[MOD] Safe and super easy and cheap ($1.50) full time DRL

[owl_93]

So after scanning a few threads and the rest of the internet, I figured out how to safely and easily and quickly get your DRL's to stay on full time. I'll include some photos to help clarify what Im talking about. Here we go...

So first, head to your local electronics shop and grap a 200 volt 1 Amp diode. Mine came in a two-pack from radio shack and was like $1.49.

note the polarity on the diode, the cathode side is the side with the little gray stripe on it. This is the side that will jump into the DRL relay. The anode will jump into the headlight relay. Now, there is some ambiguity here with the way the pin codes are printed on the diagram on your fuse box vs the way they are labeled on the actual relays themselves, and I spent some time before I got it right.

You want to place the diode with the leads in the relay pin slots like this:

And then replace your relays so that you have good contact between the pins and the diode.

And thats it!! Youre DRL's will now function like they normally do without the headlights on, and they will stay on at night and when your lows and highs are on too. I replaced my DRL's with some Amber LED lights that give off a very deep amber that I think looks sweet. You can find them here:
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/tail-brake-turn/3157-switchback-led-bulb--dual-intensity-60-smd-led-tower,-a-type/1916/4478/

They are a lot more amber than they appear in the photos due to the camera trying to compensate for the brightness of the headlights. But here is the result:

Happy modding!!

 

[missta]

2 min mod....i love it....now to do my fogs ti come on with lights automatically. ..thanks...love this forum

 

[Slammedchevy01]

Good post!

 

[Jonrobinson84]

excellent find

 

[camaroz1985]

I have DRL on all the time, fogs on with lows, and low and fogs on with high, only takes 3 diodes. I also put heat shrink on my diodes so the exposed areas were covered and didn't risk any shorts in the fuse box. This is especially important when you do more than one diode, and have some running close to each other.

 

[Jonrobinson84]

good call on the heat shrink. I wonder if you were to do the diode method, could you also get the DRL to blink with the turn signal? That's my goal to have DRL and turn signal on all the time, then flash with signal. Guessing I will have to put a 3157 pigtail in the DRL slot then jump off the turn signal wire to the second filament in new DRL pigtail.

 

[Bombsquad85]

I tried this but removed the diode. I was a fan of how much brighter the drl is over the turn signal plus I put amber bulbs in and they are 4157s not 4114 so I don't want to burn them out prematurely. However I heard that 4114 are "long life" bulbs and so are 4157 and both of which are just "long life" versions of 3157 so well see how long these last. Amber 3157s lasted about 2 months before the amber peeled off

 

[mals]

I have DRL on all the time, fogs on with lows, and low and fogs on with high, only takes 3 diodes.

Would you mind sharing what points you jumped with the diodes to get this functionality?

 

[Rocket Man]

I have DRL on all the time, fogs on with lows, and low and fogs on with high, only takes 3 diodes. I also put heat shrink on my diodes so the exposed areas were covered and didn't risk any shorts in the fuse box. This is especially important when you do more than one diode, and have some running close to each other.

You only need 2 diodes for that, at least on the 00-02's. Then a ground wire on one side in the headlight harness for the 4 high.

 

[adventurenali92]

Great thread! I've been looking for how to do this forever! My Halos are wired into my DRL. DONT KNOW WHY WE DID THAT.LOL but now I can get them on at night with my headlights! Sweet! I'll be doing this probably tomorrow!

 

[camaroz1985]

Here is a pdf of how to do it on the 03-06 trucks. I think I eliminated diode 3 as shown on page 9 (it is redundant if you are doing the other ones). I thought I only used 3 diodes but I did use 4.

 

[mals]

Here is a pdf of how to do it on the 03-06 trucks.

Amazing find. Thanks for sharing it here.

 

[adventurenali92]

So it took me a few tries and about a half hour of moving the diode around between the relay slots to get it right. But I got the diodes in the correct spot and now my DRLs, which my halos are wired into, come on with my headlights. So I have those on at night now which is exactly what I wanted! I'm stoked! Interesting tidbit, my 2006 Denali has a relay in the panel for both the low and high beams since they are seperste bulbs. Didn't know that. Good thing there were two diodes on then pack from RadioShack! Lol. Anyways ran a one to the low beam and one to the high beam from the DRL relay. I'll post some pics this evening when the sun starts to go down with the lighting. It looks pretty sweet!

 

[adventurenali92]

Here's a couple shots. First is my DRL during the day and then with them on with my headlights.

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[Jonrobinson84]

Yeah that looks great

 

[DDenali]

Here's a couple shots. First is my DRL during the day and then with them on with my headlights.

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Hey bud for one it looks amazing 1 question did the headlights come with the led bar installed


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[DDenali]

I looked at the picture better and saw the led tube is under the headlight my bad bud


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[adventurenali92]

Yeah its just a simple led tube I got off eBay. I'm gonna change it though because the leds are already starting to flicker after only a few months. It's quote annoying. Lol.

 

[DDenali]

I hate led flicker that's why I don't have any led bulbs on my Yuk


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[adventurenali92]

@DDenali , I have them in quite a few places. Those tubes are the only ones that are flickering. But that's because they were cheap and I'm a resuming weren't meant to last long. So I gotta find some better quality ones.