What would make all the lights come on with just the running lights on

PLEASE take the time to put some punctuation in that huge sentence, otherwise it can be read three different ways. Also please clarify "runs ok but it's not right". We could guess all day about what "not right" means.

If you're referring to all the warning lights on the dash are turning on, they all have various computers involved which are very sensitive to system voltage. GM has a very poor design generator since the 1987 models. They are responsible for a lot of electrical trouble. Start by using an inexpensive digital voltmeter to measure battery voltage while the engine is running. It must be between 13.75 and 14.75 volts. If it is low, suspect the generator. It is a very high-failure item. To reduce the number of repeat failures, replace the perfectly good battery at the same time unless it is less than about two years old. As they age they lose their ability to dampen and absorb the harmful voltage spikes these generators produce due to their design. Your old battery will work fine in 1986 and older cars.

Is anything covering the nightime sensor in the passenger speaker?

The lights stay off until they vehicle is put in drive then all the lights come on. Have noticed 3 friends that have 1999, 2000, 2003 the running lights as well as headlights come on when put in any gear other than park. My own 2003 did the same thing. I researched it and found I was able to disconnect it and the system still works fine except the lights are off during the that day. The automatic light control does work normally as well as the light switch. For more information check http://www.lightsout.org/disable.html It is the DADRL

That has nothing to do with the DADLR, the company put it on as a safety thing years ago. I have a automatic and my friend had a 4 speed with a 4 cyl engine. What I did was where the fuses are under the hood and just bend a tab over on each of the two relays and it disconnected the daytime running lights and went back to normal lights. At night the lights come on automatically when headlight switch is set.

Thanks M_H_RITZEL. I'm only familiar enough with GM's daytime running lamps to know they're hard to figure out. I don't like anything on my cars that computers do automatically for me that I can do myself, like turning off dome lights or locking a sliding door when I close it long after I pressed the lock button. The engineers cater to the people who like those toys, which is fine, but they forget about the rest of us who just want basic, reliable transportation. That's why I'm sticking with my rusty trusty '88 Grand Caravan.

Then again, daytime running lights are nice for those of us up north where people don't turn their lights on when it's snowing or raining and their cars blend into the road and can't be seen. But I wonder why the engineers insist on using a computer module to pulse the high beams at 80 percent duty cycle and causes them to glare in other people's rear view mirrors, when a simple ten-dollar relay running the low beams would do the same thing and be less annoying. I worry about what I'm missing by driving around so often with my mirror set to "night" during the daytime.

Thanks again for the information.

Your welcome anytime