Can't get the headlights off!!

I just purchased a 2000 LeSabre and like it very much. But, there is one concern/question...when you manually turn on the headlights, how do you turn them off? Somedays when it is foggy I would like to have tailights, so I manually turn on the headlights to accomplish this. Once I get them on, I can't get them off. The manual says to push the headlight button again to turn them off, but this does not work. I have tried turning off the car and waiting and that does not work. After turning the car off and on many times and pushing the headlight and parking light buttons many times (individually and at the same time), they finally go off. I still don't know what the secret is. Can someone please help me? I would greatly and immensely appreciate any advice.

Thanks!!

I noticed the same thing when I first drove my 2000. I have the computer console on the left side of the dash which might make things different.

Normally I never touch the switch and it does it's own thing with a timer. I did turn the lights on manually a couple of times and then turned the switch back to off and they revert to the original "always on" and go off after you shut down and get out (I think). Also, I think that the door alarm would keep ringing if you got out and left the switch on.

Yes, the door just chimes and chimes and chimes when the door is open and the lights are on. I have tried turning the car off. I even actually got out and let the car sit for about 10 minutes hoping they would go off, and they never did.

Any advice??

The behavior sounds similar to DRL (daytime running lights). They are on at all times, when a photocell detects reduced brightness, it will automatically bring them to full brightness. Then to turn them off (if they have automatically sensed reduced brightness and turned on all the lights) you press the headlight switch once to turn them on (rather to light the indicator, as they are already on) and then press the switch again to turn them "off." Which isn't really off, as you still have the reduced DRL headlights on.

I'm just about positive I was reading this in the owners manual for my Buick (which is a 1995, and the directions were in reference to the Candian version of the 1995 with DRL). I also remember that the terminology they used was incredibly vauge. Words like "on, off, high, low, reduced" that mean one thing in reality, and another in the world of DRL.

My bet would be the cars headlights are supposed to behave this way. Most likely built in DRL functionality. They most likely have a photocell built into the dash or the headliner that detects the light outside, and turns on the tail lights or even your brights as well.

The lights stay on for 30-60 seconds after you turn off the vehicle and exit as a "safety feature" so that you have illumination to get in your front door and such. Just about every late model car I've driven in the last years does it, and I always stand there and wait for the headlights to turn off before I go inside.

And as far as the car chiming when you leave the lights on and open the door. Since it's chiming at you, it obviously thinks you need to turn the lights off. (I.e. The car is not controlling them, or waiting 30 seconds to turn them off.) Probably because you were pressing the headlight button the whole time you were driving and managed to engage "manual on" mode. If you press the headlight switch again, they'll probably go off.

If you close the door, the chime should stop. Try going for a night time drive and just leaving the lights alone. Go home, shut the car off, grab the Owners Manual out of the glove box, and just go inside. After your done flipping through it, go back out to put it in the glove box and see if the lights have turned off.

Then go test drive another 2000 at a dealership and grill them about the headlights until you get an answer.

Yes, the door just chimes and chimes and chimes when the door is open and the lights are on. I have tried turning the car off. I even actually got out and let the car sit for about 10 minutes hoping they would go off, and they never did.

Any advice??
Hey, S1
Are you sure that you don't have the little button that recognizes the outside light level (on the top of the dash) covered with a dash mat or something?