Help Installing Drl's.

[aygoblue123]

Bought a pair of flexible daytime running lights to run on the bottom lip of the headlights..

Not sure where to wire them to?!

Thinking possibly the sidelights. But i'd rather they turned on and off with the ignition without need to turn sidelights on.

Anyone with any idea as to where and how to connect them would be great help. Pictures would be great if poss.

Cheers.

[Jan van de Wouw]

I highly doubt if those strips are roadlegal. But if you at least wat to connect them the official way

they need to come on with ignition and go off when you tusn on the sidelights. Like this:

My kit is an official approved DRL-set and was supplied with the proper wiring.

But that's quite simple to replicate: get yourself an SPDT automotive relay with 5 pins, connect the coil (pins 86 and 85)

of the relay between ground and the sidelights, so when you turn on the sidelights, the relay activates.

Now hook up +12V from ignition (I used the feed for the window washers as I allready had the bumper off)

to the NC-contact (87A) of the relay and hook up the positive for the DRL to the common-contact (30).

Ground the other side of the DRL and everything should work!

Here's a shot of the bottom of my relay-socket: its loom has 4 "arms": 2 going to the DRL (left),

one to power and ground (top right) and the 4th taps into the sidelights (lower right).

[aygoblue123]

thankyou so much i shall have a go with all that

The strips are exactly similar to the audio style lights so must be road legal

[AYGOgummy]

The flexible ones are NOT road legal as far as I know. Fine for styling etc, but not to be used on the road instead of real DRLs. They're generally nowhere near as bright as the Audi, Merc, BMW ones, and the light isn't quite as white (sorry I know there's a lot of rhyming going on there!). Philips and Ring do fully road-legal ones - they'll be getting tough on this, as every new car from this month has to have DRLs (proper DRLs) fitted as standard. These are sometimes LEDs, sometimes they aren't. Not every car has them yet though, understandably. And it's not compulsory on cars that were built before now. But it's probably best to stay on the right side of the law. Proper DRLs will be brighter, better quality and to be honest, they look better. Here's a link :) http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_detail.asp?prod=198 made especially for smaller cars like the Aygo. These are the type of thing you see on Audis, Mercs etc. Hope that helps :)

[silvio]

Where I come from, it is illegal to drive with fog lamps lights lit especially during the evenings or nights. We only rarely get any fog and this is usually during early spring mornings.

As for these new light most Mercs and Audis have, I personally think they're a nuisance as they are way too bright even during sunny days. I also find their xenon headlamps to be dangerous as they are much much brighter than the normal 55/60 our cars seem to have.

We do not have long stretches of highways and our major roads are in their majority lit with enough lamps to cause an orange glow all over the place so there is no need for these extra high intensity lights. I know that in countries such as yours they may make a difference over long stretches of roads but as soon as you come face to face with a car with these lights they just seem to create a burn-in in your retina.

[jjj_aygo]

I will never understand the 'fog lighter' who drives around with fog lights and side lights on in pitch black conditions admiring the pavement whilst having zero forward visibility! However I think it should always be up to the driver to make the decision as to which is the best lighting combination for the conditions so in genuinely foggy conditions we can use just fog lights. Having said that does anyone know if you can actually choose to switch the DRL's off on cars such as Audi's and Mercs or do you constantly have to have them on to make sure people know you have a new expensive car?! As far as I know the big cats at the EU are responsible for the "safety" drive behind DRL's, and I wonder if they actually do show a marked improvement in vehicular safety ...... dadrl.org

[Duce D]

I personally thought the UK law said driving with fog lights (front OR rear) was illegal unless viability was less than 100 meters...

Also i think it is those DLR's are !Removed! irritating.

[benwiddowson]

I will never understand the 'fog lighter' who drives around with fog lights and side lights on in pitch black conditions admiring the pavement whilst having zero forward visibility! However I think it should always be up to the driver to make the decision as to which is the best lighting combination for the conditions so in genuinely foggy conditions we can use just fog lights. Having said that does anyone know if you can actually choose to switch the DRL's off on cars such as Audi's and Mercs or do you constantly have to have them on to make sure people know you have a new expensive car?! As far as I know the big cats at the EU are responsible for the "safety" drive behind DRL's, and I wonder if they actually do show a marked improvement in vehicular safety ...... dadrl.org

I had DRL's on my Skoda Fabia i recently sold and yes there is a switch to turn them off, on skodas its located near the fuse box so im assuming on Audi's and VW's its in the same place.

[Hugo D'Aygo]

On an 61 Aygo where can I find the 12v power from?

Help!

Hugo

[Hugo D'Aygo]

I still need help!

Hugo

[eygo]

you can use anythink that has an ignition controlled supply why not use the windscreen wiper motor ,i dont know what wire is +12v but using a multimeter you will find the right wire in seconds

[FROSTYBALLS]

For info:

Below is an extract from a Dept for Transport Freedom of Information reply (August 2012):

"All vehicles used on the roads in the UK must comply with the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, as amended (Statutory instrument 1989
No. 1796). These Regulations do not mandate the fitment of Daytime running lights on vehicles. Furthermore, the lighting regulations contain
no requirements for optionally retro-fitted DRL. Therefore there are no detailed legal requirements on the placement of optionally fitted DRL in
the UK. If DRL are retro-fitted they must comply with the general requirements of the lighting regulations including that they should not be
used so as to cause dazzle or discomfort to other road users. A small number of older vehicles are required to be fitted with dim-dip devices or
as an alternative “running lamps” but that is unlikely to be the case for a vehicle registered in 2011.

The figures quoted for placement (a height between 250 mm and 1500mm, distance between the inner edges of the two lamps of at least 600mm)
appear to be based on those specified in the UNECE Regulation on lighting installation, UNECE Regulation 48, which is available at:

http://www.unece.org...ain/wp29/wp2...

These requirements are compulsory for vehicle manufacturers wishing to obtain EC type approval for their vehicles and can be considered as helpful guidelines for those wishing to optionally retro fit DRL to ensure they are effective.

Currently DRLs are not inspected as part of the MOT and retro-fitting DRL will not result in a test failure regardless of their placement. If future changes to the MOT scheme bring DRL within the scope, consideration will need to be given as to how to treat retro-fitted DRL.

The current DfT publication on daytime running lights remains valid."

For owners wishing to retro fit DRL's in the UK, the requirements for car manufacturers may be used as guidelines, but the only legal requirement as regards placement of DRL's is that they should not dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users.

[Hugo D'Aygo]

Bought a pair of flexible daytime running lights to run on the bottom lip of the headlights..

Not sure where to wire them to?!

Thinking possibly the sidelights. But i'd rather they turned on and off with the ignition without need to turn sidelights on.

Anyone with any idea as to where and how to connect them would be great help. Pictures would be great if poss.

Cheers.

Try running a link from the Cigar/12v socket.

Then it'll work with the ignition.

Hugo

[MikeSh]

Try running a link from the Cigar/12v socket.

Then it'll work with the ignition.

Hugo

I have a feeling that is on the Aux, not Ignition. I can't find a diagram for it but I have an added device next to the socket that runs with the Aux and I think (it was a year ago I fitted it, so not sure now) I piggy'd it off the socket feed.

Certainly check before making a final connection.

[Hugo D'Aygo]

Try running a link from the Cigar/12v socket.

Then it'll work with the ignition.

Hugo

I have a feeling that is on the Aux, not Ignition. I can't find a diagram for it but I have an added device next to the socket that runs with the Aux and I think (it was a year ago I fitted it, so not sure now) I piggy'd it off the socket feed.

Certainly check before making a final connection.

It maybe the Aux as you say, but it needs the key in the ignition to get it to work.

Hugo

[MikeSh]

Yes, but if you park and sit there listening to the radio the lights will be on. That may be illegal - headlights when parked are, sidelights aren't, not sure about drls but as they can dazzle at night, so probably a no-no.