[xenon]

DB has hit the nail I think and I think the directive comes in to force for all new cars by 2011 so BMW / Audi are just pre-empting it. I have several pet hates - one is for drivers who bumble along in their grey or silver cars when it's pissing down with rain with no lights at all and the other is those wankers who drive around in dusk with sidelights and front fogs on instead of normal dipped-beam. Pricks.

[SoYank]

Canada has had DLRs required since the early 1990s and saw a significant drop in daytime accidents in the first year or two. You can't avoid something you can't see and even in the daytime a dark coloured car can easily blend in with the dark roadway and terrain.

My pet peeve with other drivers, with regards to their lights, is the use of the sidelights, aka parking lights, on at dusk. Personally I think the lights switch should have the headlights on with the first notch and THEN the parking lights with the second.

[Hairyarse]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

I agree with your post.

Ditto

I work on basis if its dim or if need windscreen wipers then need lights on. Never bother with side lights, just dipped head lights. Never fogs tho when its not foggy, drives me nuts that does

[Rochdale Pioneers]

I have my dipped headlights on permanently. Switch stays all the way right all the time, never gets touched. Don't have halos or proper DRLs, but have always had the policy of too much light being better than too little. Anyone ever have an accident because their car was too visible to others? How about not visible enough?

[BanziBarn]

How much extra fuel does leaving the lights on use do you reckon?

[BIGTIME]

I haven't actually checked, but when I have my daytime lights on are they the dipped headlights?

[BIGTIME]

Originally Posted by BanziBarn

How much extra fuel does leaving the lights on use do you reckon?

Good point, especially when we are all told to be kinder to the environment and have to be more sustainable.

[BanziBarn]

Originally Posted by BIGTIME

I haven't actually checked, but when I have my daytime lights on are they the dipped headlights?

Mine are, but I have a feeling it might be different with people who have HIDs...?

[xenon]

The coupe uses 35w corona lights as all have HIDs, halogen DRLs are the dipped beam.

In terms of how much fuel is used the answer is not much. If you say the DRLs are 2 x 35w = 70w consumption. The engine produces say 200kW then it's a minute percentage.

[BanziBarn]

Originally Posted by xenon

The coupe uses 35w corona lights as all have HIDs, halogen DRLs are the dipped beam.

In terms of how much fuel is used the answer is not much. If you say the DRLs are 2 x 35w = 70w consumption. The engine produces say 200kW then it's a minute percentage.

Cool - never heard about a car's output in terms of watts. So it produces 200,000 watts?! Enough to power 2000 old style house lightbulbs! That's quite a lot.

[xenon]

Most European manufacturers specify output in kW. Go to the BMW website and you will see that on the 320d for example, they say the engine output is kW/hp/rpm = 135/184/400. The 335i is 225/306/5800

etc.

[sdb123]

Definitely an EU directive.

There's an article here from the AA regarding DRL's.

[xenon]

And the LCI e92 (the e92 was the first to have proper low-wattage DRLs) now uses LED sources like the Audis so power consumption is negligeable. The halogen cars driving around with dipped beams on all the time consume substantially more but the increased cost is more likely to be continued bulb replacement. Having dipped beams as DRL is debateable as it doesn't stop the motorbike blending in issue.

[toxicnerve]

I use them and sometimes even flick the dipped beams on during the day. It's a hangover from bike days where having your lights increases your visibility to other road users.

I don't see what the problem is.

[richd]

Originally Posted by xenon

The halogen cars driving around with dipped beams on all the time consume substantially more but the increased cost is more likely to be continued bulb replacement.

Not just Halogen cars. E90/91s with Xenons have a DRL function, but when switched on it simply fires up the dipped Xenons (and corona rings). This i believe is because the corona rings are low power (i think 3 or 6W) compared to the rings in the E92/93.

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by richd

Not just Halogen cars. E90/91s with Xenons have a DRL function, but when switched on it simply fires up the dipped Xenons (and corona rings). This i believe is because the corona rings are low power (i think 3 or 6W) compared to the rings in the E92/93.

Only pre-lci E90/1 do this.

LCI versions have full power corona rings like the coupes.

[richd]

Originally Posted by doughboy

Only pre-lci E90/1 do this.

LCI versions have full power corona rings like the coupes.

Good to know. I am yet to see an LCI E90/1 on the road with optional Xenons. All the cars I have seen have had Halogens with very yellow, dim corona rings.

I guess its not a swap to upgrade pre-LCI to those lights either, as I would think the wiring has changed to cope with the increase in current drain, and probably a change in the coding of the car would be required to make sure the dips don't come on with the corona's.

LCI E92/93 corona's with the new LED's are bloody bright though, seen a few of those already...

[jvowles]

I use these all of the time, even if it wasn't to become directive (although have the new LED lights...which look great). The reason is I am used to running lights all of the time on motorbikes, and have on several occasions felt it makes a difference to a car seeing you in time. Anything to make yourself more visible to other cars is a good thing.

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by toxicnerve

I use them and sometimes even flick the dipped beams on during the day. It's a hangover from bike days where having your lights increases your visibility to other road users.

I don't see what the problem is.

What Bikes have you had Tocksik?

[fastloop]

Mine's permanently stuck on dipped beams and I wouldn't change it for a second, but hey I'm one of those european guys thats actually seen the benefits for mandatory DRLs and I can't wait for that EU directive to take effect. Statistics for the all the EU countries that's done this is pretty clear and it would take care of all those oblivious drivers that got no clue when to turn on their lights. Idiots running with no lights on when it's dark and bad visibility are just as bad as people drink driving. It still surprises me that they can't see something is not right.

[RWD]

DRLs = Volvo (historically)

Hence why with my Volvo I had to get the dealer to switch mine to manual. Couldn't be seen in summer with my sunglasses on and dipped beams/sidelights running!

Still get the occasional chap telling me that my lights are running - "Hello - its a Volvo!"

Funny the way all the other manufacturers are following suit - but all down to legislation.

[AlanQS]

I switched my DRLs off the moment I got the car but it got it's software updated a few months ago and it went back to factory default which is on and I left them on - mainly because they look good - much brighter than side lights but I do think they are ridiculous in bright sunshine - not that we get much of that around here.

I have found that I delay putting on my lights properly at dusk because they are on and it's only when it starts getting harder to see the instruments in the car that I put my lights on.