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George Anderson

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Hi all.



Question: my '03 XLT Trac, which I bought used, has autolamps with a delay slider on the electrochromic mirror. Is this an uncommon feature? Was it a factory option?



Thanks
 
It was an option on the XLT model, and automatically included in the XLT premium model, as I recall. I think it was in what was called the comfort package, which included the overhead console with compass and temp readout. Also included was the full lower console with rear air vents and, for the last time in 2003, rear radio controls. I don't know how common this package is, but it definitely is not rare. It was a must-have for me when I started looking for mine.
 
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That's what I thought.



Can anyone else confirm this?



My dealer is telling me that auto lamps were not installed in Sport Tracs until 2006. He says mine only has autolamps because the previous owner installed an aftermarket DRL package which included auto lamps. Seems strange to me since I guess it would require this aftermarket package to include an electrochromic mirror with a delay slider.
 
Your auto headlights could be aftermarket, as XLT's without the comfort package would not have come with them. Does your ST have the full upper and lower console I mentioned before? If so, it also came with the auto headlamps. I know that your dealer is absolutely wrong to tell you that auto headlamps were not available from the factory before 2006. He would have a hard time explaining mine on my own 03, as I am the only owner my ST has ever had and have added nothing to it pertaining to my headlights at all. Plus, there wouldn't have been so much discussion on this site in past about DRL's versus auto headlamps, as the two are often confused. Sounds like your dealer might be, too. . .



Excellent point, JKII!
 
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My '04 xlt prm has auto lamps but it does not have delay slider on the electrochromic mirror. The shut off delay seems to be fixed at 20 seconds. I also have the overhead with compass. They must have changed things in '04...
 
This is unbelieveable!



Mine is an 03 XLT. It has the compass and temp and garage door opener holder overhead. It has a full-length console with the rear heat and I think audio controls below. It has cruise and tilt and power driver seat and ... (I can't check anything cause it's at the dealers right now)



It's there cause the tail lamps sometimes dont go on. I told them about the steering wheel tilt mech maybe hanging up some wires. They knew nothing. They checked for tsbs-found nothing. I called my SA at the dealership where I actually think they know what they're doing and they treat me well and he gave me a number of an SSM it was like 16776 or so. Spoke of brake lamp problems caused by steering wheel tilt. I begged them to check this. I would have taken it to the other dealer but they're 30 miles away and I'm doing Mr Mom duty and could not go up there.



That was yesterday. Today they say 'we found loose wires around an aftermarket DRL module. Shaking the wires recreates the tail lamp poroblem. VOILA says I. I'll be over and can the tech show me what he's found? Sure she says. SO I go. My SA brings the tech out and he says - remove these 2 panels and the metal panel behind and there's an "aftermarket DRL module" and when I wiggle it, the auto lamps work." WHat about the tail lights says I?" "Huh?" says he. Great says me. Again this "service" dept exceeds all my lowest expectations. The SA (a fine-looking young lady with enough makeup on to plaster a wall-I'll never understand why women with natural beauty cover it up with plaster of Paris?) says 'Oh I'm sorry, I must've misunderstood ..."



So then they say the only thing they can do is remove the DRL module and get the wiring back to factory to see if that'll fix the tail lamp problem. $210 for that. Fine. Then they call back and say if they pull out the DRL module that the auto lamps will go away too because they are part of the DRL module. I have no way of proving them wrong, except for the great advice I get on here. Of course, if I had the owners manual in front of me, I could look in there. But it's in the glovey in the trac. I do have the "service" manual on DVD and have looked in it under headlamps and auto and delay and rear view mirror but I cant find any mention of the auto lamps or delay slider.



Oh, and the point made above by JK is SOOO right. There was NO 2006 ST yet that's what he said. If I call him on it, he'll probably say he meant 2007.



I've searched the web to see if there's a trac owner manual somewhere but no luck. Anyone seenone? Anyone know what page the auto lamps are on in the 2003 manual?



TIA.



 
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My 03 HAD auto-headlights with the sliding switch on the auto-dimming mirror. I no longer have the truck so I can't help you with any pics or anything. It was on a fully loaded 03 ST. I know there was a mention in the manual about the auto-lights, once again, I don't have that POS truck anymore, so I can't help you out.



The dealer you are dealing with is a complete and total idiot. 03 was the first year they offered this option as well as the option to get heated seats. (I know because I had an 01 as well)
 
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Your dealer will probably say he meant "calendar" year 2006. Anyway, is it possible your Trac came from Canada? I think those came with OEM DRLs as well as having the option for auto headlamps. I can't imagine someone's adding aftermarket DRLs if it meant he had to replace OEM auto headlamps with aftermarket ones, too. I would have to really, really want DRLs to do that, and while they are nice, I don't think very many people feel that strongly about them! I have seen a few posts on here from people who have added DRLs, but don't remember if any of them said they had to tamper with their auto headlamps. A search of all posts on DRLs might help, or maybe if you start a new thread with DRL's in your headline, you'll get some folks who have added their own DRLs to respond.
 
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The OEM DRL module is situated on the inside passenger side of the engine compartment above the front bumper. Was this the location of the one you looked at?
 
"03 was the first year they offered this option " - Olaf



AHA, that's why I dont see it in the service DVD - it goes to 2002. (I got it for my 2001 LS)



So, here I sit letting a technician and an SA and a Dealership Service Manager work on my Trac and it seems I (and certainly all of you) know more about it than any of them??? And I gotta give them $$$ for this advice? And now they might be tearing out factory-installed options and charging me money to do it? Ah, just business as usual I guess :angry: :blink:
 
"The OEM DRL module is situated on the inside passenger side of the engine compartment above the front bumper. Was this the location of the one you looked at?

" - Olaf



Haha. No - it is behind the lower dash panel just left of the steering wheel. I didn't actually SEE it, that's where the tech said he found it. Maybe it is aftermarket then?
 
Mine is an 03 XLT Premium Model with the headlight delay/auto- on slider control in the mirror. I find the feature quite useful. Below is the excerpt from the owner's manual:

AUTOLAMP DELAY SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)

The autolamp sets the headlamps to turn on and off automatically. The

autolamp control, located in the interior mirror, may be set to:

• turn on the lamps automatically at night

• turn off the lamps automatically during daylight

• keep the lamps on for up to three minutes after the key is turned to

OFF

Refer to Setting autolamp in the Driver Controls chapter.

SETTING AUTOLAMP (IF EQUIPPED)

1. Make sure the headlamp control

is in the OFF position. Leaving the

headlamp control on will override

the autolamp.

2. Turn the ignition to the ON

position or start the vehicle.

3. Slide the delay control all the way

to the left for the shortest delay and

past detent to turn off.

The further you move the knob to

the right, the longer the headlamps

stay on after the ignition is turned

to the OFF position. The autolamp will keep the headlamps on for a maximum of three minutes after the ignition is turned to OFF.
Click to expand...
 
TNT- No, I can certainly do without DRLs myself. I never really questioned the dealer about it, but here's what I always figured: I know the previous owvers were an 'older' couple and I know they used the Sport Trac at least part of the time as a dinghy behind a big RV. At least that's what I was told. There is plenty of evidence for that as the Trac has mates for a tow bar and a light hookup-plug at the front bumper as well as a Neutral Tow Switch on the lower dash and this was a Ford kit. Si I figured that these folks got talked into adding the DRLs or had their own safety reasons for wanting the DRLs. So my bet is the DRLs ARE aftermarket but the autolamp is factory. I gotta call these bozos first thing in the morning and have a word with them.

 
Rampo-



Thanks SO much for that. I gotta get that to the dealer. Gawd, what is WRONG with these people? I even asked him over the phone "SO IF I LOOK IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL THERE WONT BE ANYTHING ABOUT AN AUTOLAMP FEATURE???" That's right he says. CAPS indicate my tone of voice with him cause I was pretty sure he was wrong but couldn't prove it. Now I can. Geez - they're probably reading this and ripping out the above page right now...



What page is it? :>)
 
Rampo-



Thanks again! Got your email with the sport trac manual in it. WHAT SERVICE. There it is on page 47 - just as described above.



Man, this is great.



George
 
03 was the first year they offered this option as well as the option to get heated seats.
Click to expand...



The 2002 Job 2 was the first model to come with auto headlights and the electrochromic mirror.



That is why I have a 2002 Job 2 and not a 2002 Job 1.





Tom
 
My 2002 also has the automatic, delay headlights and electrochromic mirror. It does not have DRL, so that was added later on.



Take a look at the link below. It is a PDF link to the 2003 owners manual and hopefully will help you. Page 31 talks about the headlights and this option!



George
 
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Thanks to George C and Rampo and everyone who helped with this.



I just talked to the dealer and put a stop to their destruction of my autolamps. He was still reluctant to believe me that they'rfe factory. He says there's no part number for a delay mirror for 2003. And he says the mirror must be aftermarket cause it doesn't say 'Ford' on it. I asked him to go look at the owners manual, page 47.



Again, many thanks you folks are on top of things.
 

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