Midnight00SS

How do u shut the headlights off at nite while the car is running?? i have a 2000 SS

13lu91rS

iTrader: (1)

the automatic headlight mod thing. Basically you take your dash off and cut the wires off the sensor and crimp the two wires together.

Midnight00SS

ok cause someone said the easier way was to just click the e brake up one notch and that should shut them off, idk if i feel like rippin the dash apart lol

VIP1

Its easy:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/7096661-post8.html

Midnight00SS

got it now, thank u i appreciate it

xXSilencerXx

iTrader: (4)

I surprised they didn't put a switch for it. I know on my parents cars you can manually turn them on and off or just have it on auto.

Midnight00SS

i wish they did lol

13lu91rS

iTrader: (1)

The one ebrake click thing works... Because that's what I do lmao. Just have to deal with annoying EBRAKE light in your face haha

Midnight00SS

ok cool, as long as i dont burn my brakes out lol, i will do that, and just click it up once

68chevypu

iTrader: (18)

the ebrake thing only works when you first start the car, if you start it and then pull the ebrake the lights will stay on, atleast on mine they did. The headlight mod is easy. Ive had it done for years. It takes about 15 minutes.

you dont have to rip the dash apart, just carefully pop the center up and you can reach the "switch".

Mike454SS

iTrader: (4)

You don't have to do either...it's a LOT easier to pop the bezel around the stereo off (it comes out very easily), then pull the stereo out (also VERY easy) then there's a black box right behind the stereo. If you solder 2 pins together on that box, it's the same effect as having the e-brake on, BUT the light won't be red on your dash.

This link has a good writeup on what to do. http://xse.com/leres/ss/drl.html

VIP1

How is opening that box and soldering easier than crimping a scotchlock? really? That is definitely more work than removing the a pillar cover, lifting the dash pad slightly, and crimping a scotchlock.

Here is the image from the link I posed:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/7096661-post8.html

Just be gentle lifting the dash pad, they can get brittle with age. I've lifted mine to hide a GPS antenna under there and didn't have an issue.

Midnight00SS

ok i see it now, that aint too bad, im gonna try it

Mike454SS

iTrader: (4)

Because if you can solder, it takes 45 seconds (plug the iron in while you pop off the stereo bezel and zip out the tiny screws holding the head unit in), and you don't have to remove the dash pad, or risk cracking the dash pad. You don't even have to unplug the fog light switch or the traction control switch, there's enough slack wire to just tilt the bezel out of the way.

"Opening" that box up, takes all of a few seconds with a small screwdriver as well.

The other thing you're overlooking too, crimping a scotchlock, is making the car think it's always daytime, so now the marker lights are always lit on the high filament (DRL's are always on) and not the low filament.

I don't know about your car, but when I went to change the bulbs in mine and saw the burn marks on the stock sockets from the stock bulbs always having the high filaments lit when the DRL's were still enabled, that was enough for me to warrant looking up the 45 second fix that doesn't even require any additional solder, it just requires you to touch the 2 pins momentarily with the iron and they flow together on their own.

FAR less disassembly than removing both pillars and the dash pad, FAR less risk of breaking clips that hold the pillars and dash pad installed (the ones holding the stereo bezel are actually designed to be removed countless times without damage/wear) and it corrects the overheating issue with the front lights.

We both live in MA, bring your car over, and I'll have it done for you before you realize I have even gotten started...unless the stereo bezel in a Firebird is held in WAY differently than a Camaro, I can't see the procedure, risk, or time spent, being any different at all...and again, maybe the firebirds don't have the issue with DRL's burning their sockets like Camaro's do...so maybe thats why it never bothered you. (for what it's worth, Silverado and Sierra DRL's burn their light sockets too)...not really sure of how many GM cars do that, but I'd expect it to be all of them that have the ambers lit bright for DRL's.

Mike454SS

iTrader: (4)

Also, and I mean no offense to you personally, scotchlocks are a really cheesy way of wiring anything in a car...I've fixed more electrical problems in friends cars by just removing scotchlocks than I can count on both hands.

Blk99ek

pull the daytime running light fuse then you can turn your lights on and off manually

RiceEaterZ

iTrader: (6)

^I did that no dice on an 02. gonna be doing the "lift dash" way and soldering.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

Yes, shorting the daylight sensor makes the system "think" it's daylight all the time so the headlights never go on automatically. But that has absolutely nothing to do with the DRLs. The DRLs remain bright whenever the car is running (parking brake disengaged) unless the headlights are on - manually or automatically.


I agree that ScotchLocks are not a secure way to add a wire to an existing circuit. However, they are a convenient way to short two wires together. This is not a mission-critical application - the worst that can happen is that the connection will come apart causing the automatic headlights to work again.

Only Canadian Firebirds have automatic headlights. Since GM saw fit to disable automatic headlights on US Firebirds by shorting the two sensor wires together, it seems like a reasonable way to do it on a Camaro.

VIP1

I can solder, quite well actually. I typically solder connections where I can, but in this case a scotchlock is still the easier/simpler choice and it works fine.

Actually that is handled by whether or not the headlight switch is turned to "parking lights" or "on" position. It has nothing to do with the sensor. In fact, shorting the wires to bypass the sensor is pretty much what GM did in the US Firebird (the Canadian Firebird had the sensor and auto lights).

The bright filament is lit when the headlight switch is in the "off" position. When you use your turn signals, the bright filament flashes. When the headlight switch is in the "parking lights" or "on" position, the DRL flips to use the dim filament. The turn signal still flashes the bright filament.

I've lifted my dash pad to hide a GPS antenna. My dash pad didn't crack. If you are careful, you should be fine.

I have A US Firebird which doesn't have the sensor or auto lights.

Removing the stereo bezel on the Firebird is much easier. I have a video of the removal posted in the Monsoon FAQ if you want to see it. Actaully, since I have a double-din headunit, I don't even have the stock bezel installed anymore. I have a custom bezel I made myself.

I am capable with a soldering iron and I have the GM service manuals so I can see the wiring diagrams. In this situation, for most people, the scotchloc approach is a quick/simple/easy option. Nothing has to unplugged from your car and you don't have to worry about whether or not your stock headunit has the theftloc activated in which case you'll have to call the GM number to get the unlock code.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

On mine, the DRLs remain bright when the headlights are off or in the parking light position. They only go dim when full headlights are on. I've noticed because sometimes in a light rain I'll put on the parking lights (and fog lights) in order to have my taillights lit but the DRLs remain bright.