Headlights Always On - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

ca_z28 · 10-08-2018, 05:02 PM

Whenever I start my '14 Z/28, the headlights come on and stay on. No matter what time of day it is, the automatic headlights come on. I have to turn off automatic headlights every time I start the car. Has anyone run across this before? Does anyone know where the headlight sensor is that tells the lights to come on? I'm thinking it might be blocked or not working.

KillboyPowerhead · 10-08-2018, 05:26 PM

The sensor in a V6 Camaro (I assume it's the same for the Z28) is in the front/centre vent of the dash, near the windshield - the sensor is in the same piece/unit that contains the red light that lights when the alarm is on. Kind of a pain to get to.

There is a connector with three wires: white, black and grey; the grey is for the red light; white or black is for the light sensor, and the other is the negative. If your lights are on all the time then you maybe you're getting a high resistance between white and black. Not entirely sure how to test this off hand...

FYI, putting a low-resistance resistor (I used 3k ohm) in the connector from white to black will make the sensor think it's always light out, so your lights won't come on when you go under an underpass or into your garage or stupid things like that. You will also lose the red alarm light this way, however.

2SSRS@Gen5diy · 10-08-2018, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ca_z28

Whenever I start my '14 Z/28, the headlights come on and stay on. No matter what time of day it is, the automatic headlights come on. I have to turn off automatic headlights every time I start the car. Has anyone run across this before? Does anyone know where the headlight sensor is that tells the lights to come on? I'm thinking it might be blocked or not working.

The Z/28 is programed to work that way, no DRL lights in the lower bumper, and non in the headlights so there all ways on.

MrRaZ28 · 10-08-2018, 05:50 PM

^^ what he said. They don't turn off unless you make them turn off. It's a safety feature.

ca_z28 · 10-08-2018, 07:38 PM

So my headlights are DRL's, never thought about that. Not crazy about it but it is what it is. Thanks for the info.

pat_t · 10-09-2018, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chevy2tehBone

^^ what he said. They don't turn off unless you make them turn off. It's a safety feature.

I also found this a bit irritating. But I found there is another 'work-around'.

If you flip to the sidelight position then sidelights will be always on, headlights off (if you've seen my car you'll know I modified the sidelights to be a LED DRLs, but that's not important here).

If you just leave it in that position you will get a beeping noise on shutdown warning you that you've left the lights on.. but if you just ignore the warning and shut and lock the car, the lights will turn off after a few minutes - Chevy must have put them on a timer to prevent battery drain.

ca_z28 · 10-09-2018, 01:47 PM

I'll check that out. Thanks

2SSRS@Gen5diy · 10-10-2018, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pat_t

I also found this a bit irritating. But I found there is another 'work-around'.

If you flip to the sidelight position then sidelights will be always on, headlights off (if you've seen my car you'll know I modified the sidelights to be a LED DRLs, but that's not important here).

If you just leave it in that position you will get a beeping noise on shutdown warning you that you've left the lights on.. but if you just ignore the warning and shut and lock the car, the lights will turn off after a few minutes - Chevy must have put them on a timer to prevent battery drain.

Hi pat, you need to let him know this will turn on all running lights, the tails will come on to, as a running light, this may not do what he wants, best way to do what you want is to cut the power in the day time to the headlights, that is done with a harness.

pat_t · 10-10-2018, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2SSRS@Gen5diy

Hi pat, you need to let him know this will turn on all running lights, the tails will come on to, as a running light, this may not do what he wants, best way to do what you want is to cut the power in the day time to the headlights, that is done with a harness.

Good point! It does depend what you want. I don't mind the rear running lights on

MIKZ28 · 10-12-2018, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2SSRS@Gen5diy

Hi pat, you need to let him know this will turn on all running lights, the tails will come on to, as a running light, this may not do what he wants, best way to do what you want is to cut the power in the day time to the headlights, that is done with a harness.

What harness?

j o n · 10-12-2018, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2SSRS@Gen5diy

Hi pat, you need to let him know this will turn on all running lights, the tails will come on to, as a running light, this may not do what he wants, best way to do what you want is to cut the power in the day time to the headlights, that is done with a harness.

there's no DRL fuse? Most cars have them

ca_z28 · 10-12-2018, 11:50 AM

Thats a good question, is there a fuse just for the DRL's that would still let the lights come on at night? Seems like it would be the same fuse?

2SSRS@Gen5diy · 10-12-2018, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIKZ28

What harness?

Quote:

Originally Posted by j o n

there's no DRL fuse? Most cars have them

The power comes over the headlights as we don't have independent DRL lights.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ca_z28

Thats a good question, is there a fuse just for the DRL's that would still let the lights come on at night? Seems like it would be the same fuse?

You have to move the power away and that is done with relays.

MIKZ28 · 10-12-2018, 08:10 PM

I found a quick fix for this. Just dissemble the light switch and remove or disable the spring. Then just leave the headlight switch in the off position.

10-08-2018, 05:02 PM	#1
ca_z28 Drives: 2014 Z/28 Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: San Francisco Posts: 35	Headlights Always On Whenever I start my '14 Z/28, the headlights come on and stay on. No matter what time of day it is, the automatic headlights come on. I have to turn off automatic headlights every time I start the car. Has anyone run across this before? Does anyone know where the headlight sensor is that tells the lights to come on? I'm thinking it might be blocked or not working.

10-08-2018, 05:26 PM	#2
KillboyPowerhead Drives: 2015 Z/22 Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 988	The sensor in a V6 Camaro (I assume it's the same for the Z28) is in the front/centre vent of the dash, near the windshield - the sensor is in the same piece/unit that contains the red light that lights when the alarm is on. Kind of a pain to get to. There is a connector with three wires: white, black and grey; the grey is for the red light; white or black is for the light sensor, and the other is the negative. If your lights are on all the time then you maybe you're getting a high resistance between white and black. Not entirely sure how to test this off hand... FYI, putting a low-resistance resistor (I used 3k ohm) in the connector from white to black will make the sensor think it's always light out, so your lights won't come on when you go under an underpass or into your garage or stupid things like that. You will also lose the red alarm light this way, however. __________________ Overkill/Self Tuned; Mace Camshafts; K&N Typhoon Cold Air Intake; Ported 80mm Throttle Body/Intake Manifolds/Manifold Spacer; Solo Performance High-Flow Cats, Cat-back Exhaust; Vitesse Motorsports Throttle Controller; Elite Engineering E2 Catch Can; BC Racing BR Coilovers; JPSS Delrin Radius Rod Bushing Inserts, Sway Bars; Pegasus Aluminum Rear Cradle Bushings, Camber/Caster Plates; Z/28 Toe Links, Trailing Arms, Upper Control Arm Bushings, Rear Shock Mounts

10-08-2018, 05:50 PM	#4
MrRaZ28 @MrRaZ28 Drives: 2014 Z28 #80 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 590 View My Garage	^^ what he said. They don't turn off unless you make them turn off. It's a safety feature.

10-08-2018, 07:38 PM	#5
ca_z28 Drives: 2014 Z/28 Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: San Francisco Posts: 35	So my headlights are DRL's, never thought about that. Not crazy about it but it is what it is. Thanks for the info.

10-09-2018, 01:47 PM	#7
ca_z28 Drives: 2014 Z/28 Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: San Francisco Posts: 35	I'll check that out. Thanks

10-12-2018, 11:50 AM	#12
ca_z28 Drives: 2014 Z/28 Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: San Francisco Posts: 35	Thats a good question, is there a fuse just for the DRL's that would still let the lights come on at night? Seems like it would be the same fuse?

10-12-2018, 08:10 PM	#14
MIKZ28 Drives: 2019 Camaro ZL1 2004 Pontiac GTO Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Roscoe, IL Posts: 136	I found a quick fix for this. Just dissemble the light switch and remove or disable the spring. Then just leave the headlight switch in the off position.