How to swap a DILAX sensor in an MCI
On an MCI, I recently had to swap a DILAX sensor which had a clear mechanical issue with one of the adjusting screws. The difficult part about doing so on an MCI is that the wall panel needs to be (at least partially) removed for you to remove the frame so you can get access to the sensor itself. This is because the 4 screws holding the frame to the wall panel have nuts which must be held with a pliers as they are unscrewed.
The first step is to remove these 4 screws to the left of the sensor.
Once the 4 screws have been removed, the window blinds can be moved out of the way.
Second, unscrew the spherical knobs on either side of the DILAX sensor. This can be done easily with your hand.
Once they have been removed, the next step is to remove the light fixture to the right of the sensor.
Do this firstly be removing the 2 screws holding the outer plate on.
Next, unscrew the 4 screws holding the inner plate to the fixture.
Once the inner plate is then removed and set aside, the light itself should hang, as there is nothing else holding it up. Disconnect both wired connectors and set it aside.
There is a plastic covering over the metal fixture frame. This can be pulled off gently by hand.
With the plastic covering removed, there will be a few bronze-colored screws holding the fixture to the wall. Unscrew all of these and remove the fixture. The wires that attach to the light will still be there, but they can be ignored.
With the light fixture frame now gone, you may be able to proceed with the removal of the DILAX sensor frame. However, you may find it helpful firstly to remove the mirror above the sensor. It’s held by 2 fat screws; unscrew them and the mirror will come loose.
You may also consider removing the trim held by 3 screws that sits just above the mirror. Simply remove the 3 screws and set aside the trim.
Using a needle nose pliers, grab the nut behind the wall panel that’s holding the screw in place, and use a screwdriver or drill to unscrew it. Repeat this process for all 4 screws holding the DILAX sensor frame in place.
Once the frame has been removed, the 4 screws holding the sensor inside the frame can be unscrewed. You may want to use a P1 rather than P2 Philips head. They each have a nut holding them in, so putting the new sensor back in requires some finesse.
Once the defunct DILAX sensor has been removed, it can be replaced with a working one. Then these steps should be followed in reverse to restore the MCI’s wall panel back to the way it was originally.