This question is for the 07 XLS owners: do you have a photo sensor on the top of the dash? I was flipping thought the manual and I found a note that the models equipped with the Auto climate control should havea photo sensor, along with the interior temperature sensor.

 

i do and i dont know how it works.....

it seems when i set to auto on everything, i just don't see how the whole thing works so i just set it manaully instead.

 

whats a photo sensor??

 

I do have that bump, but it's opaque plastic, almost the same material as the dash. SO my guess is that there is no actual sensor there, just the place where the sensor would be if it was fitted in. There is no way that could be a functioning photo sensor with that opaque material. The sensor would have been probably used in AU Outlanders where they have Auto-ON headlights. beside that, i don't see how the photo sensor would be of help to the climate control. But we do have the temp sensor beneath the steering wheel.

 

If you look into the Owner's Manual p.5-25 (Auto A/C Type1) or p.5-35 (Auto A/C Type2) you will see a diagram. The photo sensor is used for the Auto ON/OFF headlights basically to automatically turn on the headlights when it gets dark and turn them off in the daylight. This would work in conjunction with a proper stalk with an Auto position.
I was surprised to read about the existence of this sensor in the XLS as I don't have it in my LS. Now, what has the photo sensor to do with the Auto A/C I have no idea, but perhaps somebody here could shed some light.

 

If you have the bump, you have the sensor (I don't know if itwould be too much to ask for a close up picture). I only have a plastic cap, flush with the dashboard (I’ll take a picture). The sensor looks opaque in my Mazda3 and it's functional.
This gives me some hope that the wiring for theAuto on/off headlights is there and I cold get it enabled by adding the required parts.
If you have the sensor, it means I can order it as a part and put it in and than source out a stalk. I have seen a stalk with Auto lights position in the 2008 Outlander Accessories Catalogue from Japan, but I don’t read Japanese. The price for that stalk is about $100 so not too expensive. The sensor shouldn't be very expensive either.

 

Here it is how it looks on my car (Canadian 07 LS):

 

here's how it looks like on my XLS with the sensor:

 

I will get a picture tomorrow since its almost midnight. Its a little bump on the dash board. I turn my head lights on and off manually so I couldnt tell if it was for the headlights. I will try this tomorrow as well.

 

This could be what you're referring to. Very cool indeed. But it's RHD model in the picture, but I guess there should be LHD versions of this as well.