Drl disable on 96-98's by grounding a wire? [Archive]

RisingX2004

10-16-2006, 10:49 PM

ok, so i have been looking through the Haynes manual and they have a wiring diagram for the DRL system in the back. It looks like to me that there is an orange/black wire that goes to a park/neutral switch which just grounds the wire when in park/neutral. Woule it hurt anything if I ground this wire to disable the DRLs? I cant thing of any reason why if would hurt anything, but I maybe wrong... could it mess with the BCM b/c the tranny says its in drive and the drl switch doesnt match?

I have done some searching and think I may have found the wire in the passenger kick kinda up under the dash a ways though... is this the wire? Thanks in advance

RisingX2004

10-17-2006, 10:53 AM

anyone?

98_gee-tee

10-17-2006, 04:40 PM

ya lost me

RisingX2004

10-17-2006, 10:24 PM

k, the drl system uses a switch that grounds an orange/black wire which is labeled as "DRL disable" coming from the DRL control box somewhere under the dash. What this switch does is when the shifter is in the park or neutral position, it grounds the orange/black wire to the chassis which in turn disables the DRLs.

What I am wanting to do is just ground the orange/black wire to disable the DRLs no matter what position the shifter is in. I am wanting to know that if I do this, will I harm anything? Hope this is easier to understand!

MantaGreen97

10-17-2006, 10:57 PM

Hmm I don't usually get into these DRL disable threads but since I keep seeing this thread bumped... LOL.

In the 97, that wire is indicated as LT GRN/BLK (if the wire I'm thinking you're talking about is the same). It's CKT 592, is that the one you're looking at?

That's the feed from the IPC to the DRL relay. The IPC disables the DRLs through that, when the car is in park. That wire also grounds the fog lamp isolation relay, but that relay is nearly pointless when I think about it--it just allows the fogs to come on with the park lights on (but not the headlights) and the DRLs on. It's really actually a strange thing--like they over-engineered that. Fog lamps seem to be a little more complicated than they should be (or I could be missing something that the complexity provides?)

Anyway that seems like it would do the trick because you're right the IPC would then never ground the DRL relay thus stopping the DRLs from functioning. Make sure your lights (including your fogs) work correctly after doing that though, of course.

Note also that I don't agree with disabling the DRLs...

MantaGreen97

10-17-2006, 11:00 PM

Oh I didn't see that you said you were going to ground that wire--that does not seem like the right thing? If you ground that the DRL relay would be active all the time! What you want to do is just cut the wire and tape both ends off, not ground it.

inferno

10-18-2006, 09:01 AM

ok how about i do this for you guys. ill run a test on my ga i dont have my haynes manual anymore so if u can send me a copy or scan of the page or something ill gladly test this out for you.

perezjasco at hotmail dot com

RisingX2004

10-19-2006, 11:34 AM

I seem to have lost mine...great.....I kinda need it right now!

If I remember right, the diagram looked like it was some sort of a "toggle switch" (or had the same function as a toggle switch) that grounded a wire labeled "drl disable" when in park or neutral. The drls are off in park or neutral so wouldnt that mean it needs to be grounded to disable the drls? Or maybe I am backwards and you are right because yours seems like it woiuld work b/c the relay needs a ground....hmmmmm....

Where is that GRN/BLK wire located?

Tommy00GT1

10-19-2006, 02:48 PM

On my 2000, it was fairly easy. The hardest part was working on the wiring in the tiny space behind the glovebox. I took the glovebox out for easier access to the BCM module. Also on mine, the wires coming to & from the BCM are very skinny wires; my eyesight aint what it used to be when I was younger, lol...

I was lucky because I found a great tutorial somewhere on the forum, and it was specific for '99 and '00 Grand Am's. Your year car will be a different wiring than mine, so I don't know anything about yours unfortunately. But see if you can find a tutorial specific for your year car.

I did an extra step with mine and installed a toggle switch just in case I wanted to turn the drl's on for some reason. I mounted the toggle switch in the glovebox, way in the back. And while I was under the dashboard I did the mod for that damn ALC sensor too. That damn thing would turn on my headlights just from driving into a shady area..... it would think darkness was coming. So I got rid of that too. Now I can run my fogs, parking lights, or main lights whenever I want. I like to have the parking lights & fogs on in rainy weather. The car looks nice with parking lights and fogs illuminated.

RisingX2004

10-20-2006, 12:40 AM

Havent found a way for 4th gens that doesnt end up with a svs light or a blinking high-beam indicator when headlights are off.

Yeah, I already got rid of that damn ALC sensor a long time ago...

Still havent found my manual, might have to go buy a new one.....damn it

Tommy00GT1

10-20-2006, 08:27 AM

I've been trying to find a tutorial for your year car too; no luck though.... I'll search around some more later on today and see if I can find anything. Maybe another forum member might know too....
If your looking for an owner's manual, E-bay would almost definitely have it. My car came with it, but I wanted an extra one to keep inside the house for any future reference; would'ny have to run out to the car if I wanted speedy info. I lucked out because I found someone who had a brand new one and it even had the original black vinyl case, and an extra smaller supplement manual too. It was $15.00 so I was quite happy with that.

Good luck; if I can find any info, I'll post it here... Hopefully maybe another forum member will read this and shed a bit of light too.

RisingX2004

10-21-2006, 12:13 AM

Yeah, I hope someone has already figured this out and just hasnt read this thread yet....

I am looking for my lost Haynes repair/maintenance manual, I have my original car owners manual.

I just had an idea. whenever I find that manual, I could figure what wires are coming off the fuse that is in the drl/heater/blower circut and cut the power going from that fuse to the drl control box. Getting to the back of the fuse panel will be tough though. K, that brings up another question: Are there individual wires that come directly from the fuse for each of the units on that circut, on e for drls, one for blower, etc., or is there one heavier gauge wire running to a distribution connector somewhere? Hope that isnt too hard too understand....

Tommy00GT1

10-21-2006, 09:15 AM

I just searched for over an hour, both on this forum and another Grand Am forum. I can't find any info for your year car anywhere.... It was very easy for my '00, but I have no clue what's involved on earlier year cars.
I remember cutting / grounding a couple of wires, but that was specific for '99 and '00's. Your wiring would be different...
I guess you'll have to hope that somebody reads this and will chime in with some info or a link for a tutorial...

Sorry bud; but we gave it a good shot...... just can't find the damn info... Take care..

RisingX2004

10-23-2006, 08:13 AM

Yeah, I hope someone who knows posts what they know before I just go cutting wires on my daily driver! Well, thanks anyway Tommy, your help is very much appreciated!!

TA^Guy

10-23-2006, 10:18 AM

Am I the only one that likes the automatic headlights?

I've been driving a Mazda 3 for a week now and hate that I have to turn the lights on and off. Worst part is cars like a VW have day time running lights but no automatic headlights so at night the DRL are on but nothing else so unless you notice the dash isn't illuminated you don't realize your lights really aren't on. One big thing I hate about my brothers Jetta.

I guess I feel lucky, in my S10 all I do is press my Dome Light Override button 3 times and is disables my DRL and ALC. :D

Tommy00GT1

10-23-2006, 11:18 AM

Wow, that's cool in the S10... you've got it made there, lol...
On my G.A., I didn't like the lights running at half-brightness during the daytime. I had so much damn trouble changing the bulbs, that I didn't want any pre-mature bulb burnouts because of the DRL's. Plus the SilverStars cost a few bucks too so I got rid of those DRL's.

But my ALC sensor was really buggin' me. It would turn on my headlights just because I would be driving into shade ! It was way too sensitive. The sensor would get fooled into thinking darkness was coming, when all it was is a shady area. I got sick of that and did away with it for good. I got so sick of that and sprouted some more gray hairs too, so out it went,lol !

I can't find that paper I followed to install my DRL's onto a three-way slide switch, but I have a switch mounted in the back of my glovebox and I can flip the switch to put the DRL's on if needed. My neighbor has since moved away, and he helped me... he is a GM mechanic, so he knew what he was doing. There's no way I could have done that by myself...lol. I am not very good with a cars' electronics..

inferno

10-23-2006, 11:35 AM

rising the guy who has my book right now is suppose to bring it back to me tomorrow. i have no dash on the car so it should be really easy for me to get to the wires once i have my book

Tommy00GT1

10-23-2006, 12:24 PM

If I remember right, I had to reach way, way up into the dash (driver's side) to get to that ALC sensor...it was a pain in the butt. When I found it, I think I simply cut both wires, the attached them together.
I remember taping them up really good so they wouldn't accidentally touch some other wire or ground and short out.. I believe they were very thin wires.... The sensor itself was visible from (outside the car) looking through the windshield, and looking into the interior defroster vent on the top of the dash. A tiny, round thing; about as round as a dime or nickel.

Outside of those two mods, my car is all Pontiac stock.. no other mods planned for it.

MantaGreen97

10-23-2006, 03:47 PM

Originally posted by TA^Guy
Am I the only one that likes the automatic headlights?

No you're not... I find it to be a great feature and just like you hate getting in another car that doesn't have auto headlights and have to turn the stupid lights on (and then off when you leave the car). That is very annoying, especially when you get used to ALC for years and then realise many car manufacturers still haven't put this on their cars. :roll2:

I have no idea why anyone wants to disable this feature (nor the DRLs really). The truth is the sensor's aperature on 96-98 cars is quite bad--the car's full headlights will come on in very bright sunlight if the sun is at such an angle to cast a shadow over the dash vent where the sensor is. However this is very easily corrected by popping the grille pulling the sensor assembly and removing the aperature. Drill the aperature out a little bigger to about 1/4", and reinstall--then the ALC works perfectly. The lights come on exactly when I would think about turning them on manually (if I had to, lol) and never come on in the day anymore (unless in a tunnel or something for more than the 60s timeout or whatever, in which case you'd probably want them on anyway as well).

Tommy00GT1

10-23-2006, 04:17 PM

Is that true that they're mandatory for our friends up in Canada?
Pretty sure I read that somewhere....

That must have been what was wrong with my sensor, because (a shady area) would trigger the headlights to full brightness.

MantaGreen97

10-23-2006, 04:21 PM

Yeah DRLs are the law, ever since 89 or 90 or something. All new passenger cars for sale in Canada must be equipped with DRLs that follow the standards set out in the appropriate legislation. On pickup trucks it was mandatory a few years later, IIRC.

I think DRL legislation has been attempted in the US but it's never passed for various reasons... I guess companies like GM know they have to put DRLs on the CDM cars so they just put them on all the cars, which is likely why most GM cars in the US are DRL equipped, lol. So yeah you DRL haters can blame us I guess :lol:

Tommy00GT1

10-23-2006, 04:28 PM

LOL! Actually, I can honestly see their worth as far as safety & visibility, but mine were buggin' me too much... Plus I had just installed those SilverStars, and didn't want to have to take out my headlight assemblies again.
I'm not kidding... I spent about four hours trying to install brand new assemblies (stockers).. I definitely turned more gray; just what I need, lol!!!
Good thing my little avatar on the left is so tiny !! I don't look 51 in that pic !

RisingX2004

10-24-2006, 11:32 AM

Wow, A lot was said since I last looked!! Sweet, at least someone may be able to look in a manual! I still cant find mine!

I would rather be able to control my headlights rather than having my car tell me when I should. Having drls to me is kinda like having your windshield wipers on all the time when you really dont need them. My alc sensor was kinda sensitive too. I took it out because I read somewhere on here that by doing that it would disable the drls as well. Mine didnt though. Thats the main reason I did it. If the alc would work correctly by drilling out the hole a little larger, I might just put the sensor back in with a toggle switch so I can disable the alc if I want to b/c I do admit that it was kinda nice to not have to turn the headlights on and off. If we can figure out how to disable the drls, I will probably end up doing that. We are getting closer I think!

RisingX2004

11-28-2006, 04:24 PM

k, sorry to bring this thread back from the dead but I just went and bought a new manual. I was looking at the wiring diagram and I think that if I can get to the DRL control module I can just cut the ground to it and totally eliminate the DRL system. Anyone know where the DRL control module is on a 96-98'?

bp's97GAGT

04-28-2007, 12:14 AM

back from the dead.....Anyone figure out this mystery yet? I have looked at my wiring diagrams about a dozen times and still have no clue.

Tommy00GT1

04-28-2007, 07:06 AM

I did search for some info for your year car quite some time ago but I didn't find anything neither. There's gotta be info somewhere.... I'm sure somebody has figured it out.
There's another Grand Am forum; GAGT I think........not sure of the exact spelling. Maybe there is info there?

The how-to I finally found for my car was specific for '99 & 2000's. I guess other year Grand Am's have a different wiring scenario.
But I'll tell you.... if you do disable them it's nice to have complete control of the lights rather than the car doing it for me. I'll sometimes drive with the fogs & running lights only; rather than the headlights (during the day, of course). I like the looks of the car with the fogs & running lights... Plus, I don't decrease the lifespan of the SilverStars in the headlight assemblies by running them needlessly during the daylight. They're too much of a pain in the ass to reach.
That light mod was the very first thing I did when I got the car.... oh, I also got rid of that damn ALC sensor too... that bugged me too. That damn sensor would turn on my headlights to full brightness whenever I drove into a dense shade area; it thought darkness was coming even though I was only driving through shade. Must have been a faulty sensor or something..:lol:

Igor Gavric

11-25-2007, 11:56 PM

nice96gt

11-28-2007, 11:56 AM

Speaking of bringing the tread from the basement...

OK, I have a '97, and here is my dillema:
I want to put in HID (Xenon) Bulbs (Its a kit with a ballust and igniter).
I wanted to do this for both, low beam and high beam lights.

Few problems I found with this:

- Xenon kits (and real xenon lights installed in vehicles from the factory), don't like to be turned on and off (blinking).
- DRL are a pain in the neck as they run on reduced voltage, and therefore HID lighting goes into protect mode due to power surges
- Although they last a long time, I would prefer the kit to be off (therefore I don't want to cover up the ATL sensor)

So, if anyone has figured out how to disable drls on '97 Grand AM, please let me know.

First off...why are you putting HIDs in your high beams? It's pointless really. Second, if you just put them in your lowbeams you won't need to disable your DRLs since your highbeams are the DRLs.

As for the automatic lights...they will only come on when it's dark enough, and that's when you should have your lights on anyways, Just leave it as is.

insane4speed

11-28-2007, 10:19 PM

well seeing how i have a 96 as well all i did was take out the high beam bulb seeing how i didnt use it and the drls didnt come on

Igor Gavric

11-30-2007, 01:07 AM

First off...why are you putting HIDs in your high beams? It's pointless really. Second, if you just put them in your lowbeams you won't need to disable your DRLs since your highbeams are the DRLs.

As for the automatic lights...they will only come on when it's dark enough, and that's when you should have your lights on anyways, Just leave it as is.

I sort of agree and can see the pointless thing, but I wanna be the guy that runs the high beam HIDs (maybe because I am a little bit of a d***, and for those poor folks that flash me when the low beams are on in town...)
Not for those in the country, cause I am not that cruel.

I am working on another solution though... Its gonna require wire, connectors and shrink tube. Maybe a fire truck or two... Hey who knows...

Also, just because I already ordered them, and don't want to see them collecting dust in a box. lol :)

I appreciate the advice though. Thank you.

ageofpoo

02-18-2008, 12:38 AM

nice96gt

02-18-2008, 10:58 AM

BUMP :D

lol sorry to revive this old thread but I think my main concerns are addressed within... I just need to clarify a few things before I make my purchase....

1 ) If I buy the 9006 kit will these headlights stay on 24/7 when I'm driving since I have DRLs ?
2 ) nice96gt made the comment "if you just put them in your lowbeams you won't need to disable your DRLs since your highbeams are the DRLs." is this true ? I'm so confused :???::???::???:
3 ) since I have DRL enabled....and they are a lower voltage... what would happen to the HID lights ? because they would automatically come on if I took out the stock 9006 bulb and replaced it with the HID...
4 ) would it be bad to have the HID lights on all the time when I'm driving ? or would it be a voltage problem with the DRL ? or burn the light out a lot faster ?

Can anyone be of assistance... It would be greatly appreciated... thanks in advance !!

1. No they will only come one when the autolight sensor kicks in (when it's dark enough) or when you manually turn on the switch.

2. Yes this is true. Your DRLs are run on your high beam bulbs so if you put HIDs in your low beams, you will not have to disable your DRLs.

3. Nothing. Like I just said, the low beam (9006) would stay intact. The DRLs run off the high beam (9005).

4. The only bad thing about it would be that they would burn out faster because of extended use. This is the same with any bulb really. If you want to run them all the time go ahead, but I would be prepared to replace the bulbs sooner than if you just ran the lights normally (allowing your DRLs to come on during the day and HIDs at night, even though they would look better all the time ;)).

Only 99+ have to disable their DRLs.

ageofpoo

02-18-2008, 06:24 PM

1. No they will only come one when the autolight sensor kicks in (when it's dark enough) or when you manually turn on the switch.

2. Yes this is true. Your DRLs are run on your high beam bulbs so if you put HIDs in your low beams, you will not have to disable your DRLs.

3. Nothing. Like I just said, the low beam (9006) would stay intact. The DRLs run off the high beam (9005).

4. The only bad thing about it would be that they would burn out faster because of extended use. This is the same with any bulb really. If you want to run them all the time go ahead, but I would be prepared to replace the bulbs sooner than if you just ran the lights normally (allowing your DRLs to come on during the day and HIDs at night, even though they would look better all the time ;)).

Only 99+ have to disable their DRLs.

thanks for help !! very informative... now I just need to make my decision what brand to get.... oznium has a kit for $200 ... but Pilot is on ebay for around $100 ... so I could get another for the foglights ..... any suggestions ? thanks !