Scandinavian DRL mode - DRLs still on with headlights

[AlecEdworthy]

Hello,

 

I recently bought a Carista as I was interested in enabling the automatic locking feature on my Fabia mkIII which for some reason wasn't present.  This worked fine and the doors now lock and unlock as you'd expected.  However I also like the idea of Scandinavian DRL mode whereby the rear lights come on when the front (in my case, non-LED) DRLs are on.  I've noticed that with this feature enabled the DRLs remain on whatever position the light switch is in - Off (i.e. DRL only which is OK), sidelights and headlights.  Without enabling Scandinavian DRL mode the DRLs correctly go off if you switch to sidelights or headlights mode and I am worried that with the DRLs remaining on I'm actually causing more trouble in that they could be too bright and unconstrained and so dazzle other road users.  Has anyone else enabled Scandinavian DRL mode and noticed this?  Am I worrying unnecessarily?  I've seen a fair few vehicles recently which seem to have very bright lights on at the front even when their headlights are on so I'm wondering if headlights and DRLs is now permitted/the done thing?

 

Kind regards, Alec 

[teraja]

I guess the Scandinavian DRLs work correct only with LED DRLs as they dim automatically when headlights are on.

[bertJ]

I presume that your Fabia has LED DRL's if so, I have exactly the same problem with my Fabia. At night the LED DRL's are far too bright along with the headlights and cause severe dazzle. There's no way by using Carista to make the DRL's dim when the headlights are on. The only, not very satisfactory solution, is to to turn the DRL's off at night using the lights menu in the infotainment system and they then become the correct, dimmed, side lights. I can't remember if I had to enable the DRL on/off option using Carista in the Lights menu.

[SC03OTT]

How is this being enabled? I know you said Carista but is it an app type system?

 

I have activated the rear lights as DRLs on my wife’s Fabia. When the headlights come on however, the front DRL still dim. Which I think is not what you’re experiencing?  That after activating rear DRL, upon turning the main beam on the front DRL doesn’t dim?

[AlecEdworthy]

3 hours ago, bertJ said:

I presume that your Fabia has LED DRL's if so, I have exactly the same problem with my Fabia. At night the LED DRL's are far too bright along with the headlights and cause severe dazzle. There's no way by using Carista to make the DRL's dim when the headlights are on. 

 

No, mine is incandescent DRLs not LED.  On closer inspection it looks to me like enabling Scandinavian DRL mode enables the sidelights at all times (hence the rear lights coming on) but then doesn't kill the DLRs when side or headlight mode is chosen resulting in the bright DRLs remaining on.  They are quite dazzling so I've turned Scandinavian mode off again.  I'm guessing that most or all of the cars I'm seeing on the road which appear to have multiple lights on when the headlights are on are LED based DRLs which are automatically dimming when the headlights activate.  Shame, I like the idea of rear lights being on during the day without needing to switch to the dim sidelights or full headlights at the front but it seems this is not to be for me with this car.  Still love my Fabia so I'll let it off 

 

3 hours ago, bertJ said:

 The only, not very satisfactory solution, is to to turn the DRL's off at night using the lights menu in the infotainment system and they then become the correct, dimmed, side lights. I can't remember if I had to enable the DRL on/off option using Carista in the Lights menu.

 

 

The menu option to disable the DRLs was present on my Fabia's MMI already (but Carista can enable/disable it).  Turning off the DRLs does have the desired effect when the headlights are on (i.e. disable the DRLs) but given I'd need to remember to do that when I wanted headlights, and undo it when I wanted DRLs in the daytime again I don't think it's a viable option.  Shame that there can't be an automatic software link between the two so that once the lights switch goes into sidelight or headlight position it automatically turned the DRLs off.  Perhaps this is another hidden code which Carista will find and expose to users down the line.  As others have said, I suspect the issue is that Fabias with incandescent DRLs are not designed for Scandinavian mode and so don't have the ability to dim the DRLs which LED based ones would probably have (albeit yours doesn't from your description which surprises me).

 

A

Edited 3 December, 2018 by AlecEdworthy
Added quotes etc.

[AlecEdworthy]

1 hour ago, SC03OTT said:

How is this being enabled? I know you said Carista but is it an app type system?

 

Carista is an app which operates on iOS and Android and interfaces with compatible ODB2 adaptors (or their own adaptor which is what I have) to allow you to do diagnostics and customisations on compatible cars.  You can turn options on and off and they're "saved" back to the car.  Options I've enabled are needle sweep, auto lock/unlock, the auto lock/unlock MMI menu, beep on lock/unlock and the menu item to allow you to enabled/disable the beeps in the MMI.  I wanted to enable Scandinavian mode too but it just isn't really safe IMHO.

 

1 hour ago, SC03OTT said:

I have activated the rear lights as DRLs on my wife’s Fabia. When the headlights come on however, the front DRL still dim. Which I think is not what you’re experiencing?  That after activating rear DRL, upon turning the main beam on the front DRL doesn’t dim?

Yep, spot on.  Because the front DRLs are incandescent (halogen at a guess?) rather than LED they don't have a dim option it seems so after enabling Scandinavian mode (which I wanted purely for the addition of the rear light being illuminated alongside the front DRLs) it means the front DRL bulbs (and the sidelight bulbs but that's less of an issue because they are so dim) are illuminated regardless of whether the lights control knob is in the Off (i.e. DRLs only albeit now with sidelight bulbs too), sidelight or headlight position.  Given the DRLs are quite bright and undirected (whereas the headlights are bright but angled down away from on coming vehicles except when on full beam mode) they're excessively bright at night and so would pose a risk of dazzling on coming vehicles in my opinion.  The DRLs can be disabled in one of the MMI menus which does turn them off again in headlight mode but seeing how I'd have to toggle that option each and every time I wanted headlights without the DRLs it's not really feasible (too easy to forget about it and pose a risk to other road users).  Shame but there you go.

 

A

[Ootohere]

?

As you have them now what happens if you use the 'Parking Lights',  Ignition off and indicator stalk down.

 

What front bulb is lit, is it the one sidelight at which ever side the stalk is at, same as the car arrived with?

 

Rear lights work fine IMO if you just put on Sidelights and Dipped Beam and then have 'Scandinavian Stylee' as was the norm for years pre DRL's.

(I liked my Volvo & Dim Dip for Daytime / Daylight running. That was sidelights and dimmed dipped as was in the UK for a few years but the Government never went for after considering it being legislated in the UK.)

Edited 3 December, 2018 by Offski

[AlecEdworthy]

7 minutes ago, Offski said:

?

As you have them now what happens if you use the 'Parking Lights',  Ignition off and indicator stalk down.

 

What front bulb is lit, is it the one sidelight at which ever side the stalk is at, same as the car arrived with?

 

I'll check tomorrow (with and without the Scandinavian modification applied) and report back.

 

7 minutes ago, Offski said:

Rear lights work fine IMO if you just put on Sidelights and Dipped Beam and then have 'Scandinavian Stylee' as was the norm for years pre DRL's.

(I liked my Volvo & Dim Dip for Daytime / Daylight running.)

 

 

I like the DRL front lights during the day, they're more visible and noticeable in my opinion than headlights (certainly sidelights which are pointless in normal daylight).  While yes you can just use headlights (and therefore the rear lights) in the daytime I just hoped I'd be able to get front DRLs and rear lights together instead.  It's not to be so not a lot I can do about it.  C'est la vie.  For motorway driving I'll probably just manually enable the headlights as you suggest, and on normal roads stick to just DRLs.  Perhaps my next car will be more amenable to my wants, wishes and desires 

 

A

[SC03OTT]

It sounds to me like Carista is changing something along with activating the rear lights as DRL.  Which it shouldn’t be doing.  What you want is easily done and can be coded in a few minutes if you have the tools. 

 

It’s juts more evidence that these ‘one click, one size fits all’ adaptations should be avoided. 

[rum4mo]

Hum, yes!

 

I have it for "on the road" logged fault checking only, VCDS for any thing else.

[bertJ]

Just to add some more complication to this discussion. My wife's Mk.7 VW Golf turns the front drl's off completely when the headlamps are on so no side/parking lights when the headlamps are on. This is probably because the Mk.7 main beam unit has twin filament bulbs - one filament for high beam and the other switches between bright for drl's and dim for side/parking. So the Carista mod for rear (Scandinavian)  drl's works perfectly on the Golf.

BTW, UK seems to be the only country that has the concept of 'side' lights. AFAIK other countries regard these dim lights only as parking lights and not to be used when a car is moving. It's probably a legacy of the time when people in the UK used to drive round towns with just side lights on. I can remember the uproar when people started using headlamps in towns. There was even a dim/dip compromise so that town driving used a dimmed headlamp setting. I owned a 1995 VW Passat that had dim/dip lights.

[AlecEdworthy]

31 minutes ago, bertJ said:

Just to add some more complication to this discussion. My wife's Mk.7 VW Golf turns the front drl's off completely when the headlamps are on so no side/parking lights when the headlamps are on. This is probably because the Mk.7 main beam unit has twin filament bulbs - one filament for high beam and the other switches between bright for drl's and dim for side/parking. So the Carista mod for rear (Scandinavian)  drl's works perfectly on the Golf.

 

My Fabia Mk.3 turns the DRLs off completely when the side or headlights are on without the mod, with the mod the DRLs never switch off.

 

A

[AlecEdworthy]

On 03/12/2018 at 22:59, Offski said:

As you have them now what happens if you use the 'Parking Lights',  Ignition off and indicator stalk down.

 

What front bulb is lit, is it the one sidelight at which ever side the stalk is at, same as the car arrived with?

 

Just checked and yes, the "Parking Lights" function operates exactly the same both with and without the Scandinavian mod. The front position lights (aka sidelights in British parlance) illuminate alongside the tail lights on one or both sides as requested with the indicator stalk or light switch as expected. The DRLs do not involve themselves at all.

 

A

[AlecEdworthy]

On 04/12/2018 at 09:39, SC03OTT said:

What you want is easily done and can be coded in a few minutes if you have the tools. 

 

Are you able to share details as to how this can be done with the right tools (e.g. the correct VCDS codings) please?

 

Kind regards, Alec 

[SC03OTT]

On 06/12/2018 at 13:53, AlecEdworthy said:

Are you able to share details as to how this can be done with the right tools (e.g. the correct VCDS codings) please?

 

Kind regards, Alec 

 

I’ll try and lookup the coding history on our Fabia this weekend and post up.  It’ll be for OBDeleven though.  Not VCDS. I can’t comment on how similar the coding will be. 

[AlecEdworthy]

11 hours ago, SC03OTT said:

 

I’ll try and lookup the coding history on our Fabia this weekend and post up.  It’ll be for OBDeleven though.  Not VCDS. I can’t comment on how similar the coding will be. 

Thank you, any information you have would be great.

 

Thanks, Alec

[EdHru]

Just tried this option on my Skoda with LED DRLs, and they do not dim when the main beam comes on when in Scandinavian mode, which makes no sense at all? Did a tweak outside the car with the app and when i turned off this mode (main beam still on) LEDs dimmed accordingly, when the mode activated they went full brightness. Surely in Scandinavian countries when they drive with the main beam on then dont drive with full brightness LEDs DRLs as well?

 

Will LED DRLs cause oncoming traffic dazzle when in combination with the main dipped beam?  

[bertJ]

10 minutes ago, EdHru said:

Just tried this option on my Skoda with LED DRLs, and they do not dim when the main beam comes on when in Scandinavian mode, which makes no sense at all? Did a tweak outside the car with the app and when i turned off this mode (main beam still on) LEDs dimmed accordingly, when the mode activated they went full brightness. Surely in Scandinavian countries when they drive with the main beam on then dont drive with full brightness LEDs DRLs as well?

 

Will LED DRLs cause oncoming traffic dazzle when in combination with the main dipped beam?  

Are you using Carista? If so, the only way you can dim the drl's with the headlamps on is by turning the drl's off in the lights menu. The drl's then revert to parking (side) light mode. I don't know if you can program the drl's correctly using VCDS.

The LED drl's will certainly cause severe dazzle if on at full brightness with main dipped beam on. 

[EdHru]

8 minutes ago, bertJ said:

Are you using Carista? If so, the only way you can dim the drl's with the headlamps on is by turning the drl's off in the lights menu. The drl's then revert to parking (side) light mode. I don't know if you can program the drl's correctly using VCDS.

The LED drl's will certainly cause severe dazzle if on at full brightness with main dipped beam on. 

 

Yes, using Carista. It's such a shame that this option messes the function of LED DRLs when in night time/dipped beam use. It would be useful function when bit dull not fully dark but not warrenting the main lights use until auto sensor kicks in.

 

[EdHru]

On 03/12/2018 at 16:27, AlecEdworthy said:

Hello,

 

I recently bought a Carista as I was interested in enabling the automatic locking feature on my Fabia mkIII which for some reason wasn't present.  This worked fine and the doors now lock and unlock as you'd expected.  However I also like the idea of Scandinavian DRL mode whereby the rear lights come on when the front (in my case, non-LED) DRLs are on.  I've noticed that with this feature enabled the DRLs remain on whatever position the light switch is in - Off (i.e. DRL only which is OK), sidelights and headlights.  Without enabling Scandinavian DRL mode the DRLs correctly go off if you switch to sidelights or headlights mode and I am worried that with the DRLs remaining on I'm actually causing more trouble in that they could be too bright and unconstrained and so dazzle other road users.  Has anyone else enabled Scandinavian DRL mode and noticed this?  Am I worrying unnecessarily?  I've seen a fair few vehicles recently which seem to have very bright lights on at the front even when their headlights are on so I'm wondering if headlights and DRLs is now permitted/the done thing?

 

Kind regards, Alec 

 

Alec, 

 

I have an update for this. I also got Carista module to do some tweaks and in particular i was interested into Scandinavian mode, which unfortunately did not work as intended. Contacted Carista via "report a problem" on the app, and explained the issue, not expecting to hear anything. How wrong i was, within 24hrs i got an email from them:

 

Hello, we researched your inquiry regarding the Scandinavian DRL and have implemented some new customisation which should fix the problem. They will very soon be available in the beta-version of Carista. As soon as it's ready we'll give you access to it (of course, it's free) so you can try them. Thank you for your patience!

 

Then within 48hrs they contacted me again with the following: 

 

Hello, the new beta is ready. My colleague will promptly send you an invitation for it with instructions how to get it on your phone. When you have it, could you please try the following:

-Scandinavian DRL: daytime running lights activate taillights and parking lights -> NO
-Use left taillight as daytime running light (step 1 of 2) -> ENABLED
-Use left taillight as daytime running light (step 2 of 2) -> ENABLED
-Use right taillight as daytime running light (step 1 of 2) -> ENABLED
-Use right taillight as daytime running light (step 2 of 2) -> ENABLED

The beta is valid for 1 month, after which you will automatically be removed (and you can continue using the regular version of Carista after that). If you are currently on a free trial, cancel it now; otherwise, the trial will convert to a real payment when it expires, regardless of whether you're in the beta.
 

All beta customisation are marked with a yellow "Send feedback" button. Please use that button to let us know which ones work and which don't. Also, if you run into any issues, with the app whatsoever, please reply here and let us know.

 

 

Ivan Angelov from Carista sent me a link to log into their BETA site and i tried the above, which works great. The rear lights come in L shape, not C as when they are on with main lights at the front, and numberplate lights do not come on either. Once the main beam comes on, LEDs dim as they should. I am on the free trail until Feb (which is cancelled as advised by Carista).

 

Reported back to Carista that its working now and they replied as follows:

 

Hello, thank you very much for testing this, I really appreciate your effort. I would also like to thank you for reporting this issue to us in the first place.

May I please ask a favour from you? Right now the new customisation that you tested are only available in the beta version, which means that all people who have the official release will not see them. We need to have feedback from at least 3-4 users that they work in order to add them to the official release, and we would like to do that as soon as possible. If you have contacts on the BriSkoda forum who have the same issue with the Scandinavian DRLs, could you please ask them to write to us and we'll give them the beta so they can test too? Thank you!

 

The contact is Ivan Angelov from Carista if you wish to send them a message/email via the app so you can test it as well. 

 

Hope this helps

 

 

[rum4mo]

That is fair enough all these scan tool designers need assistance from users and even users that have paid.

[EdHru]

1 minute ago, rum4mo said:

That is fair enough all these scan tool designers need assistance from users and even users that have paid.

 

totally agree, to be honest i was pleasantly surprised how quickly they responded and how helpful they were. 5* service from Carista

[AlecEdworthy]

3 hours ago, EdHru said:

Reported back to Carista that its working now and they replied as follows:

 

Hello, thank you very much for testing this, I really appreciate your effort. I would also like to thank you for reporting this issue to us in the first place.

May I please ask a favour from you? Right now the new customisation that you tested are only available in the beta version, which means that all people who have the official release will not see them. We need to have feedback from at least 3-4 users that they work in order to add them to the official release, and we would like to do that as soon as possible. If you have contacts on the BriSkoda forum who have the same issue with the Scandinavian DRLs, could you please ask them to write to us and we'll give them the beta so they can test too? Thank you!

 

The contact is Ivan Angelov from Carista if you wish to send them a message/email via the app so you can test it as well. 

 

Hope this helps

 

 

Excellent news, thank you for getting in touch.  I've emailed them and mentioned Ivan's name and hopefully they will extend the beta to me too :)

 

A

 

[AlecEdworthy]

On 25/01/2019 at 23:15, AlecEdworthy said:

Excellent news, thank you for getting in touch.  I've emailed them and mentioned Ivan's name and hopefully they will extend the beta to me too

 

Indeed they have.  I'll give it a try later and feed back.

 

Kind regards, Alec 

[AlecEdworthy]

Hi,

 

I've tested the new options on my Skoda Fabia Mk III 2017 plate (with incandescent DRLs) and can confirm it behaves much more acceptably.  The new options are,

 

-Use left taillight as daytime running light (step 1 of 2) -> ENABLED
-Use left taillight as daytime running light (step 2 of 2) -> ENABLED
-Use right taillight as daytime running light (step 1 of 2) -> ENABLED
-Use right taillight as daytime running light (step 2 of 2) -> ENABLED

 

This enables the lower and vertical rear lights when the DRLs are on, the upper rear lights do not illuminate with the DRLs.  Once the light switch is moved into sidelights or headlights the front DRLs extinguish and the upper rear light illuminates as expected.  This is much more as I would expect.  I've passed the information about the two upper lights not illuminating on to Carista and asked them if this is intended behaviour - I'll let you know what I hear back from them.

 

Kind regards, Alec