DRL Disable MOD 2.0

[MStudt]

This is not your typical DRL MOD where you just cut a wire and through in any kind of switch you can find. This MOD will allow you to control your DRL's from your headlight stalk. In order to achieve this MOD you'll need a headlight stalk from a 99-03 Toyota Solara. If you have fog lights, then you'll need to make sure you get a stalk with the fog light dial on it as well (pictured below, and what I'm using). There are newer switches that go from 04-06, and I'm not sure on these. A simple test would be able to determine if these will work.

This is the switch that I'm using, and it was purchased off eBay for $13.

You can see in these pictures that the 4runner stalk (top) and the Solara stalk (bottom) don't have matching pins. However, this is nothing to worry about.

You can see in the picture below that the 4runner stalk does have pins in the same place that the Solara stalk does. However, these pins do not have wires going to them from the harness.

After testing the Solara stalk I found the two pins in red are the pins that control the DRL. I did this by using a test probe and 9v battery. The pins with the red circles around them are the ones you want to use for the DRL MOD.

Here is the plug on the 4runner that connects to the headlight stalk. The two red circles are the terminals that you need to add wires to. These terminal locations match the pin locations on the Solara stalk.

You'll still need to perform the regular DRL MOD for this to work. You just need to cut the from the DRL module, splice in two pieces of wire, and run those wires up your steering column to you new stalk. Connect the wires to the pins I have mentioned, and you're good to go.

I can not take total credit for this. Here is a thread that member velomatt started in March of this year, and his question didn't see one response. So I decided to give it a try. [MENTION=83128]velomatt[/MENTION], the Solara stalk does work for disabling your DRL with a little work.

DRL Disable MOD
Here is information on how to disable your DRL's.

• Disable DRL on your 3rd gen. (96-00)
• Disable DRL on your 3rd gen. (01-02)

If there is anything that I missed, or something you need clarification let me know.

 

[Hepar]

What about if you've got the stalk that has the fog light switch on it?

 

[MStudt]

What about if you've got the stalk that has the fog light switch on it?

Everything above with work for you them. The stalk pictured is able to turn fog lights on/off. The Solara also had stalks that didn't have the for light dial on them. They're harder to find, but they're out there. The pin location for the fog lights are the same on our 4runner's and the Solara's.

 

[MStudt]

If someone is interested. I do have an extra switch and the two terminals you'll need to do this. PM me if you're interested.

 

[I'mStock]

Everyone's always trying to disable DRL and I'm over here having to turn the headlights on in my '98 every time I drive.

 

[Hepar]

Everyone's always trying to disable DRL and I'm over here having to turn the headlights on in my '98 every time I drive.

Lol. We always want what we can't have.

 

[MStudt]

Everyone's always trying to disable DRL and I'm over here having to turn the headlights on in my '98 every time I drive.

Lol. We always want what we can't have.

It's nice touch that keeps the factory look. A lot people would either just cut the wire and leave it. Or, use a cheesy rocker switch that looks horrible. My dash looks like it's completely factory with the Solara switch and TRAC OFF button for the Andy MOD 2.0. I looks a lot cleaner and doesn't waste my open switch spots.

 

[Jaketino]

Everyone's always trying to disable DRL and I'm over here having to turn the headlights on in my '98 every time I drive.

I know that feeling. Then I turn on my fog lights and roof rack lights and feel better.

 

[D Farms]

just to put it out there, dont do this if you have hids, this will destroy the ballasts. if you have external drls, you can make a harness and use this as the switch though.

 

[MStudt]

just to put it out there, dont do this if you have hids, this will destroy the ballasts. if you have external drls, you can make a harness and use this as the switch though.

Why is that? There's a member on here who did the DRL disable MOD with his HID's to help make them last longer.

 

[D Farms]

yeah but the drl circuit should never be on when using hids, with the way that switch works you need to turn past the drl on setting to switch the headlights on and off. im not saying to not to disable the drls im saying not to hook it up to the switch, since there is no reason for them to be on ever when you have hids.

 

[paddlenbike]

Really nice writeup. You mentioned that you still have to do the DRL disable mod for this to work. Since the disable mod on a 99-00 involves unplugging the resistor box next to the battery, I can't see the 'on' position of the solara stalk turning the DRLs back on on a 99-00 model. Or am I missing something?

 

[Bretski1]

This may be a stupid question, but I keep reading about DRL switches... Can't you just use your headlight switch as your "DRL switch?" If I want my lights on I'm going to turn them on, no need for more the think about.

 

[MStudt]

This may be a stupid question, but I keep reading about DRL switches... Can't you just use your headlight switch as your "DRL switch?" If I want my lights on I'm going to turn them on, no need for more the think about.

DRL's are on all the time. How can you just turn them off on your switch unless you have an option that allows you to turn them off?

 

[Bretski1]

DRL's are on all the time. How can you just turn them off on your switch unless you have an option that allows you to turn them off?

I'm saying why would you want the redundant switch, you can just cut the wire in pin 12 to do a DRL delete w/ out the switch. I love the DRL mod, just chose not to spend the extra money on an extra switch.

 

[MStudt]

I'm saying why would you want the redundant switch, you can just cut the wire in pin 12 to do a DRL delete w/ out the switch. I love the DRL mod, just chose not to spend the extra money on an extra switch.

The switch was $13, so I'm not out much. Second, I was to be able to retain the option of turning them on if necessary. Cutting the wire is something that I don't want to do. I hate having cut wires, since they usually result in some kind of issue down the road for me. Not saying that will happen, but now it's nothing that I need to worry about.

 

[RockenAlex]

I love this idea! Props to you MStudt for implementing it into your rig and sharing it with all of us, much appreciated!

My question is if I have a 98 (pre-DRL and fog light era) could I use this stalk to add a fog light and a DRL switch to my runner?

I believe if I find a junkyard Solora and cut the connector off as well I can rewire the stock lighting up to the Solara connector and then have open slots to connect the fog lights and DRL's to. Would that work? I've heard of people swapping in the 99+ stalk to add fog lights into a 98 before so this would just be taking it one step further I think.

 

[MStudt]

I love this idea! Props to you MStudt for implementing it into your rig and sharing it with all of us, much appreciated!

My question is if I have a 98 (pre-DRL and fog light era) could I use this stalk to add a fog light and a DRL switch to my runner?

I believe if I find a junkyard Solora and cut the connector off as well I can rewire the stock lighting up to the Solara connector and then have open slots to connect the fog lights and DRL's to. Would that work? I've heard of people swapping in the 99+ stalk to add fog lights into a 98 before so this would just be taking it one step further I think.

I don't see why you couldn't. There's a thread on here about someone putting a newer 3rd Gen stalk into an early model for that exact reason.

 

[paddlenbike]

How would this work on a 99-00 model? If you have to unplug the DRL module to make it work, I can't see the DRLs working with this mod. I've been wanting to do something like this for a while, but it seems like you're either stuck with DRLs, or stuck with them disabled.

 

[MStudt]

How would this work on a 99-00 model? If you have to unplug the DRL module to make it work, I can't see the DRLs working with this mod. I've been wanting to do something like this for a while, but it seems like you're either stuck with DRLs, or stuck with them disabled.

I'm not 100% on this, but it should work the same way. The plug in the engine bay is a simple two wire plug. In theory you should be able to cut a wire just like we do on the later models (not sure on which of the 2 though). If cutting the wire turns the DRl's off it'll work the same way as an 01-02. You can try this and put a simple toggle switch in just to see if the toggle will turn them on and off. If so, you'll just need to run wires from the steering wheel to the engine bay (or trace the wires back into the cab).