'96 DRLs

[Cruize]

I've been driving my 2.4L '96 GT (manual trans) about 3 weeks now. At first, the DRL's came on with the car running and the parking brake off. I went through a patch of rain and I noticed the parking lights and headlights came on. Then there were a couple days when the DRLs would work and days that they didn't work. Now the DRLs don't work at all.

If I take the parking brake off and turn the key to the accessories position, the parking and fog lights come on. If I turn the key to the run position, the parking and fog lights remain on, the headlights come on and I can select low beam or high beams. I took a flashlight and shown (past tense of shine) it into the defroster outlet where the photosensor is supposedly located. It didn't make a difference. Where do I begin trying to fix the non-operative DRL problem?

Did all GA's come with a photosensor?

Thanks in advance.

[xeroinfinity]

yeah the auto lite control-ALC sensor is under the defrost grill.

I'd say your DRL or ALC relay is going/gone bad.

If those are good, then you could have a short somewhere since it reacted when you drove in the rain. Have you had any front end damage recently ??

[Cruize]

Prior to starting this thread, around 8:30 last night, I removed the 5 relays on the back side of the bumper and switched their positions. Lights operated the same way, so I switched them back.

This morning when I left for work, the DRLs were working again. The marker and headlights didn't turn on. Stupid car!

I don't know if this is related or not, but sometimes the doors lock as soon as I turn the key to run, but most of the time they don't lock until the car is moving. Also, if I leave it in the accessory mode and pull on the key, I can hear a relay clicking on and off real fast.

Front end damage? Well, maybe by the previous owner. I'd ask him but I'm sure he doesn't remember since the sat for 3 or 4 years.

[xeroinfinity]

Did you notice any corrosion on the relay contacts or where they plug in at ???
If so try cleaning them up with a wire brush or fine sand paper and see if that takes care of the problem.

Remember though if you have a high beam out the DRLS wont work and give a svs light. I was also thinking if the contacts on your head lamp bulbs were dirty/coroided it could cause such things to happen.

Also I thought not all those relays are the same part # so that too could be something else.

Id start at the bulbs and work my way out checking the plugs and wires thuroughly.