Visit me @ toolsandtime.com Part-2 In this step by step real time troubleshooting video I go over how I troubleshoot the daytime running light circuit on a 1998 GMC suburban using a schematic and a DVOM along with schematics
Although this was published 7 years ago, it is still relevant to we who own older vehicles. Fantastic step by step troubleshooting. Thanks for taking the time to educate us!
I watched part 1 and 2. Just by showing the pin locations saved me a headache and time staring at wiring diagrams. Very clear and accurate. Thank you, Sir!
Man, I'm amazed at how great your videos are... It's truly refreshing to have someone thorough and patient presenting concise, detailed content. Super pro, I wish every vid on RU-vid was this good!
WHATS WITH ALL THE TATS......YOU A PRISONER...IS THAT IT....WE ARE YOUR REHAB....IS THAT IT......YUR DOIN THIS CAUSE YOU HAVE TO.....YOU DONT CARE NOTHING FOR US........WE ARE JUST YOUR WAY OUT SO YOU CAN COMMIT MORE CRIMES.......
@wayne You could be kind to people instead of spreading negative comments to somebody who is helping people out. Try it, positive thoughts will come back to you as well.
Excellent job! I don't think I have ever seen something so well explained. You should be teaching every day. I've got a 07 classic 6k miles drls not working, for long. Thank you, Sir.
This is absolutely the best video on this.. almost every step I was wonderin when you were gonna show a detail.. and you did, bc it’s a fact that details matter with electrical.. all the newer cars (this one included; roughly late 90s up) there is soo much that matters especially since a lot of its computer controlled.. and it is true that generally they read around 10.55v or so as a new diode etc.. when it’s running at say 14.4v you’d have roughly 12.5v so they don’t run at full brightness all the time..
Wow !!! This is the most logical trouble shooting ever. The camera work was also fantastic. This is one of those rare videos that are amazing and worth watching .
Thanks for sharing. Just got a 97 Tahoe and the drl worked when I went to look at the truck. Got it home and they weren't working. Been up all night messing with it for inspection tomorrow. Diode it was. Took the one out of my 99 Suburban and viola. Much appreciated.
I’ve been driving my 1999 van with my driving day head lights for night use for a while. I spent time and money replacing parts including the cruise control switch which solved the issue for a little while but lost my high and low beams again and now my day driving lights went out. Thanks to your video I checked fuse 4 and 15, I pulled out fuse 15 with the van running and put the same old fuse back in and now I got my daytime running lights now I think I’ll just r&r the fuse with a new one. I also unplugged the diode and plugged it back to see what my head lights would do. Thank you for a great video.
You were absolutely spot on with this DRL video. I followed it and found the problem to be a failed diode module just like in the video. Love your detailed process and explanation - you're one of the best! Thanks so much you saved me a bunch of time and money.
Thank you Robinson Auto. I was having daytime running lights issues and my son and I watched your video and then started working on our vehicle. We followed your troubleshooting procedure to the tee and long behold the problem was the diode/daytime running lights control module. I know for sure we would have been throwing parts at it until it either fixed it or had to take it to a mechanic. Thanks a million or hundreds of dollars $$$ !!!
Excellent job on this video automotive electrical is a big headache for most but they way you wee as lied through your video was extremely clear and helpful.
Just knowing where the components are is a huge help. Knowing where connections are and how they work. Now I know where and how to tackle the job. Many thanks for keeping it simple. Glad I subscribed.
Very Nice, My parking brake cable broke so the parking brake pedal was always down and realized why my daytime lights never came on again. If I have not watched this video I would have gone insane. thanks!
What a very High quality video in information, clarity and production!! Top notch, Very Nice job Chris! And not to mention it shortened my misery by not having to lay on my back to long and figure out where these components are LOL.
Awesome video. I'm troubleshooting no lights working at all (high, regular and drl) on a 99 suburban and your explanations with the schematic superimposed on the video as you are testing is the best thing I've seen online for this. MANY thanks!!!
Thanks for sharing; very much appreciate the detailed but simple presentation for those of us folks that have the skill and the tools but are short on time for research!!
This was a great learning video. I appreciate the information, but I've been hunting for the yellow power out wire from the diode. Now, I finally know where to look.
Man that's really brilliant electric diagnostic video ....please keep it up we need that ...the step by steps processes just amazing and easy to understand ....thanks Robinson for you time
Awesome electrical series! Can't wait for the drive train video(s)! It took me the longest time to learn about the emergency brake nullification of the DRL's, but there it is...!
Thank-you for posting this terrific diagnosis and repair. You said "let's not throw parts at it" meaning that you could have just bought every part in the circuit and after replacing them all, it probably would be fixed... at great expense to the owner and no understanding of the system by you. I worked in the trade for 50+ years and always took the same stance - 'diagnose first/replace parts last'. I could have never worked at a dealership where they just tossed parts at a job until it was repaired. Your logic made me smile all through the video - both of them - and I truly appreciate your candidness and cool tone of voice in explaining this problem. I too, had the same problem with the same results on my wife's 2000 Astrovan when the DDLs failed to work properly. I knew it was the diode, but I wasn't sure which one it was after my diagnosis. Thanks for pointing it out to me. The underdash of that p/u looks remarkably like the one under her van. My next problem is the ABS system shuts off and fires the BRAKE and ABS light when it does so. I've followed the schematic and it leads me to K5 cross member ground screw (which doesn't exist on her van) as a possible intermittent ground problem. That makes sense as the ABS tends to go OFF (by lighting UP, that is) mostly when she hits a bump or rut in the road. And no: I've checked the wheel bearings and tone wheels, pickups, etc to find no problems there. The signal circuits all Ohm-out within range of each other - as I have no real specs there. I just wish I knew what the engineers thought was the K5 ground screw on an Astrovan? What do you think?
It's still haunted - the ABS circuit anyway. It seems to stay working and not turning the ABS and BRAKE light all winter long when we need it badly, but come summer and clean roads, it will turn itself off all the time. I'm still going to go after a defective ground somewhere - I just can't decide if there is supposed to be a full time ground or it's controlled by the ABS system or not. Circuit schematics all seem to be for other vehicles - other than an '00 Astro with 2WD, that is.
robinsonsauto I'm recovering from knee replacement and won't be up to speed for a bit yet. Then I'll get into it deeper. I'm sure it's just an intermittent flakey ground, but I haven't found it yet. Funny that it seems to work well all winter long, and when the roads are clear, it will cut out. How does it know? I dunnow. I wonder if just tapping into all the grounds and establishing a "helper ground circuit" would be a good idea. That wouldn't actually be my typical diagnose and then repair policy, but if I can just improve the condition.............hmmmmmm.
Thank you so much. I'm an idiot when it comes to electricity, but you are the first to speak my language and now, since I have a 99 suburban, I'm going to make it a point to learn all I can about this crazy electrical system. I've had some very curious electric issues (dim lights, cruise control shutting off on the highway, and serious low-voltage issues the alternator hadn't seemed able to catch up with), but this little fix has cured it all...weird I know). I even got my 13 year old son to do the work for me, since I don't know if I'd be able to get back up after wedging myself in there. Thanks again, and I'm going to watch your other videos, too.
your welcome, thats awesome im glad i could help out and make memories at the same time, im sure your little man feels proud, shake his hand for me great job bud!
Hey..... you just saved me lot's of money!!!!!!! You so far are the best on information to fixing these types of trucks... thank you....thank you keep up the good work
GREAT DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS! I’m having all kinds of problems with the DRL system in my 99 Buick Century (The amber parking lights that are alway on and the turn signal that’s tied into each) and this has given me a few ideas to recheck some things.
Thank you for your help, I don't know much about cars. You gave me a starting point of where to look because my running lights aren't working, thank you very much for your help.
I was laughing at 4:35 apparently thats used in more trades then I thought. Great video, all your videos are very informative and I enjoy watching them, I dont even have this problem and I watched both videos.
I don't even own a GM but found these 2 videos very interesting. Great job explaining things, doing a thorough diagnosis, and showing the troubleshooting. Sounds like that Yukon (?) is in some serious need of a U-joint...maybe more.
nice video man, i really get alot from your videos, more then other channels where they just undo parts and say they figured it out and here's how to replace hte part. i think alot of us want to see more of how troubleshoot. so thanks again for taking us through the process. your an easy guy to follow and understand. cheers.
That's a great video, thank you so much, been working and looking for days trying to figure out why my lights was not working. I know where to look now.
very good video! im trying to troubleshoot '96 Jimmy headlights not working, but DRLs do. looked at fuses and some relays, not sure what relay is for headlights.
As a retired electronics technician and life long shade tree mechanic (auto, motorcycles, small engines), I was curious how you would explain your troubleshooting steps so that a layman could understand them. I had this same issue in my '96 Chevy Suburban, but had already repaired mine. Anyway, serious kudos to you. This is the first one of your videos that I've had a chance to watch. I was impressed. You did a fantastic job of explaining the troubleshooting steps from the easy to the more complex. Using the actual wiring diagrams and tracing connections that way was also a very helpful thing to fully instruct lay people on the proper methods of troubleshooting circuitry such as this. One thing you may want to mention, though, is that power should be turned off (no voltage applied to test circuit) during any continuity checks while using your actual meter to perform those tests. However, most folks following your video who have a DVM would probably already know not to check resistance (ohms/continuity) with power applied. So, in closing... definitely a 5-Star vid, man! You did a great job of it. I'll be watching more and also subscribing to your channel.
V.T. Eric Layton thank you for the positive feedback it's greatly appreciated!! It's always good to here that the extra effort is recognize so thanks again! Look forward to seeing you around 👍🍻
My low beams are currently non-functioning when the light switch is turned to on. My DRL have not worked for years. Would my low beams become functional again if I replace the diode? Or is this a switch on the stalk?
Very nice work Will! Your troubleshooting skills are unsurpassed. One thing you could do different is where you checked for continuity of the wire at the diode connector to the relay socket. You could place a jumper on the diode connector and then use your test light at the relay pin. Diodes usually measure about 0.7V when forward biased, however, the higher current ones usually run about a volt across them. From your wiring diagram, you have two of them in series. The two volt drop is correct.
Thank you for the compliment, when making these videos i try to explain things in a way that make sense to me if i where in need of help without complicating it to much, I agree with what your saying... me just changing a part wouldn't do much good, Use this case as an example, i may have another GM come in With inoperative DRL system and find it to be the break switch or a bad ground. Troubleshooting is key thanks again
Very informative video. I greatly appreciate what you are doing. I have a 4.3 vortex engine that cranks but won't start. I think you have found the problem for me. Thank You
I agree with everyone else that you are an awesome mechanic! I'm not much of a mechanic, but I've been working on my personal vehicles for a long time. One question I have is, what year is this SUV? I have a 2004 Chevy Silverado 1500, and it looks nothing like what you're working on. I don't see the diode, and my fuse and relay boxes look nothing like yours. I'm not saying this grip, I'm pretty much a dummy, and if it doesn't look like what you're working on, I'm lost (LOL!) Thank you so much for doing this! You worked very hard making this video! You are indeed a great teacher! I'll figure it out eventually! Thanks again!
Thank you, It not only helps others, In return it keeps me up to speed lol its like a refresher course every time i make one of these videos. your welcome
Thank you Terry, Man wish i would have thought of that at the time, would have been a great demonstration, thank you for the feed back and thoughts, will add that to the list of tests, very good suggestion
You know man I've looked at hundreds of videos and yours was so good give me a better understanding of everything I have a 2000 Toyota Corolla I know that two relays are bad the main headlight relay in the DRL headlight relay my daytime running lights work and I have voltage all the way through to the DRL relay but when I turn on my headlights they don't come on. So i know that since the headlight relay goes to the dimmer relay and then a dimmer goes to the DRL relay. But daytime running lights work during the day as soon as the sensor as sensitive as it is now detects any amount of Darkness it cuts the daytime running lights off which it does it supposed to right. but also at night after the timer goes off for the daytime running light sensor whatever detects no light all of my lights Flash except for my headlights. Which is my regular lights that turn on running lights. the problem is is that the headlights don't work the bulbs are good the relays need to be replaced I know but even putting in jumped relays by putting a wire between the magnet and the plate I know that it was working but now I have going back to the engine compartment the wiring to the internal under the dash that the possibility is the diode or something else so far I have failed to locate the diode as of yet but I have no clue of why this would fail even though my radio runs all the fuses of our working and the accessories are working can you please help me. just so you know I have talked to several mechanics and everybody told me it was a short ground this is not the problem and I know it is not the problem because I checked all the way around with the multimeter and pulled the fuses and pulled the 40 amp main fuse and everything and the relays I know are bad but everyone says this is not a common problem for this car also around here in Texas people want to charge me between 1 and $200 per hour just to diagnose the electrical problem and I'm not trying to pay that I usually work on cars myself and I can replace Parts no problem but it is not working for me..
Excellent. Mine is a 2002 GMC Safari - bad wiring found behind left-front running light. Blew 2 x 20 Amp fuses - one for the instrument panel and rear lights. The other for the turn signal. Problem, no running lights - sourced to Diode. Your video helped make the fix that much clearer. Thanks!
This is an awesome video very informative and very thorough. I have an issue actually probably at my headlamp control switch interior light dimmer switch. THE daytime running lights work fine but when I turn the headlights on (which is the 12 o'clock position on the dimmer switch in the cab) the running lights go out. But the headlights do not come on although the drl light goes out on my dash. Also if I click the stalk on my hazard/turn signal switch I see the bright lights come on BRIGHTS do work but the regular headlights don't.. Or at least it seems so are daytime running lights and low beam headlights the same thing ...ANY suggestions?
Really enjoy the video. In changing my day time running lights in my SRX 2012 the car when into a coma. Didn't wanted to start. I wonder if this troubleshooting running light video would have help me in pinpoint the problem. Good stuff man!
Yeah man after another look at the diagram you are correct. Without the diode pack the lights would burn at full brightness. This also explains why the pack is so beefy (has to handle lots of current draw from the lights). I also agree that if you have diagrams and can trace out the wiring you should attempt to troubleshoot without removing items, since if there is a poor connection you are libel to disturb and loose the problem only to have it possibly return later. Aces man!
Question, I have a 2002 Chevy Express that I installed LED head lights. Everything works for the exception of the Day Time running lamps, it causes them to flicker.... Question, If I pull the diode, the day time running lamps will just shut off or is it best to put a jumper across the diode harness to get full 12v to the day time running lamp..? Does all that sound right? What program did you use to highlight your schematic?
Nice video, easy to understand. If you covered it, I missed it: I have replaced both DRL bulb receptacles and still have only one that works. Any ideas for that?
very good video going to try it tomorrow on my 99 chevy my headlights don't come on either will that be do to the relay going bad I do have the green light that comes on no daytime lights either
