How to turn off day time running lights ?

[Joogers Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Joogers]

Hi,
I have a new model (as of Nov 2013) Prado GXL. The vehicle is set up so that every time you start the engine the low beam headlights, park lights and tail lights turn on as day time running lights. (The VX and Kakadu have little LED running lights that can be disabled by pulling a fuse.)

I have checked out (and played around with) the fuses under the hood and under the dash and there is not a fuse that enables you to stop the lights from coming on during the day.

Does anyone have any ideas ??

Thanks

[Guest Close Guest]

Perhaps it's a dealer programmed option. Does the manual say anything?

[VKPrado Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close VKPrado]

Is it really an issue?

[Joogers Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Joogers]

No joy with the manual.

[Joogers Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Joogers]

Dealer says not something they can do ?

[The Alberto Member Find all posts View Profile Close The Alberto]

I reckon anything that makes your car easier to see for all of the "less talented / visually impaired" drivers on the road is a good thing. Personally, I'd be leaving it and I wish it was an option on mine.

[farmernz Member Find all posts View Profile Close farmernz]

i recall accidentally holding in the enter button on the steering wheel for a while and a list of options came up, it could be in there?

[Joogers Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Joogers]

No enter button on the GXL, thanks anyway.

[ko7624 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ko7624]

Daytime running lights are now (as of 2013) an ADR requirement.... meaning that disabling them would make it a defect. However, nearly everything has a work around. If you are able to read wiring diagrams then you can down load them from toyota tech europe (small fee involved) and see how the circuit works. Im fairly sure you could somehow switch off the supply to the lights either at a fuse or relay somewhere. Im just not familiar with the 2013 mod as I have a 2012 GXL.

One question though, if your low beam / park lights are always on, does it have a 'normal' head light switch? Or does it just have high beam activation only?

Cheers,

Ken

[Joogers Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Joogers]

Thanks for the reply. Yes it has a normal switch. Off/park/headlights - low beam and the usual forward on the stick for high beam. When you turn it to park it kills the low beam but not the tail lights. I guess I just have to find the wire that sends power when the engine is on !!!

I know this seems crazy but if I want leave the engine running, sometimes I don't want the lights on !

[ko7624 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ko7624]

So just to confirming that switching between 'Park' and 'Off' makes no difference?

Did you find a fuse marked something like 'Park' or 'Tail' or similar? It is possible that there is one fuse for each side of the car (ie Left and right headlight assembly) also. Basically what Im saying is that the lighting circuit has to be fused somewhere.

If I have time over the weekend and get access to my GXL, I'll identify it for you and see if its similar to your 2013 model.

Cheers,

Ken

[Joogers Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Joogers]

G'day Ken.

So what happens is, start the car (with the headlight switch in the off position) the headlights (low beam), park lights and tail lights come on.
Turn the switch to the park position, the head lights go out, park and tail stay on.
Turn switch to "headlights" they all come back on.

If the car is on without the engine running, the lights operate normally via the switch. I.e, if the switch is in the off position the lights will be off.
I have disconnected the switch and started the engine and the headlights etc come on. So somewhere down the line the headlights are told to turn on when the engine starts.

The fuses don't seem to be able to interrupt this.

The fuse for the tail lights is under the dash but if I pull that I am guessing I will have no tails lights when I want the headlights on.

The VX and Kakadu have a bank of little LED daytime running lights where the park lights are in this car. This fuse box, under the hood, has a spot for fuse for those running lights but is not utilised in the GXL.

Hope that is clear as mud.

[ko7624 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ko7624]

Yeah that makes sense. Yes, if the fuse is pulled the lights wont work at all that makes sense too. I guess you could wire in a switch to turn them off normally/entirely and then flick the switch to manually turn your taillights/headlights on.

As I mentioned before if you can read wiring diagrams, download it from the Toyota Tech Europe site and you should be able to find the area where the control unit activates the lights and just disconnect that part of the circuit. It wont be as easy as pulling a fuse, it will be identifying the wire near the control unit or relay(if it uses one) and cut it there. If your not confident an auto elec would be able to do it as long as they don't have an issue with legalities(ie no ADR compliance).

Sorry cant be more help over the net. I cant even use my 2012 model to work it out as the wiring will be different.

Ken

[JoshF Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshF]

I know this seems crazy but if I want leave the engine running, sometimes I don't want the lights on !

Really screws with the stalker capability if the lights are on

[bretthar Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bretthar]

glad your brought this one up as I'm having the same trouble with my GXL. Read the book several times trying to work it out. The book does say on halogen models, ie the ones without LED the headlights come on at a reduced intensity as daytime running lights. I've compared the off setting to on setting and the light level from the headlights is identical so I think the book is wrong which I'll mention at my service next week. Not sure how they would do it but reducing the intensity on a halogen globe is note that easy, it's going to generate some heat dissipating the power. While I don't have a problem with daytime running lights
Ike the LED ones on higher spec models I don't really want to drive around in bright sunshine with my headlights on.