DRLs just popped on

[aakelley]

Walked out to do some work around the house and noticed the headlights were on. Been sitting for a couple days after a trip and I know they were off since we got back. Hadn’t been on long enough to drain the battery since it started right up. Checked and the tail lights are on too. Pulled the DRL fuse and everything turns off. Pulled the DRL relay and tested with a 12v battery and continuity is what it should be.

Any other ideas where I might find this latest ghost in the machine?

It’s a 1999 bluebird conventional. I had electrical issues a year ago (wouldn’t start - seemed some safety engaged that I could never find) which I solved with a temp contact push button starter switch directly wired between the battery and the starter.

[BamaBus]

Would this be a Bluebird on a Freightliner chassis?

[aakelley]

Freightliner

[BamaBus]

I have the same with the same issue. I'm about to pick up its '01 twin and need to find the problem myself before it drains another set of batteries. I pulled the 20amp DRL fuse, unplugged some connectors behind the small headlight light dash panel then put it on the back burner until now. I can't remember how the connectors go or if I removed something (which is not in the bus currently).

[aakelley]

So just pulling the fuse didn’t work for you? I messed around with a bunch of things in the fuse box area (fuses and relays) but put them all back except that fuse and it shuts off for me.

[BamaBus]

Yes pulling the fuse turned off the lights but I not sure it stopped the drain. The times they came on seemed to be inconsistent. I left it and went on to other things and batteries are now disconnected. I will be getting back to it in the next day or two. Have you pulled the dash panel with the light switch? I am curious what the connections look like and if I removed a switch. I should have the other bus first of next week for reference.

[dbsoundman]

For what it’s worth, the bus garage that had my bus before me completely removed and bypassed the DRL module, so I’m thinking they’re common problem children.

[aakelley]

Any pointers on where to find the DRL module on a 99 bluebird conventional with a freightliner chassis and/or what it looks like? Do I need to remove it to stop the drain on the battery or is the fuse out enough?

[dbsoundman]

Originally Posted by aakelley

Any pointers on where to find the DRL module on a 99 bluebird conventional with a freightliner chassis and/or what it looks like? Do I need to remove it to stop the drain on the battery or is the fuse out enough?

Hopefully your bus has diagrams pasted to the inside of the electrical cabinet door that gives you an idea of the position of different relays, fuses, and modules. I don't know what mine looked like because I never had one...

[BamaBus]

Originally Posted by aakelley

Any pointers on where to find the DRL module on a 99 bluebird conventional with a freightliner chassis and/or what it looks like? Do I need to remove it to stop the drain on the battery or is the fuse out enough?

Mine was inside, firewall area, in line with the air brake pull knob. Needed T40 and T25 bits to get better access. Removing the DRL control this morning was as far as I got. Google "Model 1323F".

[Sehnsucht]

Not a bus but my Wrangler has a proximity sensor and turns on the headlights/taillights when it senses someone approaching. The rationale for this on a Wrangler is security when the top and/or doors are removed there's basically nothing between a thief and the vehicle's interior. But unless your bus has removable top and doors I cannot imagine such a similar system being present to cause the symptoms! LOL but seriously there are so many gadgets and nanny systems available on school buses that usually require removal or defeated it's nearly impossible to guess what is the culprit and it's like your own personal brainteaser to solve. Just please be careful and document what you're doing if you start removing stuff - too many people disabled their own buses by just yanking out wiring not knowing what it did or what it interconnected with.

[David from Ontario]

I recently had an electrical problem with my 2004 Thomas Freightliner where running lights would remain on after the key was out of the ignition. I took it to the Thomas dealer. They traced it to a loose ground connection - a post about eye level in the main fuse panel had a loose nut on it.

I could envision a loose ground keeping lights OFF but not on. But that's what they said, and the problem is fixed now.

[BamaBus]

Originally Posted by aakelley

Any pointers on where to find the DRL module on a 99 bluebird conventional with a freightliner chassis and/or what it looks like? Do I need to remove it to stop the drain on the battery or is the fuse out enough?

After I removed and unplugged the harness leading to the DRL control behind the dash, the headlights and taillights still work fine. May have been ok to just remove the fuse, or just unplug it, but I didn't want a seemingly defective part still in the bus. There was another thread here involving a similar issue where a possible fire occurred, and I don't want to chance having that happen.