New Member Toyota Prius T1 Spirit 2005 - No Manual

[PeteB]

At least on the Toyotas when you turn the parking lights off it turns off the rear fog lights too, so those that don't keep an eye on them only have them on for the rest of a journey, and not the next few weeks!

I recently did an early morning trip from the Norfolk coast to Bedfordshire in very patchy fog/mist and found I was turning my fog lights on an off quite a bit (both ends, and varying my speed too) as the visibility changed from slightly impaired to a few hundred yards.

When there's other traffic around I find it helps to check a few cars in the distance with and without fog lights on to guide me. Often, the outline of a car with just parking lights on remains visible after the lights have disappeared. If I can't see someone's lights at what I consider to be the distance I could easily stop I put mine on, and when I can see a car for much more than that they go off.

If I can't see any other vehicles, and can't see objects (crash barriers, street light poles, signs, trees etc.) for what believe is 200-400 yards the rear ones go on, but I watch my mirrors for approaching traffic; then turn them off if I can see someone far enough away that I think my fog lights are unhelpful.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

At least on the Toyotas when you turn the parking lights off it turns off the rear fog lights too

Doesn't do the front though which is a bit silly in my opinion, and often see Toyota's driving about with them left on. My previous Fiats default to all fogs off after and ignition restart.

[PeteB]

agreed, but if it only does one end I'd glad is the rear ones as they're usually much more dazzling than front fog lihts

[Parts-King]

This one really peeves me................and their are many

People driving round with DRL's in bad weather, and NOT having their lights on. Rear lights do not come on with DRl's and the idiots cannot be seen from behind

Rant over....................

[CPN]

Hear hear! Something I have become very conscious of since getting the new Yaris...

[PeteB]

DRLs are something I've wanted since the 1970s, but was a bit surprised/disappointed when I found on Toyotas and some other makes they only came on at the front.

On a Volvo I once had, when the engine started not only front lights came on, but two of the four tails lights, and four amber side marked lights, one on each corner. The other pair of tail lights lit as well when parking or main headlights were switched on.

I would have preferred if a few of the LED tails lights on the Prius lit up when the DRLs came on, and the rest when the main lights were operated.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

This one really peeves me................and their are many

People driving round with DRL's in bad weather, and NOT having their lights on. Rear lights do not come on with DRl's and the idiots cannot be seen from behind

Rant over....................

DRLs are something I've wanted since the 1970s, but was a bit surprised/disappointed when I found on Toyotas and some other makes they only came on at the front.

On a Volvo I once had, when the engine started not only front lights came on, but two of the four tails lights, and four amber side marked lights, one on each corner. The other pair of tail lights lit as well when parking or main headlights were switched on.

I would have preferred if a few of the LED tails lights on the Prius lit up when the DRLs came on, and the rest when the main lights were operated.

Sorry to say that I can't see the rear lights not being on argument. The closing speed to the rear of a car is a lot less than 2 cars head on. DRLs being on the front it just right TBH, and rears being on would make no difference in my opinion. The only time this could potentially be argued is with the odd idiot around town at night driving by DRL and not headlights where they've forgotten to turn their headlights on.

GC comment about people having DRLs on in poor weather conditions and not being able to see the rear, if conditions are that bad then I doubt even a set of 5 watt tail lamps will be adequate (heavy spray on the motorway for example) and the only thing that'll be visible is rear fogs - and lets face it they're not coming on if they've not even turned headlights on.

[PeteB]

Sorry I didn't make it clear - I only rely on DRLs in good daylight, but although many will not see this as important, I'd rather a token rear light was showing too, but it's not the end of the world that they don't.

I was going on a tangent about DRLs in general, and not their use in poor conditions. If light is poor, or visibility impaired, then headlights and, when necessary, fog lights go on instead.

As an aside, in my Gen 1 Prius, because I used at least dipped headlights all the time, the indicator lamps in the heating and ventilation switches were hard to see in daylight because they dimmed when the lights went on. A push button could turn the instrument panel lights and multifunction display backlight back up to full brightness, but not the switch indicators.

I did look at buying the box that made the DRLs work from a European dealer, and my Norwich dealer said they would be happy to fit it, but because it was for a left hand driver version, we couldn't be absolutely certain it would fit in and work on my car without buying it first (and it was about £160 for the part plus shipping).

[Grumpy Cabbie]

GC comment about people having DRLs on in poor weather conditions and not being able to see the rear, if conditions are that bad then I doubt even a set of 5 watt tail lamps will be adequate (heavy spray on the motorway for example) and the only thing that'll be visible is rear fogs - and lets face it they're not coming on if they've not even turned headlights on.

Me? :)

[MEP's Yaris GS]

yep

[Grumpy Cabbie]

yep

But I never said that. It was PeteB who said it.

[Joseph D]

yep

But I never said that. It was PeteB who said it.

It was Kingo who said it:

This one really peeves me................and their are many

People driving round with DRL's in bad weather, and NOT having their lights on. Rear lights do not come on with DRl's and the idiots cannot be seen from behind

Rant over....................

[MEP's Yaris GS]

My bad, speed reading and got the wrong poster :/

Sorry GC.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

My bad, speed reading and got the wrong poster :/

Sorry GC.

That's ok. Your penance is to say nothing but positive and glowing comments about hybrids for the next 10 posts :)

[CPN]

ROTFL!

[kithmo]

I don't take my DRLs into account when driving, they might as well not be there as far as I'm concerned, I drive as I did before I had them. Good visibility, no lights on, low visibilty as in dark, dusk, rain, falling snow, dipped headlights on, together with side and tail. Poor visibilty, down to 300 yds front fogs on, down to 100 yds front and rear fogs on as per requirements.