Technical 500 DRL upgrade

Baglady1990 · Nov 8, 2019

So swapped my bulbs drl today for the xeon white 580 blue looking bulbs ..... the difference is amazing but [emoji23] as soon as they were changed and I checked everything I get “check parking lights” on my dash ? haha what have I done now?! Is it the bulbs? Not compatible or is it maybe the dreaded tailgate wiring again????? help!!

Piccolo Nero e Bella · Nov 8, 2019

Baglady1990 said:
So swapped my bulbs drl today for the xeon white 580 blue looking bulbs ..... the difference is amazing but [emoji23] as soon as they were changed and I checked everything I get “check parking lights” on my dash ? haha what have I done now?! Is it the bulbs? Not compatible or is it maybe the dreaded tailgate wiring again????? help!!View attachment 204308

The wattage is right so they should be OK. Parking lights are the 5 Watt filament (the two inner contacts if memory serves) - have you checked the lights both come on with a lower output when the headlights are on?

John202020 · Nov 8, 2019

With the key out turn o the lights, see which one isn't on, remember to check the rears too

Baglady1990 · Nov 8, 2019

John202020 said:
With the key out turn o the lights, see which one isn't on, remember to check the rears too

I think it’s the rear lights both day lights work fine but when I put on the headlights they come on but I get the warning

aren’t the rear lights supposed to come on when day lights on?

Baglady1990 · Nov 8, 2019

Just realised one of the bulbs is dogey when headlights on it’s off obviously one of the filaments has gone [emoji51]

John202020 · Nov 8, 2019

Baglady1990 said:
Just realised one of the bulbs is dogey when headlights on it’s off obviously one of the filaments has gone [emoji51]

Check the contact wires on the base of the bulb, one might be snapped off or mis-aligned?

The method I stated above turns on all the side lights if say you wanted to park leaving them on, then its easy to check them? Normally they go off with the key, you have to consciously turn them back on once the key is out.
Rear lights don't come on with DRL

I tried those blue bulbs, got totally sick changing them, lasted from half a day to six months max

Baglady1990 · Nov 8, 2019

John202020 said:
Check the contact wires on the base of the bulb, one might be snapped off or mis-aligned?

The method I stated above turns on all the side lights if say you wanted to park leaving them on, then its easy to check them? Normally they go off with the key, you have to consciously turn them back on once the key is out.
Rear lights don't come on with DRL

I tried those blue bulbs, got totally sick changing them, lasted from half a day to six months max

Yeah I’ve swapped them back & presto no warnings .... shame as the colour is so much better!! Sometimes I can be so dense it’s shocking [emoji23] putting it down to being tired [emoji99]

Stephen A500 · Nov 14, 2019

I’ve just fitted cheap Xeon effect DRL 580 bulbs, nice clean white light with no error messages.. £6 off amazon..

Piccolo Nero e Bella · Nov 15, 2019

But how long will they last?

typecastboy · Nov 15, 2019

I’ve used the blue glass bulbs off eBay for £4.00 a pair. They seem to vary in quality but they are so much whiter and nicer to look at with the blue tinge which is good especially on blue cars.

Gina500 · Nov 15, 2019

The cost doesn’t seem to be the issue, rather the hassle of changing them regularly, esp when the back door is missing like in my case. Good thing is I don't have to take care not to lose it?

John202020 · Nov 15, 2019

Gina500 said:
The cost doesn’t seem to be the issue, rather the hassle of changing them regularly, esp when the back door is missing like in my case. Good thing is I don't have to take care not to lose it?

If you mean the square inner wing cover I cable tied mine in place after losing at least 2.
I just drilled holes in the cover and in plastic guard and looped through the tie.

Stephen A500 · Nov 15, 2019

Hope mine last a few years, I’m in rush to replace them bad boys again.. my hands and wrists where skinless.. I’m lowered on 17”s

Baglady1990 · Nov 15, 2019

I got the same bulbs in blue typecastboy agreed the colour is so much crisper white rather than yellow! I had to move the little contacts a bit as got error messages.... I’ve completely given up on the LED type they just don’t work I’ve tried 2 sets now ... my number plate ones worked great but they were not error free so swapped em back! So now I’ve changed all my front bulbs for Xeon style and they look great! Still a bit jealous of the lights on newer styles but hey ho can’t have it all ?

John202020 · Nov 15, 2019

Baglady1990 said:
I got the same bulbs in blue typecastboy agreed the colour is so much crisper white rather than yellow! I had to move the little contacts a bit as got error messages.... I’ve completely given up on the LED type they just don’t work I’ve tried 2 sets now ... my number plate ones worked great but they were not error free so swapped em back! So now I’ve changed all my front bulbs for Xeon style and they look great! Still a bit jealous of the lights on newer styles but hey ho can’t have it all ?

I'm not saying they'll work error free but found these

https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/580-led-car-bulbs-twenty20-elegance.html

https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/7443-twenty20-cree-led-12v-580-canbus-wedge-bulb.html

jrkitching · Nov 15, 2019

John202020 said:
I'm not saying they'll work error free but found these

https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/580-led-car-bulbs-twenty20-elegance.html

https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/7443-twenty20-cree-led-12v-580-canbus-wedge-bulb.html

If you're the kind of person that bothers about keeping strictly on the right side of the regulations, just be aware these can't legally be used on the road. The website does say these are for off-road use, but you have to dig down deep to find it.

IMO it's time the regulations were updated to allow the lawful use of properly engineered, tested and certified aftermarket LED replacements for OEM bulbs.

Baglady1990 · Nov 15, 2019

jrkitching said:
If you're the kind of person that bothers about keeping strictly on the right side of the regulations, just be aware these can't legally be used on the road. The website does say these are for off-road use, but you have to dig down deep to find it.

IMO it's time the regulations were updated to allow the lawful use of properly engineered, tested and certified aftermarket LED replacements for OEM bulbs.

Yeah I know personally I’m done looking at LED bulbs cause they don’t work! And if they do they are not error free even when they say they are![emoji23] but it would be great if they were proper regulated upgrades...

typecastboy · Nov 15, 2019

So would you fail an mot with them?

jrkitching · Nov 16, 2019

typecastboy said:
So would you fail an mot with them?

DRLs aren't testable for vehicles first registered before 1 March 2018. However, and on a more general point, passing an MOT does not necessarily mean that a vehicle complies fully with all aspects of the construction and use regulations.

Headlights are a different proposition and fitting bulbs of a type different to those for which the headlamp unit is designed is both testable and a specific fail.

From the MOT Inspection manual:

typecastboy · Nov 16, 2019

jrkitching said:
Headlights are a different proposition and fitting bulbs of a type different to those for which the headlamp unit is designed is both testable and a specific fail.

From the MOT Inspection manual:

I guess its all about the beam pattern with headlights.

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