Headlights turning ON despite OFF (Constantly On)

[eyezack87]

So I figure it is finally time to post here since I just completed a retrofit for my GF's 99 Camry. For lack of better term in the title, the car tends to have a mind of its own in regards to the headlights. When the switch is in the "off" position, the car tends to turn the lights on anyway regardless of a quick OFF > ON > OFF flick of the wrist.

So of course, I'm awfully confused at how to diagnose it since it is such an annoying problem since we all know continual ON/OFF of HID bulbs kill it faster. In fact, I disabled the Bi-xenon wiring and made some spade connectors to wire the projectors to turn on only when the high beams are enabled.

Any suggestions for me? I checked the fuses in the engine bay and steering column area. Dunno about the relays though since I feel like I'll break them if I pull on them. Thanks guys

Mandatory retrofit pic for you guys lol

[93cr250]

you just have automatic headlights lol, there is a sensor (probably on the dash) that will turn the headlights on when its dark enough even if the switch is off....nothing wrong lol

[eyezack87]

Should have mentioned that they don't turn off when put into the corner lights part of the switch too. Also, they come on day, night, smoke, with a flash light, etc. There is no auto on the headlight stalk, nor when I checked the fuses

[slavie]

Sounds like you have DRL - daylight running lights. During the day, the high-beams are on on "low"; when it gets darker low-beams kick on.

The only way to turn them off is to put the car in "park" and pull the handbrake. Other than that, they always stay on.

The only way to disable it is to pull out the DRL relay.

P.S. Are those OEM fogs? As in, factory installed ones? Super rare...

[93cr250]

in my dads 2000 silverado with auto lights, they will turn on when they feel they need to be on and the position of the switch makes no difference, they will turn on even when its just cloudy out, there is a way to program the lights to be manual only but i like the auto lights

[eyezack87]

Originally Posted by slavie

Sounds like you have DRL - daylight running lights. During the day, the high-beams are on on "low"; when it gets darker low-beams kick on.

The only way to turn them off is to put the car in "park" and pull the handbrake. Other than that, they always stay on.

The only way to disable it is to pull out the DRL relay.

P.S. Are those OEM fogs? As in, factory installed ones? Super rare...

None of those ways work. The only way to stop it is to turn the entire car off and then switch the lights back to the Off position, even if they were in the off position to begin with. Checking with an Ohm Meter, regardless of position it shows 12v. If they were DRLs, the reading would be at around 6v or so. As of now, cross off the DRL relay as it does not exist on this car

As for the OEM fogs, yep they are. Trying to source a replacement for the broken one so I'm having a "fun" time sourcing one for a good price

Originally Posted by 93cr250

in my dads 2000 silverado with auto lights, they will turn on when they feel they need to be on and the position of the switch makes no difference, they will turn on even when its just cloudy out, there is a way to program the lights to be manual only but i like the auto lights

They do not exist nor are ever sensitive to turning on when there is sunlight. I'm in SoCal, so sun is predominant here. I understand the workings of an Auto system as my RX330 and Camry have it. No such technology on this car that my gf owns

[iCamry99]

I have a 99 Camry too and when I got HIDs I had trouble figuring out how to disable the DRL (Daytime Running Lights). After searching online for a few days I found out the Camry has DRL and an Auto function. The DRL keeps the headlights on low beam at all times and the Auto function turns the headlights on full and also turns on the parking lights when it gets dark outside. DRL don't work well with HIDs because it doesnt give enough power to turn on both HID bulbs so most the time only one headlight was on.

Anyways what I did was disconnect two sensors and that took car of the problem. One sensor is located on the dash on the passenger side near the windshield. Use a flat-head screwdriver and pop the sensor up and disconnect the wire to it. That disables the AUTO feature.



To disconnect the DRL you need to check under the hood. If you look to the left hand side near the passenger where the windshield and firewall meet there is a connector with a yellow/orange sticker on it. Just disconnect that connector and that should disable the DRL.






Hope that helps.

[eyezack87]

I'll give it a shot and see if I can find it. Still doubting it is a DRL as the lights come fully on. DRLs power ~50% or so the normal voltage and HIDs will never fire that low (if it does then DDM has some crazy shit in their ballasts). I'll report back when I confirm what happens

[eyezack87]

Nothing worked. Car is annoying me now. Think I'll give up until I take it to Toyota. Thanks for the help everyone

[slavie]

Interesting. Try one more thing: start with the car completely turned off, key out. Pull your handbreak. Make sure the lights switch is in off position. Keeping the handbrake on, start the engine. If you have DRL, your light should NOT come on (at least that's what happens to my car).

For DRL, do you know if the lights get lower voltage (6v, as you stated) or lower wattage?

[sarsman45]

^this. DRLs for some models are not part of an auto feature but tied with the handbrake. Once the handbrakes go, so do the lights, no matter what the situation. Some cars even have the drls routed to the low beams.


Edit: wouldn't pulling the drl fuse /relay in the engine bay also kill the "potential" drl swtich too? What exactly runs through the DRL relay besides the DRLs?

[eyezack87]

Originally Posted by slavie

Interesting. Try one more thing: start with the car completely turned off, key out. Pull your handbreak. Make sure the lights switch is in off position. Keeping the handbrake on, start the engine. If you have DRL, your light should NOT come on (at least that's what happens to my car).

For DRL, do you know if the lights get lower voltage (6v, as you stated) or lower wattage?

If I remember correctly, and going by the fact that I always pull the handbrake whenever parked when driving her car, it does not fire. However, there are times where it does fire after the car has been driven for a while regardless of handbrake position.

As for the DRL, I'm not really sure if it is 6v for the car anymore as it does cause my HIDs to flicker when in the "Off" position. I'll try to get a reading with my ohm meter next time I visit her

Originally Posted by sarsman45

^this. DRLs for some models are not part of an auto feature but tied with the handbrake. Once the handbrakes go, so do the lights, no matter what the situation. Some cars even have the drls routed to the low beams.

Edit: wouldn't pulling the drl fuse /relay in the engine bay also kill the "potential" drl swtich too? What exactly runs through the DRL relay besides the DRLs?

Can you show me tomorrow the layout on your truck so I know what to look for? I figure thats a start. Oh, and the DRL fuse #2 (small, normal ones) is somehow connected to the fogs. Blew that fuse trying to figure out what was what yesterday on accident...

[Creeps228]

Sounds like an auto DRL feature that you have. Put back the oem bulbs into the sockets and have everything connected. Light switch in the OFF position, connectors connected and fuses in their place, and handbrake lever down. Turn the car on, the bulbs should turn on, ie DRL. Now turn the car off and bring the handbrake lever up maybe three notches turn the car on, your DRLs should be off. Now to solve the problem of your DRLs coming on disconnect the plug on the passenger side under the hood mention above, by doing this your DRLS wont function but the auto light will still work. Disabling the auto light feature, which in my opinion is great, you'll have to disconnect the auto sensing light sensor located passenger side on the dash, small circular thing. Hope this helps.

EDIT: BTW I also have a 99 LE, and anything blocking the sensor will make the lights turn on completely regardless if its daylight outside. Just make sure there isn't anything blocking that sensor if she plans on keeping the automatic lights.

[eyezack87]

DRLs have been completely disabled by the recommendations above. Still have to figure out which wire to kill to disable the auto lights. The sensor is clean as can be with multiple APC and alcohol wipedowns. I'm going to have to disable them so just trying to figure out how since I haven't worked on a car this old before. The AUTO function is killing her retrofit

[iCamry99]

Did you try my method of popping up the sensor and disconnecting the wire underneath it? That should disable the auto on feature since thats the sensor that senses how dark it is outside.

Originally Posted by eyezack87

DRLs have been completely disabled by the recommendations above. Still have to figure out which wire to kill to disable the auto lights. The sensor is clean as can be with multiple APC and alcohol wipedowns. I'm going to have to disable them so just trying to figure out how since I haven't worked on a car this old before. The AUTO function is killing her retrofit