “Day Mode”. Hit the General button and adjust contrast and brightness to your favorite daylight settings. Hit OK to Save.
Back out of the menu and get to the Navigation screen (showing a map). With headlights OFF your dash and navigation screen are bright in Day Mode. Turn the headlights ON and everything dims to Night Mode and the nav screen goes to the dark background with white text.
With headlights ON shine your flashlight on the sensor and watch the dash and Nav screen go bright in Day Mode. Take away the light and it dims. Eureka!
Now you may be wondering what the “Day Mode” checkbox does. That’s for a third contrast/brightness setting for the Entune screen. If you were driving in the day and suddenly it starts raining and you want your headlights ON, the dash and Entune screen would also dim. Which you probably don’t want, you want normal Day Mode brightness. So you have this option to drill into the menu to get to this screen and check the box to force the screen to stay bright even if lights are ON. While you are driving. Right. A pretty useless feature since you can just click the thumbwheel to max position and it’ll do the same thing.
Or if it doesn’t get too dark during the storm, the light sensor module will keep you in Day Mode anyway. No driver intervention needed!
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What's the trick to pop off the dummy cap?
Is it possible to release from underneath after removing the screen?
I tried to pry up the cap but felt like I was going to leave unwanted marks/scratches. Would rather take the longer route if it means not having any unwanted scratches on my dash.
Thanks!
Is it possible to release from underneath after removing the screen?
I tried to pry up the cap but felt like I was going to leave unwanted marks/scratches. Would rather take the longer route if it means not having any unwanted scratches on my dash.
Thanks!
Stupidly, I slightly scratched the dash next to the plug from using an identical pry tool as the OP. The material on the dash is pretty soft and easy to scratch. I recommend putting something down next to the plug when you go to pry it off.
I also noticed you have a 2015 Canadian SR5P...as do I (even though I'm in CA). I popped the plug out and saw the 3 wires to the blank plug and instantly purchased the sensor on Ebay. Do you mind confirming it works with your Canadian 2015 SR5P once you install? Thanks a bunch!
Didn't even use a pry tool, got an old credit card, use finger & nail to lift either side of the dummy just to get it off the surface a bit, slid in the card and used the card to wiggle the dummy out.
Last edited:
the_fornicator
New member
With that kind of stuff, I normally lay down 4-5 layers of painter's tape around the area I'm fiddling with to prevent scratching. If I scratch the area underneath, I'm ok with that since it's out of eye sight.
nimby
New member
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