Got a guestion for you all. It is hard for me to tell when the automatic lights have come on. Other vehicles I have owned I could see the dash lights come on and I would know my headlights and tail lights where on then. Because of the deep dash on the malibu the dash lights always appear to be on.
As some of you members from the north know you can be driving in snow with very bad visibility at the ground, but enough light is shinning from above that the headlights will not turn on unless you turn them on manually. I know in cases like this the DRL are on, but the tail lights are not.
I just know someone is going to tell me to get out of the car and look :D
I just turn them on manually in a storm if I'm not sure.

I can tell when the auto lamps turn on since the illumination of the dash lights dim sometimes to the point where its hard to read the gauges at dawn or dusk. If you have the dimmer all the way up you may not notice a big difference in the dash lights. If you spin the dash dimmer and the dash lights dim or brighten then you know the auto lamps are on.

If you spin the dash dimmer and the dash lights dim or brighten then you know the auto lamps are on.

Good point. I'll remember that.
Thank You.

Is there anyway to turn the DRL off all together all the time permanently? I know you can do it manually, but I don't want them on at all. Can't be stealthy if the lights are announcing you're coming!

Got a guestion for you all. It is hard for me to tell when the automatic lights have come on. Other vehicles I have owned I could see the dash lights come on and I would know my headlights and tail lights where on then. Because of the deep dash on the malibu the dash lights always appear to be on.
As some of you members from the north know you can be driving in snow with very bad visibility at the ground, but enough light is shinning from above that the headlights will not turn on unless you turn them on manually. I know in cases like this the DRL are on, but the tail lights are not.
I just know someone is going to tell me to get out of the car and look :D
I just turn them on manually in a storm if I'm not sure.

If you hit your fog light switch and the little amber indicator light comes on that means your headlights are on.

As for turnin the DRL off all together, use to be if you engaged the E-break one click the DRLs would truned off but the E-break would not be engaged. This use to work on 96 and up Chevy Pick-ups.

Must come from riding a motorcycle for so long.
No way I would turn anything off that makes me more visible.

If you hit your fog light switch and the little amber indicator light comes on that means your headlights are on.

As for turnin the DRL off all together, use to be if you engaged the E-break one click the DRLs would truned off but the E-break would not be engaged. This use to work on 96 and up Chevy Pick-ups.

I'll give it a look. That is how I could tell on our old Grand Prix. I keep forgetting about the fog lights since you have to turn them on each time you start the car.

Hey Lee, it's good to see you're back. On a business trip?

Hey Lee, it's good to see you're back. On a business trip?

Vacation :)
Two weeks on the motorcycles in Texas. Big Bend N.P. and the Texas Hill Country which is west of Austin.

Vacation :)
Two weeks on the motorcycles in Texas. Big Bend N.P. and the Texas Hill Country which is west of Austin.
Yeah, I remember you mentioning the bike vacation now. Post a few photos, I'm sure we'd like to see them.

Sorry for the thread hijacking, back to the regularly scheduled program. :D

Must come from riding a motorcycle for so long.
No way I would turn anything off that makes me more visible.

Lee, I'd leave my lights on if I was on a bike too! But I just want to blend in as much as possible on my long trips.

Hope you got some Salt Lick Bar-b-que while you were in the Texas Hill Country. They are so popular now they opened a branch in Vegas!

Lee, I'd leave my lights on if I was on a bike too! But I just want to blend in as much as possible on my long trips.

Hope you got some Salt Lick Bar-b-que while you were in the Texas Hill Country. They are so popular now they opened a branch in Vegas!

We were very close to Salt Lick one day, but passed it up since it had only been a couple hours since breakfast. Texas does have great BBQ.

Post a few photos, I'm sure we'd like to see them.

Sorry for the thread hijacking, back to the regularly scheduled program. :D

I posted pictures in the Off Topic forum.

If you hit your fog light switch and the little amber indicator light comes on that means your headlights are on.

As for turnin the DRL off all together, use to be if you engaged the E-break one click the DRLs would truned off but the E-break would not be engaged. This use to work on 96 and up Chevy Pick-ups.

That worked, thanks.
I wonder if they could have made that indicator light smaller :)

I can tell when the auto lamps turn on since the illumination of the dash lights dim sometimes to the point where its hard to read the gauges at dawn or dusk. If you have the dimmer all the way up you may not notice a big difference in the dash lights. If you spin the dash dimmer and the dash lights dim or brighten then you know the auto lamps are on.

I'm not sure exactly how dimming is supposed to work but sometimes it seems like it has both a daytime and nighttime setting as if the computer is remembering setting for previous state of headlights. Adjusting dimmer only affects current state of headlights, maybe?

It will switch from DRL to headlights if wipers are on for more than a few seconds. To verify, flip to high beams and look at high beam indicator.
That indicator may also come on if you do flash to pass while headlights are on, but I have not tested.

I'm not sure exactly how dimming is supposed to work but sometimes it seems like it has both a daytime and nighttime setting as if the computer is remembering setting for previous state of headlights. Adjusting dimmer only affects current state of headlights, maybe?

It will switch from DRL to headlights if wipers are on for more than a few seconds. To verify, flip to high beams and look at high beam indicator.
That indicator may also come on if you do flash to pass while headlights are on, but I have not tested.

Come on man, this thread is from '08. We really need some more mods around here....

We really need some more mods around here....


You can Volunteer.

Here is a site where it tells you how to disable your drl but you can always go to the dealer and have them do it because they are not required. THis is the site http://www.lightsout.org/disable.html

You can Volunteer.

I'd be more then happy to, I am on another board. But I have no idea how to go about that on here ha.

I wouldn't turn them off myself, but if you must I believe there is a fuse for that. The fuse number is in the 40's if I recall correctly.

I'd be more then happy to, I am on another board. But I have no idea how to go about that on here ha.

You can PM Pizza Man and offer your help.

Come on man, this thread is from '08. We really need some more mods around here....
Come on man your whinning is getting old, if the thread is tooo old don't read it :rolleyes:

Come on man your whinning is getting old, if the thread is tooo old don't read it :rolleyes:


I guess your not used to how message boards work either? Bringing back TWO year old threads for no real reason is a no no. All it does is push newer ones down. If you hadn't noticed it is the same person bringing up all the old threads and he isn't adding anything to them either....

You can PM Pizza Man and offer your help.

Thanks, I think I will. IMO some help is needed around here. Maybe I'm just used to larger message boards, but this one has potential....

I guess your not used to how message boards work either? Bringing back TWO year old threads for no real reason is a no no. All it does is push newer ones down. If you hadn't noticed it is the same person bringing up all the old threads and he isn't adding anything to them either....

For the record, I agree with you 100%.

For the record, I agree with you 100%.

As I'm sure most would.;)

As I'm sure most would.;)

Funny thing, searching for an answer on another board, people were complaining about the same thing. Someone had a good point though, it's really a lose-lose situation. If they wouldn't have brought a thread back from the dead, people would be saying "Search."

"If they wouldn't have brought a thread back from the dead, people would be saying "Search.""


He's kinda got a point there :)

Funny thing, searching for an answer on another board, people were complaining about the same thing. Someone had a good point though, it's really a lose-lose situation. If they wouldn't have brought a thread back from the dead, people would be saying "Search."

People can search, find the answer they need and leave it at that. No reason to bring up old news.

If the subject is worth it, a new thread, with the new info can be made as many people when they see a thread with a two year old date on it will not even look at it, due to it being old news....

This is how it seems to work on most large boards that I am on like Corvetteforum and LS1Tech.

There are a lot of old threads that come back and nobody has a problem, The current mods do a good job and there's no reason to start locking, if the thread is old don't read it, what can be easier ;)

I feel like I am getting older just reading this thread... Oh, I guess I am...:D
Keep it up this two year old thread may hit 4 pages!:rolleyes:

There are a lot of old threads that come back and nobody has a problem, The current mods do a good job and there's no reason to start locking, if the thread is old don't read it, what can be easier ;)

Your entitled to your opinion, although it seems to be the minority.

"Small" issues like that can hurt a board and keep it from expanding. Which this one needs to do IMO.;)

Going for 5.... I have to agree with the expansion aspect... I feel like Silver and I have been to only two on here all day. :)

Going for 5.... I have to agree with the expansion aspect... I feel like Silver and I have been to only two on here all day. :)

And E NEt who posts to everything, and brings back old stuff haha.

It's odd to me that the Malibu is a huge seller and this is the only decent, yet small board. I had a G6 GTP before, there are like four places to hangout with those owners. I hope we expand here....

Sorry if I offended by not checking date. At this moment I'm not sure how I got on this thread since I don't dig very deep into the number of pages listed. Sometimes suggested threads popup at the bottom of the screen and that may be how I got to this one.
But in any event I felt the answer was imcomplete and if someone had searched they would have gotten an incomplete answer.
I don't know that the tip about the high beam indicator coming on if it switches from DRL to headlamps helped any here but maybe the next person.

Well now that this Thread is all back up and running I'll post this question here.

Has anyone figured out how to completely disable the DRL's? I hate DRL's, and in a car that's as painful to change bulbs out of as the Malibu is, I'd like to conserve the lights as much as possible. I usually try turning them off myself when driving during the day, but sometimes I'll forget obviously.

I believe there is another thread that describes pulling a fuse in the box to disable the DRL. Still do not understand why folks want to be less visible with all of these wacky people who refuse to pay attention while they are driving. Eating, texting, reading, etc. it really is amazing. Maybe cars are just too easy to drive. There are folks whining about handling on there LTZ when they change lanes. My LTZ does the same thing but if you have your hands on the wheel and put down your big mac than you should never have an issue. Sorry for the vent but DRL are a safety device that should not be disabled! IMHO

Well now that this Thread is all back up and running I'll post this question here.

Has anyone figured out how to completely disable the DRL's? I hate DRL's, and in a car that's as painful to change bulbs out of as the Malibu is, I'd like to conserve the lights as much as possible. I usually try turning them off myself when driving during the day, but sometimes I'll forget obviously.
There are a number of ways to shorten the life of an incandescent bulb.
Too much G-force is one way.
Also by using a higher voltage for the same output. Filament gets thinner and more fragile.
And have you noticed how many bulbs suddenly die when power is applied? The sudden surge causing the drastic temperature swing is another.
Although bulbs of a given wattage usually have listed life expectancy, you might also notice those of the same wattage, the one with the longer life expectancy also puts out less light.
The way that I've seen the changing from DRL mode to full on usually employs a method of dropping voltage to the bulb in DRL mode. This may be a big resistor. When going to full on the resistor is shorted by closing a relay. This way the bulb is already warm and may be getting 10.5 volts and closing the relay jumps it up only about 3.5 volts.
Depending upon your driving, the bulb could easily last longer if you leave the DRL mode actuated. And with the much lower brightness of DRL the filament will boil off few molecules of metal compared to full power which is what darkens the inside of the bulb causing it loose lumens.

So, unless you are in need of being stealthy such as a cop, leave it alone.
If you are up to no good, you will be easy to spot. You are the one driving without lights.

I don't understand the problem bringing up old threads. It helps to keep information consolidated and easy to find. Precisely why there is a Search Function.

......The way that I've seen the changing from DRL mode to full on usually employs a method of dropping voltage to the bulb in DRL mode. This may be a big resistor. When going to full on the resistor is shorted by closing a relay. This way the bulb is already warm and may be getting 10.5 volts and closing the relay jumps it up only about 3.5 volts.
Depending upon your driving, the bulb could easily last longer if you leave the DRL mode actuated. And with the much lower brightness of DRL the filament will boil off few molecules of metal compared to full power which is what darkens the inside of the bulb causing it loose lumens.......

E_Net,
Older GM cars that use the high beams for DRLs keep them from being at full brightness because an unshielded high beam, even in the daytime, would tend to blind oncoming traffic. The method they use is to switch the full voltage on and off at a frequency that reduces the brightness but keeps it receiving full voltage when it gets any. As the filament cools after being turned off the light output is lessened to the point that it becomes amber instead of white. Then the cycle starts again: give it a shot of juice for a fraction of a second so it gets to a certain color temperature (measureed in degrees Kelvin), then remove the juice to let it dim down. Repeat. (Kinda like shampoo, eh?) That I know of they did not use resistors to reduce the potential (voltage) as that would make a halogen bulb burn out sooner. They need a certain voltage to operate reliably - less than that and their life is shortened dramatically.

Our 'Bu's use the low beams and do not get any kind of voltage or frequency modulation. They get juice straight from the battery through a fuse and relay contacts. The control circuitry determines when to energize the relay.

To All,
At the risk of repeating too often and as I've posted on other threads, if you see a car using high beams as DRLs they're modulated from full voltage through frequency, not resistance. If you see a car using low beams as DRLs they are most likely at full battery potential, like our Malibus.

If anyone would like to see the circuitry, I paid for wiring schematics and shared them with ChevyFreak who posted them on DropBox.com. You'll find the DRL circuitry on figure 49 at the top left of the page. It uses fuse 46 (15A) and relay 48, then directs that signal to the low beams at the output of the low beam relay. The "Hot At All Times" supply to DRL Fuse 46 is also the supply for the low beam and high beam relays. No reduction.

I don't understand the problem bringing up old threads. It helps to keep information consolidated and easy to find. Precisely why there is a Search Function.

Same here. If the information helps someone, it does not matter if the thread is new or old.

Interesting. I did not know any used high beams for DRL. Motorcycles often use a modulated light to gain attention.
My older GM used low beams dimmed by a huge ceramic resistor for dropping voltage a little.
Lower voltage will not kill bulbs with a filament. Higher voltage will. As the voltage is dropped, the amperage will also drop resulting in lower wattage which with such bulbs the lumens will relate.
I apparently need more info to look at file.
BTW, DRL can be turned off on mine by choosing "auto lights off".