DRL's and Automatic Headlights

[asiancivicmaniac]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Yeah, but the ballast/igniters are expensive as ever.


DRLs are required up here. At least Nissan/Infiniti has some smarts about how to implement them. The G has HIDs, but the DRL is a normal halogen bulb. The HIDs only come on when you actually want to turn your headlights on.



Yup, mine is the same way. I responded to his comment believing he turns on his hid lights all the time manually. I may have miss interpret what he wrote.


In my car (the Maxima) there's a ~5 sec delay when the car turns the lights on when transitioning from light to dark. So usually I go through an overpass before the lights turn on. When starting it in darkness/low light, it turns on instantly.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Yeah, but the ballast/igniters are expensive as ever.


DRLs are required up here. At least Nissan/Infiniti has some smarts about how to implement them. The G has HIDs, but the DRL is a normal halogen bulb. The HIDs only come on when you actually want to turn your headlights on.



Yup, mine is the same way. I responded to his comment believing he turns on his hid lights all the time manually. I may have miss interpret what he wrote.


In my car (the Maxima) there's a ~5 sec delay when the car turns the lights on when transitioning from light to dark. So usually I go through an overpass before the lights turn on. When starting it in darkness/low light, it turns on instantly.




Same with mine.

 

[Thermo1223]

Originally Posted By: semaj281

This doesn't bother me as much as the "tuners" who decide to install HID systems into a car with reflector housings.


No that is the bigger one but if you saw where it was you'd see why it can be frustrating especially considering how long the light is.

HID's in reflectors will always be the worst.

 

[2oldtommy]

IMO the best DRL's are the "eyebrow" LED lights on some of the late German cars. Now showing up on others. They are bright enough to see, but not glare in your eyes. Automatic lights are for those who are in the dark most of the time. (perhaps 50% of American drivers)FWIW--Oldtommy

 

[Vikas]

Yesterday I saw the "angle-eyes" on a MAC truck! Except instead of full halo, it was split in to two semi circles. Lately, I am seeing quite a few of those big rigs with factory HIDs.

 

[buickman50401]

Originally Posted By: 2oldtommy
IMO the best DRL's are the "eyebrow" LED lights on some of the late German cars. Now showing up on others. They are bright enough to see, but not glare in your eyes. Automatic lights are for those who are in the dark most of the time. (perhaps 50% of American drivers)FWIW--Oldtommy

Yes, I like those.

Alternatively, if LED "eyebrows" are too spendy for the lower tier cars, a separate DRL bulb would be much better than some of the current implementations.

 

[Duffman77]

Originally Posted By: Trav
I disconnect them on every car that i ever owned. The plastic headlight lenses seem to suffer premature yellowing to say nothing about shortened bulb lifespan.


Yeah clearly your safety is worth the price of shortened bulb life??? Nothing like pulling out to pass on a 2 lane highway during a low visibility day to see the approaching moron decide to turn on his lights once you are side by side the car you were trying to pass.

I agree that people who are not smart enough to turn on there lights in appropriate situations shouldn't be driving, unfortunately law enforcement around here doesn't seem interested in enforcing anything that isn't speeding.

 

[Trav]

Quote:
Yeah clearly your safety is worth the price of shortened bulb life???

I even disconnected the auto dim feature.

 

[rslifkin]

I like the auto lights in my Jeep (no DRLs, no always-lit gauges). They're pretty good at turning the lights on about the same time I would (and they turn on with the wipers too). Plus, they have a good enough delay built in to not trip when going under bridges, unless you're sitting at a traffic light under one for 30+ seconds.

 

[Nick R]

Would any of you believe that when I had the cavalier, after 13 years and 130k, with daytime running lights- both sets of headlights were still OE? I swear, a set of bulbs cost what, $15? My mom had cataracts a few years ago- (we made her stop driving eventually) if a car had headlights on it made it MUCH easier to see oncoming cars. MAybe you should stop being so all "they are MY headlights I'll turn them on when I [censored] well please" and maybe consider the safety of EVERYONE on the road?

 

[hattaresguy]

I love automatic headlights.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Nick R
MAybe you should stop being so all "they are MY headlights I'll turn them on when I [censored] well please" and maybe consider the safety of EVERYONE on the road?


We went through the DRL debate here in Canada years ago. While I don't think they're the greatest thing since sliced bread and I have certain complaints about how some DRLs are implemented, the fact remains that the world is still turning, our cars didn't lose 50% of their fuel economy, and our ditches aren't littered with empty headlamp blister packages, either.

 

[ffracer]

Rather than start with why don't all cars have DRLs, I rather start with why should they?

1. Headlights are not for daytime use. The are a distraction to the motion of the car to gauge speed, often create glare, and obscure turn signals, which are more important than seeing something you can see anyway. Plenty of studies prove this.

2. People assume that headlights alert people who are not paying attention. They assume people aren't as aware as they are. Which says a lot about the driver. I know I'm related to such.

3. Glare is siginificant issue, since, DRLs are often using focued half power high beams. Why does anyone need bright lights during the day? At all? If the DRL argument could be even be proven positively, why are bright lights (i.e any headlights needed) rather than dipped or ambient lights.

DRLs are also (on certain cars - Saturns, Toyotas, Chryslers, most German cars) are very annoying in the mirror. Too bright.

4. Automatic headlights should be not allowed. They need to be in the control and responsbility of the driver and enforced as such. Most of the headlight issues around here are related to backlit dashboards and preponderance of DRLs, so the drivers are clueless that they have no taillights on in fog.

If you need automatic headlights, you are idiot who shouldn't be driving.

Most people I have seen who insist on driving during the day with headlights don't have good time-distance awareness or are paying attention 100% of the time.

DRLs are a negative - a distraction that assumes anything safety related must be good and everyone must have it.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: ffracer
4. Automatic headlights should be not allowed. They need to be in the control and responsbility of the driver and enforced as such. Most of the headlight issues around here are related to backlit dashboards and preponderance of DRLs, so the drivers are clueless that they have no taillights on in fog.

If you need automatic headlights, you are idiot who shouldn't be driving.


Agreed, to a point. Automatic headlights aren't mandated, and they certainly aren't necessary. Neither are air conditioning, automatic transmissions, power windows, power locks, power brakes, audio systems, or power steering. People do want these things, though. I'm not a fan of automatic headlights, but that doesn't mean others aren't.

For DRLs, they simply need to have proper implementation. The person behind the wheel shouldn't be confused as to whether the headlights are actually on or off - having an indicator light or having gauge lights off (or excessively bright, as in the G37) are possibilities. A driver should never have to wonder whether or not the real headlights are on or if he's on DRLs.

As for glare, certainly, that's another implementation issue. Why a reduced output high beam? Why not a reduced output low beam? How about a dedicated, different bulb (i.e. as in the G37)?

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: Garak


As for glare, certainly, that's another implementation issue. Why a reduced output high beam? Why not a reduced output low beam? How about a dedicated, different bulb (i.e. as in the G37)?


Good question. Toyota used to use reduced low beam but transitioned to reduced high beam. I would like to know why.

 

[MrRPM]

i dont like automatic light because sometimes its nice to turn the lights off, for a few reasons. Like pulling up to someones house and waiting in their driveway with my headlights blaring into the windows at night waking up the entire house and making the dogs bark.

its nice to be stealthy sometimes

 

[ffhdriver]

Hi beams are used less at night so DRLs on hi beams means low beam bulbs last longer than when using the low beams for DRLs..

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Originally Posted By: MrRPM
i dont like automatic light because sometimes its nice to turn the lights off, for a few reasons. Like pulling up to someones house and waiting in their driveway with my headlights blaring into the windows at night waking up the entire house and making the dogs bark.

its nice to be stealthy sometimes


You can turn off auto lights.

 

[rslifkin]

^ Yup. One of the big things I like about my auto lights is that it'll keep just the headlight bulbs on (kills all the others) for a minute after I shut the Jeep down, which is sometimes nice when walking in an uneven parking lot, etc.

 

[MrRPM]

oh ok, in my mothers pontiac vibe i have yet figured out a way to turn off the lights at night.

but now im used to old school switches that are a bit simpler lol