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Headlights turn on by themselves?

Tiny
BONNIELYBRAND
  • MEMBER
  • 2015 HYUNDAI ELANTRA
  • 4 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 67,000 MILES
I am having an issue that my headlights are turning on by themselves when the car is off, locked and the fob is no where close to it.
Thursday, July 26th, 2018 AT 12:21 PM

8 Replies

Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,032 POSTS
I have seen the DRL control unit go out and turn the headlights on randomly. Here is the location of the DRL controller so you can swap it out, this should fix the problem. Check out the images (below). Let us know what you find.
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Sunday, July 29th, 2018 AT 7:35 AM
Tiny
BONNIELYBRAND
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  • 4 POSTS
Not sure if they turn off after five minutes of turning on inadvertently. When I am told they are on I go turn them off. No other issues- the chime does not turn on when the door is open and the lights are on. No issues with the dome lights.
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Sunday, July 29th, 2018 AT 7:49 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,032 POSTS
Your car has the automatic headlight option correct? When you do not need to turn on the switch for the lights to come on? Do they turn on anytime day or night or is it only when the car is setting in a dark area? My thought is that the light module is not shutting off when you shut off the car. If the lights only turn on when it is darker out that gives a place to start on the wiring diagram. When you turn them off how are you doing that? Just turning the switch to off?
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Sunday, July 29th, 2018 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
BONNIELYBRAND
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
It is not labeled “auto”. I was leaving in the on position and when I lock the car with the fob they turn off. No, the issue is mostly in broad daylight.
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Monday, July 30th, 2018 AT 5:27 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,032 POSTS
Okay, so you do not have the auto position like the image shows? Yours has Off, then DRL, then the parking lights and headlights as the last position, correct. You are leaving the switch in the DRL position?
Then you shut off the engine, lock the doors and the lights go off after fifteen seconds or so, correct.
Now however they are coming back on after they shut off and they were not doing this before.
Looking at the wiring and the control system it looks like the only real failure item would be in the intelligent fuse panel or the body control module. As those control the lights and the DRLs.
There are a couple options. The cheapest would be to just turn the switch to off every time. The other would be to visit a dealer and have them use a scan tool to check the way the two modules are reading the inputs from the switch and the engine computer. You description sounds like the doors lock and the body controller reacts and turns off the lights but then a later signal is telling them to activate.

There has not been anything like a remote start or aftermarket radio, alarm or such installed prior to this issue? Those can cause a host of problems on newer vehicles because of all the computer controls.
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Monday, July 30th, 2018 AT 10:26 AM
Tiny
BONNIELYBRAND
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
You are correct with all of your questions and discrimination's. Yes, I have been turning them off and have not had any issues. Thank you very much for your help and time.
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Monday, July 30th, 2018 AT 11:12 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,032 POSTS
That would be the easiest solution, and by far the least expensive. I suspect there is a minor glitch in the programming at $200.00+ to fix it, when the switch will work. If it needs to go into a shop for something else you could mention it then. Or if it starts doing something else. You could drop by a dealer and just ask them if it is a problem, you are a bit over the warranty but they might look at it as a goodwill item. (Probably will not with the way they are these days but it might be worth a phone call).

Thank you for using 2carpros, please return anytime with your automotive questions. We are here to help.
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Monday, July 30th, 2018 AT 5:17 PM
Tiny
ABCMISSME
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Same issue has happened with my 2017 Hyundai Elantra last night. This is the 3rd time this has happened.

The first time it ever happened I just bought the car at 40,000km I thought I left the lights on, neighbor knocked on the door to tell me my lights were on but noticed they were in auto so in just turned them to off position.

At some point I put it back in auto. Second time happened last year ago it happened I woke up in the morning to see that my battery was drained and I need a boost. Brought car to dealer, couldn't replicate so that was a waste of time.

The common denominator so far is night time is when these lights turn on when in auto.

Third time last night. Brought car to new mechanic 1month ago. I had the car light in on position for months no issue. They returned the car and switched it to auto. I thought sure whatever let me leave it on auto.

But yesterday evening, before it was really dark outside but after sunset lights were in auto position and never came on while driving, which I thought was odd.
I parked my car, turned off the car, left lights in auto position, walk away from my car, lock my car and lights remained off. Then I glance out my window 2-3 hours later when it was really dark outside and I was shocked to see the lights on on my car. It looked like the car was turned on but when I walked to the vehicle no lights were on inside the vehicle, the dash was completely off.

I purchased the car used, and it has a remote starter already installed.
Since Steve mentioned remote start may be a culprit I really thought back to when I last used the remote start. It was yesterday evening when I started driving and the lights were in auto position and never turned on while driving as I said.

It's like the car didn't realize it was parked and turned off and it just decided to turn on the lights long after I have left the vehicle.

So from now on I'm done with auto.
I'll turn my lights on manually and off manually before I leave the vehicle. I know I'll use the remote start feature more often to see if there is a correlation. But that's my two cents. The car has been good otherwise. Just this possible battery draining issue when the lights become possessed and have a kind of their own and decide to turn on when the car is fully off, key out of the ignition, and leaves the vehicle with me, no fob.
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Thursday, July 8th, 2021 AT 8:21 PM

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