Headlights turn on after turning truck on

I'm having a problem with the headlights they turn on after I turn truck on and stay on regardless of turning light on or off or highbeams on or off . They seem to turn off only if I turn vehicle off with the doors closed and the turn off a few seconds after . It's a 97 Tacoma 2wd

 

DRLs?

 

This

 

I don't have daytime tuning lights . When I start my truck a few seconds go by and I can hear an audible click and that click is the sound of the headlights turning on . After they turn on I cannot turn them off even though the light switch is on off position . I can use the high beams and low beam but I can't get it to turn off when I'm driving during the day . They just started doing this . They turn off only when I park with doors closed. Key out of ignition and takes about 30 seconds to turn off . Other than that I cannot turn them off when I need to

 

I'm not sure if it's a dimmer switch or the whole light switch or a relay . I just don't want to take it to Toyota dealer to get ripped off if it's something I can fix myself .

 

That would be drls there is a wire you can cut and tape off if you would not like them to stay on and the headlights will only turn on with the switch

 

If not the drls, I'm not sure what the electrical issue is

 

Was any electrical work done ??

Any drilling or putting screws in??

 

I just got this truck a few weeks ago everything is stock the lights worked fine they wouldnt turn on by themselves before when I would start the truck . I was able to have the lights off when I wanted too or use the side markers only . But I took it camping recently I'm not sure if cold weather made it get stuck somehow because in the morning I noticed the lights were on after I started the car and the light switch was off . So I do not have DRL . Now the light switch doesn't work to turn off the lights .

 

I drove this vehicle before a few times at night too and the lights would never start themselves . So now I can't just use my side markers when I want or have any control over the settings . I just don't want to cut anything if It might be something I can just replace

 

either a bad ground somewhere or one of the switches/relays for the lights. thankfully they still get cut off when the truck stops. that's one feature I appreciate with the Tacoma

 

Yea I need to look into it I was wondering if anyone had the same problem . I don't want to take to mechanic or Toyota to inspect it they want an arm and a leg . $$$ before they even start to fix it

 

Is there anyone on these threads with similar problem on a 1st gen 1997 Tacoma ? I'm trying to find some but no clue . I'm new to Tacoma world

 

Maybe you have a head light relay sticking on maybe try swapping in your horn relay in for the headlight relay and see if that fixes your problem.

 

Where do you live help might be close at hand !!

If you were close I would be glad to help

Now is it just the head lights ??

The rest of the tail lights don`t come on and still work like they should with the switch ??

What is strange is that the headlights are not wired through the ignition switch.

If the relay contacts were stuck closed they would stay on all the time till the battery was drained.

Now this gets interesting as someplace there is a ground shorted to the head light circuit via the ignition switch

By chance any aftermarket alarm or DRL kits added you were never told about when you bought the truck??

You pretty much need to look for wiring that just does not look factory.

 

So I have no daytime running lights . When I start my truck like 10 to 15 seconds after startup the headlights turn on and I can hear a click when they do that it seems like the sound is in the steering colum I'm not sure . So I can still turn on the side markers and taillights and I have hi and lo beams functioning . I just don't know why I can't turn off the headlights after they come one my themselves . And when they turn on my lights switch is turned off . I'm not sure what it is . And I live in California

 

Yes so it's only the headlights giving me that problem and I don't want it to be something that might be draining my battery either I need to fix asap

 

Has no alarm installed just a basic Sony CD player in the counsel nothing fancy .

 

I don't know how mechanically inclined you are but the first thing I would check is the headlight switch.That's what's supposed to trigger the relay, your hearing click, to turn them off/on and simplest to rule out. Unplug it and see if headlights stay on.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/headlight-switch-removal-info-needed.247178/

 

Here's the headlight wiring diagram for a 98,I don't have one for a 97.