Daylight running lights

Tim Palmer

Tim Palmer

Dedicated Member
British Zeds
Joined
Jul 28, 2017
Points
34
Location
North Yorkshire
Model of Z
Z3 2.2i
sorry to resurrect an old subject. I have been looking at different options of DRL and thank g8jka for his help. One option is this item that turn on the main beam at80% power. Can I ask the assembled of UK members. Has anyone tried this in a Z3 2002. And is it legal in the UK.


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Why would you want to do that? If you're going to run your headlights you might just as well use dip beam? If you're going the DRL route get a DRL kit. As to whether it's legal, do you mean will it pass the MOT test?

Tony.
 
AS I don't have fog lights fitted I fitted a pair of DRL's onto the blanking plates and wired them in via a DRL controller unit like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dimmer-D...531480&hash=item1f01ce2263:g:0TYAAOSw~ZRdgHxw
They come on with the ignition and switch off when sidelights are switched on. The DRL's were also sourced off ebay, first set I fitted were not waterproof and stated failing, changed them for another style and so far seem watertight.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-6LED-...451287?hash=item33f8242857:g:HNwAAOSwb15b-7Jy
 
I dont need lights during the day.....I can see ok ...........
............at night when it gets dark.......I need lights then =))=))=))=))


And even if you have DRLs....it doesn’t stop a***holes crashing into you :whistle:
 
Thanks for your constructive comments especially the technical support from Mazza.
I thought about this option as it only used the main beam lights then avoiding all internal etc lights on all the time.
Yes Tony I meant UK not.
Pingu when you say scars do you mean the fitting or regret having done the job?
 
Disagree with your points Mazza, the Z is very low and car colour can tend to make it blend into the road surface so people can miss seeing you, the DRL's act as an attention getter for other road users.
 
Tim Palmer said:
Pingu when you say scars do you mean the fitting or regret having done the job?
Click to expand...

The scars are on the backs of my hands and caused by the limited access inside the fuse box.

I wouldn't do it again. It was a lot of effort for not a lot of reward.

At the time, the only cars with DRLs were Swedish, so there were lots of "You've got your lights on" comments.

If I were to do it again, I would investigate just having the front sidelights on. That would mean disconnecting the front and rear sidelight circuits, but being able to reconnect them when I want side and tail to be on.
 
Rover cars and others thought that was the way to go back in the 90's.

Tony
 
the Nefyn cat said:
I've got a vague memory of Fords having "dim-dip" lights, headlamps working at half power when the ignition was on and going full power when the lights were switched on. Seem to have dropped the idea since.
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My memory isn't what it was (as far as I recall ;)) but I believe that dim-dip lights were a UK Government initiative and all new cars in the period (c.1986 on) were fitted with them. Certainly my Ford Granada of 1987 was and I thought they were excellent. However, the EU, under the not-invented-here directive, banned them hence their absence now. In a way it might have been better if they were dim-main beam because the cut off of dipped lights and the mere 10% power made them less noticeable than they should have been. London Taxis had 10% dim-dip lights long before that and I assume the government department of the day thought it worth incorporating into the construction and use regs. Wipac (I think) offered an after-market 'running light' to be fitted centrally on the radiator grille as far back as the 1960s but they never really took off.
 
I think they’re great. A potential life saver.

What I don’t like is what my 3 Series has. Daft fog lamps that come on individually depending on what direction you turn. Really confuses me for some reason when I see other cars with that. And I’m sure I may confuse them.

Seems a bit like needless overkill when the thing has adaptive LED headlamps. Which are just off the scale brilliant.
 
My MB GLA doesn't have an 'off' position on the headlight switch. Where OFF used to be on older cars is now 'Auto' and they come on pretty much all the time. Needs a pretty bright day for them to stay off.
 
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