Canadian auto headlights bypass solution!!!
02-08-2009, 06:54 PM
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Canadian auto headlights bypass solution!!!
Well if no one has figured you how to bypass the automatic headlamps on the canadian model cobalts.....this is how you do it...........
Go to the source or whatever store you chose to purchase resistors......you will need a 500ohm or 1000 ohm (1Kohm) resistor and a switch of some sort.......take the defrost cover off of the dash and disconnect the light sensor......now take the 2 wires going into the sensor and tap into them with either t-taps or strip the wire back and solder a pigtail wire onto them.....do not cut the wires to do this...connect one side of the resistor to one of the sensor wires and the other side of the resistor needs to go to a switch(i will explain later)...the other side of the switch goes to the second wire from the sensor....so now you have a resistor wired in parallel with the sensor and you can turn it on and off with the switch.....the reason for the switch is that at night time you will not have dash lights if you just put the resistor in so you can turn that option back on if you so choose but the headlights will come on as well.......this you cant get around, the dash lights will not work if the car thinks its daylight no matter if you manually turn the headlights on or not....Any questions feel free to PM me and i will explain it differently if you need me too.....will also try to post a drawing to make it clearer......Later
http://g.imagehost.org/download/0359/headlight_bypass
Go to the source or whatever store you chose to purchase resistors......you will need a 500ohm or 1000 ohm (1Kohm) resistor and a switch of some sort.......take the defrost cover off of the dash and disconnect the light sensor......now take the 2 wires going into the sensor and tap into them with either t-taps or strip the wire back and solder a pigtail wire onto them.....do not cut the wires to do this...connect one side of the resistor to one of the sensor wires and the other side of the resistor needs to go to a switch(i will explain later)...the other side of the switch goes to the second wire from the sensor....so now you have a resistor wired in parallel with the sensor and you can turn it on and off with the switch.....the reason for the switch is that at night time you will not have dash lights if you just put the resistor in so you can turn that option back on if you so choose but the headlights will come on as well.......this you cant get around, the dash lights will not work if the car thinks its daylight no matter if you manually turn the headlights on or not....Any questions feel free to PM me and i will explain it differently if you need me too.....will also try to post a drawing to make it clearer......Later
http://g.imagehost.org/download/0359/headlight_bypass
Last edited by highrider43; 02-08-2009 at 07:19 PM.
02-08-2009, 09:09 PM
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Its got nothing to do with not having lights at night.......hence why there is a switch.......the light sensor sometimes turns the headlights on during the day because it senses "low light conditions" and makes it impossible to read the DIC.......and its nice to be able to actually control what your vehicle is doing rather than having the car decide for you......the american models you can shut the auto lights off and with canadian models you cant and its got nothing to do with the daytime running lights as its a completely different system.
There have been a few guys asking how to do this so it's for those that want to control their own headlights.
There have been a few guys asking how to do this so it's for those that want to control their own headlights.
02-09-2009, 01:03 PM
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Good idea with making it switchable....like you pointed out, you still need your dash lights at night 
Was rather surprised to find the dash lights didn't come on when you turned the switch to on unless the sensor detected reduced light levels.
How does the vent cover come out? Is it (like everything else on these cars) snapped in or are there fasteners? At work right now, can't go out and check right now
Was rather surprised to find the dash lights didn't come on when you turned the switch to on unless the sensor detected reduced light levels.How does the vent cover come out? Is it (like everything else on these cars) snapped in or are there fasteners? At work right now, can't go out and check right now
02-09-2009, 02:35 PM
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The pillar covers need to come off first, which are just 1 screw and then clips......the vent cover is just clips man just like the rest of the car and comes out very easily.
02-09-2009, 10:35 PM
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fantastic. like all my other cars i like to pop the P brake a click and it kills the auto lights. aparently my G5 is smarter then that if i go above 5kph they come on anyway.
once i put the hids back in this will save them!
also when its foggy/rainy out i like to just run the fog lights. none this headlight crap. makes it harder to see with headlights in fog (some kinds of fog not all) that and i have h1 halo fog lights. super bright anyway.
but yes. many thanks.
wait will the fog lights still turn on with this switch off?
once i put the hids back in this will save them!
also when its foggy/rainy out i like to just run the fog lights. none this headlight crap. makes it harder to see with headlights in fog (some kinds of fog not all) that and i have h1 halo fog lights. super bright anyway.
but yes. many thanks.
wait will the fog lights still turn on with this switch off?
Last edited by SV513; 02-09-2009 at 10:35 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
02-09-2009, 11:44 PM
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No i dont think the fogs will turn on unless the low beams are on.....i havent tried but i will check tomorrow and see.......if that is the case then im sure there is a way to overide that too......sounds like the next project.....lol
02-10-2009, 01:44 AM
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02-10-2009, 10:10 AM
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wen i sit in a parkin lot i normaly auto lights off then fogs on so i cna still read the dash with blinding people.
id like to just roll with the fog lights on (sometimes)
i guess id want the fog lights and the marker lights on at the same time as well..lol
id like to just roll with the fog lights on (sometimes)
i guess id want the fog lights and the marker lights on at the same time as well..lol
02-10-2009, 09:21 PM
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So i tested it out and YES the fogs do work with the switch off......the park lights come on as soon as you hit the fog light button, as well as the fogs so you could technically drive with just the fogs and park lights at night if you wanted to.....Later
02-10-2009, 10:54 PM
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dash project see my topic here:
https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/appearance-48/dash-project-fiberglass-141796/
its a work in progress. along with my trunk project found here :
https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/appearance-48/trunk-project-subs-fiberglass-ect-141803/
03-09-2009, 02:25 PM
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A relay can be added to this so that a switch is not even needed and turning the headlights one notch to the parking lamp position will reactivate the dash lights (like, gasp... a normal car!). I'm trying to figure out how to wire that up.
My reason for wiring it up like this... if this sensor supposedly controls the dash lights, then there's no reason to not have it connected to the running lamps like in a normal vehicle. Turn the switch one notch, ambers, tails, and dash comes on. Second notch for headlights. Of course you could still have a switch in this if, for some reason, you want all your lights on but no dash lights at night. Wiring it like this effectively nullifies your sensor.
My reason for wiring it up like this... if this sensor supposedly controls the dash lights, then there's no reason to not have it connected to the running lamps like in a normal vehicle. Turn the switch one notch, ambers, tails, and dash comes on. Second notch for headlights. Of course you could still have a switch in this if, for some reason, you want all your lights on but no dash lights at night. Wiring it like this effectively nullifies your sensor.
Last edited by Acey; 03-09-2009 at 02:50 PM.
03-20-2009, 04:58 AM
#24
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Well if no one has figured you how to bypass the automatic headlamps on the canadian model cobalts.....this is how you do it...........
Go to the source or whatever store you chose to purchase resistors......you will need a 500ohm or 1000 ohm (1Kohm) resistor and a switch of some sort.......take the defrost cover off of the dash and disconnect the light sensor......now take the 2 wires going into the sensor and tap into them with either t-taps or strip the wire back and solder a pigtail wire onto them.....do not cut the wires to do this...connect one side of the resistor to one of the sensor wires and the other side of the resistor needs to go to a switch(i will explain later)...the other side of the switch goes to the second wire from the sensor....so now you have a resistor wired in parallel with the sensor and you can turn it on and off with the switch.....the reason for the switch is that at night time you will not have dash lights if you just put the resistor in so you can turn that option back on if you so choose but the headlights will come on as well.......this you cant get around, the dash lights will not work if the car thinks its daylight no matter if you manually turn the headlights on or not....Any questions feel free to PM me and i will explain it differently if you need me too.....will also try to post a drawing to make it clearer......Later
http://g.imagehost.org/download/0359/headlight_bypass
Go to the source or whatever store you chose to purchase resistors......you will need a 500ohm or 1000 ohm (1Kohm) resistor and a switch of some sort.......take the defrost cover off of the dash and disconnect the light sensor......now take the 2 wires going into the sensor and tap into them with either t-taps or strip the wire back and solder a pigtail wire onto them.....do not cut the wires to do this...connect one side of the resistor to one of the sensor wires and the other side of the resistor needs to go to a switch(i will explain later)...the other side of the switch goes to the second wire from the sensor....so now you have a resistor wired in parallel with the sensor and you can turn it on and off with the switch.....the reason for the switch is that at night time you will not have dash lights if you just put the resistor in so you can turn that option back on if you so choose but the headlights will come on as well.......this you cant get around, the dash lights will not work if the car thinks its daylight no matter if you manually turn the headlights on or not....Any questions feel free to PM me and i will explain it differently if you need me too.....will also try to post a drawing to make it clearer......Later
http://g.imagehost.org/download/0359/headlight_bypass
A relay can be added to this so that a switch is not even needed and turning the headlights one notch to the parking lamp position will reactivate the dash lights (like, gasp... a normal car!). I'm trying to figure out how to wire that up.
My reason for wiring it up like this... if this sensor supposedly controls the dash lights, then there's no reason to not have it connected to the running lamps like in a normal vehicle. Turn the switch one notch, ambers, tails, and dash comes on. Second notch for headlights. Of course you could still have a switch in this if, for some reason, you want all your lights on but no dash lights at night. Wiring it like this effectively nullifies your sensor.
My reason for wiring it up like this... if this sensor supposedly controls the dash lights, then there's no reason to not have it connected to the running lamps like in a normal vehicle. Turn the switch one notch, ambers, tails, and dash comes on. Second notch for headlights. Of course you could still have a switch in this if, for some reason, you want all your lights on but no dash lights at night. Wiring it like this effectively nullifies your sensor.
Last edited by WhiteFiver; 03-20-2009 at 04:58 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
03-20-2009, 05:37 PM
#25
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Just wire it like the first diagram. With the switch on, you can turn the headlights on/off with the switch (just like we had to do back in the stone age when I learned to drive), switch off, the auto headlights work as per normal. Only issue would be the dash lights, switch it back to auto at night so they work normally.