New owner question...daytime running lights

DRLs, unfortunately are not available if you have HID headlights. You can leave the headlights turned on all of the time as they will automatically turn on/of as you power on or off.

 

Package 5 is a halogen headlight package. However DRLs are not offered in U.S. delivered vehicles.

 

You do realize that DRL in the US are actually worse for pedestrians and bicyclists because every other driver becomes accustom to associating "bright" lights with a moving car. In the Unite States, DRL are _exceedingly_ stupid.

Europe has real DRLs, also known as "city lights", that are generally a 6-12w, or low wattage, bulb so that the car has some illumination but not as much as a full lamp.

If you want DRLs, create a PWM circuit to connect to the halogen headlamps... The HIDs can be easily dimmed; ever notice some BMW's have HIDs but they are not at bright as the low beam?

 

How would we do this for the HID system?

Thanks!

..

 

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That is also the case in the Scandinavian countries and Canada as well. DRL were mandated in Canada starting with 1990 new vehicles. There is no requirement to mandate older vehicles to run with their low beams, although folks are "encouraged" to do so. Such as the "lights on for life" highway signs.

Folks eventually get used to headlights (Reduced intensity or regular low beam intensity) on all the time, so they tune it out. And here in Canada, there are still quite a few cars and trucks made before 1990, so they don't have DRL anyway.

After an initial steep decline in clear-weather crashes, the rate went back up. Now here in Manitoba, to counter a growing crash rate involving other vehicles, school busses are equipped with clear strobe lights on top that are on anytime the bus has kids onboard.

 

Hey,
I've had my 2005 Package #3 for a month now and didn't realize the headlights would turn off automatically when system powered off and driver's door is opened. Cool!! I'd been worried I might accidently leave them on, as there was no chime to remind me.

 

Yup, however if you recycle the headlight contril, the headlights will remain on. They will also remain on if you power on and off the vehicle without opening the door. Happened to a poster's wife, who took a nap after using a restarea bathroom followed by powering on to lower the windows. Woke up to a dead battery.