Ok, so this guy in my area is selling an 88 TC. He said I can buy the autolamp system out of it if I come swap it out tomorrow night (thursday, sept 6th)... So I need to take my TC and all the right tools to quickly pull this whole thing out and get his ride back together before it hinders a sale for him.
So, could someone give me a run down of ALL the parts in the system and where the wiring runs so I can be prepared? I really need to get this before he sells the car! thanks!
I have no clue on doing the process to which you described but I have one question: why would you want an auto lamp system? I have it installed in my Cat and I never use it, its kind of annoying.
Just my :2c:
Its very easy. the harness interfaces with the dash harness behind the headlight switch.. your car has a plug that has two wires looped over. You just need to remove that plug from your car.. fish out the auto lamp system out of the TC.. No small feat. it runs to the center of the dash.. has two relays by your right knee, goes up the driver a pillar and runs across the front of the headliner powering both visors and the sensor on the mirror and down the passenger pillar plugging into something over there if I remember correctly.. Just remember to put the plug that is in your car in the TC or the TCs headlights wont work.
I've had the autolamp system in all my cars.. I had to install the system in my 88, doing what you want to do.. I use it all the time, to turn my headlights on.. But I dont use the autodim feature. It doesn't work that well with the stock sensor.. but does work better with a later model sensor out of a early 90's town car.
Thank Cougar. I actually found some other info after searching "aotu lamp" instead of just "autolamp" but yeah, your info is very helpful!!
And 302: most of the newer vehicles I'm used to driving have it and I love it. it's classy... lights come on when they need to, light your way when leaving the car at night... plus, it's a feature that wasn't big in the 80's, so to have yet another advanced, factory feature in my TC is exactly what I want...
Heh, I bet that info in the other post was made by me too ;)
yeah, you were in it actually... but this helped cause I couldn't figure out exactly where everything was based on the other explanation.
so, how hard is it to get the wiring out of the headliner? Does the headliner have to be semi removed and if so how is that done properly (never pulled one)? anything else I should know so I don't jack up his ride...? I don't think he realizes I'm gonna be taking the whole face of his dash off, not to mention the a-pillar trim!
also, do I have to pull the kick panel?
Once you remove the visors and the a pillar trim you will be able to pull the headliner down far enough. You have to remove the driver kick panel for sure.. I can't remember about the passenger one. Its been a couple of years.
dang, ok... this guy is gonna trip out... we'll see what happens
What is behind the drivers kick panel that requires its removal?
There is a connector there that the autolamp harness interfaces with.
I see... Is that the one with the looped wires that I need to swap from mine?
Nope :hick: That autolamp harness is big. The one with the looped plug is behind the headlight switch.
LOL... Ok, thanks!
1. Photo sensor in the dash.
2. Relays mounted on relay tree.. Two of them.
3. Connector that goes in place of the jumper on your car.
4. Autolamp switch
5. One single wire goes into the headlight switch.. On your car the connector on the headlight switch does not cover the whole back.. it has room for one plug to slip in.. after removing the plug for the headlight switch.. the plug has a lip to hold the single wire from the autolamp in.
6. Connects here behind kick panel.
7. Visor
8. Oncoming car sensor.
9. Visor.
10 Not sure about this section.. Cant recall if it goes down behind the passenger kick panel..
Ok, I'm so bummed out! I called the guy and he sold the car! I've been trying to get my hands on an autolamp system for over 4 years! =( Anyone have any leads on one??
hey, thats a good illustration. I looked in the evtm when i noticed your item number 10. I would feel comfortable calling number 10 as tail lamps.
the auto lamp system calls for "exterior lamps" control as well as "anti theft" so it stands to reason this harness would travel back to the rear via this path under that plastic cuver below the carpet.
yeah, it is a good illustration! Thanks...
As for the tail lights, if that passenger side wiring indeed does go back there: is there a connector or do you need to do some kind of cut and splice?
From the 84 EVTM: two relays, 1 autolamp and 1 autodimmer.
From the 87 EVTM three relays, 2 autolamp and 1 autodimmer
Tail light harness is on the driver side.. And softtouch its been a couple of years since I've done the conversion I'm a bit rusty :hick:
OH well, he'd not likely gone for you tearing his car apart...
It's been my experience most TC seem to have the feature(neither of my good ones do)... I have it on a parts car, keep thinking I may want to install it one of these days...
No, don't ask... IF I ever pull it out, I'll use it...
Years ago I bought a complete '68 Torino 4 door, just to get the factory AM/FM Stereo wiring harness(super rare)for my Cobra... After I raped it of the parts I wanted, resold to a guy at work for transportation, and made $200...
Making that diagram has got me motivated to document everything I know about the fox wiring harnesses. Alot of cool features are Modular (autolamp, premium sound, cornering lamps, Keyless *kind of*) While ATC, and cluster are not. For any given year there are atleast 6 different part numbers for the dash harness, four headlight harnesses, two or more door to door harnesses and one tail light harness :hick: The moonroof harness is a modular add on to the dash harness.. but the roof itself is not :hick:
Defiantly worthy of a Sticky....
whats the wires on the mirror? and how do you tell what they are?
i hope you do that CougarSE,, it would be very useful I really dont know of any resource that illustrates a wiring harness layout as it "lays" in the car. It would be a great reasource.
I would lay out the body and overlay the various harness appications in the area they are installed with a notes page with the "long winded" details. I like consolidating information to smaller documents.
If my dad still has his t/c next time i go down i could attempt to pull the system.
I've just realized that the autlamp harness is infact a two piece deal.. I um forgot! :hick:
Sounds like a PITA to remove...
Did the 83-86's come with the autolamp option? And would a 87-88 Work in a 83-86? Just curious.
ok, I got one! WOOHOO! took about an hour at the junkyard that I didn't even know existed! So, now one more question on installing:
My TC didn't have autolamp so I'm trying to figure out where to connect the two connectors behind the drivers side kick panel. My guess is I unplug the ONE connector that is currently there (then making TWO open connectors) and connect the autolamp harness in between. Can anyone confirm this... I know they physically fit, just want to be sure before powering up. thanks! btw, the autolamp came from an elan (i don't know what year they were made, but it's an 83-86 body).
Awesome man, Let us know how the install goes.
I'm really interested in doing this on my '84 now... I'm a sucker for options and goodies even if my car didnt come with them, lol.
How hard was it to get out? did you have to take the entire dash apart?
Thats exactly how it works.
ok, thanks all... I post more updates tomorrow when I'm not typing on my iPhone in bed! :p
ok, so first, thanks for the offer daboss351!
Next, 83-86 DID have the option... it's where I got my system from for my 88 TC.
Removal: Gotta remove: drivers kick, a-pillar, both visors and clips, gauge bezel, headlight switches and i ended up dropping the column at one point. I also unbolted the dash so I could pull it forward a bit, not sure if it was necessary. It was a PITA to pull the harness up from behind the kick panel (it runs down behind the hood release). Also, getting your hand in behind the switches to unplug the "big connector" was tough, need small hands maybe. And fishing the harness out of the dash (where they run behind the gauges). After that, it's just a matter of unplugging then removing three relays from a tree, disconnecting the autodim sensor (don't forget to take this sensor AND mirror) and fishing the upper harness out of the headliner.
I think that's pretty much it. Took me about 1.5 hours to figure out and remove all the right pieces and about 45 minutes to install.
One more thing to add, the 84-89 Mark VII has the exact same setup, I plan on ripping out the autolamp from an 86 LSC parts car I have and put it in my Cougar when I do the heater core.
Lotsa fun.
Ugh!!!
I dunno what you guys are talking about, That was PITA.
I hit up the yard and found a setup in an 88 'Bird, Took me over an hour to get the whole setup out... And then instead of charging me as whole for the unit i get nickel and dimed for it at the register... *Grumbles*
Are the switches different for an 83-86 and 87-88? 'cuz it looks like im gonna have to make a custom install of the switches out of the '88.
On the way out i noticed (barely) a mashed up Mark and the interior was all nasty and mildewey, But it had the autolamp system as well! No time to get out the wiring (and kind of unwilling to go through that again) I just grabbed the switch panel and the rearview mirror setup.
I'm gonna resurrect an old thread...because today's the day I go pull the autolamp wiring from my LSC parts car, so wish me luck!!!
(I'm gonna need it) ;)
Nevermind...the Mark VII's wiring is completely different. Not surprised, this car had power everything standard...only the auto dimming mirror had a different harness that was a plug and play affair too.
, , !!!:toilet:
:D
the 88 XR7's were supposed to come w/autolamp but
mine didnt. has anyone discovered that the harness is
in there anyway and never used? just a thought.--irv
Negative Batman, I have an 88 XR7 with no auto lamp and just has the jumper behind the headlight switch.
No, it was an option. Ask the guy who bought his new and remembered seeing a zero option XR-7 with crank windows.
Ok, which one of the two in the car did you unplug to connect the autolamp harness inbetween? I got my harness (from an '88) and unplugged the two connectors at the kick panel and connected both of the autolamp's connections in there instead. So I don't know which plug to splice it into.
Note, my car is currently dead with the dashboard removed, so I can't exactly test to see WTF is going on. Thanks. :)