According to the wiring diagram, your experience does not make sense.  The only common factor between the overhead lamps and the DRL controller is that they use the same grounding points.

The only explanation I can come up with is that the designers did something stupid, and routed the overhead lamps grounds thru the DRL Controller.  If that's right, you can open up the lamps switch and ground the terminal to which the black wire is connected to overcome the issue.

An alternative explanation could be that you have disconnected at the wrong place, but the above cure should still work.

Thank you for your help,I will try grounding the switch.

Reviving an old thread to add info...

Someone said in one of the posts that they lost their dome lights when they unplugged it - that is normal if you have a Tracker.  I believe this is one spot where the Chevy differs from the Suzuki.  The DRL Control Box is located in the same place on both vehicles and the Chevy's is silver as well (at least on my '01) but that is where the similarity ends.  Mine had 12 pins not 9 and the connector was facing the driver not coming up from the bottom.

I disabled mine by cutting the "Red with White" wire which is not the same as the "White with Red".  You need the one that is mostly Red with a small White stripe.  I just cut mine but you could get as fancy as you'd like.  I left wire on both sides in case I ever want to re-solder it or perhaps even run it to a switch on the dash.

Hi, old threads are OK, I don't understand why some forums hate bringing them back if it's still a relevant subject.

Anyways, I discovered a strange quirk with the automatic headlights on my '99 GV that I kinda need to solve.

I myself DO NOT mind the DRLs themselves (what causes ONLY the lowbeams to run in broad daylight with the parking brake off, the DAYTIME running lights).  They are so common up here that my brother was pulled over in broad daylight because his headlights were OFF in his 1990 Lincoln.  Also I find people up here tend to flash you to let you know your lights aren't on.


I also don't mind the automatic headlights - what uses the sensor on the dashboard to turn your parking lights and instrument cluster on when it gets dark - I really LIKE that.

Now the 9003 bulb (aka HB2, aka H4) has two filaments and very likely that bulb is NOT designed to have BOTH filaments burning at the same time.  But that is exactly what happens if you activate the high beams while the headlights switch is OFF, and the automatic headlights are ON.  It possibly overheats the bulb and pulls too much current through the common terminal - possibly melting insulation, etc.

If you manually turn on the headlights with the switch, this problem goes away - hit the high beams and the low filaments go off, and vice versa. 

I'd like that to happen with the auto lights.  Find a way to ensure the low filaments go off when I turn on the high beams, even when the headlight switch is off.  The reason is because I have wired a set of large fog lights through a relay and switch to the low beam circuit, and I want to make sure that when I turn my high beams on, the fogs go OFF like they should - but because the low beams stay ON with the auto lights, my fogs stay stuck on too.  When I tested these in the shop with the key off and just manually using the headlights switch, everything worked perfect.  But then at night when the automatic headlights were activated, this problem popped up.


I hope everybody was able to follow along with my explanation alright.  The aftermarket light set is actually a bit more complicated and perhaps I'll explain later - its actually a set of rally lights with different modes I can switch between, very cool - and it all works exactly the way I want if I turn the headlight switch on manually - It's just when I let the auto lamps run the lights that this problem happens and I really would like to stop it.

James
PS:  Please don't say "just turn the headlight switch on". 

I think what you want is simple to achieve, using one relay.  You have to remember that the headlamps are always "hot", so the switching is done on the ground lines.

The relay operating coil should be energised when the high beams are on, so take the positive from the lamp supply (White/red stripe) and the ground on the Red wire (high beam ground) from either lamp.

Now the point of the relay is to switch off the low beams when the high beams are on, so cut the ground to the low beams (Red/white stripe), and wire the cut ends through the relay switch contacts, using the "normally closed" contacts.  Then the low beams will always work, unless the high beams are powered.

Just one thing - you have to cut the Red/white after both the lamp wires have joined together, or you will only switch off one side.  The join may be buried in the harness, so you probably have to get at it where the single wire goes into the DRL Controller, under the dash.

Hope that helps.

I think what you want is simple to achieve, using one relay.  You have to remember that the headlamps are always "hot", so the switching is done on the ground lines.

The relay operating coil should be energised when the high beams are on, so take the positive from the lamp supply (White/red stripe) and the ground on the Red wire (high beam ground) from either lamp.

Now the point of the relay is to switch off the low beams when the high beams are on, so cut the ground to the low beams (Red/white stripe), and wire the cut ends through the relay switch contacts, using the "normally closed" contacts.  Then the low beams will always work, unless the high beams are powered.

Just one thing - you have to cut the Red/white after both the lamp wires have joined together, or you will only switch off one side.  The join may be buried in the harness, so you probably have to get at it where the single wire goes into the DRL Controller, under the dash.

Hope that helps.

According to everything I've seen on this, just before you're about squeeze the cutters on the red wire, you need to change your mind at the last possible second and cut the blue wire instead. 

Either way, though, it was nice knowing you.

Low-uck, no-tool option?

Pull the E-brake handle up 1 click, enough to disconnect the e-brake switch but not engage the parking brake.  DRLs go out.  Well, at least they do on my '00 GV.

Low-uck, no-tool option?

Pull the E-brake handle up 1 click, enough to disconnect the e-brake switch but not engage the parking brake.  DRLs go out.  Well, at least they do on my '00 GV.

You didn't read the whole thread, didja.

According to everything I've seen on this, just before you're about squeeze the cutters on the red wire, you need to change your mind at the last possible second and cut the blue wire instead......

"Oh ye of little faith........"