Daylight running lights

[KayCee]

Would it be possible to utilize the main beam to run at low power to act as DLRs in the day as they do in the states i am not electric proficient so would have to be a auto electrician and wondered if the wiring would be in place and maybe just needed a relay fitted somewhere I seem to remember a 86 Scorpio i had used to operate similarly if you set off with just sidelights on the headlights came on at reduced power it  may not be possible i know but i have always liked the idea of DLRs

Thanks IA

Robert

[Ben01]

Probably is still posible to run hi-beams as DRL in your car, but I heavy doubt if anything is factory prepared for this. Rewiring this (with bunch of relays) is depending on what bulb is in hi-beams (HID does not work "half-light"...) and how car recognises faulty lamps, etc. details. Let's say, even if everything is "friendly" type, it is a lot of work. I am pro with electric/elecronic and rebuilt much crazier parts of my cars (big score - remote start of car by mobile phone, like 10 years ago...) but never built DRL-of-hibeams, it is a lot of work for mediocre upgrade, it was much easier to nail any additional DRL lamps. BTW on every my GS (third now) I got on my "to do" list "DRL" and never did any (yet).

On the side note - it should be hi-beams only, not headlamps conversion, and it's DRL, not DLR.

[Herbie]

I don't know what would be involved in doing that but maybe an alternative is to use switchback LEDs in the indicators if possible, just like this RX300:

 

[KayCee]

Thanks all for taking time to reply

[leelacey17]

Another option would be changing your fog lights over to LED and use those as your DRLs. I did this on my is250 and it's been very effective.

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[Herbie]

36 minutes ago, leelacey17 said:

Another option would be changing your fog lights over to led and use those as your DRLs. I did this on my is250 and it's been very effective.

 

Be aware that if you do this though, you must make sure that you have measures in place to switch the DRLs off automatically when the side/tail and/or headlights are switched on. It would not be legal to work solely on the manual 'fog light' switch and your own remembering to turn them off - you could easily forget.

[leelacey17]

Be aware that if you do this though, you must make sure that you have measures in place to switch the DRLs off automatically when the side/tail and/or headlights are switched on. It would not be legal to work solely on the manual 'fog light' switch and your own remembering to turn them off - you could easily forget.

They just operate on the fog light switch and operate when I want them on. They are bright but because they are LED they throw no pattern so don't effect others.

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[Herbie]

52 minutes ago, leelacey17 said:

They just operate on the fog light switch and operate when I want them on. They are bright but because they are led they throw no pattern so don't effect others.

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Yeah but, if I understand you correctly then, all you've done is to replace the incandescent bulb with an LED so effectively they aren't DRLs are they - you're just driving around with your fog lights on. That in itself is an offence as they're only meant to be used in fog or falling snow.

No offence Lee, but if you're going to do a job you might as well do it properly  

[Ben01]

It could be disputed there are no more fog lamps but DRLs, and retrofitted DRL could be manual operated, so sort-of fine.

But if we are on legal stuff: "Some of the guidelines state that only two DRL are needed (no more and no less), they must only emit white light to the front and positioned between a height of 25cm and 150cm with a 20 degree outwards and inwards horizontal angle of visibility and a 10 degree inwards and upwards vertical angle of visibility. " (and IIRC wide no less than 60cm?) means fog lamps are not fit for the purpose, they are too low. Probably nobody cares in UK,  but on the continent in some countries there is no space to discuss with road police about this issue, if lamp is too low, it is not DRL but fog lamp (or anything and call it Susan), in best case switch off please, in worst case ticked.

On the other hand, any idea for home grown DRLs (powerful LEDs, hibeam half-light, fog lamp conversion) is not stricte legal in EU, if lamp has no RL/E4 marking (means proper certificate). And it is maybe unprobable, but still possible issue with MOT or road police.

I have once this issue "combined", with barely legal height DRLs ("blue" retrofitted DRLs on photo, 25cm in axis), when I was "oh f off, this is 25cm and it is ok" guy was "Yeah, maybe, so let's look for marking" (it was here, so I won this part). They pulled me for missing plate of course, but you know the drill, "if we stay here, let's play here".

[KayCee]

Hi Ben or anyone else with Electric Knowledge

Would it be possible to cut the wires to the sidelight plugs and connect to an ignition source so that sidelights come on, on ign then splice in the two cut sidelight wires to a couple of boot type lights that use festoon type bulbs as they would only be on when I was running on Headlights/sidelights and could double as a light source under bonnet it may not fool the (bulb out monitoring) but im sure i could use a couple of W5W bulbs that are in the sidelights It may be completely impossible as i am not a sparky but in my head its seams feasible

Thanks for taking time to read and comment I am extremely obliged

Robert

 

[Ben01]

Yeah, it is possible, but I may suggest some design of this first. Like, find the proper diagrams for your car, make a new one modified, think about all issues like this bulb monitoring.

And as I mention above - even if you or anybody proper design this vs. this particular GS450 SE-L electric, STILL it is a lot of "simple" electric works, access to harnesses is unfriendly, it is easy to ruin or snap something, etc. you need tools and skills. And last but not least, it should be a very neat job IMHO, the car with messy electrics under the bonnet will have price tag defined by scrapyard, if you ever try to sell her.

If you are not a pro, I may suggest to find any in your area, for proper design your IDEA, and manyfacture it neatly. IMHO it is not worth to full training yourself for a pair of DLRs and with complex car like GS450.

[Herbie]

3 hours ago, KayCee said:

Hi Ben or anyone else with Electric Knowledge

Would it be possible to cut the wires to the sidelight plugs and connect to an ignition source so that sidelights come on, on ign then splice in the two cut sidelight wires to a couple of boot type lights that use festoon type bulbs as they would only be on when I was running on Headlights/sidelights and could double as a light source under bonnet it may not fool the (bulb out monitoring) but im sure i could use a couple of W5W bulbs that are in the sidelights It may be completely impossible as i am not a sparky but in my head its seams feasible

Thanks for taking time to read and comment I am extremely obliged

Robert

 

Ok, I only managed two broken hours of sleep last night so I'm not performing at my best and I'm willing to accept that it's me being thick here but, if I understand correctly, you want to make the sidelights come on with the ignition and then tee into that to power a couple of lights under the bonnet (for working in the engine bay?) and then a couple of W5W bulbs in the headlights?

In a word - no.

The sidelights and headlights are monitored by the CANBUS system and any more or less load than the system expects to see will cause problems there. I've never had a GS450h so I don't know the lights but I doubt you'll be able to modify any of the existing lights other than maybe the indicators like Sorcerer did with his RX300 above. If you don't want to or can't modify the indicators like he did then I think your only option is to find a place to install aftermarket DRLs.

Any DRLs will require an ignition-fed power source and a relay or two for the switching. I can draw out a circuit diagram for you, showing you how to connect the relays etc., and it's a simple enough job to do.

[KayCee]

thank you to you all i will abort it it was just an idea i had

Robert

[Herbie]

On 8/14/2018 at 7:38 AM, KayCee said:

I seem to remember a 86 Scorpio i had used to operate similarly if you set off with just sidelights on the headlights came on at reduced power

You're talking about a completely different thing there - the dim-dip system.

It was outlawed by the EU which is why you no longer see it in use. I seem to remember reading that it wasn't very efficient or good for the bulbs as they only placed a resistor in the circuit to dim the bulbs, which meant that they didn't run at their designed temperature and caused problems.