Canadian trucks, DRL setup from factory is keeping auto dimming from switching screen to daytime mode

[Patamaran]

2021 Bighorn Built to serve,

Canadian DRL setup is causing the screen to be dim in the daytime. Because the lowbeams are set as DRLs, they are always on, and when low beams are on, the screen Dims.
This happens every time the headlight selector is in auto mode. If I turn the knob to turn off the lights manually, the screen gets brighter again because the Lowbeams are now off. It seems like the Screen brightness takes its Day/Night input from the state of the headlights rather than directly from the sun sensor.

I want my screen to work properly, so I need to know what the US trucks' BCM settings are for DRLs. Canadian vehicles are required to have DRLs to be imported, but are not required to have them once they are in the country, so its perfectly legal to disable all these shenanigans and have a fully functional vehicle.

Does anyone from the US have their BCM settings for DRLs so I can copy them over? Do I have to change the vehicle location of anything like that?

 

[Patamaran]

Just in case anyone else is having this issue, Tunnel detection was mistakenly turned on in the BCM from the factory, and this overrides the DRL settings, turning on the lowbeams all the time. Either get your dealer to fix this setting, or it can be done with Alfaobd. my lights, screen and DRLs are FINALLY working as intended.. (thanks jimmy07 for the tip)

 

[Bengel]

How do you get the dealership yo change it? I think they would just tell me that it is required in Canada

 

[Patamaran]

How do you get the dealership yo change it? I think they would just tell me that it is required in Canada

I did it myself with alfaobd. It isn't the DRLs that you need to turn off its Tunnel detection. then your DRLs, and uconnect screen brightness will actually work properly

 

[DrSizzle]

Patamaran did you ever find out if the US models have the tunnel detection set to on? Having the same problem with Uconnect screen brightness dimming automatically during a mildly overcast day...

Before I get the AlphaOBD I just wanted to see if this is true here as well.

Thanks!

 

[Jimmy07]

Patamaran did you ever find out if the US models have the tunnel detection set to on? Having the same problem with Uconnect screen brightness dimming automatically during a mildly overcast day...

Before I get the AlphaOBD I just wanted to see if this is true here as well.

Thanks!

AlfaOBD can’t help your situation. What you’re experiencing, and what @Patamaran was experiencing are two separate things, and neither have to do with the DRLs.
His situation was because of a new Canada headlight law for 2021 that say headlights and taillights must come on automatically at dark, and the instrument cluster must stay dim if the headlights are off. As a quick solution for 2021 model year for Canadian vehicles, ram used the tunnel detection feature to accomplish this. For 2022, they install headlight switches that don’t have an off position.
Your situation is normal behavior if you have the headlight switch in the auto position. During the daytime when the headlights are off, the radio screen and instrument cluster are at full brightness. As soon as the sun sensor in the center of the dash detects lighting is low enough (overcast), it tells the headlights to automatically turn on, and whenever the headlights are on, the instrument cluster and radio screen dim to the setting on your dimmer dial. The only thing you can really do is dial up your dimmer dial past the detent into full brightness, which is referred to as parade mode. Or, you would just switch the headlight switch from auto to off in those situations.

 

[DrSizzle]

Jimmy07 thank you for the reply. That's kind of a bummer. Is there any other setting available through AlphaOBD to change sensor sensitivity?

 

[Kasper]

AlfaOBD can’t help your situation. What you’re experiencing, and what @Patamaran was experiencing are two separate things, and neither have to do with the DRLs.
His situation was because of a new Canada headlight law for 2021 that say headlights and taillights must come on automatically at dark, and the instrument cluster must stay dim if the headlights are off. As a quick solution for 2021 model year for Canadian vehicles, ram used the tunnel detection feature to accomplish this. For 2022, they install headlight switches that don’t have an off position.
Your situation is normal behavior if you have the headlight switch in the auto position. During the daytime when the headlights are off, the radio screen and instrument cluster are at full brightness. As soon as the sun sensor in the center of the dash detects lighting is low enough (overcast), it tells the headlights to automatically turn on, and whenever the headlights are on, the instrument cluster and radio screen dim to the setting on your dimmer dial. The only thing you can really do is dial up your dimmer dial past the detent into full brightness, which is referred to as parade mode. Or, you would just switch the headlight switch from auto to off in those situations.

I have a 2022 Ram in Canada and this has been driving me crazy as I just need to go into an underpass on a sunny day even and my Lights would go on and my dash would go dark. Or I would be driving home at 7pm heading east with the sun behind me and the lights would go on and the dash lights would go dark. It is still not getting dark out for another 2 freakin hours.
I don't think I should be having to reach down to adjust my dash lights all the time either so after a few months of it driving me crazy I have decided to try something out. I have ordered a new Light switch with the off position and I am just waiting for it to arrive. As soon as it does I will try it and let you all know how it worked out.
If it doesn't work out I will spring for the Alfa OBD and then I can at least adjust my DRL's as well to something cooler looking that the Headlights being on all the time.
I think Ram missed a great opportunity as they could have built DRL Light Options into the system so that you could go in and choose what you wanted to use as DRL's.

Personally the government and the manufactures could have solved the problem much easier. All they had to do was ensure that in order for your dash lights to come on your headlights had to be on just like it was in the old days before they tried to automate everything. Auto Headlights are the real issue and should have been done away with in my opinion.

 

[Sms92]

I have a 2022 Ram in Canada and this has been driving me crazy as I just need to go into an underpass on a sunny day even and my Lights would go on and my dash would go dark. Or I would be driving home at 7pm heading east with the sun behind me and the lights would go on and the dash lights would go dark. It is still not getting dark out for another 2 freakin hours.
I don't think I should be having to reach down to adjust my dash lights all the time either so after a few months of it driving me crazy I have decided to try something out. I have ordered a new Light switch with the off position and I am just waiting for it to arrive. As soon as it does I will try it and let you all know how it worked out.
If it doesn't work out I will spring for the Alfa OBD and then I can at least adjust my DRL's as well to something cooler looking that the Headlights being on all the time.
I think Ram missed a great opportunity as they could have built DRL Light Options into the system so that you could go in and choose what you wanted to use as DRL's.

Personally the government and the manufactures could have solved the problem much easier. All they had to do was ensure that in order for your dash lights to come on your headlights had to be on just like it was in the old days before they tried to automate everything. Auto Headlights are the real issue and should have been done away with in my opinion.

Did buying a new switch with the off position fix the problem? I just purchased a ‘22 rebel. Unknowingly to myself the original owner was from Canada. Not being able to shut my actual headlight bulbs off during the day is beyond aggravating. The only was I’ve found to kinda get around it is to turn on parking lights and fog lights and the low beams will turn off