I've noticed that my Z1 dims at night, like it's supposed to, but I've been unable to get the headlight flashing trick to work. Digging a little deeper, I discovered that when my headlights are set to automatically turn on, the Z1 dims, but if I manually turn on the headlights, it doesn't. I was able to verify this by watching the "Illumination" indicator in the hardware settings and switching the lights on, then letting them automatically turn on.

Does anyone know how this might be wired? Since I didn't do the installation myself, I'm not sure how exactly they wired it. But since I need to take it back and have them fix the moonroof controls that they messed up when they installed the IR transmitter for the steering wheel controls anyway, I'd like to have them fix this too.

Do any of you fellow Ford owners know what might be the problem, and how it should be wired?

My guess is that it's due to a light sensor which is seeing the dark and turning on your lights with the auto setting, also dims the interior. But when it's day time, the auto headlights don't turn on cause it's light out, and it knows it, when you turn on your headlights manually, it knows it's light out and doesn't dim radio.

If you turn your lights on in the daylight then it won't dim your interior lights. It might only work when it's night out. There is probably a light sensor in the dash somewhere, if you cover that with a towel it might work during the day, or if you wait till it's night time, then flash the headlights, I'll bet it would work.

Thanks Ducati... I tried turning off the lights while starting the car last night (which had turned on the headlights automatically), and it did unlock all of the controls on the Z1. I just wonder how it's wired, and how it needs to be wired to dim the Z1's display whenever the lights are on, whether automatically or manually...

Marauder said:

Thanks Ducati

You are welcome.

Marauder said:

I just wonder how it's wired,

Think of it this way. You have a wire which goes to 12V when the lights are on, this (on most cars) goes right to the radio. But on yours, before it gets to the radio (or the rest of the interior lights) it goes through a light sensor. If the light sensor sees daylight, then it blocks the headlight signal from "reaching" the interior lights or your radio. If the light sensor sees darkness, it will pass through that signal. Basically you can have your head lights on in the day time, but it won't dim your nav system unless it's dark out. I would love it if my truck worked like this. It's great if you put my circuit in, but not so great if you want to manually flash your lights.

Marauder said:

and how it needs to be wired to dim the Z1's display whenever the lights are on, whether automatically or manually...

Not sure, you obviously have the illumination wire at the radio harness "controlled" by the light sensor. There is a wire in your vehicle somewhere which goes to 12 v when you turn on the lights. If you can find it, you can tap off that.

Of course you can get one of my circuits and it will fix all that, and the unit will only dim at night. I wish mine would, if it's raining out I have to turn on my headlights (state law). And if it's light out, the Z1 dims and it's hard to see. I was thinking of making another circuit version with a light sensor you could put on the dash to only dim the Z1 if it sensed dark like your vehicle already functions.