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DRL 98 Malibu?????

16K views 9 replies 4 participants last post by  Orient Master 
#1 ·
Ok This is my first thread here at this forum. I'm used to posting at other forums for my aquariums. so this is a whole other ball park.

My question is I have a 98 malibu that i would like to disable the DRL and maybe the ALC. I don't like not being in control of my lights.

Going to see christmas lights during christmas in the drive trough displays with my lights on is not a good feeling. and driving up to the air force base to the gate with my lights on isn't good either.

I just want to be able to turn off my lights from time to time.

I have looked on the web and many other forums about disabling the lights and have tried the pulling the relays (19 and 20) for the ALC HDLP, and the ALC parking lamp. the service engine light came on and i dont like that. And really when i put the car into drive the low beams DRL still come on. I have heard about messing with the ambient light sensor and i unplugged the sensor and parking lights and head lights came on. wrong direction. and plus the ambient light only controls the lights from day to night. of course i want the lights on at night just just i still want to turn them off every once and a while.

I have heard about the BCM wires and cutting a wire and grounding it, but which one not sure. This is supposed to trick the car that the regular headlamps are on and turn off the DRL but i keep finding info for the 2000+ models and nothing for the 98 models. I know wires are not the same for different years. I found one person talking about a purple wire one the middle plug. I have yet to locate the BCM and look for my self.

Any help would be nice.
 
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#2 ·
I had a '97 Pontiac Grand Prix that I bought used. The headlights were on everytime I turned on the key, day or night. I pulled the AutoLights fuse and solved that problem. I don't have the car anymore so I can't go out and look at it for ya.

On it, my '09, and again on my '11 I converted the DRLs from using the lowbeams to using the turn filaments. Amber light is easier for the human eye to see in daylight hours (per a Federal study), and the turn signal bulbs are way cheaper than the halogens ($5/pair vs. $50/pair). Did not experience any melting of any of the housings.

On the Gen7's (2008-2011) we can simply pull the DRL fuse, DRL relay, or both, and only the DRLs are affected. The headlights work normally. When the headlights are on (with or without the DRLs disabled) we can dim the lights to just parking or turn them off completely. They return to normal operation the next time the car is started.

Starship has access to wiring diagrams for older cars, so you might want to see if he can post one for you and then use that to figure out how to take care of your issue.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the response. I looked for a DRL fuse but I dont see one. I did try the DRL relay but I don't like how it activated the service engine light. I have not tried converting from headlights to parking, that sounds like a possible idea. Now how to do that is the question.
 
#6 ·
Thats ok I got it figured out. I found a web site www.lightsout.org/disable.html that talks about disabling the DRL and the ALC on many car models. It just so happens that the 99 pontiac grand Am and the 98 chevy malibu have the exact same BCM with the same plugs and wires. i looked at my BCM and followed the 99 Grand Am no DRL and ALC bypass. Each wire every plug and pin placement are the exact same as far as the BCM is concerned. And guess what IT WORKED!!!!!! No more DRLs and no more ALC. I have complete control of my head lights.

Now i am going to look at this web site to disable the Antitheft. To clarify I am trying to take out the key ignition in the malibu and i have a setup to replace the key ignition both the key cylinder and the ignition switch. hope this works.
www.bergerweb.net/grandamsecurityfix.htm
 
#7 · (Edited)
I'm not sure I understand the reason for wanting to bypass the ALC since there's an OFF position for the headlamps. Actually it appears there's no way not to lose the ALC the way they tricked the BCM. Still, I'm glad you're happy.:) I'm just clarifying the issue for anyone else who may come across this thread.
 
#8 ·
Well with the off position for the headlamps, my head lamp switch on my car was for the last three years always off because my lights never turned off. I don't know if something in the wiring was messed up or not. But i never switched the lights on because they were always on. During the day the DRL lights were on (Just the head light not the parking lights) and during the night the ALC was on (Headlights and parking lights). And i never had to touch the light switch. couldn't turn them off if I wanted to. AND I DID WANT TO. haha.


I am not really sure how it worked but it did work, I control my head lights like the good ol days when the light switch on the steering column turned on the parking and then the headlight and then the high beam.

why have the switch if it doesn't do any thing.

There must have been something changed in the car before me and my wife got it. because we didn't get the car new.
 
#10 ·
I'm thinking that it's a factory setup, our 98 does the same thing. Who needs a switch anyway.
Still makes me think why have the switch then if it is factory setup to have the lights on all the time. or at least the low beams on all the time. the only difference from driving during the day to driving during the night is day time the low beams only (no parking lights) are on dimmed a little, and then during the night low beams are still on just at normal brightness with parking lights.

Never do you have the option to turning the lights off. either way my lights are now under my control on when I want them on, and off when I want them off. I don't need a car to do that for me. I got that. HAHA
 
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