adding driving lights in bumper, programming

[buelldude]

I have a 2014 1500 w/t, I picked up a set of chrome bumpers that will really dress up the truck but they have big holes where the lights should go. I was told by a dealer that they can not reprogram the truck for the lights to work like they should. I have to have them go out when the high beams come on, VA state law. Is it true that it can not be done? I would like to use the new bumpers

[Jsdirt]

I say to hell with the damn computers. Just wire it up yourself.

 

2 relays - one normally closed to kick them off when the high beams come on, and the other to run them straight off the battery (fused, of course). Throw a switch in the cab in the location of your choice to control the primary, normally open one.

 

Programming for lights .... Good God Almighty ... this is what we've come to?

[Doug_Scott]

I have a 2014 1500 w/t, I picked up a set of chrome bumpers that will really dress up the truck but they have big holes where the lights should go. I was told by a dealer that they can not reprogram the truck for the lights to work like they should. I have to have them go out when the high beams come on, VA state law. Is it true that it can not be done? I would like to use the new bumpers

 

You to think of how they worded what they told you. I read it as saying they LEGALLY cannot hook it up that way. Don't live in VA, have no idea what their particular highway laws are. They are not saying it cannot be done, they are saying they cannot do it. If they do it, and it is not legal, and you get stopped, human nature is to push the blame onto to someone else. Dealer does not want to have to convince the police that you forced them to do it. Can't blame them for that.

BTW, my 2010 did not require any computer programming for the adding factory fog lights. Just followed the instructions in the box and they worked

 

These laws limiting forward facing lights are there to protect the oncoming traffic. Nothing worse than having some knob driving towards me with multiple sets of lights on, in the city.

[Jsdirt]

Ahh that makes sense - I took it as they couldn't physically do it because some stupid computer controlled system prevented them from doing so. Legal stuff dealerships WILL NOT play around with, and for good reason. Can't blame them there.

[buelldude]

The only thing I want is what comes from the factory on other trucks, nothing more/less. I only want what comes on other models so that 1. it fills the hole in the bumper. 2. I can see a bit better in the area I live in so I don't hit the deer on the way out of my neighborhood. I don't need extra lights, I could drive all the way to work without lights if I had to (city life).

[Doug_Scott]

The only thing I want is what comes from the factory on other trucks, nothing more/less. I only want what comes on other models so that 1. it fills the hole in the bumper. 2. I can see a bit better in the area I live in so I don't hit the deer on the way out of my neighborhood. I don't need extra lights, I could drive all the way to work without lights if I had to (city life).

 

Your posts are confusing. Lets start from the beginning. You have a W/T model that does not come with the fog lights right?

You want to change bumpers and install the chrome one that has the holes for the driving/fog lights, and you want to add the factory lights in?.

 

Where are you getting the fog lights from? I took a look at GM Accessories web site and they do not list the fog light kit for a 2014 Silverado truck. Where were you going to get the lights/kit from?

 

In the previous generation truck they sold fog light kits through GM Accessories for both the 07-13 Silverado and Sierra that included everything needed to add the factory lights into the lesser model trucks that did not come with them. Those kits were straight forward to install, requiring no help from dealer. The Silverado kit even came with the bumper ends with the holes in them for the lights. As I said above, there is no kit like that for the 2014 model year.

[buelldude]

W/T, yes that is right and they sell the lights to put back in the chrome bumper that I got from someone. I was given a price on the parts to put back in the bumper that doesn't have them at this time. The programming needed to have the lights work as the others that were factory installed isn't being released from GM to the dealers to get them working as the factory units do. I just want to put the chrome bumpers on without the holes. I really don't care if the lights work, but if they don't VA will fail me on the inspection.

[Doug_Scott]

Just took a look at the requirements in VA regarding forward facing lighting. The aux lights do not have to work at all. But, if they do, the lights must be setup so that no more than 4 forward facing white lights are on at one time. If the aux lights are for off road, they must be covered when driven on the road.

You won't have any inspection issues for having aux lights that do not work.

[buelldude]

The issue I have is----- inspectors all say that if you have lights on your truck they have to work. The lights have to go out when high beams are on as well, if they are used as driving light.

[Jsdirt]

Gotta love government bureaucracy - one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. We get that lot here in MA on everything from guns to cars. Law says one thing, cop says another, lawyer says another, and nobody has a clue!

[Doug_Scott]

The issue I have is----- inspectors all say that if you have lights on your truck they have to work. The lights have to go out when high beams are on as well, if they are used as driving light.

 

If it were me, I would be printing out the traffic act (or whatever it is called in VA), and have the inspector show you where he sees it saying the lights must work. Chances are very good that he will simply say he does not have to show you. Ask for the supervisor, and have him show you where it says that. Don't let it go. The worst they can do is fail your truck. If you take the tools with you, you can simply remove the lights to get the pass, and still insist they prove their rulings.

Chances are very good that one inspector years ago got this idea in his head, and he has tainted the pool of inspectors. Why an inspector is not capable of using simple logic I do not know. You could also just put covers over them and tell the inspector that they are off highway only lights, and the law says they need to be covered. Again, having it printed out and highlighted will help your cause.

 

The one large benefit of calling them on it is that it will help change the system for people after you. The cost to you is nothing but some time, and the feeling you get from winning is well worth that time. Keep in mind that you will need to be respectful when calling them out on it.

 

I have had a couple of issues similar, one was a cop that pulled me over and said running without a hood (I had a pro-street mustang with a tunnel-ram cleveland, hood was off being cut and painted) was dangerous and that there was nothing to stop a kid from climbing up and falling into the engine compartment when car was running. Cop was a motorcycle cop, and I asked him if this was the same kid that walked up to his idling bike at the stop light and hugged the exposed chrome exhaust on his bike. Cop did not see the similarity and pulled my plates off, charged me with operation of an unsafe auto, leaving me on the side of the road. This was pre cell phone days, so I walked into the gas station where he had me pulled over, called my cousin who is a lawyer, told him the story. He asked me if there was anything in the safety check laws regarding hoods. Being a licensed mechanic who actually did safety inspections as part of my job, I knew there was no issue with not having a hood. Cousin called the cop station where this cop was posted, talked to the head guy there, and within 20 minutes the bike cop was back, putting the plates back on my car, and taking the ticket back. My cousin told me weeks later that the cop that charge me was being investigated for his tactics. Seems there had been other complaints, but since they came directly from the teenagers they were not taken seriously. Having a lawyer step in made all the difference. Another time I was at the street races watching the races. It was 2am and I had parked my car pointing the opposite direction of everyone else, and about 100 yards down the road. Cops showed up, everyone runs trying to get away, I just walked back to my car and drove away. About 10 minutes later I got stopped. The cop said he had seen me racing with the others. I said i was not racing, I was simply driving by in the opposite direction and stopped to watch. He was looking over my car (same pro-street car) saying you don't drive a car like this and not race it. Told him that just because I can race, it does not mean I do race. He didn't buy that. He started going over the car pointing out all the things he thought made the car not road worthy, like difference in tire sizes front to rear. He had the law backwards, he thought it said back tire had to be the same size or smaller than front tires and not of mixed profiles. Law actually says you can't run 78 series tires(that's how long ago this was) on the rear and 70, 60, or 50 series on the front. I was running skinny fronts on 3.5 wide rims, with wide street tires on 13 inch wide wheels on the rear. The car was 100% legal. I just let him go on and on about it all. He finally says he is going to start writing the tickets now, and will call a tow truck. I just said Ok. Guess we will see who pays the price in court, you or me, the licensed mechanic that inspects vehicles every day. He said to prove I was a mechanic. I showed him the id card that comes with the yearly license sticker renewal. He went to his car, came back about a minute later saying something about he just an emergency call and it was my lucky day. He was just going to send me for emissions testing, gave me the paper and my stuff back and drove off. Emissions testing back then was a simple idle emissions test, CO and hydrocarbons. Surprising how clean you can make a 12:1 351 cleveland with 2x 4bbl on a tunnel ram idle when you have to. Passed the emissions test with no problems, and passed the visual inspection because my fuel gauge did not say unleaded fuel only, and there was no restrictor in the fuel fill and no signs of it being punched out so the leaded fuel nozzle would fit. It was a few years before they started cracking down on charcoal cannister and egr valves being removed. I ended up with the emission inspection sticker, plus every year that inspector would mail me a new one for the car. Never got sent to emissions again. Still would get pulled over though. Car was a rear frame car with full cage. Got stopped once, and the cop tried to get in the car to check if the vision was obstructed by the intake and carbs out in the air. His partner was laughing at him as he tried to get in over the cage with all his stuff on his belt. I told him to call Sgt Tan in 43 division to ask about the sight lines. Been through that so many times I finally went to the local station and had the desk Sgt take a look at it. He said to just have them call him if they thought it was obstructing view. The only cops that would leave me completely alone were the ones in that division. In the 5 or 6 years I drove that car, I think I got one ticket, and it was for not signing my drivers license. Point is, just because they say it is wrong, does not make it wrong. It is so easy now to get information instantly. Find the law pertaining to aux lighting, print it out and don't be afraid to use it.

[NitroDatsik]

Simple, get buckets and bezels for the fog lights from gmpartsdirect.co, cheapest place I found for them. Total is like $100, buy the fog lights from eBay. Buy a relay to power both fogs. Run a switch to the inside. Attach a diode to the relay and to the low/high beams which ever you want and is required by your state.

 

2014 Silverado 2WT CC Summit White 4.3L V6

DROPKICK Edition

IG: jorge_dropkick_rangel

[NitroDatsik]

I have all the parts already, I just need time to do this myself. You need this parts, plus the fog lights themselves. I'm going with off road lights, cus I don't need the fogs.

 

Get a relay to power both fogs, run a switch inside the cab. If you want them to turn on with high beams then just add a diode from the high beam wire to the wire taking power back to the fogs. And they will work with the flick of the switch alone as well. There's another thread on adding fog lights.

 

2014 Silverado 2WT CC Summit White 4.3L V6

DROPKICK Edition

IG: jorge_dropkick_rangel

[buelldude]

What are the part numbers?