I have a question about which bulbs light up on other Cobalts. On mine it is the amber outside bulbs that are on during the day. Every other car that I have had it was the white light (half highbeam) that was shinning during the day. Is this normal or did they wire mine lights wrong ?

 

I drive a Cobalt ls and my amber lights are also the ones that light up during the day. I dont think that was a mistake, i think that is how they wanted it, but i could not tell you why.

 

There are a few other cars with the amber corner lights as the DRL's. I think it looks better, the only problem I have noticed is when one of the bulbs burns out people don't get the right replacement and they end up with 2 different colour lights(I have seen this on chrysler mini vans)

 

They're not true DRLs. They're called parking lights, and I'm surprised that GM set it up this way. If you check out an older car (before they had automatic headlights and such) the headlight switch usually has two positions. If you turn it to the middle one your ambers come on. They're basically so that you can see in a parking garage but not blind everyone else. Why GM did the DRLs on the Cobalt this way is beyond me.

 

If you just want the headlights on all the time, cover the light sensor with a piece of tape.

The thing I noticed is that the sensor isn't adjusted to my liking, it seems like it should be more sensitive. Even if I turn the headlights on manually, the dash lights still don't come on till it gets too dark, IMO.

 

I don't really want headlights on all time,I think the parking light look is cool. I noticed the dash light thing to, I thought my eyes were just getting bad

 

Speaking of headlights. I noticed that when I turned my headlights on, turning off the auto-light, that my guages dont light up like it does when you cover up the auto light sensor. Anybody else notice that?

 

i agree

i always turn on my auto-lights, i dont want people seeing me, i prefer to be stealthy

 

Good to hear I'm not alone, I noticed that the other day.

 

FYI: The corvettes also use the high amber during the day!

 

was thinking the same thing...

 

I love the fact that the Amber are the DTRL, it means my ultra bright head light will last much longer.
( I was lucky if I got 6 months with my cavaleir. damn DTRL kill the bulbs)

 

I also like the parking lights on during the day better than the partial headlights on. In my 99 Cavalier I just got accustomed to turning my headlights all the way on cause I didn't like the yellowish light of the DRLs I saw on other cars... bulbs burned out a bit faster but I guess that was my own fault

 

thats such a nice feature. it saves energy when u dont need it. the guages and stuff will only light up when its dark enough

 

get aftermarket bulbs i got a pair for my cobalt, 4100k i think, and they look super awsome

 

Really? I owned my '99 Z24 for 6.5 years, drove 130,000 miles and the headlights never went out.

The only bulbs I replaced were the fog lights and side marker lights.

 

I agree!!!!!! It's WAY too dark before the lights come on for mine. It's almost completely dark outside before mine comes on. It sucks because some places have laws about when you must turn your headlights on as far as at dusk or when it rains. Rain I can understand them not coming on if it's just a light shower or something but if I'm supposed to not have to turn my lights on because of the sensor, then the sensor should work properly. Like I said mine don't come on until what I would consider twilight. There have also been times when it was dark enough to need the headlights on, so I manually turned them on but then I couldn't read my gagues because they were too dark to see but I had no interior lights!!!!!!!

Does anyone know if there is a way of adjusting the sensor???

 

really?.......i was thinking that the sensor is excellent..........my guages were never too dark to read and they turn on automatically when most ppl dont even have their headlights on............its when its kinda bright......hmm.....how to describe.......................its like u can still take pictures outside without flash....

 

As far as the rain goes, i think the auto setting turns on the headlights after 15 seconds of wiper usage. I believe NYS says that we have to have our lights on once it is officially sunset. (Usually the auto system is just about right on for me.) If u want your gauges to light up, i'd just try throwing something like a hat over the sensor for now. Usually everything lights up for me when im just in the garage, so it should have the same effect.

 

There must be something wrong with mine. I am routinely one of the last people on the highway without headlights on. You definitely couldn't take a picture without a flash. It's dark enough that you definitely feel like you SHOULD have your headlights on. Plus it's too dark to read the gagues on the dash. I'll have to have the dealership look at that too when I take it in.

I'll have to take something with me to put over it until I can get it adjusted. I don't wear hats at all, maybe one of my hair fasteners or something would work if it'd stay put on there.

 

this is wrong... the cobalt, as well as the corvette, camaro, venture, uplander, and malibu, all use the TURN SIGNALS as DRL's, NOT the parking lights... the light switch is like on any car, (except VW's) it has off, park, and headlight positions... when u put on the parking lights, it turns off the DRL's (turn signals), and dims them back to standard parking lights... i personally like the turn signals as DRL's better, more noticable...

 

yep.......parking lights are dimmer than DRL

 

Mine works just the same PenguinPIE. Perfect! Also, everyone keep in mine that if you turn on the foglights while the DRLs are on and headlights are off, then your DRLs will shut off WHILE you have your foglights on. I'm sure most already know. I didn't know right away.

 

i think that my sensor works pretty well. A couple I was driving around and it was partially cloudy, and somewhat dark out. My headlights did not know what to do. They turned on and off a couple of times.

 

Probably half of all GM vehicles dont actually use the headlamps as DRL's.the Cobalt, as well as the Corvette, Camaro, Venture, Uplander, Malibu, Silverado, Sierra, Colorado, Canyon, Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon, Intrigue, STS, Ion
, H2 etc............

The ambient light sensor in the dash is not adjustable and the only way the Instrument panel lights come on is when that sensor says so, even if you manually turn on the headlights. This is normal.