You will need to turn on high beams for better vision, especially when driving upcountry or on narrow roads without street lights. This article shows how to make low beams stay on with high beams Silverado.

Unlike the low beam, the high beam is designed to be turned on manually by default. When you turn on the light while driving in the dark, you will need to turn the high beams manually just in case you need extra light.

Interestingly, Silverado trucks are designed so that the low beam turns off automatically when the high beams are turned on. If you want more light and a clear vision, how will you make low beams stay on with high beams Silverado?

How do the headlights work?

 

Headlights work in much the same way as spotlights. Functionally, they are designed to illuminate the roadway in darkness.

So, a vehicle’s headlights should be placed to ensure that they provide the driver with optimum visibility.

Of course, the positioning of the headlights should be such that they don’t affect other road users.

In older cars, the positioning of headlights is typically done using a screwdriver. In contrast, in modern and up-to-date cars, the adjustment/ positioning of headlights are made from inside the engine bay.

While headlight adjustment is not technical, getting the correct angle and positioning is not always easy.

It thus requires the help of a licensed expert to make the adjustments and create optimum lighting conditions.

How do the high beams work?

While headlights are generally designed to provide drivers with visibility, they come in two settings: low and high beam lights, which function differently.

How does the high beam function? It is designed to provide light beams that travel upwards.

It uses an asymmetrical beam to illuminate the road ahead. For this reason, the high beam illuminates the road ahead and both sides of the road.

The beam is thus significantly brighter than the low beam. So, how do the low headlights work?

Pros of high beams

• Extend visibility
• It is ideal for driving on upcountry and deserted highways
• It can be used as a warning signal

Cons of high beams

• Consumes more energy
• Not recommended for city driving

How does the low beam work?

The beam uses the asymmetrical beam to light the road ahead of the car. A low-beam lighting system is designed to light at a relatively wider angle, focusing on the road periphery.

What differentiates between the two beams? With the low beam, it means that the side of the road for oncoming vehicles is less illuminated, but the road on your lane and the road periphery on your side is fully illuminated.

Typically, the differences mentioned above are the minimum for the two beams.

However, knowing the difference doesn’t help unless you know when to switch on one for the other, right?

Knowing when to use either of the beam lights is paramount for your security and that of other road users.

Low beam is essentially used for city driving when lousy visibility results from weather conditions like fog or even smoke, and lastly when driving right behind a car.

On the other hand, high beams should be used on darker roads that may need occasional lighting but not when approaching or coming up behind a car or when you close on oncoming traffic.

Pros of low beams

• Low beams ensure the safety of oncoming traffic and thus minimize accidents.
• Low beams are ideal for all weather conditions.
• It doesn’t cause strain on the pedestrian or other motorists.
• Ideal for city driving

The cons of low beams

• Limited visibility

How to make high and low beams stay on simultaneously

When you activate the high beam, the low beam on your Silverado turns off. This is so by default, and it works pretty much the same for almost all modern trucks.

The older trucks use an older system, where the low beam remains on when the high beams are activated. So, how are you going to keep both beams on?

Here is a plain language guide to help you.

The Silverado truck has been around for a while. This means there are different models here, different in structure and make. What does this imply?

With any of the available models, there are many ways of approaching an issue. Indeed, there is not only one means of making low beams stay on with high beams.

After assessing different engine developments, we have come up with two ways of fixing this challenge.

• Fixing the beams for pre-2003 Silverado models
• Fixing the beams for post-2003 Silverado models.

Also Read: Fixing P0300 Code Chevy Silverado Issues

How to make high and low beams stay on in older Silverado models

The factory default settings don’t allow the low and high beams to be on simultaneously. You must twist the system a bit to have the high and low beams on concurrently.

Altering how the lighting system works is straightforward and can be done following an uncomplicated instructional guide. Here is how to do it:

01. Start by taking out the headlight

it is pretty straightforward. You will find a removable holder on the top of the headlight when you open the hood of your engine.

Remove the holder and carefully remove the headlight. Use extra caution when unplugging the headlight so as not to break it or damage the wiring system.

02. Identify the positive and negative wires

once you have successfully detached your headlights, you need to differentiate the cables. To do this, you need a voltmeter.

Turn on the headlights and test for the live wire. And once you identify it, reattach it back to the headlight because we will only work with the negatively charged wire.

03. Ground the negative cable

after reattaching the live wire, you now need to work on the negative cable. Next, look for the grounding panel on your engine block and attach the negatively charged cable there.

Try turning on the headlights once more; the trick should work. The high and low headlights should be on concurrently.

How did this work? The whole wiring system in the older Silverado models is designed to run the truck’s electrical systems with one positive and negative charge wire.

In this way, the headlight lighting system is designed such that when the driver turns on the high headlight, the ground cable automatically switches off the low headlight.

So, by grounding the ground cable, we disable this functionality, and thus we can keep both low and high beams on simultaneously.

How do I make low beams and high light concurrently?

The wiring system in the post-2003 Silverado models is a bit complex. Unlike the pre-2003 model, it requires a small modchip to work.

You can purchase the chip online or in your nearby mechanic shop. Fitting the gadget is a bit complex, but you can still successfully install it without the help of an expert. Here is how to do it:

1. Start first by understanding how the fuse box works. The fuse box, also known as a fuse panel, is the electric control center for your vehicle’s electric components. Here, you will find the control center for your headlights.
2. After unplugging the fuse box cover, you will find a user’s guide below the top. This guide can be used to locate the low, high, and fog light fuses. Read through the instructions to identify the section where the headlights are located.
3. Secondly, fix the Modchip—after locating the fuse panel, remove it. Remove the headlight fuses with care to avoid spoiling the electric circuit. However, before doing this, take precautions.
   You don’t want to get electrocuted, so start first by switching off the headlights. Once the fuses are out, you will notice that the holes in the fuses match those of the Modchip. Place the Modchip on the spots, ensuring that they fit perfectly.
4. Putting back the fuses – it is time to put them back on the fuse panel. Place them through the chips instead of plugging them directly into the fuse panel.
   Read through the user guide instructions to ensure you don’t make an error when plugging the fuses back into their original place.

After everything is settled in its proper place, switch on the lights. I hope everything works. The low headlight doesn’t get off when you activate the high headlights.

Put the lid back and ensure everything is in its rightful place.

What is more? Safety! Remember you are dealing with electrical devices, and when working on the fuse panel, remember to switch off the lights to avoid electrocution.

Secondly, read through the procedure of removing and putting back fuse panels to avoid making errors and possibly costly short circuits.

How to Make Low Beams Stay on with High Beams Silverado FAQs

01. What happens when you only need the low beam?

As we have discussed, high and low beams serve different purposes. Their similarity is that they are used to illuminate the road for a clear view, and the differences are the other.

In short, you will need to switch between high and low beams depending on your needs, as we clearly outlined in the introductory section of this article.

While the focus has been on making both beams stay on at the same time, what happens when you only need the low beams?

Remember, you will have to activate the high beam manually. But the low beam turns on automatically the moment you switch on the headlights.

So, if you have the high beams on, you will not need to manually deactivate them so that you can remain with the low beams.

02. Why do my low headlights switch off when I turn on the high beams?

This is a factory-standard setting for all car and truck headlights. By default, the low beams are switched off when the high beams are activated.

To change the headlight circuit system to keep the low and high beams on simultaneously.

How do you make low beams stay on with high beams Silverado?

To keep the high and low beams on older Silverado models, you must reconfigure the wiring system by grounding the negatively charged wire.

However, you need to install a modchip in the fuse panel for the newer models before activating this functionality.

03. How do I activate the high beam?

Unlike the low beam, you have to activate the high beam manually. This can be done using the blinker lever.

04. Are the high beams brighter than the low beams?

Yes, the high beams, by nature, produce more light compared to the low beams.

For instance, while the low beam is focused and only lights up to 160 feet to inform the truck, the high beam illuminates more surfaces simply because of its positioning and angle on the headlight.

05. Is using high beams legal?

Absolutely, but their use is limited to some special occasions.

For instance, it is unacceptable to drive with high beams on city streets with well-lit street lights, but it is acceptable to drive with high beams on deserted highways.

Typically using the high beam should be restricted to dark environments with little on-coming traffic.

06. What differentiates low and high beams?

The difference between the two beams is in the angle of focus.

The low beams focus on a few feet from the car and the periphery, while the high beams focus outwards and upwards.

Also Read: Silverado Leveling Kit Problems

Verdict

Changing the default headlight wiring system on the Silverado is a bit complex, but you can do it without professional help.

We have outlined a step-by-step guide to help you in the process. It will also help to read through and discover various occasions when it is right to use the high or low beams and when to use both beams.