I start the car in the garage and what I assume is the headlights come on. I've never gotten out the car to check tail lights. What I have keyed off is the fact that the dash lights dim, can't read the radio. When I back out into the sun light they do not go to DRL as the radio display stays dimmed. I have to turn off the autolights, which we know is only temporary. This is an 07 HHR

I've had this happen in sunlight situations also, thus my feeling that the sensor may need changing.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "autolights".

If you leave the stalk switch on "auto" the sensor will take care of everything. Don't go by the dash lights, they have a several different modes. I killed my battery the first night I had my first HHR because I switched the headlights "on" then parked the car after a long drive home.

The sensor is actually a switch for the DRL, not the headlights.

There are several easier things to try first if they are not operating correctly. Like fuses and relays. I'm just trying to save you all that work.

 

This is based on observations over time. When the car was new and for many years the lights would come on when I started in the garage and as soon as I backed out of the garage into sunlight they would go off. They no longer work that way, hence the determination that something is not right, unless someone snuck in and reprogrammed the functionality at some point.

The only way to get lights off now, after I have backed out of the garage is to turn of "auto" at which point the radio lights go to normal and all is good. If that does not indicate a potential problem with the sensor, then I'm not sure what does.

 

OK. I tend to not tearing things apart until I'm positive I need to. Do whatever you want.

Seems like asking someone to actually look at the tail lights would be easy. Or looking at fuses and relays first. And understanding what is normal behavior See pages 164-165 in your Owner Manual.

 

Is the sensor clean? Had a similar problem, lights didn't go out after leaving the garage for about 2 blocks. Turned out to be a dirty sensor (film) similar to windshield if not cleaned over a long period of time.

 

I'll give it a try.

 

Here's what happens for me, at 9:30 AM facing east. Manual trans, neutral, park brake on.

Start in garage, headlights and taillights on, radio lights and DIC are dim.

Pull out of garage, no change. This is because the wiper is casting shade on sensor.

Pull wiper up, radio and DIC go bright, taillights go off, headlights go to DRLs.

So make sure there is no shade on the sensor, before deciding it's no good.