So, had my rapid sport for 4 days now. Something is troubling me. When the lights selector is set to "off", the daytime running lights are on. These appear to be a bright bulb (h4 or h7, i haven't looked too far into it). Ok so far.

Now, if i switch to sidelights, the DRLs turn off and the sidelights come on. These would be 5w wedge lamps, not nearly as bright as the DLR lights. WTF? with the DRL lights, why would you ever want to switch them off to turn on the sidelights? Apart from to light up the rear of course. Anyone with me? Why have these bulbs in the headlight cluster at all. 

Because they are needed to make the car road legal?

DRLs are DAYTIME running lights, bright lights that are suitable for daytime sunny conditions. They are too bright for night time use, so are either dimmed or turned off when parking or headlights are turned on. DRLs are not directional in the way a headlight is either. DRLs can't be used at full brightness at night. EU and UK regulations.

Sounds plausible

So are we saying that other cars, which utilise led DRLs that are still on at night time with the headlights are either dimmed accordingly or not as bright during the day as bulb based DRLs? 

I guess my issue is that i don't understand the need for sidelights at all, either have dipped beam on or don't. When sidelights are on, and the instrument cluster is illuminated and this fools people into forgetting to switch to dipped beam, unless of course they are on a dark road and realise that they physically can't see down the road. (people, meaning my wife!) 

It's nothing to do with them being LED, for a DRL to be effective in daylight, it's far too bright to be used at night. If a car has dual use/purpose lights that are used for DRL and sidelights, they will need to dim for sidelight use.

 

I certainly agree that you'll rarely need to use sidelights on the road. In my mind, the main two purposes are:

- to show the car width when a headlight bulb has failed

- parking lights

 

Even your old Hyundai coupe will have had sidelights, they are nothing new

 

Edited 20 November, 20187 yr by langers2k

Its the law to have sidelights. They are front/rear position lights

 

http://www.ukmot.com/Your-MOT-Questions/lights

 

Edited 20 November, 20187 yr by xman

It did indeed, but i removed them many years ago and fitted two "halo" rings in each cluster which then became my "sidelights". For this reason I actually drove around with my sidelights on permanently, so these would become DRL/sidelights in one. Good thing about the coupe, when you left the vehicle, the lights turned themselves off and came back on when you out keys in the ignition. 

Look, now i am already reminiscing..... 

Technically speaking, they probably wouldn't have had type approval so would have been neither DRL or sidelights. In the eyes of an MOT, they would have probably been treated as sidelights unless they were particularly bright.

 

I'm not familiar with the Rapid but on other Skoda/VW cars you can have coming home/leaving home lights which sound similar to what you're describing.

Those Sidelights / Position lights are also what becomes the 'Parking Light'  One Front Sidelight and One Rear at the same side and maybe one Registration Light Bulb on when you put the indicator down and no key in the ignition and no lights on at the switch.

 

Parking where no Street Lights or at Road Side, even in a lay-by maybe.    Parking lights not Sidelights.

 

Quite common since 2013 that MOT Examiners fail Mk2 Fabia vRS for no Sidelights and DRL's on.

This is because the Sidelight / DRL unit is Bright DRL and dim Sidelight in the position where Fog Lights might be and a dummy bulb is in the Headlight Unit.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/458023-side-lights

 

Edited 21 November, 20187 yr by Offski

They are there for a reason, legal reason but must admit yes they do look dim compared to the other lights.