Richard Grimes
My wife and I just bought an '03 Explorer XLT this afternoon and will pick it up Saturday morning after they clean and whatever to it.
Quick question: What is the hangie thing behind the rear view mirror? It looks like a small radar dect. but of course I know that is not what it is. The book probably says, but I don't have a book until Sat.
We gave my son the '99XLS for school and for excellent grades. So I guess I'm here to stay on this NG.
I know it at least contains the compass brains. What else, I'm not sure of.
According to the owners manual, there is a compas sensor mounted on the bottom of the mirror. So that's probably what you're looking at.
My '03 Explorer also has a sensor on the rear view mirror that automatically puts the mirror in "night" mode when a bright light reflects into it. It has an on/off switch there.
That "thingie" on the mirror is a light sensor. When you set the lights to automatically come on when darkness falls, that's the sensor that turns on the lights if it is too dark and turns them off again when there is sufficient light.
The sensor for the chromatic mirror is on the front of the rear view mirror, to the right of the on/off button. The compas is behind the rear view mirror, and is about the size of a half of a pack of cigarettes.
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required