Sunload Sensor
 

I have an 1996 960 wagon and while I was installing some new dash speakers the sunload sensor that goes in the passenger side speaker grill disintegrated in my hand while trying to reinstall it and now my A/C won't come on. Does anyone know of a way to bypass this sensor?

it can only be a photosensitive resistance. I'd start by just connecting the wires together - assuming close to zero resistance in sunlight. Might be worth a look at the wiring diagram, but I expect it'll just show the wires going into a 'black box'.

I've looked at the wiring diagram and that's pretty much what I found. Thanks for replying!

It's a photodiode! Don't just link the wires together, you could damage something in the ECC box!

Also how much of it crumbled? Is the actual component intact and the moulding around it has crumbled?

maybe, I assumed it was a LDR. But I don't know. Not sure that it would inhibit the aircon from working at all either way.

It doesn't, it's a sunlight detector so it senses the sunlight and if the car has been parked in the sun for a while, it forces the air con into fast cooling mode when the car is restarted or prolongs it if it's already selected manually.

It's possible some were LDRs but the ones i've known have been photodiodes.