Xref has multiple references. Not detached. Even though attached as Overlay!

[kkuecker-traffic]

I know the difference between attach and overlay for reference files. 

The problem here is that the xref IS attacehd as an overlay and I am still not able to detach it.

I am working on WisDOT transportation plans.  For those that are not familiar with these projects, certain reference files must plot black in some plan sections, but grey in others.  When we submit the plans to the utility companies, all utilities must be black. but are grey in everyother submittal.  I changed the xref level attributes to plot black with the intensions of detaching the xref and reattaching to revert back to the orignial grey level attributes.  Is there anyway that changing the level attributes is somehow not letting the xref be detached?

So frustrating.

[Neilw_05]

The only thing that comes to mind is the XREF you are wanting to detach is nested within another XREF attached to your drawing. You would have to detach the parent XREF to make it detach.

An easy way to determine the nesting order of attached files is to set your XREF manager to show the references in tree view.

Attached is a screencap showing nested XREF's in tree view (ACAD 2004 version shown)

As a side point, have you considered using a plot style table to manage the different output colors? It would eliminate having to change layer settings for each type of output.