Turning lights off

[LouM]

OK, feeling a bit dumb here. Went to a drive thru Christmas light show.
How in the heck do we turn all the lights off on these damned trucks, 2019 1500 Laramie.
Tried everything I could think off even played with that damned electric park brake. It turned them off for a second,
then right back on.

 

[Mike Wenrich]

I recently posted a question titled Laramie Headlight Switch for my 2023 and received some good info but it's possible, depending on year and model, you may not be able to turn off those lights. Canadian trucks have a different switch as they require daytime headlights. On my truck I was able to turn off daytime headlights and my switch will turn off the headlights but the "eyebrow" lights remain on day and night and I cannot turn them off. My question was posted for a similar reason as yours. I was using the truck in a night parade. It turned out that the lights were not a problem since there were 50 or more different vehicles decked out with extreme lighting additions for the Christmas parade. But the nanny police are making it difficult to have a truck "your way". I would like the option. What the heck are police going to do on a stake out with lights on?

 

[GTyankee]

The last image, Highway Patrol chose my 2009 Dodge Ram, to pull over.
Every 2nd or 3rd vehicle was not running any lights.

The Judge drives a GMC & it had headlights as soon as the truck was started.
He said that every new vehicle should have lights on 24/7.
He called Chrysler a bunch of idiots for not having some kind of lights on when the vehicle was running.
He cut the Ticket Fine by less than half

For almost 15 years since then, my vehicle headlights are turned on with the ignition switch.
When i am working, both the State & Federal Law, reads that that my headlights must be on.

 

[crash68]

What the heck are police going to do on a stake out with lights on?

Police vehicles have a different programming for the lighting that works in conjunction with the added flashing lights. They even have switchable red interior lighting to preserve night vision when on "stake out" in the dark.

 

[TRK_GANG74]

Tazer Dt would allow you to turn off every light inside and out the truck.. I have one for my 19 Laramie Longhorn.

 

[turkeybird56]

Police vehicles have a different programming for the lighting that works in conjunction with the added flashing lights. They even have switchable red interior lighting to preserve night vision when on "stake out" in the dark.

Specifically built PD vehicles have a "master" switch that turns off all Exterior Lighting, even the rings around the headlights on RAM, FORD, GM.

 

[turkeybird56]

OK, feeling a bit dumb here. Went to a drive thru Christmas light show.
How in the heck do we turn all the lights off on these damned trucks, 2019 1500 Laramie.
Tried everything I could think off even played with that damned electric park brake. It turned them off for a second,
then right back on.

On MY 19, I have all the DRL's turned off. But the headlight ring that comes on is burned/built into BCM and dealerships are unable to deactivate. I know, I tried. However, I do not know if Alpha OBD can disable and/or Tazer DT, as I do not have either.

 

[RamDiver]

Tazer Dt would allow you to turn off every light inside and out the truck.. I have one for my 19 Laramie Longhorn.

Does the Tazer DT divulge where in the BCM these configuration switches exist and would you care to share these details?

.

 

[NETim]

I know that part of adding DRL's to my '14 using AlfaOBD, one step is adding the option to turn DRL's on and off on the settings menu on the radio. Whether this is a valid option on a 5th gen, I dunno.

 

[runamuck]

seems like on my '19 laramie there was a setting where I could turn em off. I think it is pretty lame some of the light shows these trucks have going on wile going down the road.

 

[RamDiver]

I know that part of adding DRL's to my '14 using AlfaOBD, one step is adding the option to turn DRL's on and off on the settings menu on the radio. Whether this is a valid option on a 5th gen, I dunno.

Where in AlfaOBD do you add the option for the DRL on/off switch to appear on the radio?

I would never want to disable all lights while driving but it sure would be nice while parked.

.

 

[Sherman Bird]

OK, feeling a bit dumb here. Went to a drive thru Christmas light show.
How in the heck do we turn all the lights off on these damned trucks, 2019 1500 Laramie.
Tried everything I could think off even played with that damned electric park brake. It turned them off for a second,
then right back on.

Few things irk me more than the "Nanny State" of newer vehicles. Making current vehicles that throw the trans into park just because one opens the door, the ding ding ding ding of a seat belt chime really chaps my hide. All this collision avoidance technology aimed at codifying those who just CAN'T or WON'T get their noses out of their damned cell phones, or otherwise do not attend to "flying the aircraft" so to speak. The upcoming passive breathalyzers in new vehicles, coupled with the connectivity "reporting" the so-called DUI incident are all chips away at our autonomy.

You not being able to turn off your lights is because some few people have caused or been in accidents from driving at night, with the lights off. The few victims' rights trump those of the masses, so it would seem.

As for me, I choose to own older cars from the era of common sense (remember that?) and operate my own lights, buckle my seatbelt without constant nagging, etc.

.... and the tail wags the dog, eh?

 

[TRK_GANG74]

Does the Tazer DT divulge where in the BCM these configuration switches exist and would you care to share these details?

.

Here is a link to the page for Tazer Dt and the instruction manual. The changes you make a reversible. I haven’t had any issues in the month I’ve been using it.

Tazer DT – Z Automotive

www.zautomotive.com

 

[Curmudgeon]

I often think we are not really helping ourselves as we continually seek to preserve the shallow end of the gene pool.

This may seem callous, and maybe I am, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything, and let the problem solve itself?

Folks driving at night, no lights, or driving in inclement weather (sometimes at night!) and still not lights.
I suppose it doesn't help that so many dashboards are LED-lit and are always on, day and night, and an idiot operator who sees the dash lights on and thinks that the headlights are on as well.

My USA 2014 Laramie lets me turn everything off or on as I choose. But I guess I got into the habit of running with lights on while driving a company car for 25 years.

 

[NETim]

Where in AlfaOBD do you add the option for the DRL on/off switch to appear on the radio?

I would never want to disable all lights while driving but it sure would be nice while parked.

.

I cannot find the video/written procedure I used to enable this feature but I know it exists because I am neither bold nor clever enough to work it out myself but:

 

[18CrewDually]

Where in AlfaOBD do you add the option for the DRL on/off switch to appear on the radio?

I would never want to disable all lights while driving but it sure would be nice while parked.

.

Are your DRLs on upon starting, OR do they come on when you put it in gear?

 

[RamDiver]

I cannot find the video/written procedure I used to enable this feature but I know it exists because I am neither bold nor clever enough to work it out myself but:

Awesome and thanks. I'll explore that to see if my Canadian'ized truck can have that switch activated.

.

 

[RamDiver]

Are your DRLs on upon starting, OR do they come on when you put it in gear?

AFAIR, they only come on after moving out of park.

I'll try to confirm that today when I pick up a volunteer, in a couple of hours.

Why, what are you thinking about that?

.

 

[18CrewDually]

AFAIR, they only come on after moving out of park.

I'll try to confirm that today when I pick up a volunteer, in a couple of hours.

Why, what are you thinking about that?

.

I ask because if that is the case you should be able to add the soft key to turn them off. But I've seen some Canadianized vehicles in the past that were on at startup and wasn't as easy to disable. Sounds like you should have no worry.

 

[Jerrybob]

Few things irk me more than the "Nanny State" of newer vehicles. Making current vehicles that throw the trans into park just because one opens the door, the ding ding ding ding of a seat belt chime really chaps my hide. All this collision avoidance technology aimed at codifying those who just CAN'T or WON'T get their noses out of their damned cell phones, or otherwise do not attend to "flying the aircraft" so to speak. The upcoming passive breathalyzers in new vehicles, coupled with the connectivity "reporting" the so-called DUI incident are all chips away at our autonomy.

You not being able to turn off your lights is because some few people have caused or been in accidents from driving at night, with the lights off. The few victims' rights trump those of the masses, so it would seem.

As for me, I choose to own older cars from the era of common sense (remember that?) and operate my own lights, buckle my seatbelt without constant nagging, etc.

.... and the tail wags the dog, eh?

I hear ya.....for the first few months....I hated the automatic colonoscopy feature in my RAM.....then I realized I shouldn't carry the key fob in my rear pocket!