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Question: Auto Headlamps and Interior dimmer

7.3K views 21 replies 14 participants last post by  ncoig  
#1 ·
A couple of questions for fellow SS owners.

Does your automatic interior light dimmer work independently from your Auto Head lamps? To clarify, if you turn your auto-headlamps off, does your radio and gauge lamps still dim when in low light or night conditions? Mine interior lights dim regardless of the auto headlamp setting. Which is very annoying because mine seems to dim in the mid-afternoon when any shadow is present (see next question). When wearing sunglass in the afternoon it makes it very hard to see the radio screen when it auto dims.

Is your Auto-Headlamp to sensitive? Mine seems to turn itself on and off numerous times in the morning and afternoon. I am not talking dusk conditions. It can be 2:00pm in the afternoon and if I get a shadow from a semi my auto headlamps will turn on. Or right around 3-4pm if the front of the car is facing the opposite direction of the sun, the cars own shadow seems to activate my head lamps. People in front of me must think I am crazy turning my lights on and off all the way down the road. I understand if I go under a bridge or a tunnel, but mid-late afternoon I think is a bit excessive. Is this common for this vehicle or is my sensor maybe a bit sensitive??
 
#2 ·
it is very sensitive.
 
#3 ·
Yes, mine is sensitive. I keep the radio screen brightness turned all the way up using the wheel shaped switch on left side of dash. This keeps it readable when the headlights come on during the day. I just have to manually dim it when driving at night.
 
#4 ·
Is this common for this vehicle or is my sensor maybe a bit sensitive??
Yup.:serious

I have found that if there is a shadow on the daylight sensor(front middle of the dash) for about 5 seconds, the headlights will come on.
 
#6 ·
True of all cars with auto lamps...our GMC and Durango do the same thing.
 
#15 ·
Perhaps all GM cars, but not all cars. Some cars allow adjustment of time, some allow adjustment of sensitivity, and some just get it right. I had a car which I had reason to believe used two sensors, one in the dash and one in the rearview mirror, so if you simply passed under a bridge, if there was sufficient light ahead of you, the lights wouldn't turn on.

It's all in the attention to detail.

-N
 
#7 ·
Is there any way to turn off the auto headlight permanently? Its so annoying. If I wanted them on, I'll turn them on. Also when do the DRL's come on? I don't think I've ever seen my car with them on?
 
#20 ·
DRL OVERRIDE SWITCH added

Is there any way to turn off the auto headlight permanently? ...
Headlamps default to auto mode with each startup cycle. No way to override - must manually turn off each time..
Pinetree you are correct except.

. ...There should be a way to program this auto light off.
Manual DRL's activate when parking brake is released. I would like to pull out the fogs, duct through to the wheel wells and hook the DRL's to the fog switch in the headlight knob...
Already done, fogs are gone. see pic #07-09

The DRLs can be turned off temporarily by turning the headlight switch to the temp off position when headlights are off they'll go back on when your restart....
Not anymore.
Just do it(turn headlights to off) every time you get in the car, kinda like releasing the parking brake or putting on your seat belt.
Someone should devise a programmer that can set bits in the car on various things like that.
-N
A couple of questions for fellow SS owners.
Does your automatic interior light dimmer work independently from your Auto Head lamps? To clarify, if you turn your auto-headlamps off, does your radio and gauge lamps still dim when in low light or night conditions? Mine interior lights dim regardless of the auto headlamp setting. Which is very annoying because mine seems to dim in the mid-afternoon when any shadow is present (see next question). When wearing sunglass in the afternoon it makes it very hard to see the radio screen when it auto dims.

Is your Auto-Headlamp to sensitive? Mine seems to turn itself on and off numerous times in the morning and afternoon. I am not talking dusk conditions. It can be 2:00pm in the afternoon and if I get a shadow from a semi my auto headlamps will turn on. Or right around 3-4pm if the front of the car is facing the opposite direction of the sun, the cars own shadow seems to activate my head lamps. People in front of me must think I am crazy turning my lights on and off all the way down the road. I understand if I go under a bridge or a tunnel, but mid-late afternoon I think is a bit excessive. Is this common for this vehicle or is my sensor maybe a bit sensitive??

I added a switch to override the DRL.

Will post a (how to) tomorrow. Here are some preliminary attached pics.


Hopes this helps

 

Attachments

#8 ·
Headlamps default to auto mode with each startup cycle. No way to override - must manually turn off each time.
On the auto trans the DRL are only on when the car is in gear. P & N = no DRL. Some of us check them in store windows, etc before moving shifter to park.
No clue how they work on the manual.
 
#14 ·
Manual DRL's activate when parking brake is released. I would like to pull out the fogs, duct through to the wheel wells and hook the DRL's to the fog switch in the headlight knob...
 
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#9 ·
Thanks.
 
#12 ·
So I guess it's normal. That sucks, I have never had a vehicle that was this sensitive. But I have also never had a vehicle that would dim my interior lights/radio if I turned off the auto headlamp function..... That seems weird to me. My G8 (my previous car)bidder behave like this. If I turned the auto headlamps off, the interior lights would not automatically dim even if pitch black. Only when the headlights were turned on manually or via auto headlamp would the interior lights dim....
 
#13 ·
Its not just the SS, I follow cars on my way to work that turn the lights on an off while I'm following them going through area of shade from trees. Its so dumb I can't even take it. There should be a way to program this auto light off.
 
#18 ·
Just do it(turn headlights to off) every time you get in the car, kinda like releasing the parking brake or putting on your seat belt.
 
#19 ·
Someone should devise a programmer that can set bits in the car on various things like that. I've had cars with "secret menus" before that could be accessed to get deeper into things. Wonder if there's a easy diagnosis way into the brain of this one that would permit programming changes?

-N