vRS Sidelights are so embarrassing IMO.

[Gumby]

Love my having DRL's on mine. I think they are a good safety feature.

Only been flashed once and just ignored them.

Most people know what DRL's are and sort of shape and colour they are. I've also seen some new Volvo's with similar shaped and positioned DRL's so it's not just a fabia thing!

They could perhaps be a better shape, but I don't mind as long as they work.

My old 1.2 mk1 had front fogs and I think I only ever used them about 4 times in the 2 years I had it. It's very rare you get to use them anyway, so I don't miss having them on my vrs.

Edited 3 November, 2012 by Gumby

[Gumby]

Never been flashed for the sidelights or DRL's.

Just don't get me started on the whole front fog light thing

Had a few arguments with SUK about the fact the vRS doesn't have them when they are quoted both in the brochure and on the website as have front fog lights as standard, surely this could be seen as a case of false advertising ! :wonder:

I was thinking about this the other day, maybe they should have configured it so the DRL's returned to full brightness when in fog light mode as they'd be good enough

[Panther_uk]

I was thinking about this the other day, maybe they should have configured it so the DRL's returned to full brightness when in fog light mode as they'd be good enough

Yeah, they could have had the sidelight bulbs that are already present in the headlamp units to work and the DRL's to double up as fog lights !

[Ootohere]

The very rare occasion that you really need Fog lights is why you have fog lights on a vehicle.

In 36 years of driving i have only really really needed Fog lights about 3 times.

Once on a 15 mile trip home, i was held up for 4o minutes or so by an accident on the dual carraigeway

in freezing fog and running low of petrol so when i got a chance to move to a junction i took a side road home,

I knew it like the back of my hand it was part of the old road before the new one was built..

Fog lights on and took the route following the verge, no signs, but i knew the direction..

About an hour later, no idea where i was.

Then it dawned,i was back in Dundee, where i had started from about 2 hours earlier.

george

[Jabozuma]

I spoke with the dealers and they can disable DRL for you and switch the normally redundant "regular" side light bulbs in the main cluster but you cannot have both. I have my DRLs on and I am surprised at night how strong they are before I swith the lights on. I can drive along private road through fields to the public carriageway on my DRLs only and there is no other light there, pitch black - DRLs are perfectly sufficient. Obviously on public roads you have to switch the lights on to have the backs on but this dims the DRLs below usable level for night time driving really..

I do like them and in 3 weeks have not been flashed once - perhaps didn't notice as too busy enjoying the vRS and concentrating on hanging on to the steering wheel on hard acceleration lol.

[apmaman]

i think its because more cars have drls in the fog position now. i know a few kias do now along with some other skodas and volvos as well.

[Ootohere]

I was glad i still had those standard vRS Sidelights fitted yesterday.

This weekend was a good opportunity here to see all combination of lights & lighting on cars.

In the extreme freezing fog yesterday i was grateful for being able to take the masking off the Sidelights & have them showing fully and bright with Dipped Headlights on..

There were an unbelievable amount of people without any lights on, & at least those with only DRL's showing because they did not have the brains to switch lights on could be seen coming towards you,

even if they were totally invisible for anybody as they came up behind unlit cars.

(more often than not Silver ones without lights on.)

The DRL's on the New Picantos are pretty big and oddly shaped, to me they look almost as big & as bright as some cars dipped beams. Not very offensive to look at IMO due to the normal light colour.

There does appear to be several types or style of DRL's & DRL's & Fogs on Different New Style Picanto.

(But Lots of drivers of New Picantos appear to think Lighting up is not necessary, they must have a look at the front & think those will do nicely, or as i suspect, they do not look or think.

Lots of New Picantos near me due to there being a Kia Dealership only 1/2 a mile away.

&

I see the smaller Volvos DRL's in the same position as the vRS,& look to be identical.

**Today in the torrential rain, it will be a case of following cars that had Rear Fog lights on & are still switched on,

or put on especially for Rain Driving,

Bad enough out on the road,

but they will have them on even when you are all sitting nose to tail in the town & at traffic lights etc.

george

Hopefully i will have the vRS sidelights working later this week in a sensible position, (plus Fog lights fitted)

Where sidelights should be, just like that on my old style Picanto.

[Jabozuma]

The driving gurus with fogs switched on all around (especially back ones) in heave traffic and in town are the worst!

I hope there is a way of switching that non working side light in the main cluster as well as keeping the DRLs on

[Guest Sib-rs]

I spoke with the dealers and they can disable DRL for you and switch the normally redundant "regular" side light bulbs in the main cluster but you cannot have both. I have my DRLs on and I am surprised at night how strong they are before I swith the lights on. I can drive along private road through fields to the public carriageway on my DRLs only and there is no other light there, pitch black - DRLs are perfectly sufficient. Obviously on public roads you have to switch the lights on to have the backs on but this dims the DRLs below usable level for night time driving really..

I do like them and in 3 weeks have not been flashed once - perhaps didn't notice as too busy enjoying the vRS and concentrating on hanging on to the steering wheel on hard acceleration lol.

I agree the DRL's are very powerful in darkness!

You can also have the rear lights on with the DRL without switching the lights on, this can be enabled through vagcom, I had it enabled for awhile but got into the habit of driving round without turning the actually lights on, which made me look a t*t to the general public driving round with fog lights on

[Jabozuma]

I have to turn the main lights on to get the dash illuminated So don't forget.

[newbie69]

I have to turn the main lights on to get the dash illuminated So don't forget.

The dash not illuminating with sidelights on is the most frustrating thing... Anybody knows If we can VCDS-enable it???

[Ootohere]

I imagine it must be possible , if it is not just a fault with your car.

UK cars dash lights up with Sidelights or Headlights on.

george

[newbie69]

My bad, I ment with just the DRL's on.

Or actually, I'd prefer that the DRLs don't dim when you switch to sidelights. They are as dark that you either have to switch to main lights in the middle of the day or back to full DRLs but then you lose the dash... aaargh....

[jonny boy]

I have a slightly different attitude about the DRL's.

I really couldn't care less if anyone sees them as fog lights. If they can't tell the difference, then I'm not going to educate them.

There's countless morons driving, right now, without ANY side lights on in the day when it's crappy, dark & overcast weather. Some of them coming towards me the other day were hardly noticeable, especially dark coloured cars. Even the cars oncoming with DRL's had no side lights on. In all honesty, most people probably don't even know they have them.

I've never been flashed in 12 months, but like I said above, I'm not interested in the slightest. Be seen, be safe or safer than the idiots who don't have them.

As for taping them up .......

[Ootohere]

The OP was not about DRL's, (Daylight Running Lights)

it was about Skoda using the Same lights that are DRL's to become the Sidelights (less bright but still pretty bright)

& people mistaking them for Fog or Driving lights.

That is the Sidelights, not the DRLs,

i never have on the DRL's or ever switch on the Sidelights alone.

I drive with dipped beam on in any poor light or poor visibility & the sidelights must be on with Dipped of Full Headlights.

Your other point on cars with DRL's on and no Sidelights on,

Vehicles with Sidelights on should not have DRL's on,

That is Construction & Use, & UK Traffic Regulation,

Drl's should not work with the Main lights on, be that, sidelight, dipped or main bean.

( even if you did want to,

With a MK2 vRS, the DRL's are the light fitment that becomes the Sidelights so they can not show both at once,

& other cars you see could well be the same.)

george

[seboni121]

The dash not illuminating with sidelights on is the most frustrating thing... Anybody knows If we can VCDS-enable it???

If sidelight are on dash lights must surely be on ? As the lights are on all round the vehicle ? Rear and front sidelights I've got auto lights so not an issue for me but sidelights and dash should be on at same time ?

[newbie69]

If sidelight are on dash lights must surely be on ? As the lights are on all round the vehicle ? Rear and front sidelights I've got auto lights so not an issue for me but sidelights and dash should be on at same time ?

I explained what I meant in the post after that.

[seboni121]

I explained what I meant in the post after that.

[Furbytom]

I'd be embarrassed to be seen driving a car without DRLs these days tbh! Lol ;-)

[Jabozuma]

Has anybody tried replacing OEM LEDs with stronger ones in vRS DRLs?

[AlexO]

Just a quick question! Anyone out there!

Just brought a Vrs TSi ! Noticed this thread, are the original 501 side light bulbs redundant or can they be made to work again??

[mannyo]

The original 501 bulbs are redundant, and as far as I am aware are not even connected to the wiring loom.

[AlexO]

Thanks mannyo I won't bother to replace them! Now for H7 dipped and main beam bulbs as the OE are rubbish! Osram Nightbreaker Plus limited edition I think!

[leevrs180]

As stated the "sidelight bulb" in the vrs can be turned on via vag com, this make the drl redundant. But i have been led to believe there are some vrs where this isn't even wired up

 

There's a switch in fuse panel on drivers side that turns on or off the drl 

 

When disabled the drl still acts as a sidelight, so when you notice the dimming its reducing its self to 5w (i think) due to laws on sidelights, which i find really funny that you can have a drl really bright but the same light when acting as a sidelight must be kept below a fixed wattage.

[Ootohere]

bump.