? about headlights

On mine the day time running lamps go out when you pull the parking brake.

Al

Not sure if that trick works for the headlamps though. I think the manual touches on it. A few suggested alternatives are:

1. Talk to the commander of the SPs (or MPs) at your installation and discuss late model vehicles with forced headlights in darkness. You may be accommodated. No guarantees for sure but... you could ask. Just don't waste time asking the wrong person. Your commander would probably tell you to buy a different car rather than entertain the idea of being a fly in the ointment of another section's boss. And for damn sure don't ask the E1 to E3 at the gate if you can be an exception. Even if you get a nice reasonable SP, your experience can and will be as different as whoever is on guard duty. Just go to where it's going to matter.

1. Assuming you are not accomodated... you could get a bit of a light that you could somehow turn on and have directed at the light sensor at those times you approach the gate. This sensor is located on your dash around where the defrost comes out I think. Turning on the light would fool the sensor into thinking there is daylight and it would turn off the lights. This requires no modification of your vehicle, but could be a bit clutzy to set up.

2. Electrically bypass the sensor permanently, so that your headlights operate according to the dash switch control only. This gives the vehicle operator complete control and is the way it should have been designed in the 1st place. Automatic windows are nice; automatic lights you can't turn off stink. What were they thinking?

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The service manager at the local dealership told me to push the dome light switch 4 times to turn off the automatic head lights. This is the little push button near the main light switch. I told him that was great but I didn't have a button for the dome light. He insisted that it was there and went to show me.

Come to find out the 99 does not have the button, it was added in 2K. He said it works in his, so it may work in yours. After you do it you will have to manually turn the lights on and off. He said it will stay that way until you reset the computer or push the button 4 times again.

I can't verify that it works but it is worth a try.

My '01 Tahoe works that way. Only mine resets the next time you start the motor. - Gary

The mid-90's Chevy pickup I used to drive at work (on a military base) would shut off the auto headlights if I selected parking lights and applied the emergency brake a couple of clicks.

NAS Lemoore, keep on flyin' and fixin'.

Have you tried pulling he emergency brake when you stop. Most of the time Chevy wires a defeat switch into the emergency brake.

Hello. I have a 2001 Z28. I do not have a switch located on the dash to turn on/off the "dome" light. In fact, I don't even have a "dome" light. My courtesy lights are part of the rear view mirror assembly. They have independent left and right switches for the left and right light mounted right onto the rear view mirror.

What I do have on the dash is a wheel type dimmer (which also has an all the way off click position I think, or is it all the way on) which controls instrument panel lighting etc. Next to that is the switch for the parking and headlights. It has the typical 3 positions; off, parking, and headlights on.

My manual says that the automatic turning on of the headlights can be over-ridden by turning on the headlights via switch, putting the parking brake on, then turning off the headlights (at least to the best of my memory). I really would like a better way to accomplish this as I don't like applying the brake if moving. That's why the undocumented trick you mention sounded so promising to me. Too bad it doesn't seem I can take advantage of it. Anyone have any ideas?

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Pull your dash apart and locate the sensor that detects the light level. Pull the connector off of it and measure the resistance with full light shining on it. Go to radio shack and buy a double pole double throw switch and a resistor with a value as close as possible to the reading you took above. Cut the wire going to the sensor. Connect the ends from the sensor on to the A side of the switch. Connect the wires going to the control module to the common set of contacts. Connect the resistor across the B side of the switch. Mount the switch somewhere you can get to it when needed, but that won't accidently get bumped.

Now with the switch in A the Auto headlights will function as normal. With the switch in B the system will think there is enough light avaliable that the headlights are not needed and turn them off. You can still turn them on with the main light switch even with the switch in B.

Did I explain that well enough for you to get the gist of it?

Yes and I do thank you, though I have an electronics background and was already aware of how to approach such a modification. What I was really hoping for was an easy, undocumented way of bypassing the sensor that requires no modification at all. It looks like maybe there isn't such a thing though, so the mod may be the best thing going. How sure are you about the sensor being a simple resistive load (varied by incident light)? Could it not be a photoelectric cell which actually generates a small current; which is then reacted to by another portion of the circuit?

I wonder if pulling the dash off is even necessary. There is a defrost vent in that area of the dash. Perhaps that comes off independently and would provide access to the sensor.

If the dash needs to come off... anyone know how involved it is? Is it a pain or pretty simple and quick?

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I havn't done mine yet (the gate guard only lasted about two weeks after the attacks), you should be able to get to it by just removing the radio. My source assures me that the sensor is a Cds cell and the headlight module reads the resistance of the cell to determine the amout of ambiant light. The other alternative is to simply plug the resistor leads into the sensor socket and tape it up. This would disable the auto head lights without an over ride but would be easier to return back to "stock" if you ever had the need.

I guess none of GM's engineers that designed the system ever worked in a controlled access facility.