Probs: Hid Headlights On New Body Style Silverado

bb123 · January 22, 2010

OK, I was just wondering if any of you have run into problems with the HIDs in the Silvy. I put a set in my expedition, you'd need to turn off the day lamp to a permanent off until you need it, ,my titan, etc. No probs. I throw the same ballast on the chevy and it fries the ballasts.

Our assumption was once you hit the alarm, it turns on the day lamp. For some reason before, if I hit the gas and had a load at about 2K rpm and turn the auto day lamp to on manually, it'll shut off one light. So then we ran a relay. Same thing. Then we figured it was the bulb. Changed it, everthing is fine.

All of a sudden, driving at night, the damn lights just shut off automatically and will not come back on. Now on a relay, they both go out instead of the one bulb. It became random. Sometimes it would come on, others not. we tried to see if we could disable the daytime running lamps ( DRLs) and pulled the fuses and they worked just fine with out a fuse. So we are stuck.

Well, Go back to the shop and try to trouble shoot. We ran from a seperate power source to see, and ballast worked, swithced bulbs, they worked.

Then I figured hey, the jack ass grounded the relay to the bolt that holds the headlight assembly. I screw it directly into the negative to the battery and so far no more problems.

So, now that I have tried a million times and had random acts of punishment I figured this.

Hit the alarm, DRLs turn on. OPen the door before lights go out bc they may not get the correct ignition to the ballast. Then turn the knob to ON manually then when you start the truck you won't get the "on/off/on" jazz from turning the ignition.

So far its working normal.

Have you guys had any luck disabling the DRLs? I noticed that once the negative from the relay was bolted to neg terminal on battery, the lights are working as they should I think. Hit the alarm during day, DRLs will not activate. Once I start the truck, put in drive, release e-brake, they come on, then I shut them off. Now at night, hit the alarm, they come on.

So I don't know what the hell.

So do you have any guidance or been through the same problem? Now if you didn't have probs, how did you wire it up, etc.

Thanks./

elcompalaline · January 22, 2010

First of all, are you talking about two different features? DRLs (Daytime Running Lights) or the Auto Light Feature (lights come on when the dash mounted photocell senses little or no light and turns on headlights). Both of these features are bad for HIDs, the best thing would be to disable them both.

DRLs are disabled by removing two fuses located in the fuse box in the engine compartment. These fuses are labeled DRL and DRL2 if I recall correctly.

The Auto Light Feature is removed by disabling the sensor on the dash. Here is a link to a writeup.----->"LINK"

Once this feature is disabled, the approach lighting (headlights and reverse lights turn on when unlocking via key fob) will not work since the truck does not know it is dark out. If you have a DIC (Driver Information Center), you can disable approach lighting in the settings menu.

I did both and have not had any issues with my HIDs, hope this info helps get rid of those issues.

C. Charles Hahn · January 22, 2010

elcompaLalo, why would you need to disable the auto headlight feature? I have it still enabled on my truck and I haven't had a single issue with my HIDs.

The DRLs are another story, though. Unless you're running the HID ballasts and bulbs on a relay directly off the battery for power, the DRLs don't work properly.

bb123 · January 22, 2010

First of all, are you talking about two different features? DRLs (Daytime Running Lights) or the Auto Light Feature (lights come on when the dash mounted photocell senses little or no light and turns on headlights). Both of these features are bad for HIDs, the best thing would be to disable them both.

DRLs are disabled by removing two fuses located in the fuse box in the engine compartment. These fuses are labeled DRL and DRL2 if I recall correctly.

The Auto Light Feature is removed by disabling the sensor on the dash. Here is a link to a writeup.----->"LINK"

Once this feature is disabled, the approach lighting (headlights and reverse lights turn on when unlocking via key fob) will not work since the truck does not know it is dark out. If you have a DIC (Driver Information Center), you can disable approach lighting in the settings menu.

I did both and have not had any issues with my HIDs, hope this info helps get rid of those issues.

the prob is I pulled my fuses and the lights still worked. How is that even possible? I'm gonna check the link for the photocell and will be back if I have a question or two.

brims · January 22, 2010

First of all, are you talking about two different features? DRLs (Daytime Running Lights) or the Auto Light Feature (lights come on when the dash mounted photocell senses little or no light and turns on headlights). Both of these features are bad for HIDs, the best thing would be to disable them both.

DRLs are disabled by removing two fuses located in the fuse box in the engine compartment. These fuses are labeled DRL and DRL2 if I recall correctly.

The Auto Light Feature is removed by disabling the sensor on the dash. Here is a link to a writeup.----->"LINK"

Once this feature is disabled, the approach lighting (headlights and reverse lights turn on when unlocking via key fob) will not work since the truck does not know it is dark out. If you have a DIC (Driver Information Center), you can disable approach lighting in the settings menu.

I did both and have not had any issues with my HIDs, hope this info helps get rid of those issues.

Both of the DRL fuses are in series according to the FSM. Don't ask me why, but removing either one will disable the DRLs. I removed both because neither is needed, spares for some other time. I originally removed 1 and turned the truck on, then put it back and removed the other and turned the truck on. Both times the DRLs were off.

the prob is I pulled my fuses and the lights still worked. How is that even possible? I'm gonna check the link for the photocell and will be back if I have a question or two.

You need to make sure you really did remove the fuses. The cover of the fuse box has a layout for both gas and diesel, they do differ, I'm not sure if the DRL fuses are different between the 2.

C. Charles Hahn · January 22, 2010

You need to make sure you really did remove the fuses. The cover of the fuse box has a layout for both gas and diesel, they do differ, I'm not sure if the DRL fuses are different between the 2.

I don't believe any of the fuses relating to the lighting are different between gas and diesel.

brims · January 22, 2010

I wanted to know for sure so I pulled out the FSMs, on the diesel the DRL fuses are 28 and 30, on gas they are 31 and 33.

If he was looking at the diesel diagram and pulled those 2 fuses, he really would have disabled the fog lights and driver's side high beam.

The DRL fuses are in the same physical location. Zembonez just posted a picture of his underhood fuse box cover diagram in another thread, those DRL fuses are in the same physical location but they are 32 and 34. So I would check it carefully.

C. Charles Hahn · January 23, 2010

I wanted to know for sure so I pulled out the FSMs, on the diesel the DRL fuses are 28 and 30, on gas they are 31 and 33.

If he was looking at the diesel diagram and pulled those 2 fuses, he really would have disabled the fog lights and driver's side high beam.

The DRL fuses are in the same physical location. Zembonez just posted a picture of his underhood fuse box cover diagram in another thread, those DRL fuses are in the same physical location but they are 32 and 34. So I would check it carefully.

OK; that makes sense. I did a modification to the wiring harness under the fuse block in my truck using a how-to made up of pictures from a D-Max Sierra and all the pin-outs were the same for both. So maybe because of the subtle differences the two panels are just numbered differently.

elcompalaline · January 23, 2010

elcompaLalo, why would you need to disable the auto headlight feature? I have it still enabled on my truck and I haven't had a single issue with my HIDs.

The DRLs are another story, though. Unless you're running the HID ballasts and bulbs on a relay directly off the battery for power, the DRLs don't work properly.

To prolong the life of the HIDs, they always seem to come on momentarily on start-up so I would rather have full control over them.

And for the DRLs, one of the HIDs was on and the other strobing, I was told by the manufacturer to disable them to fix the problem.

brims · January 23, 2010

elcompaLalo, why would you need to disable the auto headlight feature? I have it still enabled on my truck and I haven't had a single issue with my HIDs.

The DRLs are another story, though. Unless you're running the HID ballasts and bulbs on a relay directly off the battery for power, the DRLs don't work properly.

To prolong the life of the HIDs, they always seem to come on momentarily on start-up so I would rather have full control over them.

And for the DRLs, one of the HIDs was on and the other strobing, I was told by the manufacturer to disable them to fix the problem.

DRL sends less voltage to the bulbs, that's the issue.

C. Charles Hahn · January 23, 2010

DRL sends less voltage to the bulbs, that's the issue.

Which is why when you run the lights off a relay harness so the HID ballasts/bulbs pull their voltage directly from the battery instead of relying on the 70% voltage fed to them by the DRL circuit, the DRL function can work just fine. I found that 70% voltage was enough to trigger the relay when you plug the switched power source into the factory headlight harness.

elcompalaline · January 23, 2010

DRL sends less voltage to the bulbs, that's the issue.

Which is why when you run the lights off a relay harness so the HID ballasts/bulbs pull their voltage directly from the battery instead of relying on the 70% voltage fed to them by the DRL circuit, the DRL function can work just fine. I found that 70% voltage was enough to trigger the relay when you plug the switched power source into the factory headlight harness.

I would like to retain the DRL function again, but I would have no idea on how to wire up the relay harness.

C. Charles Hahn · January 23, 2010

DRL sends less voltage to the bulbs, that's the issue.

Which is why when you run the lights off a relay harness so the HID ballasts/bulbs pull their voltage directly from the battery instead of relying on the 70% voltage fed to them by the DRL circuit, the DRL function can work just fine. I found that 70% voltage was enough to trigger the relay when you plug the switched power source into the factory headlight harness.

I would like to retain the DRL function again, but I would have no idea on how to wire up the relay harness.

C. Charles Hahn · January 23, 2010

I know that's not specific to the Silverado, but the wiring is the same.

bb123 · January 23, 2010

Ok, so I have a few things I might add for those of us who are in my boat. Ok, the way it works is your DRLs ( yes I know diesel and gas were different, just followed the diagram) is if you start the car they will only come on once you take the parking brake off and put the thing in gear. Otherwise you'll get the same result, something not working. Now, the thing is, also, I thought that once you hit the alarm to open door, that IS your drl. But I figured out that that will only come on at night.

During the day, the unlock light feature will not work. OK, I have adapted to this photocell thingee. OK, it would be very convenient to do. But they say it'll wear the hell out of the switch as it was not made for the on off on off deal as factory built it to work only under auto functions. But then again, the not is cheap. Anyhow, At night, once I unlock my door, the HIDs come on. But I don't unlock my door 50ft from me. I am usually near, so by the time the go off I am already in the car starting the truck. This is what i do. I unlock door, turn switch to lamps ON. This doesn't make the light flicker, etc. It'll stay on when you start the car and the ballast isn't getting jolted with confusion everytime you start the truck. Otherwise, if you hit alarm, are slow and they go off, orrrr, you unlock, they come on, then stick the key in ignition, it's that same on, and for a split second while starting motor, will shut off and then shut on again. This can't be good.

Soooo, I just unlock, HIDs come on, open door, turn knob on, start car and no problems.

Also, I have a relay and I think that is a must. Like started earlier, the DRL or use without knob will give only 6V. That is not enough for proper ignition of the ballast ignitors to operate correctly. So just run a relay.

ALSO!!!!!!!!! I have been having problems with the lights just shutting off in the middle on the night using the knob or the auto feature. This is what the deal is. On your relay please make absolute sure that ou run it directly to the battery negative. Running it to the body, frame, etc you run the risk of the problems I have had.

The guy, before, unscrewed my headlight housing screw on top and threw in the washer-like negative through that screw on top of the plastic. This means its real only contact was the thinness of the washer touching the bolt. Bad news. Very questionable. I decided screw it, I went directly to the negative and have not had a problem since. knock on wood.

But the relay will give full juice at every ignition of the ballast as the start up of an HID requires much more juice than a normal incandescent bulb. This way, youre always covered. I got mine for $35 installed.

Just go on craigslist and there are guys that do them all day long with full kits at $75 installed and full lifetime warranty on ballast and bulbs. So pay them once and forget it. We have fried 3 ballasts so far and that was due to bad bulbs, 6v drl on off crap, etc. Now, I have it in check, correct direct negative, relay, good new bulbs, etc and were good.