I tried a couple of caps off of gallon milk jugs, until I found one that fit over the sensor best...spray primed it...then painted it a dull gray..put a small amount of putty on the inside top of the cap so it wouldn't slide off...set it down over the sensor and now anytime I turn the lights on the dash lights come on. Milk caps are fairly thin ( not so tall ) and after a couple of months, I don't think I will notice it. Of course this negates using your auto lights, but I don't use them anyway. And, if I don't like it it is easily removed. Quick, easy and no dropped screws working on the dash. I believe this will lats better in the heat of summer than electrical tape.

 

That's a great idea jlineman - will be testing out some milk caps in the morning.

 

You don't have to take the truck apart to get the dash lights to come on with the headlights. Just take a small piece of black electrical tape and cover the right hand side of the senser and that will do it. I didn't like the dash lights not coming on with the headlites..........

 

Thanks guys! This has been driving me crazy for the last two days I'm off to drop a couple screws.

 

The sensor is in the middle of the dash next to the windshield. Looks like a small bubble. Numerous solutions are suggested here in this post. I found that electrical tape doesn't stay in the heat of summer and you could blacken it with a marks-a-lot BUT I found that if you experiment with bottle caps off a gallon milk jug, to get the right fit...prime it ...paint it a flat black and simply set it over the sensor. It won't slide around on the dash or bounce off. If you want to go back to using the Auto lights then reach up there and remove it. Bottle caps off a milk jug are usually thinner ( not so tall ) than other caps and after a few weeks you won't even know it's there. Let us know how it works for you.

 

I am another proud new owner of a '10 Lariat Supercrew 4wd/5.4 purchased June 2021. I am a newbie to the forum, forgive me if I posting this in the wrong
area of the forum. After a few days of driving this truck I became aware of all the little annoying (idiosyncrasy) let's say that Ford are now calling advanced engineering. I am old school KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). OK now that I got that off my chest I can sigh a relief.
If this truck functioned as intended it would be good and well, I could deal with it. Okay my problem is this. Example, I'm crusing around doing just
fine radio is on sounding good AC is on cause it's 94 degrees outside then before you know it the sun is setting in the west just georgous.
Then when the light sensor thinks it is dark enought it turns on your headlights and the instrument illumenation lights ok stay with me,
(Simultaneously the radio loses power the AC/Heater loses power the on/off controlls will not function the TPMS icon illumenates the Auto Track icon illumenates all these conditions remain regardless of any postion that the headlight switch is set at.) This condition can be recreated in day light by simpley covering up the light sensor on the dash then when you uncover the sensor after a minute or so the Icon lights go out and you
can then power up the radio and AC/Heater.
So there you have it. Anyone else experience this condition? Help!
Thanks in advance.