My car is slightly to old to have factory fitted DRL's

So I am thinking of fitting some myself. The ones I am thinking off are 24 LED's with a bank of orange. So when normal driving they on full except when turn signal used when they swap between colours. Also at night when side lights are on the dip to low light.

But before I do this do I need to accommodate any special electronics. ie, CANBUS systems, Multiplex Systems, etc.

???

So, you going to be cutting into looms & running new wires and hooking up new bulb holders?

TBH if you have not a clue how to get your Led plan working, then I would not even contemplate it. I'm an eletronics engineer and I don't thing I would take that on, It'll probably fail it's Mot's too?

Edited 7 June, 201213 yr by Tankdave

I'm in the process of doing this myself to my car. Mine does have DRL fitted but it just puts the headlamps and tail lights on.... Which I don't want so they are turned off on the dash menu.

I'm replacing the original front fogs with the ones with the DRLs built in to keep it looking original.

I have purchased a canbus compatible relay switch which will put the DRLs on with the ignition, but turn them off when the headlights come on.

They do a relay which does what you want it to do, see eBay item 230789015424.

I should be able to pick up live and ignition live feeds from the fuse box in the engine bay.

So, you going to be cutting into looms & running new wires and hooking up new bulb holders?

In a word "NOPE!" that isnt what i'll be doing.

The DRL's I am thinking of using are pre-built into little units and then it is upto the user where they are placed, as long as they are within the DRL guidelines, downloaded the reglations of the RING website (I think - did it some time ago).

All you need then is power and a signal to turn them on when engine running and the turn them off when sidelights are activated. I will be "splicing" into these not cutting and replacing.

I should be able to pick up live and ignition live feeds from the fuse box in the engine bay.

Sounds like your doing a similar thing to me, only your going down the manufacturers original route (curious how much do the units cost you?)

I wish you the best of luck and hope (like I am) that the wiring element doesn't turn into a nightmare.

If it helps there are fuses (blade type) where they look like a normal fuse only they have a wire with a spade on it coming out of the top of it. Ebay "blade fuses spur" and it will show you lots of different ratings and sizes of fuse. I think these are a much better way than trying to splice into something (if that is what you where thinking of doing)

Good luck, and let us know how you get on?

I managed to get the light units for about £30 each. Second hand but as new condition and they came with bulbs and holders which saves a bit. Having said that I'm replacing the DRL bulbs with canbus LED ones.

New OEM lamp unit are about £63 each.

I won't be splicing any wiring. I was gonna find power at a disused fuse point and come out of that to a separate inline fuse, but will take a look at the ones you have mentioned. Not seen those before.

Thanks for the info

Hi Taurean7

I too wanted to fit some ring DRLs to an 3 year-old Superb and the dealer agreed to fit them if I supplied them as a little sweetener to the deal. However, supposedly after trying, they told me that the Cambus could not be altered to fit them. I have a set of Ring Ursa lights I had had only recently fitted to a Saab Sportswagon which I sold to buy the Superb. Took them back off the Saab before selling it. (http://www.ringautomotive.co.uk/product_detail.asp?prod=2299).

Ring's instructions is just take a feed from a circuit going live with the ignition (I like the idea of the fuse-spurs) and a feed from a wire going to the first car light to come on -which will then extinguish the DRLs via a relay.

With my very little knowledge of electronics, it does not seem to me that this would effect the Cambus in any way, or a rectifier diode could be in line with the feed from the car light to prevent any feedback to the car wiring. How did you get on with it? I would be most interested to know.

I'm in the process of doing this myself to my car. Mine does have DRL fitted but it just puts the headlamps and tail lights on.... Which I don't want so they are turned off on the dash menu.

I'm replacing the original front fogs with the ones with the DRLs built in to keep it looking original.

I have purchased a canbus compatible relay switch which will put the DRLs on with the ignition, but turn them off when the headlights come on.

They do a relay which does what you want it to do, see eBay item 230789015424.

I should be able to pick up live and ignition live feeds from the fuse box in the engine bay.

Why do a "home made" soloution like that? Why not connect the DRL´s at the BCM, as they are supposed to? In that way the light sensor can control them, you can turn them on and off in the MaxiDOT etc.

GaSelle,

I did ask the dealer if this could be done on a pre2010 spec car, but they said it was impossible, hence the alternative method

Measure the output from pin 48 and 49 in plug C on the BCM. 48 is DRL Left and 49 is DRL Right. You will need to activate DRL through VCDS before doing the measurement of course This is the way they are connected from the factory.

Thanks for that. But what and where is a BCM? I presume it's some sort of control module?

Mine already has DRL function but with is being an 09 car it works by activating the dipped beam and rear lights.

Would I be right in thinking that I could cut the wire out of pins 48/49 and join the new DRL wires to them? Would canbus pick up that I had done this mod?

On a LHD Superb it´s located over the clutch pedal - exactly where it is in a RHD I don´t know. Via VCDS you can recode the BCM to activate seperate DRL´s instead of the dipped beam. The two pins is where the original DRL´s in the foglights are connected. If you car does´nt have these fog lights these two locations is blank at the BCM.

So yes, it should be possible to connect even aftermarket DRL´s to the BCM. Would´nt comment on the looks of these aftermarket devices though

(BCM = Body Control Module)