DRL - did all Suburbans have it?

[HotWheelsBurban]

The DRLs on my Burbs were/are on whenever the key is in Run, regardless of what gear it's in. And I've seen this with some mid 90s GMC and Chevy vans( old unit body style) that a former employer had, and we had for work vans. These were built in the Oshawa, Ontario plant. Nothing fancy, just plain old white Vans with 5.7 TBI and AC/PS/PB. Light duty 3/4 ton,20 series, with 5 lug wheels. I still have an old axle from when a rear axle bearing lunched and I had to get the old parts to explain to the depot manager what had happened to the van and his $$.
Also, I remember when I was doing the relearn procedures for passlock on my Burb 2 years ago, the DRLs we're working then, and having the truck in Run for 30 minutes without being able to start it and charge the battery ran it down a bunch. I had a charger but where we were living then, that was not an option ( especially since we were trying to keep the non running truck that we couldn't move on the down low). Once it finally decided to stay running, I sat in the Burb for a good 45 minutes to get it back to spec. And it was a pretty new, more than big enough battery....

 

[df2x4]

The DRLs on my Burbs were/are on whenever the key is in Run, regardless of what gear it's in.

Same here, I checked mine today after reading this thread. If the key is on and the parking brake is disengaged, the DRLs are on. '97 K1500 Suburban for reference.

 

[thegawd]

if you ever have to do that relearn process again HWB remember about the DLR fuse in the end of the dash.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Not necessary on this Burb; got that pesky passlock electronically deleted from the PCM. $250 for the speed shop LS kids to do probably 15 minutes work, but it starts every time now. Long crank if you forget to prime it, but that's another problem that hopefully will get rectified by the first of the year.

 

[kennythewelder]

Seems like I remember that the DRLs we're 40% dimmer than the regular headlights. That makes me wonder if the OE headlight bulbs were more sensitive to current. In other words, would the OE bulbs turn on with lower current. Everyone says, ( my DRLs don't work any more, but the dash light is on until I put on my headlights.) Also as I mentioned before, the DRL module was still working in my truck, but the headlights didn't come on as DRLs, only as headlights. Again as I mentioned before, when I did the 4 high mod, and added a 2ed relay, just for my dims, the DRL module was tripping the relay I used for the low beams. Pulling the DRL fuse stopped this, but it make me wonder.

 

[GMCTruck]

My 1995 GMC K1500 (non-suburban) used the Hi beams for the DRL. Not sure if this was a Canada thing or a 95 thing. Most GMT400 trucks I see have the low beams as the DRL.
When I did my composite to sealed beam retro-living-in-the-past mod, I didn't want the sealed beams running all of the time. I created a new harness and used the two inside park light spots for my DRL. I thought that i could use the DRL relay in the convenience center to run them by snipping off the power out pin on the relay and diverting that power to my new harness. DIDN'T work. when I started the vehicle, my DRL would come on for a split second and then go off. Puzzled the heck out of me. Finally went to the local GM dealer and asked to look at the service manual wiring diagrams. GM did some creative wiring on them there DRL. I ended up just pulling the fuse to disable the normal DRL and the dash light. I got power for my new DRL from a switched ign pin in an unused port in the convenience center to a NC pin on a 5 pin relay. I got creative myself and also ran a switched illum signal from the convenience center to the coil of the relay so that the DRLs turn OFF when the headlights come on. genius. ha ha.

Here are the two important pages for the wiring for the 1995 DRL.

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[Pinger]

Seems like I remember that the DRLs we're 40% dimmer than the regular headlights. That makes me wonder if the OE headlight bulbs were more sensitive to current. In other words, would the OE bulbs turn on with lower current.

It is the components in a system that 'set' the current - and the voltage in any particular place as a consequence so it will be a lower voltage arriving at the bulbs that reduce their intensity.

What I'm not quite getting my head around is that to dim the bulb there would have to be a resistor - which will generate heat. I thought on first looking that the big finned thing was it but it is the diode and is on the switching side of things anyway. Unless the DRL module contains the resistor or, uses PWM?

 

[Pinger]

@MrPink

Ehh? Totally lost! Is there an answer to my what are....

BAG PARTS PKG EXPORT and,
EXP EXPORT - I.E.S. EXPORT - I.E.S. ..... there?

 

[MrPink]

It is just the International Equipment Standard for Export, as far as the second one goes. The first not sure but I do know that different countries have different vehicle laws. So it was probably a bag of labels that were in multiple different languages.

 

[MrPink]

@MrPink

Ehh? Totally lost! Is there an answer to my what are....

BAG PARTS PKG EXPORT and,
EXP EXPORT - I.E.S. EXPORT - I.E.S. ..... there?

He tagged me because I am a GM Engineer and can get more insight on things than the normal avenues.

The Export I.E.S is the International Equipment Standard for Export, as far as the second one goes. The first not sure but I do know that different countries have different vehicle laws. So it was probably a bag of labels that were in multiple different languages.