DLR HELP! (running lights)

Igot1too

Igot1too

New member
Hey guys!

I've searched but have not found the answers I need yet.

2000 4Runner US Version. 235k miles.

I left my T4R at the airport for a week. When I got back my battery was dead.
Got a jump and no problems for 2 weeks. Couldn't figure out what made it die.

The other night I went to walk my dog at midnight.
I go outside and my daytime running lights were on!
Started the ignition, turned the headlights on and off etc.... Still on.
Couldn't turn them off.
Found DRL fuse under hood. I pulled it. Still on!

:ybrick:

So, with it being late, the only thing I could think to do was actually unplug each headlight.
So far I have not been caught out after dark, but need to fix this.

Can anyone help? I have test lights, volt meters, etc...

Thank You in advance.
 
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There is a grey plug right next to the battery (on the right side if looking at it from the front of the runner) if you disconnect that it should kill your DRL altogether but keep your headlights functional.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
 
Post above explains how to pull the relay. Thats where I would start.

The main concern is why are they staying on all the time.

Having my 4runner for a litle over a month I have found the DRL doesnt dim the headlight any. When I turn the headlights on at night no change in brightness really is only turning on brake/driving lights.

Hope you find out why they are staying on.
 
Tucson4runner said:
I assume you have a limited?

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Not a limited. Just the SR5.

Tucson4runner said:
There is a grey plug right next to the battery (on the right side if looking at it from the front of the runner) if you disconnect that it should kill your DRL altogether but keep your headlights functional.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


This one?
 

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4runnerWiniarski23 said:
Post above explains how to pull the relay. Thats where I would start.

The main concern is why are they staying on all the time.

Having my 4runner for a litle over a month I have found the DRL doesnt dim the headlight any. When I turn the headlights on at night no change in brightness really is only turning on brake/driving lights.

Hope you find out why they are staying on.
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm not calling this the right name? The lights that are staying on, (only sometimes) are the headlight bulbs, while driving during the day. (At a much lower intensity than normal headlights). Same bulb as headlights, just not as bright..
 
Tucson4runner said:
There is a grey plug right next to the battery (on the right side if looking at it from the front of the runner) if you disconnect that it should kill your DRL altogether but keep your headlights functional.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I unplugged and removed this. DRL are no longer on, and the headlights are working as they should. Thank You!! Is this a DRL Module? Maybe the problem is in this and I can just replace it?
 

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Igot1too said:
I unplugged and removed this. DRL are no longer on, and the headlights are working as they should. Thank You!! Is this a DRL Module? Maybe the problem is in this and I can just replace it?
Click to expand...

All that module is is a resistor to dim the headlights when they're in DRL mode. There's something else wrong that's causing them to stay on, but leaving that out means it doesn't matter.

If you want the DRLs back, I can dig through the electrical prints and point you in the right direction, but if you're happy without them there's no point in getting into any further.

It's probably something simple like a relay stuck on, or a bad switch.
 
Do a lot of people just disable this? It seems somewhat outdated to run DRL's in halogen lights when you're surrounded by all these new LED strip DRL's on everything. It's only mildly annoying, but if it's as easy as removing that plug shown above I might consider it...
 
CobraSpdRH said:
Do a lot of people just disable this? It seems somewhat outdated to run DRL's in halogen lights when you're surrounded by all these new LED strip DRL's on everything. It's only mildly annoying, but if it's as easy as removing that plug shown above I might consider it...
Click to expand...

It depends on what year you have. On a '99 or '00, all you have to do is unplug that module. On newer ones I think you have to cut a wire to disable them.
 
jeremyc74 said:
All that module is is a resistor to dim the headlights when they're in DRL mode. There's something else wrong that's causing them to stay on, but leaving that out means it doesn't matter.

If you want the DRLs back, I can dig through the electrical prints and point you in the right direction, but if you're happy without them there's no point in getting into any further.

It's probably something simple like a relay stuck on, or a bad switch.
Click to expand...

Hi jeremyc74!

I had just finished googling the part number on this when I got your reply and agree this is simply a resistor and probably NOT causing the problem.

I do think I'd be fine like you said, just deleting the resistor and disabling the DRL, but would rather fix it so it is right.

I'm having a hard time finding a wiring diagram. If you can find that, I'd appreciate it.

Sticky relay sounds like a pretty guess. That would, or should, supply power to the lights when it's stuck closed.

Do you know where this relay is? Under the dash maybe?

The I plugged the resister back in and everything works as it should now. But I'm going to leave it out as this is an intermittent problem and don't want to get stuck again.

Thanks for your help as well.
 
Igot1too said:
Hi jeremyc74!

I had just finished googling the part number on this when I got your reply and agree this is simply a resistor and probably NOT causing the problem.

I do think I'd be fine like you said, just deleting the resistor and disabling the DRL, but would rather fix it so it is right.

I'm having a hard time finding a wiring diagram. If you can find that, I'd appreciate it.

Sticky relay sounds like a pretty guess. That would, or should, supply power to the lights when it's stuck closed.

Do you know where this relay is? Under the dash maybe?

The I plugged the resister back in and everything works as it should now. But I'm going to leave it out as this is an intermittent problem and don't want to get stuck again.

Thanks for your help as well.
Click to expand...


The headlight wiring varies from year to year, so you have to find a diagram for '99-'00 or it might be different.
See if this link works:

| Repair Guides | Wiring Diagrams | Wiring Diagrams | AutoZone.com

Looking at the diagram, the only way the headlights can come on is if the headlight relay is closed. There's a module there on the right side of the page called "Daytime Running Light Relay" that could cause that. There's more to that than just a simple relay, and the diagram doesn't show what's going on inside.

There's another simple relay there with the same name, but that one couldn't cause the problem. When it turns on it allows current flow to go straight to ground, instead of through the resistor you pulled. So if your headlights are still working like they're supposed to, that one is good.

Since this is intermittent, it will be hard to troubleshoot down to the actual bad signal, so I'd start by changing that DRL module.
 
Last edited:
Igot1too said:
Hi jeremyc74!

I had just finished googling the part number on this when I got your reply and agree this is simply a resistor and probably NOT causing the problem.

I do think I'd be fine like you said, just deleting the resistor and disabling the DRL, but would rather fix it so it is right.

I'm having a hard time finding a wiring diagram. If you can find that, I'd appreciate it.

Sticky relay sounds like a pretty guess. That would, or should, supply power to the lights when it's stuck closed.

Do you know where this relay is? Under the dash maybe?

The I plugged the resister back in and everything works as it should now. But I'm going to leave it out as this is an intermittent problem and don't want to get stuck again.

Thanks for your help as well.
Click to expand...

Relays rarely fail, as long as they are not solid state. The two relays in question here are the main DRL relay/module, and the DRL relay #4. You can find them on the diagram in the following thread. I scanned it previously but can't find it. This is for a 2000!

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/168816-daytime-running-lights-without-headlights.html

Scroll down to post #10

If you have a ground at terminal # 3 of Relay #4 with the key off, then your stuck relay theory has no merit. If it is not grounded, pull the relay and check for continuity between terminal 1 and 2 of the same relay. If there is continuity it is stuck and is no good. Or just replace it with a known good relay and retest.

If there IS ground at terminal 3, then you need to look at the main relay, much more involved troubleshooting that, but not impossible.

Both are located in the dash area, the 2002 EWD says the main relay is behind the panel under the steering column, toward the right. And Relay #4 is behind the dash under the rightmost A/C register. I don't have any more info on the 2000 EWD, the pages in the above link were sent to me by the infamous [MENTION=10169]TheDurk[/MENTION]

:fro:
 
Not to high jack the OP. But I noticed at night when I switch my headlights on there is no change from the drl? Think my module is shot to?



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
4runnerWiniarski23 said:
Not to high jack the OP. But I noticed at night when I switch my headlights on there is no change from the drl? Think my module is shot to?
Click to expand...

The module he unplugged is just a simple resistor. Typically if a resistor fails, it will fail open, which means you'd have no DRLs at all. It's easy enough to check though. Just unplug it and put an ohm meter across the two terminals. If it reads zero (or close to it) then it's shorted.

You could also unplug the DRL relay with the headlights on and see if that makes any difference. That will put the resistor in the circuit for sure, and you should see them get dimmer. If that works either the DRL relay has failed closed (pretty unlikely) or the problem is further upstream.
 
I guess I'll do some digging.

One last question. DRL should look significantly dimmer at night than headlights turned on correct?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
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