Roger1

2002 chevy express 2500.

My daytime headlights won't turn off. I have been having problems with them not always coming on for a while. Then yesterday they wouldn't shut off. I pulled the DRL fuse and that shut them off but it also causes my blinkers to not work.

Thoughts / suggestions?

cablesplicer

Try swaping the relay with a known good one . My buddys 2001 gmc 1 ton relay is below steering column under kick plate but there different places gm places them on the same years for some reason . Finding them was half the fun on his , ''not''. His caused his to start flashing like he was saying to other people that there head lights were off . Got him a lot of unwanted attention , lol. Good luck .

Roger1

That's also what I read ... under the steering column.

Of course, I don't see it. Would anyone by chance know where it is?

Just because I don't see it doesn't mean it isn't under the column.

cablesplicer

We removed the plastic cover [kick plate or dash cover not sure of it's gm. name] under the column and there was a bracket holding 3 relays and one was for drl.

Roger1

Yes, I see it, but there is only one relay in the bracket. Combination flashers.

I removed it to see what it was and put it back in. Don't know if coincidence, but now the flashers and blinkers don't work at all. Which is exactly what that relay is for.

Update: I replaced the flasher relay and now my flashers and turn signals work. Plus the turn signals work as well when the DRL fuse is out.

If I could just find where the DRL relay is located. If by Monday I still haven't found it, I'm going up to a Chevy dealer and ask them.

cablesplicer

Glad to hear you got your blinkers , etc. working. If I remember right on some they said were behind or close to the radio and others were on drivers side front end under or behind bumper where it attached to the frame . They were placed where they were because DRL where turned on and off by a ''light'' sensor mounted close by there . One sensor was mounted in like the middle of dash under windshield [relay behind radio] and the other place GM placed the sensor was by front bumper where it attached to the frame. I am going from memory so not saying ''for sure'' but hope I can be of help to another poor soul looking for that relay because I have been there , done that , LOL . Oh yes I also heard some were placed under the hood [body control module ?] with most of the others relays and some fuses , etc. Good luck .

cablesplicer

My buddy's van we fix because his DRL started flashing [sometimes causing head lights to flash at night too] we pulled the fuse first and that left him with no head lights at all but when I found the relay and pulled it DRL were off but his head lights worked fine . HIS was a 2001 GMC but it's weird how two different parts on seemlier vans caused and cured different ways . A ghost in the machine ?

Roger1

Behind/near radio or behind the front bumper. Will look and see.

There is no light sensor, these come on 24/7.

At least the blinkers work with the DRL fuse out now / I just don't have daytime headlights, No law that says they have to exist and when I was out yesterday I noticed that most of the vehicles I saw don't have them on.

cablesplicer

Yes that is what we did , just left them off . Who knows it should make your bulbs last longer and who doesn't want to save money. My advice did not cure your trouble but at least it pointed you in that direction . You know sometimes you think it's one thing but it turns out a problem is caused by an unrelated part .I hope you have good luck in the future too and happy motoring .