Daytime Running Lights and Brake Light Pulser

I just finished installing the DRL-2P in a Gen III. The good news: all the wire colors are the same as the Gen II, so the printed instructions--also available on line--work.

The bad news, not really so bad: because the turn signal lamps are mounted low in the Gen III, you need to get at them from below, removing splash panels according to instructions in the owner's manual for changing the bulbs. The space is tight; you definitely cannot do the job with the car on the ground. I used floor stands and wished mightily that I had the use of a lift. My scraped knuckles are beginning to heal.

You will need to add three 30-inch pieces of 18-gauge automotive wire to the kit, extending three wires from the kit's relay down to the left turn signal. Get three different colors (best to match the colors of the relay wires) or mark three white pieces with magic markers as I did.

Fred

 

pix plz

 

I doubt I could get any that show more than the pix in the instructions. The turn-signal assemblies look like the Gen II; they are just located lower in the fender. Hence the need for longer wires on the left side and for access from beneath. A drawing on p. 479 of your owner's manual shows how to do that.

Fred

 

Exactly what lights light up with the drl? Is is the yellow lights above the fogs or the ones above the headlights?
TIA

 

Front turn signals. Details at the URL in post #1 of this thread.

Fred

 

Hmm, not sure for me. The amber turn lights as DRLs may look odd coming at you. For some reason, just doesn't seem to appeal to me.

I'm upgrading my parking lamps/lights to Xenon (brighter) and will continue to keep the parking lights on as pseudo-DRLs for now.

 

Your comment made me pay attention to DRL colors. Although less common than white, they are not rare here in Vermont. One of every 10 - 15 cars that show DRLs are shining yellow.

The turn signals are a lot brighter than the stock parking lights. They are not as bright as dedicated DRLs on other cars I see. I'd be interested to learn how they compare with the new xenon parking lights when viewed from 1/4 mile or so.

Fred

 

Fred,

Understand - guess I'm not that observant to DRLs that are 'of color'.

I personally am a big fan of DRLs and believe they afford an extra safety measure out there. It's so irritating to see so many drivers not turning their headlamps on at dusk, rain, etc. Even in daytime light, DRLs make oncoming cars more noticeable. Enough of that.

OK - the W5W Xenons for the parking lights came in. I installed the driver's side (the easy one) Compared during the day and night - verdict...maybe 25% brighter - perhaps 6W worth of light rather than 5W. A 1/4 mile? Like a lightening bug....

Worth the trouble and $8 incl shipping? Hmm probably not. Are they as good as DRLs - certainly not. I may look at the turn signal / DRL option....

What's in the DRL kit? A relay and? What does it connect to? How difficult is the hookup other than the difficulty around the lights themselves?

 

Right. A relay, lengths of conventional automotive wire, connectors, and instructions. You can read the nicely illustrated instructions at the WebElectric site given up-thread in post #1.

You connect to two turn signals, one parking light, and one switched power line near the fuse box. For tools you need a wire stripper, a pair of pliers, and a multimeter or a 12-volt test lamp. Assuming you can strip automotive wire without cutting any strands, the only difficulty is one of access in the tight space inside the fender. As I mentioned earlier, getting the car up on a lift will save hours, skinned knuckles, and a lot of swearing <grin>.

Fred

 

While I HIGHLY recommend the Brake Light Pulsar, it does install and work great!
In California it IS illegal to use Front turn signals or running lights by themselves. You actually have to illuminate the headlights. If the officer is looking for a reason to pull you over, this mod will give him one. I do not know about the other 49 states!

If you really have to have DRL's, just turn on the lights!

 

Are you sure? After checking this out here in VT, I wandered over to the CA DMV site and found this in the motor vehicle code at V.C. Section 25109 - Running Lamps:

"Running Lamps

"25109. Any motor vehicle may be equipped with two white or amber running lamps mounted on the front, one at each side, which shall not be lighted during darkness except while the motor vehicle is parked.

"Added Ch. 858, Stats. 1965. Effective September 17, 1965."

Of course there might be references elsewhere that countermand this, but it does read like unusually clear English (for a gummint agency).

Given the large number of cars that have separate dedicated running lamps, I'd guess they're OK.

Fred

 

Actually really easy. The hardest part was popping the plastic body panel on the hatch. Once you get it off, look dead center, you will find a tiny socket, plug assy. Thats the center brake light. I just followed the pair back to the corner, made sure I had the POSITIVE wire, cut it, spliced the module in, and hooked the neg wire to the neg wire in the pair. Thats it!!! Worked first time, everytime!!!
Good Luck

 

You know Fred, I could be wrong, but the reason I thought this was one of the questions on the driving written test I took, at traffic school,....specifically mentioned wether it was legal to run with running lights ON, and Headlights OFF. I thought it was OK, and of course I got it marked wrong. It was the ONLY question I missed... Go Figure!!!

I did look up your referance, and you are indeed spot on!!
If I find the specific code to refute this, I will add a note to this thread!!

Thanks Fred!

 

Don't many GM vehicles (such as Cadillacs) use turn signals as DLR's?

 

Reread post 15...

 

Thanks. . . how very helpful :twitch: My point is that millions of GM and other vehicles that use turn signal lights at their brightest for DLR's are not illegal. This module operates similarly.

If millions of people started getting tickets because of how their cars were designed, there would be a class action lawsuit. . .

I assume that, when used as brighter DLR's, the turn signals are no longer considered "parking lights".

 

What does anyone think of using fog lights as DRL, nice, white and bright? Just use one side of the DRL-2P and run the power wire going to the fog lights to the pink wire and violet to a relay and then to ground. Run 12 volt battery to relay input and output to the fog lights.

 

Here is what I am thinking.