Jump to content

Disable Amber Cab Lights

JTRACKER
 Share

Recommended Posts

JTRACKER New Member

JTRACKER

Posted
Posted

I have searched this forum and Googled myself to death and have not found the right words to get any results to suggest which relay or fuse is used disable the amber cab marker lights.

 

I would like to put a separate relay or simply a switch in series with the fuse to be able to darken all the amber marker (mirrors included if possible).

 

California says it's illegal to run these cab markers and want to be able to selectively turn them off.

 

I have not been able to simply identify the relay which controls the markers at dusk, suggesting a relay is in the circuit somewhere and controlled by one of the computers.

 

If anyone has any information how to do this it would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

JT

gemarsh Senior Enthusiast

gemarsh

Posted
Posted

Can't help you out.

Are you saying CA won't allow the factory installed roof markers?

eyaniv Enthusiast

eyaniv

Posted
Posted

Yes - in CA, you can't have amber, red or blue lights on top of the cab. as far as I know, mirrors are ok.

 

can you change the LED to white instead?

unit Enthusiast

unit

Posted
Posted

I appears that the OP is correct - CA does not allow them.  Trucks built for the CA market have the clearance lights deleted.  I think the easiest way to switch the lights would be to loosen the headliner, cut the hot wires to the lights just under the roof and install a switch between the severed ends.  The switch wire could be long enough to locate the switch in a convenient location on the dash.  It's relatively simple to lower one side of the headliner and reach in to the center of the roof.

NWStever Enthusiast

NWStever

Posted
Posted

Only if you are a conservative!  It is afterall the "People's Republic of California" ! 

JTRACKER New Member

JTRACKER

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks guys for the reply, but was looking for a solution to turn them off when necessary but not permanently.

 

It seems odd that there is little reference in the manuals or schematics referencing a fuse or relay for these things.

 

The come on at dusk when auto is selected so there must be a relay connected to them, or at least a fuse that can be pulled.

 

In the schematic "Sierra 2500HD Body Builder" there is a reference to a relay KR53 but I do not see this referenced in any fuse/relay box.

 

Oh well, I will keep digging until I find it.

  • Like 1
newdude Senior Enthusiast

newdude

Posted
Posted (edited)

If you wanted them off all the time, pull the driver A pillar trim and unplug it.  The roof lights are on their own harness.  

 

Here's the schematic:

 

rood.thumb.png.48dc940cdea2f2a256681f9eee4344eb.png

 

 

If you wanted your mirror markers to work correct still and just disable the cab markers, you'd have to control off of pin H3 circuit 709 or down the line of it or those two connector points along circuit 709.  Perhaps you could tie in a switch at the A pillar connector area for the roof marker harness?

Edited by newdude
  • Like 1
Another JR Senior Enthusiast

Another JR

Posted
Posted (edited)

The two fuses for all of the marker lights (i think minus the mirror markers) are labeled on the inside of the cover of the fuse box under the hood. If you only occasionally want to change whether they operate you could just pull those fuses when you want to disable them.  It will disable the fender flare markers as well as the roof markers. On mine, the roof markers are powered with the left fender markers on one of the two circuits. 
 

Have you thought about just covering them so you don’t eliminate the other markers?  
 

Finally, as I think somebody asked above, why?  If you are an out of state licensed truck they don’t expect you to alter your lights when you enter the state.  Your vehicle was legally sold and licensed in another state with those lights, there is no switch to turn those lights off, and states are required to honor the licensing of visiting vehicles.  It’s like the no front plate thing. You can’t get ticketed in a two plate state for driving a vehicle licensed in a one plate state. 

Edited by Another JR
unit Enthusiast

unit

Posted
Posted

Generally, if you're legal in your home state you're legal anywhere in the nation.  There are some exceptions mostly related to maximum payloads on commercial trucks.  I don't think I'd worry about a truck with clearance lights ever being mistaken for a public safety vehicle.

  • Like 1
Another JR Senior Enthusiast

Another JR

Posted
Posted

Yeah, the whole thing about CA equating DOT required roof marker lights to a light bar is absurd. They obviously take themselves seriously because they apparently prohibit sales of vehicles with marker lights. However, the difference is visually obvious. I will occasionally travel into CA with my roof marker equipped truck and don’t plan to worry about it one bit. They won’t ticket you, and if they did it would be thrown out simply by you sending a letter citing the state to state reciprocity. requirement.  In general at least the state police know this and won’t ticket you. 

nards444 Senior Enthusiast

nards444

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Another JR said:

Yeah, the whole thing about CA equating DOT required roof marker lights to a light bar is absurd. They obviously take themselves seriously because they apparently prohibit sales of vehicles with marker lights. However, the difference is visually obvious. I will occasionally travel into CA with my roof marker equipped truck and don’t plan to worry about it one bit. They won’t ticket you, and if they did it would be thrown out simply by you sending a letter citing the state to state reciprocity. requirement.  In general at least the state police know this and won’t ticket you. 

 

I live in NY and I think its bad.  I just dont know people in CA do it,  I really dont. 

RugbyRef Enthusiast

RugbyRef

Posted
Posted (edited)

@JTRACKER - You could most definitely simply replace the lights with white lights (LED).  Recon Truck Accessories has them - Recon Cab Lights.  I do not know what year your truck is, so you'll have to make the selection accordingly.  

 

Just in case anyone is interested:

 

CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE - VEH

DIVISION 12. EQUIPMENT OF VEHICLES [24000 - 28160]

CHAPTER 5. Other Equipment [27000 - 28160]

ARTICLE 5. Fenders, Ornaments, and Television [27600 - 27607]
27606.  

(a) No person shall own or operate a motor vehicle which is equipped with a light bar, or facsimile thereof, to resemble a motor vehicle used by a peace officer or traffic officer while on duty within that jurisdiction for the primary purpose of enforcing Division 10 (commencing with Section 20000) or Division 11 (commencing with Section 21000) pursuant to Section 40800.

(b) For purposes of this section the following definitions apply:

(1) A “light bar” means any light or device affixed to or mounted upon the roof of a vehicle and extending the width of the roof, or a substantial portion thereof, which emits amber, red, or blue, or any combination of those lights.

(2) A “facsimile of a light bar” is any device designed or contrived to resemble a light bar regardless of the degree of light emission or lack thereof. - Not sure if this is a catchall.

(c) This section shall not apply to a vehicle, if all of the following conditions are satisfied:

(1) The vehicle is possessed by a federal, state, or local historical society or museum that is open to the public.

(2) The vehicle is secured from unauthorized operation.

(3) The vehicle is not operated on any public road or highway, unless one of the following applies:

(A) The vehicle is being operated within a temporary street closure for the purposes of celebrations, parades, local special events, and other purposes when the operation is approved by local authorities having jurisdiction over the street closure.

(B) The vehicle is of a model year of at least twenty-five years prior to the year of operation.

Edited by RugbyRef
KCJackson1 Enthusiast

KCJackson1

Posted
Posted

Based on that definition posted, I don't know of anyone who has mistaken roof marker lights for a police-style light bar.  The roof markers do not meet the definition of "extending the width of the roof, or a substantial portion thereof" - they're just 5 small lights.  Nor is it a facsimile of a police-style light bar.  No one mistakes them as a police-style light bar on a vehicle that requires them.  If they're 100% legal on a dually that requires them, how are they illegal on a SRW truck? 

nards444 Senior Enthusiast

nards444

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, KCJackson1 said:

Based on that definition posted, I don't know of anyone who has mistaken roof marker lights for a police-style light bar.  The roof markers do not meet the definition of "extending the width of the roof, or a substantial portion thereof" - they're just 5 small lights.  Nor is it a facsimile of a police-style light bar.  No one mistakes them as a police-style light bar on a vehicle that requires them.  If they're 100% legal on a dually that requires them, how are they illegal on a SRW truck? 

Yeah I agree.  I think people are mistaken what the definition says.  There are yellow bars out there,  tow truck, plows etc.  The cab lights are not a bar and do not take a majority of the roof.  I dont think this thinking is true.  GM sells a lot of vehicles to CA, and would make sure of this..

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • jgaudet99
      Tire psi

      By jgaudet99 · Posted

      Yes that's right, it's the upgrade that includes the overload spring and all that stuff.   Someday when I'm empty and going by a scale I'm going to stop in and get some weight readings.   Exactly  you should have the ability to change individual settings, in in Canada so I'm driving with kph but then I'm stuck with kpa when I want psi lol    
    • Chuck FB
      Tire psi

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      You must have that upgraded gvw package which is only available or at least was in 2025 with the diesel engine for the 3/4 ton and that gave the truck physically the larger 12.0 ring gear rear diff and the 3500 rear spring pack. There is a difference in what the diff housing looks like externally as one tell tale and also your truck should have the upper overload spring pack and the frame pads that the pack goes up against.    The pressure the tpms system kicks the alarm in on a stock setting truck, that is a good question and was just from what I recall but I doubt I made any notes on it as I knew for the rear that it was not at all what I was after regardless either. Being that you have a diesel and if running on stock tires the minimum pressure on an empty truck seems to be around 50 psi from hearing of those that have weighted the front axle but the rear axle is very similar in weight to a gas truck and again a near empty truck on the rear could go down to 35 pounds at minimum. However the weigh scale is the proper way to know for sure as a guide.    As to changing the readings on the dash from metric to the US measuring system, oh yes that is done easily but what I was attempting to explain was that I can't pick and choose items I want to have in US and those I still want in the metric system at the same time as its either all or none. For example lets say you drove into Canada and switched your dash over to metric so your speedometer read in km an hour, well then your reading kilopascals on your tpms readout and your wife looks over and says what the hell is that saying in the tpms screen and you say "darned if I know, I think its Chinese" !
    • Chuck FB
      Some Assembly is Required

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      This is partly why I decided to have switched over to Amsoil SS as a way of hopefully preventing the buildup of the sludge/carbon on the pistons and clogging of the oil control rings and the carbon that would cause the compression rings to stick in their grooves as well as stay cleaner up top of the heads in the valve train in the first place, an oil that has tested better by third party testing over typical shelf oil and also doing my best to run relatively short OCI. However in saying that I don't think there is any way to easily prove the oil I was using prior allowed for a buildup at the OCI I was doing, nor in the other direction to make claims the Amsoil is keeping everything clean either. There really isn't a window into the engine is there to know anything for certain even if oil samples were taken for example that showed still healthy oil being dropped out of the oil pan other than engine tear downs that extensive and expensive testing of oils does to actually visually see what is really going on inside the engine. I wish there was some easy method of seeing what is going on but I don't happen to be aware of that if there is.  
    • jgaudet99
      Tire psi

      By jgaudet99 · Posted

      My truck is a ¾ ton but my placard also says 80 for the rear tires, I think I might have the upgraded suspension to the 3500 series maybe.   I put my air down to 60 and the light was still on, and there was no way I was putting over 60 psi in the rear empty and not towing because I knew the actual number Toyo gave me and I didn't wanna ruin the center of my tires!   And you actually can change it in the settings from metric or is and it will show kph or mph then when you go into your tire settings it will be either psi or kpa, but it would be nice to just change it directly on the tire psi page 
    • Grumpy Bear
      Some Assembly is Required

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      Common Sense Assembly   Your driveline is forgiving of the occasional mistake. It will even often forgive the random serious blunder. But it will not forgive a continuous bad habit.      What? Not everything needs to be a five thousand word essay.       

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...