Has anyone found a way to stop the LED DRL's dimming when you switch the lights to the side light position, Surely if you switch your side lights on it's because the you need to be seen better and the LED's should be at there normal bright position.

It's often the case when your clearly visible from the front because the DRL are bright but you need the rear lights on so you have to put the side lights on.

I have access to VCDS but wouldn't know where to look

Has anyone found a way to stop the LED DRL's dimming when you switch the lights to the side light position, Surely if you switch your side lights on it's because the you need to be seen better and the LED's should be at there normal bright position.

It's often the case when your clearly visible from the front because the DRL are bright but you need the rear lights on so you have to put the side lights on.

I have access to VCDS but wouldn't know where to look

With all due respect, I think that if the light is that poor, you should only be considering switching on your headligjhts anyway!

Sidelights are only marker lamps for when you are stationary.

John.

I have heard that it is possible to adjust the DRL settings so that the rear lights come on in addition to the front LED's.

The problem with them dimming when you select side lights remains but I guess with the rear lights on and the DRL's at full brightness the side lights would be pretty much redundant - except for short periods of on-street parking at night.

Whilst I agree that in the vast majority of cases if you feel the need for rear lights then it is probably wise to use dipped headlights I still sometimes prefer normal sidelights to full on headlights when conditions allow.

With all due respect, I think that if the light is that poor, you should only be considering switching on your headligjhts anyway!

Sidelights are only marker lamps for when you are stationary.

John.

+1

Sidelights on any car tend to be dim and if it's dark enough to require lights they will not provide enough illumination for driving by anway so you should be switching the dipped headlamps on.

...if it's dark enough to require lights they will not provide enough illumination for driving by anway so you should be switching the dipped headlamps on.

Whilst this makes sense you would not neccessarily be following the Highway Code which recommends the use of side lights at night on illuminated roads:

113

You MUST

• ensure all sidelights and rear registration plate lights are lit between sunset and sunrise

• use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally restricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified

• use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226)

Night (the hours of darkness) is defined as the period between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise).

So the use of sidelights up to half an hour after sunset is deemed acceptable.

Parking lights are just that. My non-LED DRLs extinguish when the parking lights are selected and it would be ill advised to drive about like that.

I only drive on DRL or headlights ,as appropriate.

Whilst this makes sense you would not neccessarily be following the Highway Code which recommends the use of side lights at night on illuminated roads:

113

You MUST

• ensure all sidelights and rear registration plate lights are lit between sunset and sunrise

• use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally restricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified

• use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226)

Night (the hours of darkness) is defined as the period between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise).

So the use of sidelights up to half an hour after sunset is deemed acceptable.

Thanks Silver1011.

In reply to the other comments I'm not in the habit of driving in the dark with sidelights, I'm quiet capable of deciding when it's deemed necessary to switch my dipped headlamps on!

So back to the original qn, I guess FL VRS owners no what I mean...

I don't think it's possible I'm afraid so whether you should or shouldn't do it is irrelevant!

I do agree that it would be nice to have it enabled though.

I heard it is possible on non vRS facelift Octavia's with DRL's so I don't see why the vRS would be different.

I remember reading on here that there are a few different DRL choice's. You can choose to have dipped headlights illuminate instead of the designated DRL's if you wish.

I think one of the settings was called 'Scandinavian' which included illuminating the rear lights too, Volvo/Saab style.

Whether this works with the headlights or DRL's I'm not too sure...

Shame, as I think it makes sense to have the rear lights on too.

Parking lights are just that. My non-LED DRLs extinguish when the parking lights are selected and it would be ill advised to drive about like that.

I only drive on DRL or headlights ,as appropriate.

You are confusing side lights and parking lights.

Side lights is the first setting on the headlight switch (no auto lights) or the second setting if you have auto headlights. This setting illuminates a 5W bulb in both headlights and all tail/number plate lights.

Parking lights are turned on using the indicator stalk (hence the "P" symbol). With the headlight switch in the off or Auto position turn off the engine, then move the indicator stalk down for left side parking lights and up for right side parking lights.

The same 5W headlight bulb and tail lights illuminate (no number plate lights) but only on the side you have selected. The lights on warning buzzer sounds when you open the door incase you turn the engine off with the indicator on by mistake and don't need parking lights.

This allows you to make the most vulnerable side of the car visible when parking at night but halves the battery drain.

So as per the Highway Code quote above side lights are recognised as a feature of the vehicle and can be used legally in certain conditions as an alternative to dipped headlights.

If you switch your side lights on, it's fair to assume that the visibility is poor.

The LED DRL's are built to be seen during the day and would blind any other motorist on the road at night if left at full power.

If you switch your side lights on, it's fair to assume that the visibility is poor.

The LED DRL's are built to be seen during the day and would blind any other motorist on the road at night if left at full power.

According to the official document on them (EN48 I think - don't have the link with me), DRLs should be either dimmed or turned off

when your other lights are switched on so it would not be advisable to disable that feature as it may not then pass the M.O.T.

According to the official document on them (EN48 I think - don't have the link with me), DRLs should be either dimmed or turned off

when your other lights are switched on so it would not be advisable to disable that feature as it may not then pass the M.O.T.

Makes sense to me.

Sorry to revive an old thread (try before starting a new one) but has anyone found an answer to the posters question?

I want to stop the LED DRL's dimming on the side light position (2012 FL Octy VRS)

I have read a few thread's but no one appeared to answer.

The idea is if the daylight starts to drop off then you switch the side lights on, but at this point you need to be seen (bright drls) but not see. at this point the LEDs drop to a reduced brightness but looks pretty pathetic.

Once the lights drops off far enough you switch the headlights on. I know there is a great deal of debate on this but I just one to know if it can be done.

If not I have also heard it is possible to turn on Scandanavian mode but does this run:

1. Drls at full brightness, tail lights and dash illuminaltion

2. Drls at full brightness, tail lights

3. Anything else'

Thanks

If you switch your side lights on, it's fair to assume that the visibility is poor.

The LED DRL's are built to be seen during the day and would blind any other motorist on the road at night if left at full power.

+1. The vRS LEDs are very bright even on dull days, never mind the dark.

+1. The vRS LEDs are very bright even on dull days, never mind the dark.

If its dark then I will have my headlights on (with drls dim), I'm only talking about the 30 mins (ish) during sunrise / sunset

Its still not possible, nobody in the 18 months since the original thread has found a way. Since the DRL dimming with any other lights is an EU directive as mentioned above it is not possible to modify this behaviour even by VCDS. IIRC on the Octavia vRS, the DRL's are the sidelights, with the normal sidelight bulbs in the light cluster effectively disabled unless used as parking lights.

with the normal sidelight bulbs in the light cluster effectively disabled unless used as parking lights.

I've just checked mine and the LED's are used as the parking lights with nothing short of someone like Harry Potter being able to get the two 'sidelight' bulbs working.

Just seems odd as you can do it on the Audi A5 with the LEDs in the headlights, you can also choose the brightness of the LEDs in sidelight mode.

So is there anyway of running the drls at full brightness with tail lights (plus dash illumination if possible) all the time?

If not does anyone know if when the LEDs are at full brightness is there current controlled with pulse width modulation, or is each drl unit internally resisted to run on around 12 volts?

,

Edited 18 May, 201214 yr by Tim31

In 'Scandinavian' mode the DRL LEDs remain on full brightness and the rear position lamps and number plate lamps illuminate. The dash is not illuminated. I run this setting on my vRS so that I'm always lit at the rear.

Sarge.

The DRL's should dimm when the side lights are on as it's a safety thing. Why would you want to change it? Are you trying to use the DRL'S to illuminate the road when driving?

Was going to mention that Audi DRL do not dim when the sidelights ate switched on, when this is done on my GF A5 the dash illuminates and the rear lights come on. The DRL stay the same brightness

But as soon as the mainbeam turns on they do reduce, same goes when activating blinker

The DRL's should dimm when the side lights are on as it's a safety thing. Why would you want to change it? Are you trying to use the DRL'S to illuminate the road when driving?

Did you read my previous post? DRL's dont do a good job of lighting up the road

If its dark enough for me to need to see where I am going then I will have my headlights on (with drls dim), I'm only talking about the 30 mins (ish) during sunrise / sunset where it's not dark enough to need my headlights on but still need to be seen front and rear.

Did you read my previous post? DRL's dont do a good job of lighting up the road

If its dark enough for me to need to see where I am going then I will have my headlights on (with drls dim), I'm only talking about the 30 mins (ish) during sunrise / sunset where it's not dark enough to need my headlights on but still need to be seen front and rear.

Ok chill,

Let's be honest here, it has nothing to do with being seen but rather to do with looking 'cool' your side lights and dim DRLs will be just as bright if not brighter than your tail lights so if they are ok for the rear why do you need brighter ones for the front? Everyone else seems to get along fine with just std side lights. If you truly are worried about people not seeing you, why not just use your dipped beam?

Right now onto my main reason for not liking this idea: imagine your on a pitch black narrow road and you pullover just for a couple of minutes to check your phone, your car or your hair, whatever. You can't turn your car off completely as you need to have your car illuminated incase someone comes along at 60mph and wipes it out. If you leave your dipped headlights on you'll make if difficult for people to see past you and they won't be able to see either animals, pedestrians, other vehicles or obstructions in the road that may be just beyond your car. So you do as the highway code reccomends and switch to sidelights so people can see past you and your vehicle, but wait a minute! Your DRL's are blazing like the sun and are actually worse than having your headlights on. How do you get round this?

I know someone will say, turn the car off completely and use parking lights, that's fine if you don't need your car on check that rattle or whatever you stopped for or if it isn't too cold so that you need your heaters or you use the wrong parking light (as most people seem to do nowadays) and you get wiped out because another motorist thought you were a moped.

Just my tuppence worth.

Apologies for any spelling mistakes or odd words out of place, I'm on my iPhone which seems to like replacing things!

Edited 27 April, 201214 yr by mdon