Technical DRLs dead..

[Ralf S.]

The Younger Mrs S’s friend has a 2013 500 and recently she reported a Check DRL warning on the dash. I thought a bulb had gone, so she brought it round.

It looks like both DRLs are dead.. that is, the DRLs don’t come on (menu has them “on”) and when the headlights are on, the side lights (5w filament of the DRL bulbs) don’t come on.

The high beam bulbs in each lamp work, so the connectors must be okay .. and a failure in both at the same time would be unlikely.

Unless both filaments in both the DRL bulbs blew all at the same time, it looks like whatever controls the DRLs is the problem.

Is there a fuse or a relay? I’ve checked the fuses for the dipped and main beams in case they also control the DRL circuits... but they all look good. The manual doesn’t show a separate DRLs fuse.

The car correctly reports Check DRL whenever the lights are on, and if the menu is set for DRLs to “on”... (at the moment I’ve turned the menu to “off” so that she doesn’t get the error while driving in daylight/with the lights off).

Im hoping it’s not a BCM fault..


Ralf S.

 

[John202020]

Do you get check side lights warning when headlights on drl switched off?
Is there a feed to either side or drl, test with a meter or bulb to earth( main part of car not anywhere near cluster ), at work so not got the wiring diagram
If you turn on the headlights key OUT do the front side lights stay off rather than on?

 

[John202020]

It would appear that all the lights have individual feeds from the "fusebox" in the Haynes which I think is actually the BCM.

 

[vexorg]

I'd still just change both bulbs, that message may have been there for some time.

My daughter being a prime example, I get in the car and say it says there's a DRL bulb out, to the reply of "yeah it does that, dont know what it means"

 

[Ralf S.]

Do you get check side lights warning when headlights on drl switched off?

Yes.. if the DRLs are off (de-activated) and the lights are turned on, the car gives the "check DRL" message, since the side-lights are out.

The car works exactly as it should if both filaments on both bulbs were blown.

The bulbs were changed about a month ago (one was dead but both bulbs changed at the same time) and they worked fine for a few weeks... so I doubt that the bulbs are the problem. I can try replacing the bulbs/testing the circuit... but it would be unusual.. so I was expecting it to be a blown fuse or dodgy relay etc.


Ralf S.

 

[John202020]

So it's the same message for the side lights and drl? Not check side lights or similar when deactivated try new bulbs being care upon installation

 

[The Panda Nut]

Yes.. if the DRLs are off (de-activated) and the lights are turned on, the car gives the "check DRL" message, since the side-lights are out.

The car works exactly as it should if both filaments on both bulbs were blown.

The bulbs were changed about a month ago (one was dead but both bulbs changed at the same time) and they worked fine for a few weeks... so I doubt that the bulbs are the problem. I can try replacing the bulbs/testing the circuit... but it would be unusual.. so I was expecting it to be a blown fuse or dodgy relay etc.


Ralf S.

Check the bulbs again. Faulty bulbs especially cheap ones is a very common issue these days.