TDI NB Disabling Daytime Running Lights
 

I found a great diy step-by-step online showing how to disable DRLs.

Here: Disabling Daily Runing Lights (DRL's) - How-To - NewBeetle.org Forums

I have but one critique. And, that is that the pictures of the connection are a bit misleading (or at least they were to me).

In an attempt to make it clearer which connection is to be disrupted, I have taken what I feel to be a better picture.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...connection.jpg

Good for around a 1.5% mpg improvement!!!

good luck

Holy smoke !
Ditching the DRLs was a 1.?? euro software mod on my Volvo ;)

According to research I've done this mod is good for around 1-1.5% improvement.

Here's the link: HowStuffWorks "How much extra gasoline would Americans use if daytime running lights were mandatory?"

Great article, too, btw.

Do you know how much current the DRLs draw? 1.5% sounds like a whole lot of improvement, yet very difficult to measure - 1% is less than half an mpg.

I sure don't. I know what you're saying, though. very hard to measure indeed. I'm not going to rack my brain trying to figure it out so specifically.

All that I know is that with my kammback attached I get 55.4mpg. if this improves mpgs by 1.5%, that theoretically should bump me up to 56!

p.s. UFO, you have a beetle! I'm telling you, this is worth your time. It took me 10 minutes.

At 49 mpg my jetta is burning 2.5oz of fuel a mile. Small things might make a difference. Be sure to drive without your AC and turn off your radio too.

I'm surprized they still have them

they're mandatory in a lot of places.

I don't have DRLs on my (or Mrs A's TDIs) but we both run with headlights on (Xenons).

The result may be 1-2% MPG loss but to be honest a mistake on timing a light or timing a lane change or selecting when to shift up/down on a hill may make the same difference for or against FE on most journeys.

The positive result of lights on is that we have cut down the number of people pulling out without 'seeing' us by quite a bit. It is amazing how many do a double-take before deciding not to set off from a side road or change lanes.

So I'll stick with the lights.

I have the opposite issue with my VW. I use key off to shut down the engine so far, and that also cuts the headlights while the key is off.

This is bad at 3am when I'm on my way to get my van for work...

This is probably the easiest mod for a beetle driver to make.

Anyone consider replacing the lights with LEDs?

I kind of like them too. Maybe soon there will be an LED option...

I've considered it for the time that I AM driving at night and thus, need the headlights. I don't know, though. I haven't priced any for my car, but I can't see this as being worthy of my time. Perhaps if I was driving my dream car or circumstances were somehow different.

Cheers

I think for DRL LEDs would be great. They are low power and produce a lot of glare. In daylight that is what gets attention.

As far as legality I doubt if there would be any repercussions from not running them. Some cars have them, others don't. Nothing to worry about. Cops have bigger things to worry about, like criminal activity.

Thats exactly the same way that I feel. And if some distracted driver pulling out of a driveway doesn't see my DRL-less car that undisputably has the right of way and T-bones it (or a similar collision situation), that would definitely cost me more in time and money and aggravation than a 0.5 MPG hit. (this nearly happened Sunday evening on the way to dinner, but when I had my lights on)

evening is different than daytime.

I disabled the day time running lights on my mk4 2003 Jetta by bending one of the electrical pins over on the headlight switch. Some have removed the wiring from the plug side and others have covered the pin with electrical tape. I wanted it to look stealth and the elctrical tape didn't work for me.

It was very easy to do but I can't recall what pin number it was since I did this back in 2003.

I don't have a VW w/ DRLs so I'm not sure about this. Isn't there a switch on the hand brake lever? Lift that to the first notch to test. If so I bet you could bend that open so it never makes contact.

Here is a how to from disabling the DTRLs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4VX1HeC-JU

Its much simpler than any other method as you can see after watching the video.

Simpler? yes. Catch all? no.

there are two different methods, because there are two different beetle setups.

BOTH are on the link that I posted that began the thread.

again with the second guessing! What am i? jeeze!

I just went ahead and snapped mine off. Took me about 2 minutes.

There must be a fuse, just pull it.

I disabled mine quite awhile ago. Really glad I did-at the very least it saves my headlight bulb life :D

That accepted I read somewhere that bulbs last longer with use. Car bulbs that is, not house ones.

DRL's are only mandatory in Canada - if you happen to do this mod and then drive to Canada for a vacation, just turn the headlights on until you come back, that's legal as well for temporary use. You just cant import a vehicle permanently without them, or drive without either headlights or DRL's on there.

Whether or not the vehicle has DRL's in America is completely up to the manufacturer. ALL GM vehicles since some time in the mid 90's have had DRL's, while very few (if any) non-fleet Ford vehicles have them, even for the current model year.

This is another great example of why disabling drls is totally worth it.

show me. :D

Kind of interesting that if you look at a DC powered light bulb you will notice over time that the inside of the bulb gets a silvery coating. Know what that is? It's bulb material that has been sputtered from the filament and coated the glass. There is low pressure inside the bulb that allows the filament to reach a high temperture(hence white light) without burning out. Low pressure and heat can cause material migration.





















..

Of course, the Euroswitch would have taken care of this issue too, but I didn't(don't) have the money for it. I actually used some free relays from a circuit board I had laying around to do mine.















..

Sorry for making zombie thread here, but I've tried all 3 pins, TFL, B, and 30, on the switch, with no luck. Back won't let me get under the dash for the relay atm.....any other suggestions?

here's the deal. after removing the drl box from it's connection, you should be able to wiggle the connection up and down with your finger. all you really need to do is put a small piece of elec. tape between this connection. the most important part is that you realize that both parts of the connection are within the "light fuse box", rather than one connection on it and another within the dash or whatever. this kind of takes the mystery out of the equation.

i had some really great pictures up, but i got rid of them, because i don't own a beetle anymore! newbeetle.org has a how-to up still, i believe.

Well, hmm. I am fairly sure I had good insulation on the pins. How do I actually pull the connector from the plug, and which is likely the most likely to be successful?

that's the thing. it's not one of the "pins" that need to be covered. it's a connection that is completely exclusive to the "light box" itself, ya dig? so, basically you have both sides of the connection in your hand, you just need to slip a piece of tape in between them.

whoa, I'm a "master ecomodder" somehow!

Post count

ha! I know, I was just kidding.

I'm pretty sure the box just pulls right out of the underside of your driver side dash (kinda up where the break pedal is). You'll have to remove a few screws to get to the proper area. (SERIOUSLY...CHECK OUT THE NEWBEETLE.ORG how to, this is how i learned. i merely improved the pictures)


to make up for my stupidity in removing the pictures, you could take some new pictures of the "light fuse box" after removing it I'd be able to save it, edit it highlighting what you're to do and then post it.

really excited to help you, man!!!!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

My car came to me (used) without daytime running lights, which is really nice alright, I had always assumed(i know) that it was done via the OBD2 port.