I like they system I can see how it may be bad for some with poor vision, I have driven the truck rain, snow, tunnels bridges, partly cloudy, full sun all times of the day and no issues seeing the guages. I would say just tape it like others have suggested.

 

I guess ill have to stop using my auto headlights so I can get the dash lights on all the time. I assume the middle pyramid sensor is both the headlights and dash? Wierd how the lights will go on but not the dash like other people. Boo

 

I tried the tape and had a hard time making it look like anything as well as it staying put in the direct sunlight and heat....HOWEVER...I think I have figured out a easier solution. I took the plastic cap off a gallon milk jug...primed it and painted it a dull gray...still experimenting with the color. I put a small amount of putty inside the top of the cap and set the cap down over the sensor. The putty keeps the cap in place and so far it is working great! If you want to remove the cap for some reason it should come off easily and any residue left behind could be wiped off with alcohol or such. Now anytime I turn on my headlights the sensor will think it is dark and the dash lights will come on. That thing evidently works the same as a photocell in an outdoor light or yard light. Note..I tried a couple of different milk caps to get the right fit. Another thing is that the caps are not much taller than the sensor and after a couple of months I don't think I'll notice it at all. Just a suggestion on what worked for me unless I figure out how to wire around it or somehow use a dimmer switch from a 2010 Fusion, but that might run into computer problems, so I'll probably just stay with the milk cap. I would be interested to hear if any one try this OR comes up with something else. Good luck guys!

 

Just put one of these over the sensor...



Seriously though, I wonder if you can't just disconnect the wiring harness on the sensor.

 

You probably could disconnect the sensor if you wanted to get that far under the dash. I don't know if it can be popped out from the top of the dash and unhooked that way? I am going over to the Ford agency and look at a Fusion to see if it has that sensor as well as measure the size of the dimmer switch. As stated earlier when this thread started, the Fusion dimmer works independently of the headlights. You can turn the dash lights up anytime you want and in fact I turned them on a little all the time and I liked it! Much easier to see. Also somewhere in this forum (I believe) there is a thread discussing a wiring situation and one of the people has dug up a site where he has access to Ford wiring diagrams and has even posted some of them, relevant to their discussion. If I can find it and get the diagrams for the F-150 and the Fusion, then I might be able to check if the dimmer switch can be swapped. Wouldn't that be nice!

 

Here's a good thread on this subject...

http://www.f150online.com/forums/200...d-buttons.html

 

Black Sharpie

 

Yep sharpie works

Just did the mod [ blacked out the 'pyramid' ] and it works great !

By the way, disconnecting the connector instantly turns the lights on also,
but I don't want to risk it showing up as a faulty sensor at the dealership and
them ending up "repairing" it

 

I just kept adding to it more stripes from the sharpie until I dialed in a proxie sensistivity level that now causes the lights to turn on a bit earlier than before. I suppose you could put a resistor inline to achieve the same result. I'm curious to see if the West Texas sun causes a reapplication to become needed some day.

 

Get this!! If you are mad about your dash lights not coming on when ever you turn on your headlights, you are going to love this!! My wife has a 2008 Frod Edge. I haven't driven it in a long time but went out to check the dash light situation and lo and behold the dash lights come on any time the headlights are turned on!! There is a sensor on the dash by the windshield and the headlight switch seems, for all practical purposes to be the same. If the 2010 is supposed to be a better product, I want to know who the idiot is that came up with the operation of the switch in the F-150? I am going to e-mail my findings and question to Ford but don't expect an answer.