Dealer refusing to disable DRL's?
 

Has anyone had trouble getting the dealer to disable to DRLs? When I brought it in for my first routine maintenance and asked for them to be turned off, he told me it was a Federal Safety requirement and he couldn't. Anyone else had this happen to them?


**I realize this is probably the wrong section to post in, but I did it for the exposure views - so mods feel free to move.

I think there's a diy tutorial somewhere on the forum.

Cost a couple bucks, but buy a horn relay for the vehicle. Remove DRL relay. Install horn relay, done. You will now have DRL disabled and high beams will function normally.

This is the least intrusive way besides disabling through dealer scan tool options.

I'm a service writer for a Toyota dealer near Philly. I love it when I get to say this:

Your service writer is wrong.

We will disable them on request, but will have a service manager and the customer sign duplicate paperwork saying the customer is asking us to perform the service and the dealership is not to be held responsible if the driver is issued a ticket for any reason related to the lights. We keep a copy and provide one for the customer. This is more of a CYA move for us, just in case.

As far as I am aware, disabling DRLs is not against federal law in the USA because they are not mandated. You can't break a law that isn't there. They are required in Canada, if I am told correctly, and the main reason you see them on USDM cars is due to cost savings for all North American models.

It's for that reason that Toyota even made available updated ECM's for the early launch FR-S models because you COULDN'T turn them off.

Some states may individually fail a vehicle for inspection if you disable, change or obscure certain lights on a vehicle. That may be the case in Texas, but it's not a federal safety requirement preventing them from shutting them off. A phone call to your state's DMV, or the inspection guideline book (if your state even has safety inspections) will answer that question.

Try calling another dealer, or talk to a different ASM at the one you frequent.

It may also be that your writer is poorly informed about a dealership policy of not disabling "safety equipment" like seatbelt chimes, lighting equipment, etc due to the potential of frivolous litigation. I do know of dealers that have such policies for potential liability reasons.

Am I the only one who keeps my headlights (low beams) on all the time in my cars?

No. I disabled my DRLs and usually have my low beams on all the time. Always have. No idea why, to tell you the truth.

show them the TSB and they will have to comply

most service tech dont know about the TSBs

Take that idiot and sit him in a brand new Camry, and point out the "DRL OFF" on the headlight switch.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MzM4WDQ1MA...id=8800005007;

They don't HAVE to do anything, and if the vin is outside of the first 1500 or so cars (can't remember the exact number) it doesn't even apply.

TSB's are just the most common fix(es) to common customer presented issues to aid the techs in their diagnostic steps, and how (or even if) it is covered by any particular warranty. They are not recalls, and just because a TSB exists does not mean it applies to every single car.

The prime example is taillight condensation. You can wave that TSB in my face all day long. If the car doesn't have leaky tails, I can't replace them per the guidelines.


On reflection, this post came out a bit snarky and condescending. I don't mean for it to come out that way, sorry.

my post was based on experience ;)

I still don't understand why people want them turned off? You can't even tell they're on when you're driving...

I don't doubt it. There's a lot of people in this business who just don't know, care, or care to know. They give some of us a bad name.

This. Never understood why people find a safety feature so offensive. I wonder if Audi owners post how to disable the led strips...?

Because they're ugly first of all.