General Daytime Running Lights

[alexGS]

Interesting thread, but I didn't think my 500 had DRLs!

When I turn on the ignition, no headlights come on.
Twisting the light switch to '1' (it only has positions 0 and 1) turns on dipped beam headlights and parking lights in the lower light units.
Moving the stalk engages high beam (the lower light units become bright)
Turning the ignition off turns all lights off.

It took me a while to figure out that twisting the light switch off, then on again, with the ignition off, puts on the parking lights. Therefore it isn't possible to drive with only parking lights on, which is a little annoying as it means it also isn't possible to turn on the fog lights without the dipped beam headlights being on. The whole idea of a front fog light is to cast a lower and less distracting beam than a standard headlight. I think the 500 front foglights are more a decorative item than anything else!

I had read the handbook but it didn't seem to make the lighting operation clear at all

Well blow me down, I went outside and looked and saw a dual-filament bulb in those lower light units. I thought therefore that there must be a menu option to turn them on, but hadn't seen it in the usual menus. I tried pressing MENU/ESC a number of times but it would just beep as it usually does, no menu appeared. Then I turned off the stereo and voila, a menu appeared that I had never seen before, with all sorts of exciting things. I found Day lights in the menu and turned them on. Problem solved... and hopefully a bit of practical advice there for anyone else wondering if they have DRLs (which stands for Daytime Running Lights). Or for anyone with the early Blue&Me system wondering why they only have half the menus.

In NZ there are billboards that tell us helpfully that "Winter's here - slow down" and also to turn our headlights on even during the day. When travelling out of town, I usually do. Maybe now I won't.

Now I'll be able to confuse the Warrant of Fitness testing station with the DRLs being on... they probably won't know what they are and will probably instruct me to turn them off, as they have no warning light on the instrument panel and therefore technically aren't allowed under the NZ rules for headlights.

-Alex

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Therefore it isn't possible to drive with only parking lights on, which is a little annoying as it means it also isn't possible to turn on the fog lights without the dipped beam headlights being on. The whole idea of a front fog light is to cast a lower and less distracting beam than a standard headlight.

I disagree. Front fogs are about providing a wider beam of light to illuminate curbs etc, not a lower light pattern. Hence why a lot of cars (Stilo, mk4 Golf etc) successfully have them mounted within the headlight unit at the same height as the dipped beams.

 

[alexGS]

I disagree. Front fogs are about providing a wider beam of light to illuminate curbs etc, not a lower light pattern. Hence why a lot of cars (Stilo, mk4 Golf etc) successfully have them mounted within the headlight unit at the same height as the dipped beams.

That's what I meant really, sorry. My main question (probably for another thread) was, do you think they work well when they're on at the same time as the dipped beams? I find it's hard to tell they're on - the dipped beams just drown them out anyway and throw a load of light into the fog, reflected back at the driver. Oddly enough the Uno foglights are the most effective of my cars... and those large headlights aren't bad either.

I agree that they don't need to be mounted low to be effective. My Mk2 Punto Sporting springs to mind. The foglights in those - at the outside edges of the light clusters - were basically the same as dipped beams - same type of bulb - but with a flat top to the beam pattern. Looked good on the road but didn't reach along the verge as far. They could be used along with sidelights only and actually, it was a useful way to get home when a dipped beam bulb had blown, no-one would notice. I reckon those Punto Mk2 light clusters were a high point of lighting design... beam patterns were perfect and they looked way-cool with the black inside and clear lens Sometimes you could push and pull all the switches quickly and get all lights to stay on at once, which was a little strange. Sometimes when high beam went on, dipped beam went off, and other times it didn't. I saw that on three Puntos

Anyway, I'm off to play with that menu

-Alex

 

[Ulpian]

My fogs are incorporated in the light clusters too. They are brighter than the dipped beams and the clearer cut off does make it easier to see curbs and a few feet further ahead without the dazzle that the main lights produce.

It's only a few days of the year, but I wouldn't be without them. They just make night driving in fog that little bit easier.

By the way, I had an Uno too and I remember its lights as being brilliant, in every sense.

 

[cbdubs]

Hey, I have an idea.......let's all drive Volvos where the dipped beam is on all the time and we would then have front and rear side marker lights too! or let's not!

I have the DRL's activated on my Wife's 500 as she has the kids in alot and I don't want some numpty pulling out in front of her. You know what Mum's drive like on the school run!! I have no intention of turning them off. I am not going to retro fit them either to my daily which is a VW Transporter, a red one and if you can't see that without DRL's you shouldn't be on the road!

 

[Robnw67]

A lot of people on here seem to be confusing "whether you can see a vehicle" with "the distance where a vehicle becomes visible". A lighted vehicle becomes much more visible further away.

As an absurd extreme example think of a lighted candle a mile away - Visible. An unlighted candle a mile away - Not visible.

This is really not that difficult.

 

[RobinPJ]

I rather doubt I could see a lighted candle 3 miles away.

 

[Robnw67]

Your eyes are much more sensitive than you might think to light and light movement. Google it. Taken from one of many articles I found:

"The Earth's surface curves out of sight at a distance of 3.1 miles, or 5 kilometers. But our visual acuity extends far beyond the horizon. If Earth were flat, or if you were standing atop a mountain surveying a larger-than-usual patch of the planet, you could perceive bright lights hundreds of miles distant. On a dark night, you could even see a candle flame flickering up to 30 mi. (48 km) away.

How far the human eye can see depends on how many particles of light, or photons, a distant object emits. The farthest object visible with the naked eye is the Andromeda galaxy, located an astonishing 2.6 million light-years from Earth. The galaxy's 1 trillion stars collectively emit enough light for a few thousand photons to hit each square centimeter of Earth every second; on a dark night, that's plenty to excite our retinas."

Of course it's much reduced during daylight hours, but still the effect is there. It's why every aircraft that you see will have bright landing lights pointing forward. This isn't to illuminate the runway for landing but is a visual aid to the control tower identify inbound aircraft.

 

[RobinPJ]

Ah well if it says that on the internet it must be true.

Funnily enough, on my internet the first half dozen results gave the following distances in answer to the question "How far away can you see a candle burning":

200 yeards
282 metres
400 metres
3.5 miles
4 miles
14 miles
22 miles.

I wonder which is right?

 

[Robnw67]

It doesn't really matter which one is right, but in each case, I bet it's further than an unlit candle.

The basic fact is in the daylight if you want to make something more visible - add lights to it. Anti-collision lights on tall communications masts and high buildings, navigation lights on ships, anti-collision beacons on buoys, tail lights on trains.

 

[alexGS]

I rather doubt I could see a lighted candle 3 miles away.

I can think of a similar experience - flying over somewhere like the Australian Outback (I've only done this a few times this year, you probably get out more than I do), from 10,750 metres (more than 6 miles) in the air, you sometimes see these tiny lights in the middle of nowhere. I might believe it if someone told me they were tealight candles.

Alternatively, they could be scrub fires. Who knows, but I think I understand the principle. I agree with Robnw67.

-Alex

 

[Ulpian]

DRLs have got to be a good idea. It isn't only distance, it's the 'noticing' factor. A car with these running just stands out more. How can that be a bad thing?

In these murky days I have my dipped beams on all the time. Okay, this means the rear lights are on too, but never mind. There are too many dark grey and black cars on the road, and these just merge into the murk and are often practically invisible. I had no idea how popuar dark grey had become until these last few wet and miserable weeks. Black cars I have never liked, but these are ubiquitous too.

My next car will be white, the most visible (after yellow) and therefore the safest colour. I like white on most cars anyway, particularly if it is that sharp icy white.

Dipped headlamps should just disappear and be replaced by DRLs in my opinion. Anyway, DRLs become mandatory on all new cars in 2014.

 

[dombooth]

Having read and participated in a debate about DRLs, what they do, where they aim, who they annoy, who like them and it turning into one huge argument I'm unsubscribing. Enjoy! :wave:

Dom

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

DRLs become mandatory on all new cars in 2014.

They have been mandatory on all vehicles that have been type approved from Feb 2011 onwards

 

[Ulpian]

That's very interesting, because I've been looking at the new Dacia Duster and one of the optional 'packs' includes DRLs.

Since there are small errors in the car details listed and the brochure is very basic I'll assume that this is one more mistake.

Thanks for the clarificaton

 

[Robnw67]

This type of debate and the passions that it arouses reminds me of when the wearing of seat belts were made compulsory and even further back, motorcycle helmets.

People were making all sorts of anti-arguments focussing on one case of a man trapped in a car fire by his belt following an accident rather than the thousands of lives saved by seat belts every year. Similar anti - arguments for motrcycle helmets.

Now I think nothing of popping my lid on or buckling up and I suspect no one will think anything of observing cars with lights on in five years time.

 

[ru500]

Why switch off a safety device? The eye is atracted to bright moving lights like lighthouses for example.

 

[frupi]

Why switch off a safety device? The eye is atracted to bright moving lights like lighthouses for example.

Mmm, odd then why some Local Government Authorities are choosing to turn off street lighting and motorway central reservation lighting just to save money! And there was me thinking street lighting contributed to road safety!

Oh, our DRL's are still switched off! Bless Fiat for giving us the option!

 

[Ulpian]

Where I live they used EU money (taxpayers in other words, including me) to replace all the street lights with dim low energy ones, and now they switch them off at midnight, making the city gloomy and less safe, and seeing house numbers at night extra difficult, which doesn't help taxpayers in need of emergency assistance. But who cares about taxpayers out there?

Anyway, since I am not the Council I prefer to be safe, and since illumination is better than darkness I'll go for illuminatd cars. I just can't see why anyone would want to turn them off frankly.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Mmm, odd then why some Local Government Authorities are choosing to turn off street lighting and motorway central reservation lighting just to save money! And there was me thinking street lighting contributed to road safety!

Oh, our DRL's are still switched off! Bless Fiat for giving us the option!

But when have street lights moved, or made a car stand out more in daylight