Daytime Lights

Is there any way to wire in a switch or anything like that so that you can control the day time lights? Anyone ever tried or succeeded in doing so?

http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38952

there is a how to for disabling them, if you are good with wiring, i'm sure you could rewire it with a switch. just put the switch inline on the control side.

See... I'm wandering how that would work with a switch though... The guy mentions the deal about the hand brake... But I can't see how to wire in a switch by messing with that fuse box... ? Any ideas?

what i would do being the crazy person i am, i would crack up a relay, break the connection to one the contacts on the controling side, and wire a switch there, if it could be done, i haven't looked inside a relay for a while. if i had a full wiring diagram, i would do it the right why. do you want me to get one?

Hey, if we could get this to work... I wouldn't mind being the guinie pig... :) Or however that's spelled...

i dont know EVERYTHING about electronics.. but im thinking it of this way..

when your handbrake it down, the curcuit is in flow, thus turning ON the headlights, and OFF the "brake on" light..

so, a simple switch: fig 1a with the + pushed down, would let the circuit run as normal with the handbrake down..

but, vice versa, if you switch to -, it would cut off the circuit, and no lights would turn on.. granted the brake light would be on.. but thats no problem to worry about.. as long as YOU know the brake is down..

see what im saying? basically you would have to tap into the line that tells the fuse box when the brake is down

i dont know about you guys, but my e-brake is weak, so i drive (when i dont want lights on) with it up by one "click" so it dosent fall back down.. they dont turn on

http://uploads.freeupload.net/uploads/2951.jpg

Mine is same way, but I don't want to drive with it up... Even one click... :-/ But I think I may try this switch idea... :)

Mine is same way, but I don't want to drive with it up... Even one click... :-/ But I think I may try this switch idea... :)

its actually very easy install, if you think about it.. all you have to do is extend 2 wires, and find a mounting place..

does anyone know what number light we need to buy to upgrade the driving lights? l

low beams is to 9006, as daytime beams are to ____

the high beams are 9005

after reviewing the wiring diagram, the way i would do is - (easier then i thought)

find circuit 592, its a light green/black striped wire between pin D4 on the black 68-way connector of the underhood fuse box and pin L on the black 18-way connector on the gauge cluster. since i'm assuming you want the switch in the cabin, i would pop the top off the dash, find the wire off of the cluster, and put a switch inline.

DRLs disabled,
mod worked great,
easy to follow pictures
thanks for the post.
only took about 5 minutes

tylerc has the diagram right and all, but that light can be annoying. if ud disconnect the connection to the handbrake while the car is off, it will eliminate the brake light sign, but the lights will stay on. DONT DO THIS. i did it to my 02 so it would make drifting less of a hassle. maybe if you disconnect it while the car is on and ebrake applied, you could get the desired effect.

the high beams are 9005

after reviewing the wiring diagram, the way i would do is - (easier then i thought)

find circuit 592, its a light green/black striped wire between pin D4 on the black 68-way connector of the underhood fuse box and pin L on the black 18-way connector on the gauge cluster. since i'm assuming you want the switch in the cabin, i would pop the top off the dash, find the wire off of the cluster, and put a switch inline.

*I'm looking at a wiring diagram*
Won't this mod only disable the relay though?
turn them on in normal operation (only with headlights off and parking brake down), and off...

My goal here is to be able to have the lamps themselves on a switch so I can turn them on and off as I would fog lights OR on WITH the headlights on...

I don't know if this would be harder or easier, please help me out here...
Right now I did the relay bypass in the fuse and relay center with 18 gauge wire as in sierrap615's original reply...

The way I would like to do this is wiring the relay up to a switch where in one position it is giving the on signal despite the handbrake up or headlights on and in the other position the bypass...
I'm thinking two switches might work if I know the bypass to leave them on constantly, and another switch for the bypass to leave them off (in use now)

Thanks in advance for a reply,

the_skin_eater
Advanced Member




Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Illinois
Photos: 7
Posts: 655

Re: Re: hey could this work

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Quote:
Originally posted by M.Nguyen
Take off your center console, and look for the switch at the base of the hand brakes. You can tap into that, but with the DRL off, you'll get a "Brake" light.

But watch out who you listen to on hear...i mean here.

__________________________________________________ ______
Posted by Skin Eater
wut, just ground it???

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I am wondering if this would work, hook up a switch here?
But this is something I am going to persue even if I have to wire them up as fog lights and completely change where they get their power from, so anyone know what Amp/ watt power they would require or know of a how to?

*I'm looking at a wiring diagram*
Won't this mod only disable the relay though?
turn them on in normal operation (only with headlights off and parking brake down), and off...

My goal here is to be able to have the lamps themselves on a switch so I can turn them on and off as I would fog lights OR on WITH the headlights on...

my way is for disabled or normal operaition, you want also to have them on at anytime? i don't know anyone who has done that before, but i think it would work, just get a three position switch, one off, one normal, and one wired for on (can't remember if that would be power or ground)

3 position switch , that would keep me from having to wire up two seperate switches, thanks for the quick post, much appreciated

I would like a follow up if anyone out there has been able to pull this off, or knows the correct way to bypass the relay leaving it in the on position...

Following up on sierrap615....

I'm not sure about it, but i think the thing to do would first be to find what ever wire activates the relay (I'm guessing it's the 592 that has been mentioned) and bring it to the swich location.

Unless I'm getting too old, I'm pretty sure if its the wire that activates the relay, it's gonna be a ground. So you'll want to bring another "full-time" ground there too (I just mostly repeating what other people have said.)

As far as the way to set it up, I threw this diagram together to give you an idea what the switch needs to do and a simple on(1)-off-on(2) should get the job done as Sierra said (PARDON the bad drawling)...

http://www.usabecker.com/images/switch.JPG

This way, you don't actually bypass the relay, you just chose whether you want to tell it what to do, or if you want to let the car tell it.

ps, if it ends up being a hot that activates the relay, just replace that word up there, but it shouldn't. hope that helps a little further :)

cbeck- THANK YOU!
it may not be the best drawing but it clears up my confusion, yeah it helps alot further because you were the first to jump in and draw it up.


With this info I WILL try this mod myself and repost (soon I hope, time to experiment permitting), also I will try to find out whether this is a ground or hot connection (592) with my mulitmeter before I test this

but I should be able to wire up a ground first (shown in always on position in your drawing) to test without hurting anything, then if that doesn't work try a hot right? and hot "should" be the normal 12+V from the battery, or some different voltage? regardless I will test first

This does seem very easy if I'm understanding it all right

Again, Thanks to cbeck and sierrap!

By The Way
HAHAHAHA ROFLMAO LOL and anything else I can think of because what I'm assuming is your web site has the funniest oil change story I've ever seen on it - and its SOO true

if this is your web site you should write a new thread labled "how to change your oil" just to post it, if not everyone please go to

http://www.usabecker.com/

and read the how to change your oil story... Its WELL worth the trip
Again thank you all for the help

ha! I'm afraid you've caught me. the oil story, while i might have written one half as funny if i thought of it first, was stolen from the jokes page here. *hangs head in shame* i didn't provide a link-back because i found similar to it on a few other websites and just treated it as i usually treat emails. :D (think it mighta been dave barry?)

but I should be able to wire up a ground first (shown in always on position in your drawing) to test without hurting anything, then if that doesn't work try a hot right? and hot "should" be the normal 12+V from the battery, or some different voltage? regardless I will test first

yup, that's about right, the worst you could do is maybe blow a fuse, but that's an easy fix. :)

regardless it was a good joke- i cant blame you for "borrowing" it,

Went to autozone (got wrong switch- a 2 way with a third contact point...), a computer parts store (told me to go to radioshack), and finally radioshack (was my first choice but they were closed the first trip)
and decided on a center off (on-off-on) switch that I think is way too big, but not too many choices unless i want to go with a switch rated at 120vAC 5A, and have to wire up and risk repeatedly blowing a fuse...
So I just went with a big Automotive switch rated 12vdc 20A that doesn't look cool or light up, and just had to rethink where I will mount it (new hidden location near the hood release)

cbeck-Thanks for the confirmation-thats what i'll do then,

Again, will repost when I get this done, may snap a few pics for a DIY post...

Thank You, Thank You...Please hold your applause 'till the end. ;)

I knew this would work and I'm VERY suprised no one else had tried or asked about it!

Yes it was a ground that activated the relay (thanks cbeck) so that was much more simple than trying to run a hot (+) wire.
Although the space was tight and wire strippers (and my arms) barely fit I managed to pull it off (wire stripper pun). :)

I did not go through the top of the dash to get to the Instrument Panel wires though (sierrap). This seemed too difficult and instead i just slid underneath the steering wheel and found where the wires ran away from the I/P (up high but directly above the accelerator pedal), located the light green / black striped wire -cut it, -stripped it, -and ran an extention from each side down to my switch (relay side of the grn/blk wire to the middle contact), and a ground to the third contact on the switch, then soldered all points

cbecks drawing helped tremendously as it shows the correct way to wire up the "center off" switch
http://www.usabecker.com/images/switch.JPG

My DRLs now function 3 ways as I see fit,
1. normally as controlled by the relay...
2. never on...
3. and (my favorite) on whenever I want them on including with the headlights on or e-brake up!

This is my favorite mod yet done to my saturn perhaps because I (am the first to have) pulled it off or maybe because I've wanted to do this since I got the car

as promised I will post the pics if i get a reply/request or will gladly e-mail them to anyone with questions

i can't decide whether everyone should do this because its so great
or no one so I'm the only one out there with fog/DRls :lol:

Well its either way now, with the info readily available it should be no time before I see someone elses saturn on the road with headlights and DRLs on

Ok you can applaud now ;)

Oh as a quick follow up,

I was just driving around and testing my lights... I had seen some mention of your high or low beams not functioning properly with the relay bypassed,

well my low beams and DRLs look and work great both on, but when I turn on my highbeams, DRLs go off and the right high beam doesn't function when the switch is in the always on position,

but highbeams work normal with the switch in the always off or the normal operation positions...

Looking at a wiring diagram this obviously has something to do with the
fact that the right high beam obtains power through the DRL relay,

but I'm not complaining because it still works with the DRLs off or operating normally, so I just have to remember to flip the switch when I switch to HB.

NO BIG DEAL! they'd be overpowered if they worked anyway, and I barely use my highbeams.

Yay! and uh, bummer 'bout that last bit. that seems pretty odd to intentionally wire something up like that that. I guess they split the beams up to aviod burning out the relay? You could always add another relay in one of the empties (if you have em) and jump the hot over, splice back into that 592 on the front end of the switch and run it over to the new relay... but I'd have to actually look at a wiring diagram to be sure what to jump, and that's probably more effort than you want to put into it...

Thanks for the tip, but when using my HBs I just have to put the DRLs into normal operation or always off, which is fine by me, plus I rarely ever use my brights.

Its a fine trade off to have to make... I'm confused but all the lights work fine in one position or the other, and they're all legal with the option of normal operation on the switch :)

Good enough for me
and again thanks for all the help (cbeck and sierrap) this thread has finally been beat! :)

Good work buddy.

mysatilic do you have the stock or aftermarket fog lights?

I did not go through the top of the dash to get to the Instrument Panel wires though (sierrap). This seemed too difficult and instead i just slid underneath the steering wheel and found where the wires ran away from the I/P (up high but directly above the accelerator pedal),

if you can get to them from underneth easiler then from top then you are a smaller man then i am ( 6'2" 200lb )

I guess they split the beams up to aviod burning out the relay?

the reason GM/Saturn does it this way is so the DRLs are not are fully bright as regular high beams, the relay converts the high beam circuit from a parrallal(SP?) to a series connection, spliting the 12 volts between the two bulbs. each bulb uses 6 volts. its a easy and cheap way to dim the lights for DRL needs.

No fog lights wired up, want to get them later (sorry if I misled you somewhere) I wired my DRLs up on a switch and may have refered to them as DRL/fog lights at some point, b/c this is the way I see them (second set of lights, on a controllable switch..I know fog lights are mounted lower...)

I'm not TOO much smaller than you at 6'0" and 165lbs. but I'm young and limber, but i really wasn't all that comfortable down there, just barely fit as mentioned before, enough to get the job done, my dash didn't want to pop up though so i looked at my options...

Splitting up the voltage makes sense, damn sierrap you sure know your saturns :)

my concern was that the stock fog lights are wired to turn off when the high beams are on, but i don't know how the DRLs affect the stock fogs.

Ahhh... Yeah no stock or aftermarket fog lights, but good you caught this

LOL, so many new posts new readers wont realize we've come up with a DRL switch

so if you're interested please look below at post #21

Oops, didn't realize the brights and the running lights were one and the same. My sl2 was a wee bit older, not quite so advanced. :)