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1st post on forum.

i've had my 99 silverado since it was brand new.  since that time, i've talked to multiple dealerships in 3 different time zone, plus the chevy and GM internet "no-help" site.  No-one can provide any helpful information.  i'm getting desperate.

The 99's will not allow the user to disable the "Twilight Sentinel" feature which turns the headlights on at an arbitrary darkness level.  i'm not talking about the DRL's, just step on the e-brake and they go off.  I need to turn off the actual honest to goodness headlights.

I'm active duty Air Force and every morning, coming through the gate, i blind the poor kid guarding the base.  besides being down-right mean to them, it's also not the wisest thing in the world to tick off an 18 year old "baby-airman" with a gun.  

can anyone tell me how to turn the stupid things off????? i've tried pulling every fuse and relay under the hood to no avail...

help!!!!!!

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The dealerships have all told me that it's illegal for them to disable the "safety features."  Safety features, my left foot.  

They've also said that someone who knew their way around electronics might be able to do it.  the sensor is located right on the front of the dash -- just about directly under the rear-view mirror.  My ball cap always slides onto it and turns the lights on.  

From the Hayne's schematic (don't waste your money, haynes is trash) you cannot tell if the sensor opens or closes the circuit.  if it opens the circuit, i could theoretically just cut the wire going up to it and solve the problem.  

if it closes the circuit, that puts things way beyond my expertise -- i ain't gonna try to rig a power source or anything like that under my dash; i'll end up with a pile of ashes instead of a truck.

i'm not willing to take that much risk with a year's wages worth of truck.

Oh well...  

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Hi there. Welcome to the forum!

From what i've heard, at dark the photodiode acts like a resistor would. I'm pretty sure that, and i've heard this before, if you take the right value resistor and insert it in place of the diode, you can get full control over your lights. I'm not sure of the exact resistor value.

 

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thanks for the quick replies!!!  great forum!

on the 99's the over-ride hadn't been included.  they got so many complaints (many from me personally) that they put the override!

i really appreciate all the help.

maybe i'll tinker around with a voltmeter/ ohm-meter this weekend to figure out the resistance.

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Welcome to the site brax71, I'm in the Air Force too.

I also have a '99 and here's what I've found about the lights.  R & D make a switch that goes next to your air bag cut of switch that will do the trick.  You can switch between the factory automatic head lights, or manually operating them like the "old days".  LOL.  Unfortunately it's ?.00 plus S&H.  Since Christmas I've been saying I'm going to order one, but still havn't.  One of these days I will though.  

There is also a free was of disabling it permanantly.  You could undo it all and put it back to stock I guess, so I guess it's not so permantent.  Here's a couple different links with instructions.  

http://forums.vmag.com/ptsilverado/messages/149.html

http://drive.to/silverado4x4  If this one doesn't go directly to the instructions, they are under the modifications page.

Hope this helps.

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