Auto headlights: Evil or just misunderstood?

hjwii · Post by **hjwii** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:17 am

Allow me to preface this with: I ordered my car 4 weeks ago, and still waiting, so I have yet to fully appreciate all the odds and ends of a lovely new Vibe. THat being said.......Okay, so I see everyone ranting about these auto headlights... how they are always on and whatnots. But, in the end, is there really a problem with the lights always being on? Is there something to remind you the lights are on? Does it effect the dash in any great way? Is there a lil gnome that keeps poking you and telling you the lights are on? Once again, I'm just curious... If my car ever comes in, I'll throw my two cents in...hjwiiif/when it comes in: 2004 Neptune base, with lots of stuff including moons n tunes, power pkg, XM, ABS, and a hula girl for the dash given to me by my 4 year old

drunkenmaxx · Post by **drunkenmaxx** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:20 am

some people just prefer the look of a car w/out the headlights on. i am one of these, considering i have blackouts.the biggest complaint you'll find will be that the auto lights come on when it's not even dark; this creates a light on the dash

Mavrik · Post by **Mavrik** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:21 am

unless the twilight sensor turns on the headlights, there will be no indicator on the dash, the driving daytime lights do not have an indicator and turn off when you put the car in park.

AKLGT · Post by **AKLGT** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:46 am

most of the drl and auto headlight issues are for the 03 models. the sensors are extremely sensitive and so when it was very bright outside they would come on and when it was dusk, they wouldn't. they would turn on and off constantly, so most 03 owners got tired of it, like me. i disabled mine so i can turn on my headlights when i see fit. also there are issues w/ them not being able to turn off w/ the parking break like most of the GM vehicles. this is most likely due to toyota (i assume). so, for military members, they would run the risk of being sited or shot at if they have their lights flashing in the eyes of the guard at the front gate!

mwebb · Post by **mwebb** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 6:30 am

I also found it annoying when I would go under an overpass and the lights would turn on and the dash would become dim. Also I HATE day time running lights! I would much prefer to not have these-

ebslopp · Post by **ebslopp** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 8:43 am

Don't get me wrong...auto headlights would be great if there was a switch to turn them off. It always seems like I run into a situation where I would like to have my headlights off, but still have the car running. I live in an apartment and my parking spot is facing a window of one of my neighbors. So if I want to warm up or cool off my car before I get in, my neighbors get headlights shinning in on there room. Trust me, you'll find a reason you'd like to turn them off.

scherry2 · Post by **scherry2** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:14 am

the auto head lites are a safty thing, the accident rate has supposedly gone down because of them.pull your ebrake a click or 2 before starting your vibe in the A.M. and the lights won't come on

OutLaW · Post by **OutLaW** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:52 am

What sucks is when you go to a drive-in. It says to turn your lights off. We can't.. lol

ebslopp · Post by **ebslopp** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 7:50 am

Quote, originally posted by OutLaW Â»What sucks is when you go to a drive-in. It says to turn your lights off. We can't.. lolThat's another predicament I will be facing this summer. I'll have to listen to the movie on their crappy little speaker. I wish they would have made it so if the parking brake was on, the lights were off.

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 9:29 am

I like the auto headlights part, don't particularly care about the DRLs, but if it helps people see me and stay out of my way, then I'm all for it. Bugs me when I see people driving without headlights when conditions are such that they really should have lights on.I almost always let the lights turn themselves on, can't remember the last time I turned the lights on manually. I did hook up a kill switch (the red/white wire mod) but almost never use it. Guess I did it just for the sake of doing something, the auto lights don't bother me. The last couple of times I did turn them off were to un-flash other vibers/matrixers. The first time I did that to someone they looked very confused, he knew he couldn't turn his lights off. it was a lot of fun. Usually people don't seem to notice though.

mwebb · Post by **mwebb** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 2:12 pm

The drive in problem has an easy solution,Turn the car off when it is parked- pull up the E-brake and turn the car back on- Problem solved

Jahntassa · Post by **Jahntassa** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 10:08 pm

My experience goes like this... I have a Nav system that I set to automatically do the Day/Night thing (It's really bright and white when the lights are off, dark blue/black when the lights are on.) In my 03', because of the sensor position, and it being overly sensitive, this meant every time I drove past a tree, my Nav would flash a color change, which was exceedingly distracting. Also, because this is the first car i've driven where the dash lights dim when the lights turn on (I had a Ford Probe, where the guages only lit up when the lights were on), it also became slightly annoying to have those flash, but it wasn't quite as bad as the Nav system.My solution was to pop the sensor out of the dash by the A-Pillar, and simply unplug it. I also disabled my DRLs, but not because of the look, more because I think they're responsible for wasting my SilverStars in about 6 months. I still have yet to see if it's true, though.. Although, like the drive-in concept, DRLs can be annoying sometimes.Really, there's nothing wrong with it. My fiancee loves the auto lights in her Grand Am. I just like having the extra level of control.

kgenthe · Post by **kgenthe** » Sun May 02, 2004 12:29 pm

I enjoy having the auto headlights most of the time. Never having to worry about turning them on. I have an 04, and some of the kinks seem to be worked out, for example.I have to put my hand over the light sensor for at least 30 seconds before the headlights turn on, which means the don't go on under overpasses.But... my lights are always on, parking brake or no.When I start my car at night (always use the e-brake, I have a manual) and the lights light up right away. In fact, I'm fairly certain my headlights light up right away, not the DRL (at night). This is annoying, because I don't need to announce the fact my car is sitting at a lonly parking lot with its keys in while its warming up in the winter.

ebslopp · Post by **ebslopp** » Mon May 03, 2004 12:27 am

Quote, originally posted by mwebb Â»The drive in problem has an easy solution,Turn the car off when it is parked- pull up the E-brake and turn the car back on- Problem solvedActually this only works with the DRL. The auto headlights come on even if the parking brake is set.

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Mon May 03, 2004 12:44 am

Quote, originally posted by ebslopp Â»Actually this only works with the DRL. The auto headlights come on even if the parking brake is set.Maybe that was a change for the 2004's? On my 2003, I get neither DRLs nor auto headlights until I release the parking brake.

ebslopp · Post by **ebslopp** » Mon May 03, 2004 12:52 am

Quote, originally posted by joatmon Â»Maybe that was a change for the 2004's? On my 2003, I get neither DRLs nor auto headlights until I release the parking brake.Yeah it must be. actually call the pontiac number in the manual to ask how to make them stay off and they told me I can't disable the auto headlights but the DRLs can be disabled by turning off the car setting the parking brake and starting the car again. Well, I guess I'll be installing a switch myself then...lol

4X4CHICHI · Post by **4X4CHICHI** » Mon May 03, 2004 1:16 am

I just snipped the single power wire going to the sensor and spliced in a switch. now I can control if I want my lights to come on automatically or not.

ebslopp · Post by **ebslopp** » Mon May 03, 2004 2:56 am

Quote, originally posted by 4X4CHICHI Â»I just snipped the single power wire going to the sensor and spliced in a switch. now I can control if I want my lights to come on automatically or not.That sounds like the easiest way to do this. I just need to find a nice looking switch. I've seen people using the toyota fog light button and I like that because it still looks stock.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue May 04, 2004 12:31 am

Quote, originally posted by 4X4CHICHI Â»I just snipped the single power wire going to the sensor and spliced in a switch. now I can control if I want my lights to come on automatically or not.That's EXACTLY what I've been wanting to do, this has been a thorn in my side for far too long. I don't want to kill the DRL's, and would like to also retain the automatic light control. I just want the ability to control the automatic light control on command. In short, I want the same effect as unplugging or reconnecting the sensor, only doing so with a switch.Which of the three wires going to the sensor did you splice into for the switch? PLEASE let me know, and I'll go do some snipping! Much thanks in advance!!!

esjones · Post by **esjones** » Tue May 04, 2004 2:16 am

With the nav system, the screen goes to night mode when the auto headlights come on.That is main reason I disconnected the sensor. The screen changing brightness was driving me crazy.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue May 04, 2004 7:26 am

Quote, originally posted by ebslopp Â»That sounds like the easiest way to do this. I just need to find a nice looking switch. I've seen people using the toyota fog light button and I like that because it still looks stock. I went to a Toyota dealership this afternoon and asked about that switch. Unfortunately, I came back empty handed. I didn't have the P/N with me, so I was hoping they would be able to find it. Nope! Found one that almost fits nicely at PepBoys. Snaps right there into the blank, and doesn't leave that much of a gap. Fits pretty snug. Now, I just gotta figure out what to splice it into.I probed around with my multimeter on the connection that comes from the DRL module or wherever, and found the top wire (yellowish-white stripe) had ~11V with the ignition on, nothing from the center, and ~5V from the bottom wire with the black stripe. Unplugged the connectors and jumpered each pin. I was able to turn off the automatic lights by having the top two wires connected, the bottom (~5v lead) disconnected. Tried the same with the top wire, but it didn't work. So I'm guessing I just need to splice into the bottom wire.Haven't made the committment yet to do any splicing, once I know for sure which wire I need to use, I'm definitely doing this.

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ebslopp · Post by **ebslopp** » Tue May 04, 2004 7:32 am

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»I went to a Toyota dealership this afternoon and asked about that switch. Unfortunately, I came back empty handed. I didn't have the P/N with me, so I was hoping they would be able to find it. Nope! Toyota part #00550-42966

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue May 04, 2004 7:33 am

Yep, that's the one!!! Thanks

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue May 04, 2004 11:34 pm

Ahh, happiness... I went ahead and wired the switch this morning. I snipped the bottom wire on the harness going to the sensor (green/black,) ran two wires down the switch, spliced, and viola. Works perfect.Drove to the car wash with the switch on, and the noted the typical cycling between DRL/all lights on, cycling five times by my count for the 10-minute drive. Flip the switch, and just have the DRL's. Wonderful.I did notice if you turn the switch off once the system has turned the lights on automatically, they remain on. I'm assuming this is some sort of "fail-safe" setup designed in, for the event the sensor craps out at night and it will prevent the lights from switching off. But, if the lights are on, and the sensor detects enough light to switch back to the DRL's, once the lights go out you can flip the switch then and the automatic lights will be disabled. So, I guess the best thing to do is flip the switch to the off position before switching the ignition on if it is dark.I'm happy with my car once again.

mwebb · Post by **mwebb** » Wed May 05, 2004 12:31 am

Does installing this switch Disable the DRLS - I do not want my daytime running lights anymore- I burn though headlights too fast

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Wed May 05, 2004 3:01 am

Nope, I still have DRL's. This just enables or disables the automatic light control part of the system. It is possible to disable the DRL's using a switch, requires some work with wiring for the DRL module.

mwebb · Post by **mwebb** » Wed May 05, 2004 3:56 am

Thanks thats what I thought-

NawlinsJay · Post by **NawlinsJay** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 8:12 pm

looks like this thread is a bit dormant... but being a new guy, I figured I'd weigh in with my 2 cents...I just got my Vibe on Tuesday... and being military, I've already been scolded by gate guards twice for not dimming my lights as I approach the gate after dark. I hate to say it, but unless I can make something work to kill the auto-headlights, I might need to get rid of the Vibe. Getting yelled at by an MP with an M-16 every time I come on base after dark is not my cup of tea.

Jahntassa · Post by **Jahntassa** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 10:10 pm

Quote, originally posted by NawlinsJay Â»looks like this thread is a bit dormant... but being a new guy, I figured I'd weigh in with my 2 cents...I just got my Vibe on Tuesday... and being military, I've already been scolded by gate guards twice for not dimming my lights as I approach the gate after dark. I hate to say it, but unless I can make something work to kill the auto-headlights, I might need to get rid of the Vibe. Getting yelled at by an MP with an M-16 every time I come on base after dark is not my cup of tea.Now, do you need to kill the headlights, or the DRLs as well? The auto-headlights themselves are quite easy to shut off!Carefully use a screwdriver to pry up on that dark circle near the a-pillar on the dash (that's the auto-headlight sensor). Pull that thing out, and unplug it! I zip-tied the connector to the sensor so I wouldn't lose it in the dash, but that modification will allow you to disable the automatic headlights.Now...if you need to cut both the headlights, AND the DRLs, the DRLs (depending on how you do it) take about 20-30 minutes to cut off, or you can make it so you can disable / re-enable them via switch. There've been a couple of threads about this, if you need help finding it, let us know!

futseal04 · Post by **futseal04** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:13 am

How am i supposed to run from the cops in the dark if i can't turn my headlights off?Plus, you might be able to disable the DRL's simply. I will look at this when i get home (if i remember). What i did on my Grand Am was looked in the owner's manual for relay locations. I found the DRL relay and simply removed it. It turned the DRL's off, but turned on a "Service Vehicle Soon" lamp. I would be willing to bet that there is a DRL relay on the Vibe somewhere.....

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:38 am

Here is a site, with pictures, of how to disable both the DRL's and the automatic light control.http://dalenet.com/matrixvibe/And, here is an older thread on the same subject. Plenty more where this came from!http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=1188Sounds like you may want to fully disable the daytime running lights and automatic light control... If you unplug the sensor, or wire in a switch to enable/disable the sensor like I did, you will still have DRL's, just not the automatic part. When you approach the gate, you could turn your lights off, but still have DRL's - probably still too bright for them, perhaps? You may want to give that a shot first and see if they approve... That's by far the easiest solution - and you'll have manual control of your lights.Another way to get at the light sensor harness is to tilt the wheel all the way down, grab the gauge trim, one hand on each side of the speedo, and pull straight back. Comes right off. Look up and to your left, and you'll see the three-wire harness (this is right above the tach, in the red area of the pic.) Unplug, and viola! (you can even use the little white clip thing that extends from the top of the speedo on the right to tuck the wires into from the harness that you unplugged, so the harness doesn't go anywhere.) Position the gauge trim back to the way it needs to be, paying close attention to the flimsy trip/odo switch though - and push straight back to reinstall. I always used that method, since - knowing my luck - I'd scratch the heck out of the dash trying to pry that sensor out. But, you'll still have daytime running lights.Be careful if you decide to go all out and work with the DRL relay though, it controls quite a bit more than just DRL's. Things like headlights, brake lights, parking brake/brake failure warning light, and more can be rendered inoperable if the wrong wire is snipped.HTH, and keep us posted!

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AKLGT · Post by **AKLGT** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:10 pm

that's the switch i want to get for the fogs to make them independant of the head lights. another project to do later

Mavrik · Post by **Mavrik** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:34 pm

Don't know about the 03 Vibes but the 04 fog lamps can be turned on and off by a switch though they turn off on their own when the highbeams are turned on. I always drive with the fogs on when the headlights are on. To me its no big deal that the day time lights are on, its canadian law that there be lights on at all times and Hope I believe in Alaska is the same?Now to just turn on the fog lamps without headlights on or day time running lights on at all would be something but why? You have to drive with day time lights on anyway... lol

AKLGT · Post by **AKLGT** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 11:12 pm

i want to be able to turn JUST the fogs on and not w/ the headlights. and no it's not a requirement to drive w/ lights on at all times except on those long stretches on the hwy after you get out of town. that way others can see you especially if you are passing... which you found out yourself. LOL

Mavrik · Post by **Mavrik** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 10:59 pm

They would just be wise to make a passing lane just for us instead of getting all offical with enforcing a headlight law ZOOOMMM!!!! "I think we're at about 95mph"

NovaResource2 · Post by **NovaResource2** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 1:25 pm

While many here dislike the Vibes auto headlights (yes, they were a little too sensitive) I liked them and missed the feature when I bought my Tiburon. Well, no longer. I found that Korean Tiburons have the auto headlight feature. Not only that, the US Tiburons have the wiring there for it to work. So I purchased a kit and installed it today. One nice thing about the Tib version over the Vibe is you can turn it off. While the Vibe is in automatic more all the time the Tib has a 4th setting on the headlight stalk: OFF, PARKING LAMPS, ON and AUTO. Also, the sensor is not as sensitive. This is how the Vibe lights should be. This would allow you to shut them off when desired.Anyone interested in the install can see it here:http://www.newtiburon.com/foru...15576

cdFxer · Post by **cdFxer** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 5:23 am

How about just adding a variable resistor inline with the sensor so you can adjust it to your own level of sensitivity or even off altogether?

Jahntassa · Post by **Jahntassa** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 10:27 pm

Depends on how the circuit works, I think. I was under the impression that the sensor itself had +12v, Ground, and on/off output. If the output is just a direct output of the sensor, then I see no reason why that wouldn't work.Anyone know what the light sensor actually outputs? I always assumed it was just an on/off ground signal..

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Mon Aug 16, 2004 9:12 am

Jahntassa, I'll get out the multimeter tomorrow and check mine again. There was a 12V lead, one with no voltage (assuming it was ground) and the third wire put out ~5V. I'll try covering/uncovering the sensor to see if there is any variance with the 5V line.I wired my switch into the 5V lead to enable/disable the automatic light control.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 9:41 am

Woo hoo, help is here... As seen here: http://service.gm.com/gmtechli...tory1 (Thanks to JohnC for pointing out the link in another forum.)Quote Â»Automatic Headlamp -- Owners of 2003-04 Vibes may comment that the automatic headlamp system does not turn the headlamps on when the vehicle is started during low light conditions.A revised DRL module has been released to turn the headlamps on when the vehicle is started. The part number for the new module is 88973265.Now it doesn't say it addresses the constant on/off issues per se, but IIRC, the new module removes the 15-second delay *and* reduces sensitivity. At least I hope..... $64.48 at gmpartsdirect.com.I think I'll bring this up to the dealer to see if they'll cover this under extended warranty. My only concern is the fact that I've already hacked up wiring. Granted, my modifications were not near the module itself, so they may not notice, as long as I bring the car in with the switch for the ALC in the on position. When I did my little project, I spliced into the wiring on the harness that runs from the sensor to the connector above the gauges... That way, I made it easier to revert back to "factory specs" - I should have to simply replace the harness. Only bad thing is it doesn't seem to want to come out easily, as something holds it in quite well. Will probably require a bit of dash disassembly. Anyone know the part number for the harness?Or I may say forget about it, and just buy the new module and install it myself. Regardless of how I get it done, I will probably still keep the switch. That way, I can still kill the automatic lights and have just the DRL's when need be..It's been a long time coming, glad to see a fix is finally put in writing by GM. Since it wasn't previously, I was never able to get the new module installed by the dealer.

vibebob · Post by **vibebob** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 10:43 am

Now, do you need to kill the headlights, or the DRLs as well? The auto-headlights themselves are quite easy to shut off!Carefully use a screwdriver to pry up on that dark circle near the a-pillar on the dash (that's the auto-headlight sensor). Pull that thing out, and unplug it! I zip-tied the connector to the sensor so I wouldn't lose it in the dash, but that modification will allow you to disable the automatic headlights.Now...if you need to cut both the headlights, AND the DRLs, the DRLs (depending on how you do it) take about 20-30 minutes to cut off, or you can make it so you can disable / re-enable them via switch. There've been a couple of threads about this, if you need help finding it, let us know!/quotedrudging up an old thread.does this apply on the 05 also ? My Vibe is 6 weeks old. I detest the auto headlight, the DRL's I can live with, although I prefer not to have them on either.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 12:19 pm

They did change the DRL module for '05 but no changes were made in regards to the light sensor, AFAIK.Unplug it and see what happens, as I always say it'll either work or it won't!

binary · Post by **binary** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 12:30 am

I spliced in a switch in my 05, same as previous years - works great!

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 6:40 am

That's a great mod. I believe that you're the first '05er around who has done this mod. I wasn't sure if it would work or not, I suspected it would. Which wire did you splice into for the switch, btw? I used the green wire w/ black stripe that went up to the sensor...

vibebob · Post by **vibebob** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 12:18 am

oh, a friend has a 05 Chevy Malibu and on the headlight swith is a position that has "turn off autoheadlight" ... pretty cool, shame the Vibe doesn't have it.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 6:12 am

Yep! Many new GM products have that. It's a darn good idea, and one that I've been convinced they should implement since they started putting automatic light control on their vehicles. They probably couldn't do that with this car though, since the DRL module that controls it all has Toyota's name on it.

the_nite_owl · Post by **the_nite_owl** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 3:00 am

My 05 Vibe does not turn on the DRL when you have the ebrake locked and the ignition in the ACC position, but if you start the car the headlights come on.I want to be able to shut off DRL AND headlights but there is no option for it.Anyone have the wiring schematic for the whole headlight system? Is there a headlight relay that can be tapped? I would like to add my own relay to the headlight relay so I can optionally shut it off.Are the DRLs and the headlights running off the same power line? Switching off voltage there could take care of both at once.

whitfiel · Post by **whitfiel** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 8:27 am

Here in NY, we have inspection and registration stickers in the front windshield right over the headlight sensor. That made the too sensitive headlight sensor worse - morning drive to work in bright sun made the headlights turn on when the sticker or A pillar shadow go over the sensor. My fix was to install a clear cover over the sensor so it didn't have to look through the smokey gray sensor cover from the factory. A nearly perfect clear sensor cover came from a pump-style hairspray cap. Now the sensor sees light more often than not, and my headlights don't pop on as often during the daytime. I still want to install a disable switch, but for now this painless fix improved the situation a lot.