HOW TO: Daytime Running Lights (DRL) installed for $35

[EVDRIVER]

I called joke and I'm sticking to that pronouncement until I see proof otherwise!

It wouldn't surprise me if it is a joke. I assumed it was until Ingineer's post. It is a drag if he is going along. Also, it isn't even near April 1st.

Pizza Bet? I warn you I have never lost one on a forum.

[gascant]

I have to say that, while I like the idea of the headlight/DRL modification, the Superbright LEDs do look really cool. And my wife (the future principal driver of our LEAF) even likes them.

This is a very interesting debate, assuming that the headlight/DRL mod is real. I would argue (the appropriate term for the debate) that the added DRL's are a better safety option because they are in a different location from the headlights. Isn't that why the 3rd brake light (in the rear windshield) was added some 20 or 30 years ago? Perhaps I can put Phil and myself on the spot and each of us has our DRL strategy installed and running for the November SF BayLEAFs meeting. I can't just steal GeekEV's photos because my LEAF is silver

[EVDRIVER]

Position is important and higher is proven as better. So does focus and distance. When pointed above the stock position in the daytime the headlights are extremely visible. Yes, the mod is real, why wouldn't it be?

[gascant]

I did the install today--took a couple of hours and a good chunk of that time was spent routing and securing the wires (and probably spent 30 minutes trying to decide where to route them). A couple of things: I ran only 1 red wire into the PCM through a 1/8" hole that I drilled in the well. I tried out the blue quick splice connectors beforehand and found them to be unreliable with the kit wires. So, I used a red quick splice (meant for 18-22 gauge wires) to hook into wire 57. This worked first time like a charm, and I was able to read 13.4 Volts between the spliced wire and ground with ignition on. I taped the red supply wire on the inside of the well to act as a modest strain relief. I decided to use a chassis ground for the black wire, and found a convenient one nearby at the radiator overflow tank. After running wires down to the driver side DRL, I used two more of the red quick splices to make connections for the passenger side DRL. Only about 0.1 V difference between the two DRLs so I figured that there wasn't enough voltage drop through the extra passenger-side wiring to matter. I did wrap the two splices near the DRL with electrical tape to try to keep them somewhat weatherproof. They look good and survived washing the car later in the day.

[Ingineer]

Here's a picture of the LED fog light at dusk:



You can see the really "blue" look that the LED units have. Matches the LED headlights very well!


Here's some more rather crappy pictures at night:



The Headlight switch is in the off position, but the car is in ready mode. So my mod adjusts the LED low beams higher than you can normally adjust by the dash control, then engages only the LED low beams and the (now) LED fogs. The marker/tail lights and interior illumination is not on. When the headlight control is left in auto at night, or turned to any position other than "off" the DRL function is disengaged and the adjustment motors go back to the default setting as chosen on the dash control.



It's definitely hard to get good night shots of lights with a cheap cam, but it looks killer compared to the yellowish original fog look.

Please don't ask me for any "how-to's", it's messy and not ready for prime-time. I'm going to try to refine it a bit before offering it.

-Phil

[GeekEV]

Looks nice. If it winds up being relatively simple and inexpensive to do, I might do that too!

[aqn]

The Headlight switch is in the off position, but the car is in ready mode. So my mod adjusts the LED low beams higher than you can normally adjust by the dash control, then engages only the LED low beams and the (now) LED fogs.

Just curious: in what situations do you plan on using this mode of lighting?

[EVDRIVER]

The Headlight switch is in the off position, but the car is in ready mode. So my mod adjusts the LED low beams higher than you can normally adjust by the dash control, then engages only the LED low beams and the (now) LED fogs.

Just curious: in what situations do you plan on using this mode of lighting?

It's a DRL. That is the entire point, it is on during the day and there is no need to ever touch the switches as it is all auto.

[aqn]

The Headlight switch is in the off position, but the car is in ready mode. So my mod adjusts the LED low beams higher than you can normally adjust by the dash control, then engages only the LED low beams and the (now) LED fogs.

Just curious: in what situations do you plan on using this mode of lighting?

It's a DRL. That is the entire point, it is on during the day and there is no need to ever touch the switches as it is all auto.

Wouldn't he need to manually turn on the headlights at night (to not have the LEDs aimed super-high)? Without the mod, one doesn't need to manually turn on the headlights at night because it comes on by itself, correct? (I have a SV, so all I know about "auto" headlights is what I read from the manual.)

Edit: so is the point of this mod to have more visible "automatic" DRL, foregoing the "autolights" feature (since one has to turn on the headlights manually at night)?

[GeekEV]

Edit: so is the point of this mod to have more visible "automatic" DRL, foregoing the "autolights" feature (since one has to turn on the headlights manually at night)?

I don't think Ingineer said you have to manually turn the headlights on at night... He said that it changes back to normal behavior when left in auto mode at night; i.e. it senses night mode and disables the DRL aspect of the mod, so you can just leave it in auto all the time.