Adding DRLs.

[wwest]

1988 Carrera special edition.

Two 5A diodes, cathodes to the top of each fuse 3 and 4 top (from front of car) anodes tied together and wired to the top of most rear fuse, electric window motor power source.

Parking/marker/tail lights turn on/off with ignition switch.

I'll be adding 3W white LEDs each side for actual forward DRLs now that I have a voltage supply.

[Christien]

Just curious, why bother?

[wwest]

Safety comfort.

[Canada Kev]

You know, on your headlight switch if you just jumpered pin 75 (hot when ignition on) to the two running light pins (58L and 58R), your running lights would come on whenever your key was on. It would be just like you pulled your light switch on to the first notch.

[Jesset100]

Drl's are a safety hazard to me. Why? At night people forget to turn the headlights on so no tail lights are on.
See this all the time.

[Canada Kev]

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe. - Albert Einstein

Your complaint is my biggest issue with daytime lights. We've had them in Canada for almost 25 years and that very thing still bugs me. One would think that the same short sighted law makers would demand that ALL the lights are on. It seems that stupidity can't be legislated away...

However, while I agree with your statement, MOST aren't so confounded that they don't realize their lights aren't on when they can't see their gauges. If he's using his markers for DRLs, that little problem is solved. The same idiots can, and often do, drive with no lights on at all. I am a proponent of DRLs for that very reason. Plus, it's much easier to see a car on the highway with the lights on in the day light.

[James Brown]

There was a study, by people that do studies, on daylight running lights and motorcycles. Now that everyone has there DRL's on, motorcycle collisions with cars are on the increase. Drivers most common cause is not seeing the cycle. Used to be cycles were the only thing on the road in the daylight that had there headlights on. interesting, now back to the discussion.

[wwest]

Originally Posted by Jesset100

Drl's are a safety hazard to me. Why? At night people forget to turn the headlights on so no tail lights are on.
See this all the time.

All my cars have DRLs and all have the parking/marker/tailights (LED bulbs all) jumpered into the DRL circuit. I thought that was the law in Canada.

[wwest]

We don't see motorcycles as a THREAT so they simply do not arouse us out of our driving "stuper". Driving becames so much a habit that our mind takes us elsewhere to avoid the boredom, we only wake up to reality if our mind's see a cause.

[James Brown]

true, they are invisible till they streak by.

[Bob Goding]

In this country-- New Zealand-- DRL's must go out when headlights are on. I had my fogs wired as running lights on a separate switch and got nailed. Officer made me turn on the headlights and watched the fogs stay on.---cost me money!

[wwest]

Originally Posted by Bob Goding

In this country-- New Zealand-- DRL's must go out when headlights are on. I had my fogs wired as running lights on a separate switch and got nailed. Officer made me turn on the headlights and watched the fogs stay on.---cost me money!

Yes, I can only wish simultaneous driving lights/fogs and headlights were illegal in the US.

[aldente295]

When I lived in Cali, a couple of Canadian friends had a theory about why DRLs will never become law. It's an easy way for the CHP to pick up drunk drivers - invariably they forget to turn their lights on. And the more I watched drivers, the more I believed it to be true...

Here in Sydney, you drive with your lights on and people think you're an idiot, or a pr*** in a Porsche...

[NoLift911]

As driver and motorcyclist I am a fan of DRL's - many reasons here in the states. After a 2 month long 9000 mile trip on a motorcycle criss-crossing the US - "lights on" allow you to be seen - even on a sunny day, especially on a winding road with trees where you are in the shadows and someone thinks twice before pulling out in front of you - that stutter go-then-stop. I see it all the time on my bike - and in my car. All of my cars have DRL's enabled and there are countless occassions when another driver pauses before doing something stupid.

I don't buy the driving around in the dark argument against them - most burn at 45% and will not light your way - and there is not much difference at night vs having them on or not.

Most of the LED's or signature lights take care of this issue at night anyway on the newer cars.

It's all about being seen.

[NoLift911]

Originally Posted by wwest

1988 Carrera special edition.

Two 5A diodes, cathodes to the top of each fuse 3 and 4 top (from front of car) anodes tied together and wired to the top of most rear fuse, electric window motor power source.

Parking/marker/tail lights turn on/off with ignition switch.

I'll be adding 3W white LEDs each side for actual forward DRLs now that I have a voltage supply.

Does this reduce the wattage in terms of intensity or just run the lights on full?

[wwest]

Originally Posted by nolift911

Does this reduce the wattage in terms of intensity or just run the lights on full?

The diodes drop 0.6 to 0.9 volts but otherwise the street/parking/marker/tail lights, LED bulbs ALL, are at full brightness.

The actual DRLs, once I add them into the circuit, will be 3W LEDs with collimated lens/reflector and will blink on and off at a low frequency, 2-4 Hz, when the horn relay is engaged. That's so as to "alert", get the ATTENTION of, an on-coming driver too far away to hear the horns.

[wwest]

Originally Posted by syzygy

You know, on your headlight switch if you just jumpered pin 75 (hot when ignition on) to the two running light pins (58L and 58R), your running lights would come on whenever your key was on. It would be just like you pulled your light switch on to the first notch.

"...pin 75..."

Wouldn't that allow the headlight switch to "backfeed" other ignition switched components...??