[Mister Salty]

Looking for help figuring out a way to drive with headlights off or with just parking lights on....I've struck out with google

Our family is planning on going to "Lights Under Louisville" this holiday season and would like to be able to drive through the display without annoying fellow light gazers with my headlights...

Any suggestions other than a Louisville Slugger appreciated!

 

[Alvenir]

Welcome to the forum. What year is your Enclave? The recent models have a knob on the left side of the dashboard. The choices are off, auto and on. Apparently, you can't drive with just parking lights on.

 

[Mister Salty]

Thank you! We have a 2016. The knob works while in park but the lights come back on in drive.

 

[Alvenir]

Interesting. Must be a safety feature. I'll have to try that on mine.

 

[rbarrios]

Hmmm....
Ill have to test this out on my 2010 traverse....
Im pretty sure ive signaled back to a semi on the highway by turning light off then back on.

 

[Alvenir]

I just tested mine, after dark. When the door is opened all the lights come on. If the switch is turned to the left, to Off, they go off. The light switch will not stay in the off position. It springs back to Auto, but the lights stay off. When the car is started the lights come back on but if you then turn the switch toward Off, they will go off and stay off, even in Drive. To turn them back on you move the switch two stops to the right and they will come back on. If you move it one stop to the right the parking lights come on.

 

[Mister Salty]

I wonder if I'm missing a setting somewhere. I'll have to run through them again. For me I can turn the knob left to off and it will spring back to the default location as you stated. Headlights will go off in park, but come right back on after shifting to Drive.

 

[Alvenir]

You may not be missing any settings. Many changes were made beginning in 2018.

 

[small batch]

I would guess your switch may be bad. If I turn my 2013 to the left it turns of lights

 

[rbarrios]

Tested my 2010 traverse.. it operates just like Alvenirs.

 

[Mister Salty]

Does it stay off if you shift into drive?

I would guess your switch may be bad. If I turn my 2013 to the left it turns of lights

 

[rbarrios]

On my 2010 i turned off, and shifted to park and drive... and they remained off...
Ill retest to confirm.

 

[small batch]

Does it stay off if you shift into drive?

I can't test mine at the moment. I was involved in an accident. Hopefully rbarrios can answer. I am dealing with the insurance about my issue and it looks like mine may not get fixed.

 

[rbarrios]

Just tested.
In park. Turn off all exterior.
Shift to R to p to drive and back. Lights stay off.
Lights on, shift to drive, turn off, and shift to r, p, r ,d. Lights remain off.

 

[hillsmi]

I wonder if I'm missing a setting somewhere. I'll have to run through them again. For me I can turn the knob left to off and it will spring back to the default location as you stated. Headlights will go off in park, but come right back on after shifting to Drive.

After you shift into drive, and the lights come on, try rotating the switch to off, to see if they turn off, and stay off AFTER you have shifted, and started propelling forward.

 

[Mister Salty]

After you shift into drive, and the lights come on, try rotating the switch to off, to see if they turn off, and stay off AFTER you have shifted, and started propelling forward.

If I turn the knob left to the off position while in Drive nothing happens. The off function only seems to work while in Park. I'm beginning to believe there is know way to make this work without modification.....

 

[small batch]

Hope this helps. from the owners manual of a 2016. Your lights should go off and stay off but maybe not if you have the wipers on

 

[Mister Salty]

Hope this helps. from the owners manual of a 2016. Your lights should go off and stay off but maybe not if you have the wipers on

I think it must be a safety feature for the 2016 model....I had checked the manual looking for a way to disable this feature, but found nothing detailing this safety feature or how to disable.

The headlights do turn off as stated in the manual, but just not in gear.

Appreciate the help!

 

[Mister Salty]

Okay, I may have an answer...I was just on a different forum (GM Trucks) and found a thread where an owner of a 2016 GMC 2500HD was looking for help with the same issue. The original poster was from Canada....Consensus was that since his tuck was sold in Canada this safety feature was required by law.

Our car had been registered in Canada by the previous owner....So, I think I have my answer. Anyone else heard of this?

 

[rbarrios]

Wonder of its builtbinto the switch or in the computer.
Check to see if the canadian parts # matches the us part # for the light switch