DRL's and dipped beam

[GeorgeL]

This is as much an observation as a question, but I have noticed some VAG cars still have DRLs running when the dipped beam is on, yet others don't.

Is this something that can be set? Can the DRLs be set to dim when the head lights are on?

Cheers

[ryan-re]

they do dim when the headlights are on. They are used as side lights on some cars such as the FL octavia's

[Perc]

They are used as side lights on some cars such as the FL octavia's

 

Only the vRS. The normal FL octavia has 5-watt sidelight bulbs in the upper outer corner of the headlight, and 21-watt bulbs for the DRL in the bumper. The vRS has the same headlight so you can see where the bulb is supposed to go. 

 

The sidelights are a bit of a pet peeve of mine. The factory "xenon look" bulbs are too beige to match the xenons, and the "xenon look" leds I bought from ebay are too blue. Talk about a first world problem.

Edited 23 July, 2013 by Perc

[silver1011]

UK regs require the DRL's to either dim or extinguish completely when side or dipped headlights are turned on.

 

As has been mentioned some cars use the DRL's in their dimmed setting as side lights.

 

I've seen a few Hyundai i30's with the LED DRL's with both side lights (W5W in the headlight) and/or dipped headlights on too. The LED DRL's remain at full or very nearly full brightness. I wonder if the amount that the DRL's have to dim is stipulated anywhere.

[Defenderben]

My wife's citigo has DRL,s that double up as the side lights but dim down when switched to side lights from the bright DRL setting.

Think there are a few other manufactures out there doing the same.

Regards

[adamal]

When I fitted mine I bought a Genlabs switch which dimmed the drls by 50% on turning on the sidelights. It claims to be fully legal, so if they are right, the 50% rate gives a pointer to the legal requirement I guess.

Adam

[xpower]

The Octavia vRS LED DRL's and the Audi A3 LEDs dim to 9-12% which is why they look so pants. The good thing is the audi can be tweaked up to a sensible 20-30% so they still look defined without being glarey.

[GeorgeL]

So can mine be set to stay on when dipped beam is om? it's a VRS FL.

[Stoofa]

So can mine be set to stay on when dipped beam is om? it's a VRS FL.

 

Yes - when you switch to headlights the DRL's will dim - as per legal requirements.

However they will remain on and as there is less light (hence the reason you've switched headlights on) then the DRL's will still look pronounced.

[GeorgeL]

Interesting, mine on the overhand turn off completely as soon as the side lights or dipped beam are switched on. I'll look into getting this changed, ire I can find a member with vagcom locally.

[Stoofa]

You shouldn't have separate side-lights on a FL vRS.

The DRL's are the side-lights - however dimmed from when they are in DRL mode.

Although Skoda do fit 2 side-light bulbs they do not operate on this model.

[silver1011]

Interesting, mine on the overhand turn off completely as soon as the side lights or dipped beam are switched on. I'll look into getting this changed, ire I can find a member with vagcom locally.

 

Are you sure? They should only turn off completey on the non-vRS MkII Octavia.

 

As has been mentioned the LED DRL's on the FL vRS dim when side lights or dipped headlights are turned on. They shouldn't turn off completely.

 

What happens when you turn on side lights? Do they dim or turn off?

 

If they turn off then you have no front illumination when the switch is in the side light position as the LED DRL's perform both the role of DRL and side lights.

 

Either someone has been playing with the settings using VCDS or you have a fault.

 

Either way with no side lights you'll have an issue come MOT time.

Edited 24 July, 2013 by silver1011

[GeorgeL]

Yes quite sure, hence the reason I asked. I put my sides on in the rain the other day and noticed further down the road that my DRLs weren't on (posing in shop windows). I'm guessing the legalities surrounding the DRLs are still a little wooly for MOT testers, my car had its first MOT on Friday and past without advisories.

I'm hoping this is something that can be coded fairly easily then?

[Stoofa]

Yes quite sure, hence the reason I asked. I put my sides on in the rain the other day and noticed further down the road that my DRLs weren't on (posing in shop windows). I'm guessing the legalities surrounding the DRLs are still a little wooly for MOT testers, my car had its first MOT on Friday and past without advisories.

I'm hoping this is something that can be coded fairly easily then?

 

Well the issue here is not so much the fact that your DRL's were off - rather than because they were off you have NO front illumination at all when you switch to side-lights.

That is a serious fault and an MOT failure (I believe) so something you definitely need sorting out.

[philbes]

Yes quite sure, hence the reason I asked. I put my sides on in the rain the other day and noticed further down the road that my DRLs weren't on (posing in shop windows). I'm guessing the legalities surrounding the DRLs are still a little wooly for MOT testers, my car had its first MOT on Friday and past without advisories.

I'm hoping this is something that can be coded fairly easily then?

Front side lights (actually should be called 'parking lights') are insufficient illumination in circumstances of reduced visibility - use dipped headlamps.  Highway code rules 113 and 226 give guidance,

[fordfan]

DRLs aren't mentioned in the MOT testers manual so, as such, aren't testable.  Side or parking lights are referred to as position lamps.  It is a requirement for a car to have front and rear position lamps.

[GeorgeL]

Ok, thanks for the info, always top notch. I've been out to check the light situation with my car, and its changed?... The DRLs now stay on regardless? I don't have any side lights at though?

There has been one process that could have caused this. The car was remapped by Shark yesterday (more on that later), the ecu was removed. Could this have caused the light settings to change? Could it be the system is now in a default setting? Please excuse my ignorance towards this subject.