Are DRL's instead of Fog lamps?

[A210AMG]

Hello

On new cars DRL's will soon have to be standard. Do they replace fog lights? (are they as bright)

I was thinking of looking to replace my fogs with some Philips DRL's..can I do this? front fogs are not standard on many cars so guess its not a requirement and the DRL's do 'look' very bright?

Thanks

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Nope, they are meant to make your car more visible during Daylight like when you see Motorbikes with their lights on.

Foglights are foglights.

 

[Dieselman]

They are a point source of light, unlike headlamps which are a beam. They are marker lights, not there to assist your vision.

 

[A210AMG]

^ I agree

I never use my front fogs..but i DO see the point in DRL's..

I think it should be law with motorbikes years ago to be honest.

Country lanes and slightly dusk they certainly make you stand out.

 

[Dieselman]

I think it should be law with motorbikes years ago to be honest.

Agreed, it does make logical sense and they are much more effective than using the headlamp.

 

[Rory]

... not there to assist your vision.

I haven't had a car for many years where it would be possible to drive (at anything greater than walking pace) on fog lamps alone in the dark.

What I have noticed, when pulling out of our village on to the main road, is that front fogs are visible marginally before headlamps - but it really is a marginal difference.

It would be very interesting to see a side by side comparison of hpow far away you can see fog lamps and DRLs. DRLs on MB's are *very* bright! makes me laugh, all these people who've been moaning about front fogs beng used un-necessarily and now DRLs look at least as bright.

 

[Dieselman]

I haven't had a car for many years where it would be possible to drive (at anything greater than walking pace) on fog lamps alone in the dark.

That's because they aren't for night vision, they are for use in fog.
I can only think of a few occasions where they have been genuinely needed to assist with visibility, but one of those journeys was 225 miles at night and they were a Godsend, I could see much more than using dipped headlamps.

 

[Aoraki]

On new cars DRL's will soon have to be standard.

I think that was from 1st of March 2011

 

[timskemp]

Mine will have them soon! I'm a fan of DRLs and owning a Volvo now for 6 years I find not having lights on during the day unusual.

 

[markjay]

Driving with your headlamps on at all times is safer, and in fact mandatory in certain countries either all year round or only through the winter months - but either way regardless of actual driving conditions.

In the UK it has been mandatory for passenger cars to drive during daytime with headlamps on only when driving conditions dictate (e.g. heavy rain, poor visibility etc).

The main issue has always been that keeping two 55W halogen bulbs switched-on is not energy efficient - ultimately the car uses more petrol, so it was deemed 'un-green'.

The solution was DRLs, which are LED and therefore consume far less energy, and last longer, plus they have been especially designed for daylight use as explained above.

For my part, I have both my cars on 'constant' light, and always have done. Yes, it's only a poor-man DRLs, and not as efficient as the proper thing. But I think all cars should have their lights on at all times - be it DRLs if available or headlamps if not.

 

[A210AMG]

timskemp

The kit for yours is it a replacement for where the fog are so you just have DRLs as in the new shape C class?

Such as this? or does this car still have front fogs? built into headlights

Thanks

 

[john925]

after market DRL's

I fitted DRL's to my SLK. I feel happier knowing I can be seen against a dark background such as hedges etc as my car is dark green The come on as soon as the engine starts. At night they dim down when the headlights are on. simple to wire in as the control units are built into the lights themselves

 

[A210AMG]

^ I saw your thread on this that's what got be thinking also

For someone such as me who isn't too brilliant with wires how easy a job was this?

I've spotted these lights but they are not a known 'brand' so concerned they will look iffy...

 

[SportsCoupeRich]

Nice solution John, though I wonder how it would look if you moved them to the central bumper opening? Looks a bit crowded to the fog light to look OEM to me. Good quality lighting.

 

[markjay]

John925, I would love to retrofit DRLs, but those I have seen so far all looked tacky - yours is the first one I see that actually looks right.

 

[npuk]

Most do look tacky and it is down to how they are installed. Putting them on top of the grill, it just looks wrong. There are kits on ebay that have the DRL molded in to a replacement fog light grill which look better but only for certain models.

 

[C43AMG]

I think they look perfect where they are, more OEM than if they where in the centre.

 

[markjay]

The most common problems I've seen are either having the DRLs installed not perfectly straight (they sometime have a slightly wavy appearance), or being installed in an odd location looking un-natural.

I have also seen some installed inside the headlamps, at the bottom, and the problem with that is that they have to follow the curvature of the headlamp lens and LED strips do not bend nicely.

 

[timskemp]

timskemp

The kit for yours is it a replacement for where the fog are so you just have DRLs as in the new shape C class?

Such as this? or does this car still have front fogs? built into headlights

I've gone for the Carlsson kit which has fogs and DRLs. The facelift MB has fogs built into the headlamps so the DRLs are additional.

Electronics are all fitted up and tested, the DRLs function as per real ones (on with ignition, dimmed if lights are on) and can also be programmed for full brightness with lights on. Very nice kit but needs some cutting, and I'm having the matt black carriers sprayed obsidian.

 

[Dieselman]

Electronics are all fitted up and tested, the DRLs function as per real ones (on with ignition, dimmed if lights are on)

What about dimming when the indicator is flashing. That's about the only thing I like about Audi's