DIY: DRL Disable, the yellow wire method

actually.. .thats on vamp's diy guide. but his method is to use a toggle switch so you can disable/enable drl whenever needed.

Oh...was vamp's the yellow wire method too? It looked far more complicated than what I did :/ I figured grounding it instead of a switch would be a more efficient method.

DIY: DRL Disable, the yellow wire method

I haven't seen it in the DIY page, so I don't know if anyone know about it (I'm sure you all do, but it took me a while to find this method since it wasn't available on CorollaToys DIY page). But compared to all the other methods that was said and done on the DIY page, this is by far the simplest method if you want to kill the DRL and auto lights permanetly, without any brake lights or relays. Just cutting one wire is enough for this operation:

What you will need:
-Something to strip and cut wires
-A 26-gauge or lower stranded wire (you can get it from Fry's for cheap)
-Some electrical tape

Look for the DRL relay. It's a small little box with a label on the side (branded AISIN. Mines was a blue label), with wires coming out of it, right about the brake pedal. Be careful though! There's another small box with wires coming out of it similar to the DRL relay, but it does not have any label on it. That is the alarm relay (or so I believe). And cutting the yellow wire there will screw up your door's autolock!

In case you still don't know where it is, precisely it should be located about the height of the steering wheel when you look above the brake pedal.

After you find the DRL relay, do this:



The image and this method was found from
http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=1188&page=2

To give even the worst mechanics some confidence, the people suggested you unscrew the one screw that holds the DRL relay. You really don't have to do it. (the screw that was on my car was so tight I gave up trying to unscrew it) Also, there is only ONE yellow wire. So there's NO way you can cut the wrong wire unless you're colorblind.

Your goal from here is to cut the yellow wire, and connect the end coming from the relay to the ground nearby. When you cut the yellow wire, leave about three inches of it from the relay (so there's room for stripping). It's recommended you don't cut enough of the yellow wire to connect to the ground nearby (in case you need to reconnect it later for whatever reasons, you'd want it nearby).

Now, strip the end of the yellow wire coming from the relay, and use the 26-gauge wire (or whatever wire you have), and bridge the yellow wire to the ground near it (there should be a couple of white wires going to a screw. That's the ground). Use the electrical tape to taper the ends of the wires you cut and bridged.

You're done! DRL gone!

If you're thinking of conversion to HID (which I'm about to do), disabling DRL so it doesn't turn on during the day really helps conserve your bulb's life. Plus, it's less annoying if you ask me anyway.

Oh yeah, you don't need to disconnect your car's battery for this. Just make sure your car key is not in the starter and you don't have your lights on.

EDIT:
I guess I should also add this for the illustration:

The illustration is taken from a 03 Vibe. Though not a corolla, the same relay and setup is used on 03+ Corollas (all models). Corollas from previous years may have a different relay/setup. So if you are attempting this with an older corolla, ask if you're doing it correctly first.

yes it is. it's pretty easy...he just goes into a bit more detail.

where exactly is it? i have a 98 and i can't find it in the jumble of wires anywhere. do you have to peel the plastic covering off? or maybe im just too wimp

The Toyota TSB shows 99/00 Corolla as pin #23 (same as Vamps DIY) shown as Ign lead.

The yellow wire if it is pin #13 is shown the 00 wiring as Chg--

If you have a Canada sold model, they have a different control and the pins will be different.

the 99 and 98 are almost identical. i live in kentucky loll so i would think its american. but i'll check it out. because above the brake pedal are just the steering crank and some other lubed parts. the ECU diagnostic is to the right and thats where all the cables are.

which one is better? ground or make a switch?
cause i did mine with a switch method, but sometimes when i make a sharp turn..
my headlight will turn on by itself..
if i just wanna ground it, how can i do?

Get the wire that you used to connect to the switch from the relay, and find a ground inside. Connect it.

I guess I should also add this for the illustration:

The illustration is taken from a 03 Vibe. Though not a corolla, the same relay and setup is used on 03+ Corollas (all models). Corollas from previous years may have a different relay/setup. So if you are attempting this with an older corolla, ask if you're doing it correctly first.

gotcha. thanks