Daytime Running Lights

[Sean T.]

GM still uses amber DRLs... I see them all the time here in Michigan. Especially on Cadillacs and Chevys.

Amber DRLs are actually much much safer and easier to see than headlight DRLs.

daytime-running-lights.com has kits to add, remove, and even swap your DRLs from headlight to amber.

Thats where I got mine and they work great

[Unforgiven]

Nice info Sean T. Not sure that my vehicle's full DRL setup would benefit from that website you showed. Ah well, I can sort of defeat the headlight part, that will do for me.

[RH77]

Originally Posted by Sean T.

GM still uses amber DRLs... I see them all the time here in Michigan. Especially on Cadillacs and Chevys.

I started seeing them more after I posted (New Chevy/GMC Express, Caddy CTS) My guess is since DRLs are required in Canada, there's one design for North American production of many GM models.

I'm not sure if the "switch" is different there. Most GMs have the "Off (momentary spring), Auto (default), parking, headlight" positions, with a warning chime and panel message "Automatic Headlight Control Off" when out of auto-mode.

The DRL site offers some good solutions. I'm wondering if it would be cheaper to wire something up, DIY-style, with a relay and maybe some LEDs in the turns (with ignition-on power) and a switch for nighttime use. I recall a "ground-out" schematic that might work with the existing blinker relay (can't find it at the moment).

The electrical gurus out there may know...

RH77

[Sean T.]

See if DRLs were an option on the 98 Integra... With Oval_Overload and myself, we found out that all Taurii have the DRL wiring (whether they were equipped with it or not), you just need to get a DRL unit and plug it in.

Ideas For Dlrs - Taurus Car Club of America

[RH77]

Originally Posted by Sean T.

See if DRLs were an option on the 98 Integra... With Oval_Overload and myself, we found out that all Taurii have the DRL wiring (whether they were equipped with it or not), you just need to get a DRL unit and plug it in.

Ideas For Dlrs - Taurus Car Club of America

I checked the shop manual, and Canadian models have the DRL unit for '98-'01 models. I'll have to see if that means that all North American-bound models had it and it isn't hooked up (it's up under the driver's side dash). It may be an easy solution.

Great idea!

RH77

[saunders1313]

Well I pulled the lights out of DRLs, we'll see if there's any difference. If nothing else I'll at least feel safer because I have to turn on my headlights at night. I recently got this Monte with DRLs and I have found that I have driven a couple of times at night with the DRLs only.

[Piwoslaw]

Here in Poland (as in most countries in northern and mid-eastern Europe) cars are required to have their lights on during the day (until recently this was only in winter months, now it's year round). The opponents of this don't believe in the safety arguments, but are complaining about how much fuel is being wasted. When driving during the day, not only are the headlights on, but also parking lights (front and rear), dash and licence plate lights. Also, the dash lights are in dark mode, as they should be only at night. Some people drive around with only their parking lights (saving a few watts from the headlights), but this makes them harder to see in a string of cars with headlights.
A remedy for this would be LED DRLs. Polish law allows these, but only with rear parking lights. European law (which is stronger) doesn't say anything about rear lights. So it is unclear whether rear parking lights must be on with DRLs or not. Anyway, European law states that DRLs must turn on automaticly with the engine and cannot be hooked up to any manual switches. Also, they must turn off when headlights are switched on. This means that if you EOC (which is probably illegal pretty much everywhere), then your DRLs turn off.
I'm thinking about buying some LED DRLs (here they cost at least $30, but legal ones around $60 per pair) and using only them during the day. Plus maybe a switch to keep them on if I start to EOC. I'll have a printout of the European law to show to any police officer who stops me for not having rear lights.