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Disable Auto Headlights 2010 Tahoe

izack98

By izack98
in Audio, Electronics & Software

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izack98 Enthusiast

izack98

Posted
Posted

I have had the auto-headlamps disabled in my 2010 Tahoe. Installed a resistor in the place of the ambient light sensor on the dash to fool the vehicle into thinking it is daytime all the time (simplistic explanation I know) Now, that it is done, at night when I turn on the headlights, the dash lightest come on their highest setting. I am unable to dime the dash lights. When I turn the dial to dim the dash lights nothing happens - they stay at their brightest.

 

Anyone have a work around for this?

 

I know that even when the auto headlights are not disabled this way, during the day when the headlights are off the dash lights come on their highest setting and you cannot adjust them. So I guess its a normal function when the truck thinks its daylight. I'd still like to see if anyone has overcome this.

  • 2 weeks later...
Diesail Enthusiast

Diesail

Posted
Posted

I always scratch my head :thumbs: as to why you would want to disable the auto headlights.

 

But that said you could expand your circuit to include a relay such that when the lights are off your resistor is in place, when on the orignal sensor is in place or it is open.

brims Senior Enthusiast

brims

Posted
Posted

The dash light, at least in the newer vehicles, is controlled by a pulse width modulator, so you can drive the LEDs properly, you're not supposed to just drop voltage to them.

cgalford Enthusiast

cgalford

Posted
Posted

There are two different dimming circuits in the truck. One is for all the LEDs (symbols in the gauge cluster, displays) which uses a PWM signal and the ones you can dim by the dimming switch are still incandecent.

 

If you can live with the brighter LEDs you can tap into the incandesent circuit and adjust the voltage.

brims Senior Enthusiast

brims

Posted
Posted
There are two different dimming circuits in the truck. One is for all the LEDs (symbols in the gauge cluster, displays) which uses a PWM signal and the ones you can dim by the dimming switch are still incandecent.

 

If you can live with the brighter LEDs you can tap into the incandesent circuit and adjust the voltage.

 

Which ones are incadecent? The knob between the fog and dome light override dims all of my lights. The FSM shows a dimmer that goes right into the BCM which would be the variable resistor that controls the rate of charge/discharge on a capacitor which triggers the timer chip. Or maybe it's a little different in the BCM but it doesn't directly control the power to any lights.

 

The FSM shows at least 3 PWM outputs from the BCM, all listed under LED and I/P Bulb Dimming but I don't see any other types of dimming components.

 

Most of the switches have incadecent lights it looks like, but they are still on a PWM circuit, so you still have the same problem, can't adjust them when you have the AHLs disabled.

 

I wouldn't mind disabling these things, but this problem isn't going to sit well with me, so I'm going to wire in some variable resistors (a bunch in series) that are in parallel with the ambient light sensor to find what works well for me and then probably take that stuff out and wire in some fixed resistors. That way I can get the lights to turn on and off when I feel they should be on. I'm tired of driving around at 10 am or 4 pm with the freaking lights on. I know the light bulb people love DRLs and AHLs the way they are setup.

cgalford Enthusiast

cgalford

Posted
Posted
There are two different dimming circuits in the truck. One is for all the LEDs (symbols in the gauge cluster, displays) which uses a PWM signal and the ones you can dim by the dimming switch are still incandecent.

 

If you can live with the brighter LEDs you can tap into the incandesent circuit and adjust the voltage.

 

Which ones are incadecent? The knob between the fog and dome light override dims all of my lights. The FSM shows a dimmer that goes right into the BCM which would be the variable resistor that controls the rate of charge/discharge on a capacitor which triggers the timer chip. Or maybe it's a little different in the BCM but it doesn't directly control the power to any lights.

 

The FSM shows at least 3 PWM outputs from the BCM, all listed under LED and I/P Bulb Dimming but I don't see any other types of dimming components.

 

Most of the switches have incadecent lights it looks like, but they are still on a PWM circuit, so you still have the same problem, can't adjust them when you have the AHLs disabled.

 

I wouldn't mind disabling these things, but this problem isn't going to sit well with me, so I'm going to wire in some variable resistors (a bunch in series) that are in parallel with the ambient light sensor to find what works well for me and then probably take that stuff out and wire in some fixed resistors. That way I can get the lights to turn on and off when I feel they should be on. I'm tired of driving around at 10 am or 4 pm with the freaking lights on. I know the light bulb people love DRLs and AHLs the way they are setup.

 

 

Now that I think about it I can't conclusively state that the bulbs I saw were incadecent. When I took apart the 4wd switch for my indicator light adapter development it looked like an incadecent bulb but it may have been a special LED. I also measured varying voltages at its input when I changed the dimming knob but the PWM signal is at 100Hz so my volt meter could have been able to accuratly calculate an average voltage. I didn't look at that circuit with a scope since it wasn't relevant to my product.

 

I think the best aproach would be to leave it auto, like someone said, but add in parrallel resistors to lower the sensitivity.

 

If you were set on having a switch then using a relay would be best to change between resistor and light sensor. If you don't use the dome override button you could probably use that as your headlight switch.

 

Or just leave it and live with the lights coming on early, I don't see the harm, they aren't that bright. My bulbs have lasted 70k miles with the AHL

Brewboy Enthusiast

Brewboy

Posted
Posted
I have had the auto-headlamps disabled in my 2010 Tahoe. Installed a resistor in the place of the ambient light sensor on the dash to fool the vehicle into thinking it is daytime all the time (simplistic explanation I know) Now, that it is done, at night when I turn on the headlights, the dash lightest come on their highest setting. I am unable to dime the dash lights. When I turn the dial to dim the dash lights nothing happens - they stay at their brightest.

 

Anyone have a work around for this?

 

I know that even when the auto headlights are not disabled this way, during the day when the headlights are off the dash lights come on their highest setting and you cannot adjust them. So I guess its a normal function when the truck thinks its daylight. I'd still like to see if anyone has overcome this.

 

Just a heads up, if you disable your DRL your likely violating local or State laws. Not a big deal maybe but if your involved in an accident, and your vehicle is inspected, your liability increases.

 

Are there any associated warranty issues?

Z'06 Enthusiast

Z'06

Posted
Posted
I always scratch my head :lol: as to why you would want to disable the auto headlights.

 

Some guys don't want their HIDs flashing on and off too frequently as the bulbs warm up slower than halogen. Others run SilverStar upgrades that don't have a very long bulb life.

Z'06 Enthusiast

Z'06

Posted
Posted
Just a heads up, if you disable your DRL your likely violating local or State laws. Not a big deal maybe but if your involved in an accident, and your vehicle is inspected, your liability increases.

 

Hmmm. I wonder why that would be the case, when most vehicles don't even have DRLs to begin with.

 

Are there any associated warranty issues?

 

No more so than driving around with burned out DRL bulbs, lol.

  • 9 months later...
mtsusa Enthusiast

mtsusa

Posted
Posted
There are two different dimming circuits in the truck. One is for all the LEDs (symbols in the gauge cluster, displays) which uses a PWM signal and the ones you can dim by the dimming switch are still incandecent.

 

If you can live with the brighter LEDs you can tap into the incandesent circuit and adjust the voltage.

 

Which ones are incadecent? The knob between the fog and dome light override dims all of my lights. The FSM shows a dimmer that goes right into the BCM which would be the variable resistor that controls the rate of charge/discharge on a capacitor which triggers the timer chip. Or maybe it's a little different in the BCM but it doesn't directly control the power to any lights.

 

The FSM shows at least 3 PWM outputs from the BCM, all listed under LED and I/P Bulb Dimming but I don't see any other types of dimming components.

 

Most of the switches have incadecent lights it looks like, but they are still on a PWM circuit, so you still have the same problem, can't adjust them when you have the AHLs disabled.

 

I wouldn't mind disabling these things, but this problem isn't going to sit well with me, so I'm going to wire in some variable resistors (a bunch in series) that are in parallel with the ambient light sensor to find what works well for me and then probably take that stuff out and wire in some fixed resistors. That way I can get the lights to turn on and off when I feel they should be on. I'm tired of driving around at 10 am or 4 pm with the freaking lights on. I know the light bulb people love DRLs and AHLs the way they are setup.

 

 

Now that I think about it I can't conclusively state that the bulbs I saw were incadecent. When I took apart the 4wd switch for my indicator light adapter development it looked like an incadecent bulb but it may have been a special LED. I also measured varying voltages at its input when I changed the dimming knob but the PWM signal is at 100Hz so my volt meter could have been able to accuratly calculate an average voltage. I didn't look at that circuit with a scope since it wasn't relevant to my product.

 

I think the best aproach would be to leave it auto, like someone said, but add in parrallel resistors to lower the sensitivity.

 

If you were set on having a switch then using a relay would be best to change between resistor and light sensor. If you don't use the dome override button you could probably use that as your headlight switch.

 

Or just leave it and live with the lights coming on early, I don't see the harm, they aren't that bright. My bulbs have lasted 70k miles with the AHL

 

 

How would you use a relay to switch between resistor and light sensor?

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