Does anyone know if it's possible to keep the day running lights on with your sidelights on a 2012 Fabia Monte Carlo or even set the car up so it can't be driven with just sidelights on their own, the reason I'm asking is this, if you want to put your sidelights on because it is starting to go a bit dark your day running lights go off and as the sidelights aren't exactly bright, especially in the headlights with black reflectors, your car becomes a lot less visible. I thought this problem had been addressed about twenty years ago by fitting dim dip systems on all new cars and I'm not sure why it was decided not to continue doing that but it seems a backward step?

Is there a reason you do not want to drive with Dipped Headlights on in poor visibility or low light, then you will also have on Side lights?

george

DRL's are predominately so pedestrians and other motorists etc can see you approaching them better, if it is getting dark enough to need your rear side lights on then really you should be switching your dipped beam on anyway.

DRL's are predominately so pedestrians and other motorists etc can see you approaching them better, if it is getting dark enough to need your rear side lights on then really you should be switching your dipped beam on anyway.

Yes. "Sidelights" are really "parking" lights. You should not drive around with only sidelights on.

I've found the reason why dim dip doesn't get fitted as standard any more, apparently in 1988, the European Commission successfully prosecuted the UK government in the European Court of Justice, arguing that the UK requirement for dim-dip was illegal under EC directives, the idea was that you could have low intensity lighting which didn't glare as much as dipped headlights and was more visible than sidelights, if the drl's stayed on if you drove with sidelights this would give the same level of safety in my opinion.

In answer to George's question lots of people get in their cars which have been parked with sidelights on and drive off without switching over to dipped beam and similarly lots of people switch on their sidelights when it's raining or when the day light is failing and think that they have made themselves more visible when they have really made them less so from the front because the drl's go off, I used to drive Saabs and Volvos which had day running lights and when they were on the tail lights and dashboard lights were on too which meant you never drove anywhere without lights. Also if you have the dot matrix dashboard the display is much clearer when you put the sidelights on during the day but you probably wouldn't want to drive with dipped beam on all the time, see attached photos.

Also if you have the dot matrix dashboard the display is much clearer when you put the sidelights on during the day but you probably wouldn't want to drive with dipped beam on all the time, see attached photos.

This is probably just a coding change, the Superb's dash is lit at all times, on Audi's (at least) VCDS gives you the option of what you want lit up:

all off

needles only

dials only

needles and dials

Not looked into doing this on a Skoda as I say mine is always lit and IIRC the Yeti is the same?

Norry,

maybe not many of us drive about 'in town' in Scotland with 'only sidelights & rear number plate light' on at night, but you need to check traffic law and Regulations.

The side lights are compulsory when driving within street lit areas at night, the Dipped Headlights are not.

Side lights are not only parking lights.

Parking lights or sidelights & rear number plate lights do get used while parked at night or in poor visibility though.

As you will see when you look in the Highway code & the relevant road traffic act.

Sidelights and rear number plate lights 'must' be displayed between the hours of Dusk & Dawn,

(sunset and sunrise it says)

& withing the Street Light area, when required you should put on Dipped headlights as well.

Now i would never drive in a town with just Sidelights at night time.

But that was and still is apparenty an acceptable thing to do by the law.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/travelandtransport/highwaycode/dg_070302

I cant see peoples problems in Switching on the Head lights on dipped anytime they put on the sidelights to drive, after all look at how many have no idea that they do not have a sidelight blown,

& how many that dont know they have a headlight out, probably because they never check.

Amazing amount of cars going about now with DRL's faulty on one side, and i dont mean parked cars with them on as a parking light.

george

Edited 15 July, 201213 yr by sk4gw

Good point! i think the manufacturers should add an extra relay that puts on either the dipped beam or drl's when the ignition and sidelights are both on so that the sidelghts can only be used on their own when the ignition is turned off. It would only cost a few pounds per car and make a big difference to safety. Not sure that the permanently lit dash of the Superb is a good idea unless the lights switch themselves on automatically when the light level is low?

Did you not read what the law is regarding the Sidelights and their use in Street lit areas ?

The law needs changed then the Lights can get changed & people need to read the UK highway code if driving in the UK and worry less about EU directives IMHO.

common sense helps lots with safety matters i think.

george

The new golf puts a single drl / foglight on when the steering is turned and non are on when the steering wheel is straight, some cars may not have a faulty drl on one side this may be how the car is designed / set up.

If your vRS is a MK2 it will put on a single DRL & rear sidelight and rear Registration plate as the parking lights

when you have your ignition off & put down the indicator stalk.

No modern car unless faulty is putting on only one DRL or one Fog light when being driven along the road and going around a corner..

You do get cornering lights, but not a single front on when driving

Do you not spot cars with Faulty lighting on a day to day basis?

The owner of the Golf and the 500c and the others around my way are driving in straight lines and around corners,

they just have a faulty bulb that they have not had fixed believe me.

I think you will find that the greatest percentage of MOT failures include bulbs.

amazing or not how many get a bulb changed or fixed only at a service or when pointed out a a MOT that a bulb is out.

george

Edited 15 July, 201213 yr by sk4gw

I've found the reason why dim dip doesn't get fitted as standard any more, apparently in 1988, the European Commission successfully prosecuted the UK government in the European Court of Justice, arguing that the UK requirement for dim-dip was illegal under EC directives, the idea was that you could have low intensity lighting which didn't glare as much as dipped headlights and was more visible than sidelights, if the drl's stayed on if you drove with sidelights this would give the same level of safety in my opinion.

In answer to George's question lots of people get in their cars which have been parked with sidelights on and drive off without switching over to dipped beam and similarly lots of people switch on their sidelights when it's raining or when the day light is failing and think that they have made themselves more visible when they have really made them less so from the front because the drl's go off, I used to drive Saabs and Volvos which had day running lights and when they were on the tail lights and dashboard lights were on too which meant you never drove anywhere without lights. Also if you have the dot matrix dashboard the display is much clearer when you put the sidelights on during the day but you probably wouldn't want to drive with dipped beam on all the time, see attached photos.

As said you dont need to have your lights on just have the coding redone

This is my Superb dash without any lights on

I'm not a great fan of compulsory DRL, this was a real issue some years back with the headlamp on or headlamp off discussion for motorcyclists , evidence suggested than drivers had a harder time judging the speed of approaching vehicles if they have their lights on

Of course on gloomy days or with compromised visibility lights are very important but I still would prefer to have the choice, so i'll be switching my DRL off on my new car and switching the dipped beam on when needs be

The new golf puts a single drl / foglight on when the steering is turned and non are on when the steering wheel is straight, some cars may not have a faulty drl on one side this may be how the car is designed / set up.

That'll be the cornering front foglights then...... :think:

I hate people who drive at night with only side lights on, even in the "light up" city centres. Does my tits in.

Saying that I'd love my vrs to have the DRL's and the side lights on at the same time. Would be pretty sweet for that "twilight" time just before needing to swap to dipped.

I hate people who drive at night with only side lights on, even in the "light up" city centres. Does my tits in.

Saying that I'd love my vrs to have the DRL's and the side lights on at the same time. Would be pretty sweet for that "twilight" time just before needing to swap to dipped.

agree totally, i find it rediculous that you turn your lights onto side lights to get the tail lights on and you reduce your lighting at the front

also i have a greenline and i have normal bulbs for DRL's instead of LED's and find this strange especially for an "ECO" model

Richf how have you taken a picture at 64mph. And i think you need to fill up

Richf how have you taken a picture at 64mph. And i think you need to fill up

Does way over 100miles with the light on In fact the range with the light on is about the same as my Evo does on a full tank (:

Oh and I took the pic by leaning over with my phone , the wife was driving

Back to the original question.

I have just bought a monte carlo and thought exactly the same.

Unfortunately it the law, see http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ACArticleDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&articleId=809953&categoryId=245215

I tend to use DRLs then go straight to dip beam.

The side lights do very little, apart from having the rear / number plate lights on as well.

Law to be fitted but no law saying they MUST be used

When my wife collected her Elegance spec back in Sept 2010, the DRL's were on along with front parking lights and rear lights but with the light switch off. Dealer hooked it up to their machine and found a box that in the UK is not normally 'ticked' had been at factory. 'Unticked' it and the parking and rear lights went out, leaving just the DRL on with the light switch off.

TP

Thanks Plumber that's great, I will have to see if they will tick that box for me, I don't suppose you know what it is labelled do you?

Thanks Plumber that's great, I will have to see if they will tick that box for me, I don't suppose you know what it is labelled do you?

Apologies no.

TP

I've seen a lot of this lighting business on Briskoda.

I never used to drive about with my lights on, but since returning from a few years living in Germany, I often drive with my lights on if anything other than 100% visibility (and I don't mean dim - driving through trees, dim areas etc). In Europe nearly everyone seems to have their lights on, especially when hard charging on the autobahn/autoroute. Why? becuase it adds to visibility.

To say turning your lights on masks the speed of the vehicle may be technically true, but Id'd rather be seen and have some plonker pull out on me than not be seen and be side swiped.

As for parking with side lights on, I guess you mean when you park and put on the indicator to activate the light on that side? Not many do this these days, same as they don't park following the direction of traffic so the reflectors are lit.

My DRLs are also normal bulbs (Monte Carlo) and I don't even think about them being on. They can't be THAT bright, because no-one has flashed me yet, unlike the time a switch went on a previous car and my front fog lights turned on. I got repeatedly flashed and then pulled over by Polis...