Headlight issues.

[bootman27]

I found one thread on headlight issues but it was old and not exactly what I needed. I have a 2008 Vibe that does not have auto headlights but does have DRL. Issue I have is you cant shut off the lights at all. Day time or night time they always on. I thought DRL was only lights on front, but on mine in broad daylight every light is on. Head lights, tail lights, tag light everything. Turning lights on does nothing different and no way to turn completely off.

[VibeNation2024]

Welcome to Gen Vibe! Not sure if this is the thread you found but I would recommend checking the automatic light sensor. Also, the sensor might not have failed but the sensor dome might have become so discolored from UV damage that it does not sense any light and "thinks it is night" all the time.

viewtopic.php?t=27957

[andrewclaus]

The culprit may be the DRL module. I don't have an exact wiring diagram for the Vibe and it appears to be different than the Toyota version, and it also appears to be discontinued from GM, part no 88973265. I see one available used for $170. Maybe a local junk yard will let you pull one.

Do other headlight functions like high beams, and flashing the high beams, work?

I'm a recovering electrical engineer. If that happened to my Vibe, I'd bypass that module and hard-wire the headlight switch functions directly to the headlight relays under the hood. When I got the car, I disabled the DRLs using instructions in this forum.

[joatmon]

In my first Vibe, I did one of the variants to disable the DRL/automatic headlights, wired the cut wire to a switch so I I could have it both ways, but I don't remember which method I used. I realized I just used the auto headlights all the time, so I didn't bother doing that to the next Vibe. The automatic jump between DRL and full headlights can be odd in these cars, and apparently in other cars as well. I get peeved at cars running with just DRL in dense fog, or heavy rain, DRL means no tail lights, and I generally try to avoid rear-ending other cars

One thing to try is with the car running and not moving, pull up the parking brake lever as few clicks as it takes to get the Brake light to light up on the dash, (hopefully not enough to actually engage the parking brake), then turn the car all the way off, and then start it up again. Theoretically, the DRLs and auto headlights should stay off

[Vibraphone]

*%$##* Now over 3hs, 2 attempts, skinned knuckles & arms.

To simply cut #12 wire to disable DRL. Cannot remove / pry headlight relay plug-block from relay. I even unscrewed relay from mounting point. More access but no luck.

Evidently, there are clips that hold the plug in. Where are they?

Any clues how to dislodge the plug from the block???!!

I'm giving up round-2.

[ihaveavibe]

When I got the car, I disabled the DRLs using instructions in this forum.

Why would you want to disable DRL? Just wondering, I tend to think they're useful.

[andrewclaus]

Why would you want to disable DRL? Just wondering, I tend to think they're useful.

Just to maximize lamp life and minimize power use.

When I got this car, I'd never had DRLs and didn't see the value. Now I tend to agree with you.

[joatmon]

Evidently, there are clips that hold the plug in. Where are they?

Any clues how to dislodge the plug from the block???!!

I think you are talking about the DRL module.

At some point I saved off the picture below, and I have edited it to include a zoomed in portion of the connector with a red arrow pointing to the tab that you have to push in (towards the wires) to get the connector to release. Can sometimes be a pain to push in, while pulling the connector out of the module. I have sometimes needed to use needlenose on some connectors



matrixowners.com used to be a toyota matrix forum, but it disappeared from the internet some years ago, so the link in the pic is dead, unless perhaps you try the internet archive wayback machine.

drla1.jpg (104.51 KiB) Viewed 835 times

[Vibraphone]

Thank you!!!

I was prysing the DRL plug outward. Pushing the plug inward twd the plug 'block' and out it came.