Are my new Philips LED Daylight 9 DRL kit faulty or a CL500 quirk?

[Submariner1]

Before wiring in the new LED DRLs, I tested them, purely because its a little tricky to feed the wires without cutting any panels or grills or wires on the kit.

These lights apparently sense an increased voltage from the alternator, and switch on the LEDs when the engine is running.

My problem is, if I switch on the engine, yes they come on. And yes very nice bright lights.
BUT 8 secsonds later they switch off, stay off for 1 or 2 seconds, and then switch on again (like a long blink) and stay on until the engine is switched off.

I have seen about 12 utube videos, where the light just go on and off, as they should i.e. No blink.

I have just last week had a new 95AH 850A cc genuine MB battery fitted by Merc and the car has no fault codes on STAR. They say my alternator is perfect, generating 14.2V at tickover and 14.4V at 900 RPM. My earth drain is beteen 0.030A to 0.00A , which they say is excellent as I have a Tracker fitted.

The question is do I fit them, or get Amazon to replace them?
I have phoned Philips technical department 3 times since Tuesday; they are utterly hopeless and employ the dreaded Call Centre approach. You get a non technical guy, who you have to repeat the product name 3 times to, and then he has to look up everything. They keep promising that their technical expert will write to me.

Initially I thought these units were definitely faulty, but ai have seen one video online and the guy has the same problem as me. Other than his blink off is a little quicker, Sadly its in Russian, so I haven't a clue whether he is happy, or has even noticed the issue?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F9a5AOvz5Ts


Can you help me on this point? Namely the instructions say connect the negative wire to the battery Terminal. I have connected one of these to the brass Vehicle earth point, and one to the Battery negative terminal ( had to do this, to make it reach without cutting the wires)

I intend to use the Vehicle earth point, because MB told me to ignore my CTEK chargers instructions and connect the negative to the Vehilce earth point. Because if you dont, "the Battery Control Module" can get confused. Hence I applied the same principle.

In my test I also had to deviate slightly, because if I cut the wires Philips say my warranty is over.
Below is Philips instructions and my deviation is denoted in [ .. ].
Do you think this could make a difference?

Wiring ...
Red Wire to Battery Positive Terminal [ per instructions ]
Black Wire to Battery Negative Terminal [ per instructions ]
Blue wire to Battery Negative or Earth Point [sort of per instructions, but in my case to the Vehicle Earth Point ]. ..... note on Start Stop Cars this goes to the Ign. acc +
Orange Wire to Sidelight Positive Wire [ not connected ], as I dont like using those crimplocks on the MB wiring harness. IMO not connecting it just means the LEDs won't swith off if the lights are put on. If I put my sidelights on, the LEDs stayed on as planned for.

I read a rumour, that these kits sense changes in battery voltage, not the general consensus of "a relay switches them on when the voltage is more than 13.2V" naturally in the absence of Philips Technical helping me I dont know.

But I did monitor the Voltage on the battery with the LEDs disconnected, strainght after starting the car. I just windered if the BCM dropped the voltsge after 8 seconds. Grasping at straws here.
Results:-
Before starting the car 12.7V
Straight after starting car 12.00V
It then rises quicky 12.1, 12.2, 12.3 until 13.2 V in 8 seconds ( strange coincidence)
One or two seconds later its at 14.2V.
( note these readings were from Battery Positive to Vehicle earth point.)

Do you think there is something in the cars BCM that drops the voltage after 8 secs and then recovers to 14.4V after 9 seconds?

had the lights not come on for 10 seconds i.e. Until this LED Kit saw a constant voltage > 13.2V ... I could have understood that. But why the on/off cycle.?

Finally would you just fit them ? Or get a replacement set.?

 

[Trickythemerc]

Firstly LED's are supposed to go off when the sidelights are on, so you need to wire them in to the sidelight wiring regardless of whatever you think is the correct way. Your car will fail the MOT if the DRL's don't dim or extinguish when the sidelights come on. As for the blink, I wouldn't worry about it as the youtube vid seems to suggest that they are supposed to work like that

 

[Codger49]

Just to endorse Trickythemerc's post, I can't see that a one second blink on startup is that much of a problem. He is also correct that the sidelight wire needs to be connected to make the installation legal.

I fitted Probright DRLs to my CLK as they used existing lights (indicators in my case), thus avoiding the faff of cutting grilles etc to install the additional light units on the front of the car.

 

[Submariner1]

Firstly LED's are supposed to go off when the sidelights are on, so you need to wire them in to the sidelight wiring regardless of whatever you think is the correct way. Your car will fail the MOT if the DRL's don't dim or extinguish when the sidelights come on. As for the blink, I wouldn't worry about it as the youtube vid seems to suggest that they are supposed to work like that

Hi
I probably was not clear. All the current users who responded from say Amazon said they are NOT supposed to work like that.
12 videos show them NOT working like mine.
This Russian video was the exception. And Philips CS have said they should NOT blink off, but they need to get a technical response.

Appreciate they should technically go off with sidelights.
But They are actually legally not part of the MOT, [as not fitted as std. pre 2011]. But I will pull the blade fuse out anyway.


They will be recessed in the grill under the bumper moulding .. so that will act like a shield for on coming traffic. So in any event a lot less glarey than my Sisters std. 2017 S Class AMG.

 

[Trickythemerc]

Like Codger I have fitted the Probright DRLs and think they are pretty good and don't have the typical add on look as they are fitted in the original indicator bulb location.

 

[Submariner1]

Like Codger I have fitted the Probright DRLs and think they are pretty good and don't have the typical add on look as they are fitted in the original indicator bulb location.

I couldnt do that as my indicators are within that big headlight unit, just to change the sidelight bulbs or the indicstor bulbs is headlight unit removal, and some say take off the bumper

The only integrated solution I could do is a fog lamp replacement, but then I could get conflicts with 1) the Intelligent lighting System or 2) the In vehicle DRL. Module, which is contolled in the main dash board.

I am only adding these seperate DRLs to avoid using the Bi xenon dipped bulbs, which run constantly with the onboard DRL system, as you have guessed it ... they are also not user changeable.
Technicslly I can only change the Main/motorway spot H7, the nightview H11, and the Cornering bulb H7.

 

[Submariner1]

How stupid of me trying to battle with Philips useless customer services. I just rang Amazon at 3.30pm today Saturday and a new set will be delivered tomorrow. Yes on Sunday!
Great service, so no need to work out why they dont work.

I would suggest to anyone buying Philips stuff, just get it through Amazon!

 

[Submariner1]

The replacement set has the same quirk.
I.e. Turns off after 8. Secs and then back on after a further 1 or 2 secs.
Decided to live with it.

 

[markmifsud]

Like others, I have the ProBright DRL. On this kit there is a programming function to specify the average (one of three settings) voltage so that the system knows a standby from a running system.