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Hook up taillights to front DRLs?


raf82
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Hi guys,

Is there any way to customise/make rear taillights to switch on together with front led DRLs?

Yaris 2015 Hybrid

 

Thanks

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The point of drl's is not to provide the driver with illumination, but to make the car more visible to pedestrians and/or other drivers when it is approaching.

Legally drl's should turn off when either the side lights or headlights are turned on. 

Given the second point above, you would have to engineer an arrangement where the front drl's turn off and the tail lights remain on, when the sidelights or headlights are turned on.

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The point of drl's is not to provide the driver with illumination, but to make the car more visible to pedestrians and/or other drivers when it is approaching.
Legally drl's shoul;d turn off when either the side lights or headlights are turned on. 
Given the second point above, you would have to engineer an arrangement where the front drl's turn off and the tail lights remain on, when the sidelights or headlights are turned on.
Thanks, that's exactly what I'd like to achieve - basically have DRLs in the back as well to make me more visible without the need to turn on the headlights.
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Modifying your car may invalidate your warranty and you should inform your insurers. Do you really want to do this?

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Volvos do this - wish mine did for the same reason.

I'd suggest not modifying it.

Note the DRLs don't switch off, but dim with sidelights/headlights.

There is a strip light that seems sensitive to daylight - it only illuminates with headlights or at night on sidelights. I haven't seen it during the day except when it's dark enough that auto headlights would come on.

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Hi, you would have to run a wire from the DRL supply (if separate) all the way to the rear and splice into rear light input. I wouldn't try it if your car has a warranty.

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Hi, you would have to run a wire from the DRL supply (if separate) all the way to the rear and splice into rear light input. I wouldn't try it if your car has a warranty.
Thanks for the advice. I still have 1 year warranty left. I thought there may be another way of programming the lights to achieve the result but if I have to run wires and play with the electrical system I will pass.
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Unfortunately not. I don't know why the tail lights aren't wired the same as the DRLs. Side lights are almost a solution, but it dims the front DRLs.

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On 20/03/2018 at 1:07 PM, FROSTYBALLS said:

The point of drl's is not to provide the driver with illumination, but to make the car more visIble to pedestrians and/or other drivers when it is approaching.

17 minutes ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

I don't know why the tail lights aren't wired the same as the DRLs.

 

Basically as per my earlier post. DRL's make your approaching vehicle more noticeable to others, which is why they are commonly installed at the front of the vehicle. They aren't intended to make your vehicle more visible from the rear. 

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9 hours ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

Unfortunately not. I don't know why the tail lights aren't wired the same as the DRLs.

I suspect it's because when side or headlights are turned on the DRLs extinguish and it wouldn't be a good idea to run around without tail lights in the dark.

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3 hours ago, bathtub tom said:

I suspect it's because when side or headlights are turned on the DRLs extinguish and it wouldn't be a good idea to run around without tail lights in the dark.

The DRLs dim; they don't switch off. I wish they were light-sensitive, so daytime side-lights they remain bright.

In fog in daytime I've noticed I see DRLs before headlights, but I also want tail lights in that situation.

@FROSTYBALLS I appreciate the "to be seen" aspect. :)  On previous cars where I didn't have DRLs, I always drove with dipped headlights (an idea I borrowed from the Scandinavians).

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Well, DRLs have the same problem as brake lights - Excessively bright in low/night conditions - so I'm glad they thought about that and made them turn off when the sidelights go on!

But I do find a LOT of people with DRLs never use their sidelights, esp. cars with illuminated dashes, because the DRLs provide more forward illumination, so I get eye-blobed by those too when driving home at dusk more often than not!!

I must admit I've never been a big fan of DRLs; I think they've made the road more dangerous rather less - They're great for cars that have them by making them much more visible from the front, but pedestrians don't have DRLs and neither do older cars or motorcycles or bikes, and a sea of DRL's mask such things in lower light and overcast conditions because of the huge difference in contrast.

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I've told a couple of drivers they've no rear lights, but because they could see light at the front (DRLs), they assumed their lights were on. They live amongst us - and drive!

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15 hours ago, Cyker said:

I must admit I've never been a big fan of DRLs; I think they've made the road more dangerous rather less - They're great for cars that have them by making them much more visible from the front, but pedestrians don't have DRLs and neither do older cars or motorcycles or bikes, and a sea of DRL's mask such things in lower light and overcast conditions because of the huge difference in contrast.

In the UK, where roads are narrow, usually with cars parked at the sides, DLR is actually very useful when you know that on coming cars are actually moving. The idea is a bit like the small power-on LEDs on your electronic devices so people would know when they are on or off. I understand your dislike of DLRs because some car makers (especially the Germans....) like to make their DLRs very elaborated and bright, and unlike the main beams, they are not dipped. But I still find DLRs a good function on the new cars. 

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