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

On my vRS the DRLs go dim as soon as you turn to position one (sidelights) on the light switch - ie before the headlights come on - so above problem would not occur.

On my vRS the DRLs go dim as soon as you turn to position one (sidelights) on the light switch - ie before the headlights come on - so above problem would not occur.

Yes, but if you read the thread, people are trying to stop this so that they remain at full brightness when sidelights are on. That's what this whole discussion is about!

I don't see why you would want them on full brightness when on sidelights. Sidelights are mainly for when parked up / stationary. If you need light to the front & rear then just put your dipped headlights on like everyone else does.

OK, how about less of the 'should it be done' and more of the 'can it be done'?

OK, how about less of the 'should it be done' and more of the 'can it be done'?

thanks, looks like the only option is Scandanavian mode, but the next question is:

Can the instrument cluster be coded to illuminate permanently?

,

Edited 18 May, 201214 yr by Tim31

You CAN LEGALLY drive with sidelights on at night with roads with street lighting on 30 mph roads

But does it make you any less of a muppet for doing so? I think not.

Having the instrument cluster lights on should be possible on FL cars with VCDS.

As for the DRL's staying at full power do a google search as I am sure I have seen that it is possible on a Golf as many yanks seem to like the idea also.

Not looked any further into it though as personally I think it is a daft idea and will only blind oncoming traffic.

I have not seen the Scandinavia settings on any MY09 onwards car in any VW Audi or Skoda.

,

Edited 18 May, 201214 yr by Tim31

Hopefully this will help but in short

You can't code the instrument cluster to be permanently illuminated (not that i have found and i have looked everywhere)It's either needles lit or full illumination

You can code the LED DRL's to dim with Activation of Indicators

I think you can code the LED DRL brightness for when parked up (i vaguely remember seeing something about this recently will check tonight)

You can't alter the LED brightness when the headlight switch is in the Sidelight Position.

HTH

Carl

Hopefully this will help but in short

You can't code the instrument cluster to be permanently illuminated (not that i have found and i have looked everywhere)It's either needles lit or full illumination

You can code the LED DRL's to dim with Activation of Indicators

I think you can code the LED DRL brightness for when parked up (i vaguely remember seeing something about this recently will check tonight)

You can't alter the LED brightness when the headlight switch is in the Sidelight Position.

HTH

Carl

Thats a shame as we either want:

Led's at full brightness or illuminated clocks + Scandinavian mode.

On Audi A5 it can be done via this so there must be some way of doing it on VRS

[09 – Cent. Elect.]

[security Access - 16] (enter security code. One of the default codes is- 20113)

[Adaptation - 10] -> Channel 3

Enter new value for LED brightness i.e. "100" If you want LED's at 100%.

Values bellow 5 turns the LED's off and generates an error code and warning in DIS

Have a look later and post back to us

Thanks

Just because it can be done on the A5 doesn't mean it can be done on the vRS.

Although they may share the same BCM (although i don't think they do) the part itself may not have the function.

For example in my 2011 vRS i can code mirror lowering in reverse. I also get the tick box in the Maxidot. However because the physical controller is not in the mirror, and i don't have electric memory seats, when i put it in reverse nothing happens. Yes i have done the setup process too.

I will check tonight when i look but i am pretty sure you can only alter the brightness for parking

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

+1. I agree, LEDs are very bright. I drive through an armed security gate for work and at night have to dim headlights so the guards can keep their eyes adjusted for night. I always get moaned at when I turn my lights off as the DRL's always blind them!

If you want to be seen, instead of trying to change your settings and having the potential to dazzle oncoming traffic, just use headlights. They do a good job.

I have just had a look.

The only option you have for DRL Dimming is this. Default value is 0. As you can see i set it to 100 and it still dimmed on switching to sidelights

There is also no scandinavian option within the BCM for the vRS.

I have just had a look.

The only option you have for DRL Dimming is this. Default value is 0. As you can see i set it to 100 and it still dimmed on switching to sidelights

There is also no scandinavian option within the BCM for the vRS.

Thanks Carl

Out of interest, if you un-tick the "DRLs as position lights active" tab what do they do? Go out or remain lit when side lights are switched on?

Also have you tried say 85% instead of 100%?

Or is it the other way round, the percentage amount of dimming? Set it to say 5%? Not sure just throwing ideas out there

Thanks

Edited 2 May, 201214 yr by xpower

What is Scandinavian mode and how does one enable this? Can't see it on maxidot. Is it a VCDS job?

Scandinavian mode is where front DRL's and rear side lights are both lit at the same time, but as I stated before on a FL car this is no longer an option.

It is a VCDS code change BTW.

Thanks Carl

Out of interest, if you un-tick the "DRLs as position lights active" tab what do they do? Go out or remain lit when side lights are switched on?

Also have you tried say 85% instead of 100%?

Or is it the other way round, the percentage amount of dimming? Set it to say 5%? Not sure just throwing ideas out there

Thanks

I tried various settings and nothing happens. I just posted this pic for illustration.

I thought it would be a bit boring showing loads of pictures of various settings

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.

Ok following on with the next 2 rules of the highway code which are also relevant here it seems. http://www.direct.go...ycode/dg_070302

114

You MUST NOT

• use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders
  
• use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users (see Rule 226)
  
• In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again.
  

115

You should also

• use dipped headlights, or dim-dip if fitted, at night in built-up areas and in dull daytime weather, to ensure that you can be seen
  
• keep your headlights dipped when overtaking until you are level with the other vehicle and then change to main beam if necessary, unless this would dazzle oncoming road users
  
• slow down, and if necessary stop, if you are dazzled by oncoming headlights
  

Did they go out then? did the side lights in the headlights come that otherwise seem redundant come on?

Sorry for all the questions

If you take the tick out of the box then you don't get DRL's on when the lights are off. If you then switch to sidelight position you get the DRL's come on but dim (same as normal when in sidelight position).

Ok following on with the next 2 rules of the highway code which are also relevant here it seems. http://www.direct.go...ycode/dg_070302

114

You MUST NOT

• use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders
  
• use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users (see Rule 226)
  
• In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again.
  

115

You should also

• use dipped headlights, or dim-dip if fitted, at night in built-up areas and in dull daytime weather, to ensure that you can be seen
  
• keep your headlights dipped when overtaking until you are level with the other vehicle and then change to main beam if necessary, unless this would dazzle oncoming road users
  
• slow down, and if necessary stop, if you are dazzled by oncoming headlights
  

I think your wasting you time with these lot, they are just wanting to look 'cool' and don't give too hoots about other road users, I just hope a pro-active cop sees them and does something about it.

I think your wasting you time with these lot, they are just wanting to look 'cool' and don't give too hoots about other road users, I just hope a pro-active cop sees them and does something about it.

Pot, kettle.

I think your wasting you time with these lot, they are just wanting to look 'cool' and don't give too hoots about other road users, I just hope a pro-active cop sees them and does something about it.

Come on, really? Do you think I intend to drive around unlit roads blinding everyone I can, when it's dark enough that I need to see where I'm going I will just switch my headlights on.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I've heard people say they get blinded by drl's in the DAYTIME and they can't concentrate, crash and burn - I say be realistic and not go over the top!

If anyone gets blinded/dazzled by LED DRL's then they seriously need there eyes testing for hyper sensitivity. I drive through an Armed security gate every day to get in and out of work. Often in the early hours and never once has anyone complained my DRL's are too bright.

If the LED DRL's were that bright then the Government/VOSA etc wouldn't allow them.

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.

I suspect, given that it is an EU directive and not really just a bunch of people wanting to "look cool", that VAG have ensured that The Law is complied with in all circumstances and can't be "adjusted" in any way.

Also, quoting The Highway Code, is redundant, as it is, "best practice and guidelines" (to quote from another discussion). Quote RVLR and ECE instead, that's where The Law really lies. If The Highway Code was The Law, those stupidly over-bright DRLS would have been outlawed from the start, along with those crappy HID conversions.

I have noticed on VW's there's a tendancy to use the fog lights, at reduced power, as DRLs, and not use LEDs at all. (Most Golfs and Caddys I've seen recently)

Carl, I think the Government and VOSA don't get a look in any more, as it comes from Europe. (Sadly, where our souls seem to have been sold to) If it's law there, it's automatically law here.