Automatic Headlights

I'll trying to find a way to turn off my automatic headlights. We go to the drive-in (yes, there are still a few around!) a few times a year, but have been unable to do so since you have no way of turning off the headlights.

I'll see what I can find but try this. Turn the key off then apply the parking brake then turn the key on. Dissables them on my 01 Blazer but I am not really sure on the Venture.

Thanks, but this only works while the parking brake is engaged. I need a way to disable the automatic headlights in order to enter/leave the drive-in until I get on the main roads.

Thanks again

All it takes is one click of the parking park it would not harm the brakes from the short dive out the lot!

Originally posted by bowtiebandit
I'll see what I can find but try this. Turn the key off then apply the parking brake then turn the key on. Dissables them on my 01 Blazer but I am not really sure on the Venture.
thats the way it is with my corsica too

Do you not have the round swich. ON mine near the drivers door I have a turn button that you turn to the off postion and the lights are turned off until you turn them back on.

are you asking me or revglenn?

There is no way to disable the auto lights on a Venture/Montana/Silouette other than what the first reply suggested. My Chevy truck you can just apply the parking brake at any time and they will turn off, but on my 2001 silouette you can only turn them off by switching it to "off", applying the parking brake, an starting it up. Once you release the parking brake, you must repeat the step in order for it to disable again. My suggestion is to switch it off, apply a little brake(just enough to hold the pedal) and drive out. Once you release the brake, the lights will come on. Of course you are able to turn them on by the switch at any time.

This "great" safety feature is called "Daytime Running Lights" (DRL). I found one website that gave instructions on how to disable the DRL by soldering a bridge wire between two connectors on a Camaro. As I was seriously considering this kind of solution, I started looking at the owner’s manual trying to identify the location of this module… when an easy solution jumped out of the pages. There's a fuse labeled DRL!!!

I pulled it and tried driving the van again. Now the headlights turn on when I turn them on at the switch. No longer do I blind cars in front of me in a drive-thru.

For those wanting more details... On the 2003 Chevy Venture, the fuse box is accessible from the passenger side. The fuse box is practically in the door jam. Pull the cover off and you'll see a schematic with the fuses labeled. The fuse labeled "DRL" is the one to pull. If you’re like me, you don't have to stomp on it or spit on it, simply save it and use it as a spare.

I own a 1998 Chevrolet Venture, there is NOT an override switch, there is no other way to turn the automatic headlights off except to shut the engine off, click the parking brake on and the start the engine. Like 95corsy said, it only takes one click to set the switch to turn the lights off. After reading all this I went out and tried everything i could on mine at around 1 am. I drove the van around the block a few times with the brake clicked on and the lights off. It didn't hurt anything, don't be worried about doing it, just don't press it to the floor.

I beg to differ, there IS a way to disable the automatic headlite feature. While some say to press the parking brake 1 notch, which does work, I have a positive way to disable the feature without running the risk of 'riding' the rear brake pads.

At the base of the parking brake, at the carpet, you'll find a green wire with connector on a 1/4 inch spade female connector, connected to a small blade switch. Disconnect this connector and ground the green wire. Your headlite switch will work normally.

Normally when you depress the parking brake, this green wire gets shorted to ground. Just permanently ground this wire.

BTW, i worked this out 2 days after I bought my Venture in '98. It's the dummest thing GM could have come up with.

Although I haven't tried it on my 2000 Venture (yet), there is a fuse location in the fuse box labelled DRL, so I tend to agree with ynager (Post # 9)...try pulling the fuse!

I'll trying to find a way to turn off my automatic headlights. We go to the drive-in (yes, there are still a few around!) a few times a year, but have been unable to do so since you have no way of turning off the headlights.


Just pull the DRL fuse in the rh ip fuse block and this will disingauge the drl module you can use the man switch for headlamps till you plug fuse back in

Any reply E-mail me back

I tend to agree with post #11

I took it one step further and mounted a three way toggle switch. So now I can disable the auto lights feature at flick of a switch and still have it set to normal (auto lights on) most of the time.

Took less than 30 mins to do using a small toggle switch mounted just out of sight under the dash.

Cheer's

I have a 2003 GMC Sonoma ZR5, and this optin works for me but i'm not sure what year they started doing this. On your instrument panel where your headlight switch is there should be a little round button that is an override for the dome light. Well if you want to turn your lights off and dont want to apply the brake you can push that round override button 4 times and they should shut off. They will then stay off untill you turn the vehicle off or you manualy turn them back on. Press it 4 times aggain and automatic lights are working again. DONT PRESS THE BUTTON FAST, ALLOW 1/2 - 1 SECOND BETWEEN EACH PRESS.

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