are people using leds as daytime running lights?

[The motor guy]

I'll be out during the day and occassionally I'll see a car or truck with extremely bright headlights hurting my eyes in the middle of the day! what's up with this? I could only imagine what they would be like at night time.

 

[supton]

I think sometimes people drive around with their high beams on. Either to be all the brighter, in the direct sunlight--or dare I say, they turned on the lights once, put on the highs once, and now don't have to touch anything.

 

[daves87rs]

I sadly have a neighbor who runs them 24/7 . Not sure why…….

 

[redhat]

Yes, the DRL bulb on 99-06(07 Classic) trucks/suvs is a 4114. I have Phillips 4114 Uliton white LED in those locations, but they are not bright enough to illuminate anything. Mainly to keep the sockets cooler and have a longer life bulb versus their incandescent counterparts.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

The 2010´s Buick Encores had halogen DRL´s.(they are the vehicle with the blue bezels around the headlamp projectors)

You could switch them out for a LED bulb, but I like that yellow contrast of the DRL vs the Xenon headlamps.

 

[Tomioka]

Newer cars barely use the headlight bulbs as DRL's anymore.
IIRC in 2000's Toyota's they would use the high beam bulbs/filament as DRL's inline with a resistor to lower the light output so it's not as glaring.

 

[proveitwithdata]

alot of toyota owners replace halogens with leds, only to find out their drl module makes the led flicker. They ask their installer or bulb mfg who point them to a kit that will do one of two things, run the high beam all the time as the drl or run the low beams all the time if its a voltage issue. Until leds makers are regulated and the common buying public educated on why certain vehicles cant be retrofit quite yet with a proper led system...headlights will be wonky

Newer cars barely use the headlight bulbs as DRL's anymore.
IIRC in 2000's Toyota's they would use the high beam bulbs/filament as DRL's inline with a resistor to lower the light output so it's not as glaring.

 

[Blinker]

I see this all the time with Toyota owners. Not sure why, but in the DFW area it’s become an endemic for Toyota owners to replace the halogen headlight bulbs to LED, which causes the DRL to flicker. It’s very annoying to be driving a car with flickering lights.

 

[John105]

Yes, the DRL bulb on 99-06(07 Classic) trucks/suvs is a 4114. I have Phillips 4114 Uliton white LED in those locations, but they are not bright enough to illuminate anything. Mainly to keep the sockets cooler and have a longer life bulb versus their incandescent counterparts.

Exactly, ours uses 3157 which stock are 27 watts while LED is 3.7. Not what the OP is referring to they’re harmless and prevent burning the sockets. 4114 is like 31 watts and same socket…

How long do your Phillips last? Ours are 10 for $18.99 Amazon jobs and led chips eventually fall off so they last 6 mos or so…but at that price it’s ok…

 

[redhat]

How long do your Phillips last? Ours are 10 for $18.99 Amazon jobs and led chips eventually fall off so they last 6 mos or so…but at that price it’s ok…

Quite a while actually. I put a set of the Philips in our Suburban when we bought it, February 2021 and they're still the same bulbs. I put a set of NAPA LED 4114 (more expensive than the Phillips) in my 2005 Tahoe and within 5 months one was flickering. Put a set of Phillips in there and they've been great since summer of 2022.

I usually get a lot of my Phillips LED auto bulbs off of RockAuto pretty cheap... but I am usually throwing them onto existing orders saving shipping costs. Of course we all know that RockAuto prices can quickly become upside down if you have to pay expensive shipping. But I do like combining a lot of orders to save shipping $$$.

 

[mclasser]

I' see people driving around with obvious Ebay special LEDs that flicker and generally look like crap.

Some of the ugliest are those Chinese LED taillight assemblies that people with older Ford and GM trucks slap on. The blinker and brake lights are on the same bulbs (drivers?) and the blinker is weak and even weaker when they're braking.

 

[Dave9]

I'll be out during the day and occassionally I'll see a car or truck with extremely bright headlights hurting my eyes in the middle of the day! what's up with this? I could only imagine what they would be like at night time.

I have a lot of words to say about these people, but BITOG won't let me post them!

 

[redhat]

I' see people driving around with obvious Ebay special LEDs that flicker and generally look like crap.

Some of the ugliest are those Chinese LED taillight assemblies that people with older Ford and GM trucks slap on. The blinker and brake lights are on the same bulbs (drivers?) and the blinker is weak and even weaker when they're braking.

Yeah those assemblies are horrible looking, and most don't last 6 months.

 

[edyvw]

I don’t have problem with LED DRL’s. I have them on Atlas and BMW. I have problem people using DRL in night or Fog (Auto setting or just Tesla).

 

[redhat]

I don’t have problem with LED DRL’s. I have them on Atlas and BMW. I have problem people using DRL in night or Fog (Auto setting or just Tesla).

I have a theory behind this. I think many older drivers are accustom to years of old where your dashboard would only illuminate/brighten with your headlights on. I think many are seeing these bright dashes and thinking they have their lights on... when they really don't.

Can't begin to count how many times I see newer cars without headlights on. Meanwhile, I think the "auto" setting in my 2005 trucks is flawless.

Must be that these drivers at one point put their car into "Off" or "Non-Auto" mode and don't know they don't have the lights on.

 

[John105]

I have a lot of words to say about these people, but BITOG won't let me post them!

I’ve seen ones with LED light bars made for off roading, lit up just driving around.

One was a suburban. My sedan autodims the rear view and the side views and it wasn’t enough.

I know it’s a tale as old as time here in PA. It didn’t even have a license plate. Said “EXEMPT.”

PA is like a Marty Robbins tune complete lawlessness

 

[edyvw]

I have a theory behind this. I think many older drivers are accustom to years of old where your dashboard would only illuminate/brighten with your headlights on. I think many are seeing these bright dashes and thinking they have their lights on... when they really don't.

Can't begin to count how many times I see newer cars without headlights on. Meanwhile, I think the "auto" setting in my 2005 trucks is flawless.

Must be that these drivers at one point put their car into "Off" or "Non-Auto" mode and don't know they don't have the lights on.

It is manufacturer specific. In many Asian cars they have illuminated dashboard without warning. My Atlas has display but as soon as it gets darker message pops to turn on lights and it stays there in the corner even if I press OK (not on Auto settings).
Bigger issue is fog. Many drivers have Auto setting or just own Tesla. Bcs. it is bright sensor cannot recognize need for lights. It is so annoying.

 

[Owen Lucas]

Most recent vehicles DRLs are LEDs in the bezel of the light or somewhere in the reflector.

Those who have "upgraded" halogens to LEDs might not even know how annoying they are since, as many of us know, halogen to LED conversions never work right. Old style non LED reflectors being designed for halogen filaments.

I think there is an element out there though that is being annoying on purpose or doesn't care. It's like when the xenon craze came out in the early 2000's. People were running green and purple HID bulbs and there is no way they would not know this was a hinderance to others. Low IQ behavior.

 

[KrisZ]

How can headlights hurt your eyes in the middle of the day?
If it truly bothers your eyes you should seek medical advice/help. It’s not the cars, it’s you.

 

[The motor guy]

How can headlights hurt your eyes in the middle of the day?
If it truly bothers your eyes you should seek medical advice/help. It’s not the cars, it’s you.

Plenty of people complain about bright vehicle lights. I think it's more area specific though. If you live in the city with street lights every 100ft it's not as noticeable compared to a 2 lane back road with no street lights.