How to deactivate daytime running lights?

[kam]

some good points have been raised

[alexaescht]

How to deactivate daytime running lights?

I had to drive up and back to yarrawonga yesterday and on the benalla road I finally realised why there is such a push for DRL's to become mandatory and for there to be no option to be turned off. I was sitting behind a slow driver, awaiting my time to pull out when in the distance I thought I saw a glint coming the other way. Unsure of what I saw (thank god I'd had a good sleep for a change) I hesitated overtaking. Good thing I did because it was a charcoal coloured hilux coming the other way! Now, if that car had even just it's parkers in it would have stood out more from the shadowed road surface so for me, I will refuse to code anyone's car with VCDS who wants drl's disabled. 2 hours less sleep and I might not have made the same judgement on that glint of light and I could have very well killed myself, my partner, her sister, mother and niece.

In fact I think now it is actually illegal for a dealership to even do it. They are there for a reason.

You've reminded me Gavs! Thank you. I almost forgot that next service I want the halogen DRL's turned ON on my sisters Polo. For some reason they were turned off by the dealer/the factory.
I know what you mean about a change in drivers behaviour, in the Polo (no drl) people seem to take more risks (I suppose) around it. But in the Megane (blindingly-bright led drl's) people seem to see you much, much earlier.

[kam]

guess its a measure we now have to take due to the large amount of inattentive drivers on the road

on all my previous cars i always used to leave the fog lights on (they were never bright enough to dazzle enough, but enough to alert other drivers of my presence)

[steveyoshi]

DRL... are great on the Fabia RS, you generally notice a difference in other drivers attitude or behaviour when they see them.

Although those that are texting, or looking down at their lap still don't notice.

[TSI_Dan]

Classic example gavs as to why I think DRLs are essential. Most of the time you see other cars without the need for DRLs, but it's that one time when there is glare, or the road dips, or the angle is off, or the colour of the car is difficult to see, or whatever... that could mean death. We're only human! Many studies conclude DRLs have a small benefit in reducing accidents. Any reduction is a good reduction. It's about time the government got serious and investigated all avenues of road safety in reducing accidents... not just the ones that make them money.

[GTD_XU1]

In the early to mid 1970's the NSW DMT in concert with NRMA and others encouraged/recommended driving with headlights on during daytime hours as a safety campaign. Special emphassis was given to the situation of "driving out of the sun" early morning and late afternoon where an oncoming vehicle has GREAT difficulty seeing your vehicle, headlights ON gives you a much greater chance of being seen. Turn 'em on and live longer, teach your kids, encourage others you know. Cheers all.

[wai]

Before the dual carriageway upgrade from Holbrook to Albury, there were signs regarding the area being a headlight on safety study being carried out, however I have never seen anything on the results of the study.

Last night, I was returning from a Good Friday service around 9 pm in Bendigo and there was a charcoal grey Golf (recent model) that was happily driving through Bendigo without any lights on. No amount of frantic flashing of lights could get the driver to turn their lights on. It had NO lights on, DRL or main beam.

[Drooberius]

I didn't know about the daytime headlights until I picked up the car. Didn't see on any of the private cars or test drive car (must have all been MY12). Really bugged me on the first day... But grown use to it. Want to change the yellow bulbs from stock though. Any recommendations for a simplenn need to reprogram or rewire fix? Osram or Phillips?

[nomadx38]

There are many options to choose from:

If you have foglights you can swap the DRL functionality from the low beam to the foglights and change the bulbs to white ones or high powered LEDs or what ever you choose.

You could also change the low beam bulb to a philips blue vision ultra or something a bit more white. (Not xenon, the low voltage on the TFL terminal will destroy the xenon ballast. Also xenons in reflector = BAD!

You could also disable the low beam DRL via the TFL terminal and change the coding to always have the parking lights on (terminal 52 on with ignition) and change the parker to a high powered LED - this would emit less light than the other options but its better than nothing.

[steveyoshi]

wow...this has me confused.

so you can not upgrade the globes in a xenon headlight vehicle?

gota bit to learn about my new car that is on it's way.

There are many options to choose from:

If you have foglights you can swap the DRL functionality from the low beam to the foglights and change the bulbs to white ones or high powered LEDs or what ever you choose.

You could also change the low beam bulb to a philips blue vision ultra or something a bit more white. (Not xenon, the low voltage on the TFL terminal will destroy the xenon ballast. Also xenons in reflector = BAD!

You could also disable the low beam DRL via the TFL terminal and change the coding to always have the parking lights on (terminal 52 on with ignition) and change the parker to a high powered LED - this would emit less light than the other options but its better than nothing.

[alexaescht]

How to deactivate daytime running lights?

wow...this has me confused.

so you can not upgrade the globes in a xenon headlight vehicle?

gota bit to learn about my new car that is on it's way.

No, Nomad was saying that you can't put a xenon globe in a reflector housing on the low beam (because the DRL low voltage would destroy the bulb).

[Drooberius]

There are many options to choose from:

If you have foglights you can swap the DRL functionality from the low beam to the foglights and change the bulbs to white ones or high powered LEDs or what ever you choose.

You could also change the low beam bulb to a philips blue vision ultra or something a bit more white. (Not xenon, the low voltage on the TFL terminal will destroy the xenon ballast. Also xenons in reflector = BAD!

You could also disable the low beam DRL via the TFL terminal and change the coding to always have the parking lights on (terminal 52 on with ignition) and change the parker to a high powered LED - this would emit less light than the other options but its better than nothing.

Don't have foglights... just to confirm that's just a simple 'heatshrinking' of the TFL terminal as mentioned before? No need for 'vagcom' coding?

[alexaescht]

How to deactivate daytime running lights?

Don't have foglights... just to confirm that's just a simple 'heatshrinking' of the TFL terminal as mentioned before? No need for 'vagcom' coding?

If you don't want any lights on when the headlight switch is set to 'off' then no coding is necessary (just the TFL pin heat-shrinking/bending/removal).

Coding is only necessary if you want to have your parkers on when the headlight switch is set to 'off' (for extra safety).

[Drooberius]

If you don't want any lights on when the headlight switch is set to 'off' then no coding is necessary (just the TFL pin heat-shrinking/bending/removal).

Coding is only necessary if you want to have your parkers on when the headlight switch is set to 'off' (for extra safety).

Thought that TFL mod is just for headlights as per post #4... parkers, rear & plate lights still on?

[alexaescht]

How to deactivate daytime running lights?

Thought that TFL mod is just for headlights as per post #4... parkers, rear & plate lights still on?

As far as I know, in Australia only the front, reduced voltage low beam headlights are used for DRL purposes, without the number plate and rear lights on.
Although I could be entirely wrong.

EDIT: Sorry, just read over the earlier posts again and yes, some coding is necessary as the front and rear parkers and number plate lights will stay on after the heat-shrinking of the TFL terminal.