2000 Silverado Fog/Headlight Problem

**DaveyBoyo** · 02-02-2009, 06:22 PM

Hey guys. This is my first new thread ever so you'll have to cut me some slack. I'll try to be as detailed in my description of the problem as possible, but I'm not even entirely sure what's going on in the first place.

Okay, let's run through this.

Walk out to truck. Unlock truck. Get in truck. Truck is off. Start truck. Truck is in Park. Parking Brake is on. All exterior lights are off. Instrument cluster lights are OFF.

Release parking brake. Fog and Running lights come on. The 'Exterior Lights' knob on the left hand side of the steering wheel on the consol has not been moved from the 'off' position.

Put parking brake back on. Fog and Running lights shut off.

Turn 'Exterior Lights' knob to 'Fog Lights On' setting. Fog lights come on.

Turn 'Exterior Lights' knob to 'Running Lights On' setting. Running lights come on.

Turn 'Exterior Lights' knob to 'off'. All lights turn off.

Release parking brake. All lights come on. Flip 'Exterior Lights' knob back and forth between all settings. All lights remain on.

Put truck in Drive. Flip 'Exterior Lights' knob back and forth between all settings. All lights remain on.

- Now, from this information, can anybody figure out what my problem is? I'm assuming it almost has to be wiring. My lights switch doesn't work unless the truck is in park and the parking brake is on. I have also tried very lightly applying the parking brake while the truck is in drive, just so that the parking brake sensor comes on, and then trying my light switch. The switch still remains inoperative.

On a side note, yesterday I replaced my cigarette lighter 15A fuse which had burnt out. Shortly afterwards I was driving down the highway and my gauge cluster lights turned off. My 'exterior lights' knob was turned all the way off, which is how I normally leave it because it doesn't work anyways. As I understand it, the gauge cluster lights are supposed to come on when you turn the switch to the 'Fog Lights on' position. So, I turned the switch to this position. My gauge cluster lights came back on. Although it was day time and I couldn't tell, I would assume my fog lights came on as well. I switched back and forth between 'off' and 'fog lights on' and the gauge cluster light went on and off like it should when working properly. Things stayed in working order for the duration of my trip.

Got in the truck again today and my old problem had resurfaced.

I hope that wasn't too confusing for you guys, and I also hope you have some idea how I can fix my problem.

Have at 'er.

**MXZ1983** · 02-02-2009, 09:48 PM

that year of trucks had a lot of time when the lights were on, they stayed on, even in cloud cover sometimes. they are "automatic" and stay on themselves, like u say, if you turn it to parking lights w/o the parking brake on, the headlights dont turn off. There is a way to solve this and see if it is your wiring or not.
try this, look in your fuse box and see if they are separate fuses. if there is a fuse that is for the auto headlights, take that one out. if not, take out the one for the DRL's, or daytime running lights, and this will take off your drl's and on my grand prix, i could run just fogs and parking lights whenever I wanted. try this, it should work. im assuming that is what you want is to be able to run your fogs and parking lights.
good luck, let me know, chevy trucks

**vncj96** · 02-02-2009, 09:53 PM

there is a trigger, so lets say you are at the drive in and you need to recharge the battery but without the headlights auto on. You engage the parking brake and they turn off, maybe this trigger is screwed up. Also, there is another, for the DRL override by switching the dome light cancel button on and off 3 times disengages the daytime running lights maybe that is screwed up

**plumber_rob** · 02-02-2009, 09:57 PM

I think pushing the dome light override button works only for the auto headlight function. Not the DRLs. I have a 2000 silverado and the fuse for the DRLs on my truck is in the fuse box under the hood.

**vncj96** · 02-02-2009, 10:05 PM

On my dads old 01 it shut everything off, i only know this because we arent supposed to use our lights at work when entering

**DaveyBoyo** · 02-03-2009, 12:27 AM

Alright guys, I'll pull out the DRL fuse in the morning and see if that works.

I just want the selector switch to WORK haha. thats all

If I understand you correctly, I should pull out the DRL fuse because in '00 Silverados, the running lights tend to stay on all the time.

But when I pull this fuse, won't it eliminate me from being able to use my DRL's at all? Unless there is an 'auto headlight' fuse, and in which case I just pull that?

If I pull the Auto Headlights fuse, I'm asumming that I should be able to use the selector switch as it was intended, to toggle between parking, fog and running lights.

If I pull the DRL fuse, I won't be able to use my running lights but I'll be able to toggle back and forth between fog and parking lights.

Correct/Incorrect?

Shouldn't this stupid selector switch just work automatically? Off = parking lights. Fog lights = Fog Lights. Running Lights = Running Lights

**oOcornflakeOo** · 02-03-2009, 04:23 PM

hey so I just had a similar problem where my cluster lights went out along with the headlights-on chime. well, for me, a new Light Switch fixed my problems.. now it works fine.. same year/model (I think) definitely check ALL your fuses first though, even double check.. some components run off of fuses you wouldn't normally associate with certain fuse positions. my light switch down here in miami FL (usa) cost me $70.

if you can get ahold of one of those tester computers, it'll help because if it happened once, it shouldn't go back and forth between what it wants to do.. most cluster warnings require something wrong to happen 3-5 consecutive times before the trucks computer registers any problems on your dash. same with the tester computer.. its (truck) comp runs tests at every start up and if you have fixed the indicated problem from the dash panel or tester reading, then your truck's comp shouldn't trip the panel lights anymore and all will be fine. again this tip would mainly help if you have an available tester comp.** best of wishes

**05azsilver** · 02-04-2009, 07:29 AM

Are the lights not working while driving? Or did I miss something? If the lights work why change the switch?

**DaveyBoyo** · 02-04-2009, 04:19 PM

Yes, you missed something lol. The lights work while driving, as in THEY ARE ON.

You cannot turn them on and off. The only way to do that is by putting the truck in park, putting the parking brake on and turning the switch (only time the switch will work) or by shutting the truck off completely.

I am going to pull the DRL fuse later on tonight to see if that fixes the problem.