Auto Headlights
09-19-2009, 02:16 PM
#1
Platinum Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: 07-01-09
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 229
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Auto Headlights
Is there any way to Adjust the sensitivity on the Auto Headlight System on the Cobalts? If year specific is needed, I drive an '07SS
Thanks!
Thanks!
09-20-2009, 08:45 PM
#6
DRLs have been required here since the early 90s. The Cobalts here get reprogrammed so you can't turn the autolights off unless you're not moving and the ebrake is on.
09-20-2009, 08:52 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: 05-31-08
Location: Richlandtown/Quakertown, PA
Posts: 526
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ummm, unless older years are different I can turn mine so that only the parking lights are on and not the headlights and I can also turn them off by turning the switch back instead of forwards
09-21-2009, 02:12 PM
#11
Senior Member
True true about the Canadian market cars not allowing you to actually use the headlight switch to turn your lights on / off as you see fit 
Only way I have found to over ride this behavior is to add a variable resistor in parallel with the light sensor on the dash to con the BCM into thinking it's lighter out than it is.
Have not done this yet myself and I am not sure what kind of resistance range you would need.
Also, the BCM appears to use the sensor to determine when the dash lighting (cluster, radio, etc) needs to be dimmed. Bypassing the sensor appears to keep these lights on full brightness, dimmer knob has no effect.
Do a search for "Canadian auto headlight bypass", I remember seeing a thread on this site where the op did this with a fixed resistance instead of a variable - his goal was to defeat the auto headlights completely though, not adjust the sensitivity, so a plain old resistor worked for him.
Only way I have found to over ride this behavior is to add a variable resistor in parallel with the light sensor on the dash to con the BCM into thinking it's lighter out than it is.
Have not done this yet myself and I am not sure what kind of resistance range you would need.
Also, the BCM appears to use the sensor to determine when the dash lighting (cluster, radio, etc) needs to be dimmed. Bypassing the sensor appears to keep these lights on full brightness, dimmer knob has no effect.
Do a search for "Canadian auto headlight bypass", I remember seeing a thread on this site where the op did this with a fixed resistance instead of a variable - his goal was to defeat the auto headlights completely though, not adjust the sensitivity, so a plain old resistor worked for him.
09-21-2009, 09:27 PM
#12
Premium Member
09-21-2009, 09:33 PM
#14
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: 12-02-07
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,977
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Auto headlights and DRL's are different. Pull the fuse and DRL's are gone, but for the auto headlights the light sensor is horrible and every bright sunny morning on the way to school the car thinks it's dark and I can't read the radio or DIC.
09-21-2009, 11:54 PM
#17
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: 12-02-07
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,977
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I can crank that brightness knob but even when the early morning sun is WELL above the horizon it still fails. When I get a day off school here I'm gonna hack away and try to see what I can wire up.
09-22-2009, 11:45 AM
#18
Senior Member
Driving towards the sun in the morning, the lights go off (or rather, revert to the drl's) and the radio lighting goes to full brightness. Turn around, back to the sun - lights come on, radio display dims to the point of uslessness even at max on the dimmer. I'm being blinded by the sun in the rear window but it's "dark" according to the sensor?
Working on an adjustable solution, going to try it out this weekend. If I can't make that work, I will just add a resistor and a switch across the sensor, make it think it's daylight all the time and just flip the switch when I want the lights on.
09-22-2009, 02:59 PM
#22
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: 12-02-07
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,977
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm pretty sure it's the same in this regard. You're telling me on your car when you pull the DRL fuse your car no longer turns the headlights and cluster lights on when it gets dark?
Didn't think so.
Didn't think so.
09-23-2009, 01:55 PM
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-09-07
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 1,377
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i'll look again, but i keep thinkin over and over that someone before had said that in 07+, DRL and auto headlights can be disabled by one fuse or relay, forget which of the two.
09-27-2009, 02:00 AM
#25
New Member
Join Date: 11-25-06
Location: edmonton
Posts: 187
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/electronics-audio-video-49/canadian-auto-headlights-bypass-solution-154636/
Here ya go.....what i did to kill the autolights......Hope it helps ya....Later
Here ya go.....what i did to kill the autolights......Hope it helps ya....Later
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post