Passenger DRL not working in auto mode on 2017 Kia Optima EX... any ideas?

I’m dealing with an issue on my 2017 Kia Optima EX. The passenger side daytime running light (DRL) doesn’t work when the car is in auto mode, but it does work in other modes like parking lights, manual headlights, and even when I unlock the car. Anyone know what could be causing this?

Have you checked the voltage on the wiring? Could be a wiring issue or something off in the connection. Make sure the yellow wire on pin 12 of the headlight connector is getting 12V.

Umbrielle said:
Have you checked the voltage on the wiring? Could be a wiring issue or something off in the connection. Make sure the yellow wire on pin 12 of the headlight connector is getting 12V.

Not yet, but I’ll check the voltage when I get a chance. Thanks for the tip.

Umbrielle said:
Have you checked the voltage on the wiring? Could be a wiring issue or something off in the connection. Make sure the yellow wire on pin 12 of the headlight connector is getting 12V.

I had a similar problem, and it turned out to be a loose connection. Double-check those pins just in case.

If everything checks out with the wiring, it might be the headlight assembly itself. Sometimes the DRL module inside can fail in weird ways, like only in auto mode.

Garcia said:
If everything checks out with the wiring, it might be the headlight assembly itself. Sometimes the DRL module inside can fail in weird ways, like only in auto mode.

Makes sense. I guess I’ll have to replace the headlight assembly if the wiring looks fine.

Had a similar issue where the DRL worked in all modes except auto. Replacing the headlight assembly fixed it. Could be a fault in the LED circuit or control module.

RadiantRogue said:
Had a similar issue where the DRL worked in all modes except auto. Replacing the headlight assembly fixed it. Could be a fault in the LED circuit or control module.

Sounds like that’s the direction I’m headed. Appreciate the insight.

It’s worth comparing the voltage readings from both sides. If one side has a different reading, it could point to a specific problem with the faulty side’s assembly.

PoshMan said:
It’s worth comparing the voltage readings from both sides. If one side has a different reading, it could point to a specific problem with the faulty side’s assembly.

Good idea. I’ll try that to see if there’s any difference between the two sides.

Glad to hear swapping out the headlight assembly fixed it for you. Sometimes these issues just don’t make sense until you try replacing parts.

Miller said:
Glad to hear swapping out the headlight assembly fixed it for you. Sometimes these issues just don’t make sense until you try replacing parts.

Yeah, looks like I’ll have to go down that route. Thanks for the confirmation!