Daytime running lamps-Opinions

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Just to clarify - European cars sold in the USA do not have the same lights as in Europe.

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Many vehicles sold in the US are equipped with EC and DOT-approved hybrid lights. See the EC and DOT marking on the lens.

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The regs in Europe are much more defined in what the aiming, intensity, cut off angles, fog light use, etc. are.

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Correct. Proper adjustment and compliance is also part of the biannual or annual safety insepection.

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They don't use the Euro lights here, because they are not DOT approved and the Euro regs and NHTSA don't want to harmonize for politcal reasons.

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Some US states (Washington and Oregon and a few others) expressly allow DOT lights.

As for harmonizing EC and DOT specs and approvals, I already mentioned the now common hybrid lights.


As for you BMW, I'm not 100% sure, but I'm almost certain than all new models use now lexan or simlar headlight lenses in Europe for safety and weight reasons alone. My '96 Audi came with true (lousy) DOT lights (with plastic lenses) that I replaced with the OEM Bosch e-codes. These lights do have still (tempered) glass lenses.
 
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Some US states (Washington and Oregon and a few others) expressly allow DOT lights.

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I think you meant EC lights.

The OEM headlights in my 300M carried both the DOT and E-Code approvals on the lens. However, the export 300Ms had Euro-specific projector-type headlights rather than the dual approved units.
 
Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
the only time headlights bother me is when a moron doesn't have his headlights on while it's raining or at dusk. or at night, they upgrade their vehicle headlights with the brightest whitest bulbs they can find.


That happens all the time down here...I was in a monsoon recently on I-95 and a few morons did have not any lights on...Also almost every night I see cars on I-95 driving with no lights on well after dark...The FHP is understaffed so they get away with it for the most part.

Daytime running lamps shoud be standard in South Florida as alot of snowbirds that come down here are mostly blind plus they are over medicated making them very dangerous on the road.
 
I've seen people forget to turn their headlights on at night as well, cruising with just DRLs. Personally, I think it would be a bigger safety improvement to give all cars auto headlights than DRLs.

I love the auto headlights in my Jeep. If it gets dark out, the headlights turn on. If I turn on the wipers, the headlights turn on. If it's bright out and the wipers are off, the headlights are off.
 
Originally Posted By: rslifkin
I've seen people forget to turn their headlights on at night as well, cruising with just DRLs. Personally, I think it would be a bigger safety improvement to give all cars auto headlights than DRLs.

I love the auto headlights in my Jeep. If it gets dark out, the headlights turn on. If I turn on the wipers, the headlights turn on. If it's bright out and the wipers are off, the headlights are off.

Ehhhh, as long as you can disable it. Vehicles that you cannot disable the autolamps annoy me a great deal.
 
I have a few thoughts on them.

Vehicles with DRLs, and with LED-type instrument clusters that are always lit (as many modern vehicles have) need automatic headlamps as standard. Too many people think "my lights are on" when it's only their DRLs; their dashboards are lit up (because they're always lit anyway) and they're none the wiser. The rear of the car remains unlit, and dangerous. Or, as an alternative to automatic head lamps, at least have a sensor and a blinking headlamp reminder light on the dash to instruct these folks to turn their friggin' lights on.

Many new Chryslers have DRLs in the high beams and they're too bright. Looks like they're running at near full power. No good, way too much glare. I don't know what most GMs/Hondas/Toyotas run, in terms of power percentage, but it's much better than Chrysler's current choice of BRIGHT.

Overall, I do like them. I drive on a number of 2-lane roads, and appreciate the added visibility the forward lighting provides, especially as I contemplate trying to overtake somebody. All too often, an oncoming car with no lights blends into the shadows, and is easily missed.

I usually run with the headlamps on in my minivan and Dakota, because they don't have DRLs.
 
Originally Posted By: rslifkin

I love the auto headlights in my Jeep. If it gets dark out, the headlights turn on. If I turn on the wipers, the headlights turn on. If it's bright out and the wipers are off, the headlights are off.


If I leave the headlights on automatic they will come on and off as the sun is gong down as I change direction...It will even come on and off when I go under trees...If it's a cloudy day I will just turn on the headlights...I probably should just turn them on anyway whenever I am driving as maybe I can be seen better as everyone down here is yapping and texting as they drive and not paying full attention to the road in front of them...I was at a red light today watching traffic making a left turn in front of me...Out of 30 cars 28 were talking or yapping as they were driving.
 
Wow, those are badly designed auto lights. Mine aren't that sensitive. It has to be dusk for them to come on, and has to stay that way for about 15 - 20 seconds. If I drive under a bridge, they don't turn on. However, if I stop under a bridge at a traffic light, they'll kick on after a few seconds.
 
The auto-lamps in my Buick come on after 30 seconds of darkness under a bridge, or immediately when it's dark outside. For the most part the sensor works well. Some mornings do confuse it. It'll be a bright early morning with my headlights on. Computers...
 
Originally Posted By: XCELERATIONRULES
I like the option of turning them off,and wouldn't want a car,with them.
I hate light pollution!


You need light pollution big time in Florida...Yesterday in the rain [with the sun out] a car was going the wrong way in my lane...If I did not have my headlights on only the man upstairs would have known what would have happened.
 
Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
Ehhhh, as long as you can disable it. Vehicles that you cannot disable the autolamps annoy me a great deal.

Agreed. GM's patented "we're smarter than you" auto headlights annoyed me to no end with rental cars. My VWs have DRLs on by default but swapping in the European headlight switch allows you to decide if you want everything off, DRLs, fog lights (if equipped) or regular headlights.

I really like the system my Volvo had, though - the headlights worked with the ignition switch... so I left the headlight switch 'on' all the time. Never had to think about it, headlights were always on if the key was on. Never had a problem with bulb life either, typically got 3 years out of each set of bulbs.
 
That's the way my Camry is. The switch has:

OFF (everything off)
AUTO (DRLs on, auto head lamps)
PARK (DRLs on, parking lamps on, no automatic head lamps)
ON (DRLs off, head lamps on)

If I leave the lamps on, they'll turn off about 5 minutes after the ignition is turned off. Lots of options with this setup.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
If I leave the lamps on, they'll turn off about 5 minutes after the ignition is turned off.


Oh man, I really dislike that system even more. Too many times I've tried to be a do-gooder and chase after somebody yelling HEY MAN YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON only to be scolded that their fine auto-voiture has an auto off system and the lights will extinguish shortly. Now I'll only bother if I know the person. Otherwise the lights will go off on their own... eventually. I've used my jumper cables about 50 times for other folks and once for myself, maybe that's why.

Don't even get me started on GM vehicles where the reverse lights turn on when unlocked with the remote. THOSE LIGHTS SHOULD ONLY BE ON WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING AND PLACED IN REVERSE!#@?$RC#@!$ And while we're on the subject, directional signals should be amber and brake lights should be red - never the twain should meet. Argh, crimes against humanity and other first world problems.

My Volvo 850's headlights went off immediately when the ignition was switched off, no 'post glow' time. Brilliant but simple.
 
Hokie - On the Toyotas that keep the lights on for a few minutes after shutdown (even if they were on auto), if you want to force them to turn off, lock the car a second time with the remote, and the lights will shut off.

And my Jeep has a good system for letting people know that I didn't leave the lights on. The auto headlights will stay on for 2 minutes after shutdown (unless I turn them off), on either high or low beam, whichever they were on before shutdown. However, the taillights and front parking lights turn off when I turn the ignition off, leaving only the headlight bulbs on.

Plus, it's smart enough that when I start it at night, unlike the Toyotas in the family, where the lights turn on as soon as you flip the key "on", and sit there sucking up power while you're cranking it, the Jeep does something better. Both my 98 and my Mom's 99 do this: when you flip the key "on", the lights stay off. They only turn on after it sees the engine running. The lights stay off during cranking to allow it to crank a little more easily, then turn on when you're ready to go.
 
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