Since the US version of the TSX is not equipped with daytime running lights, I am curious if most of you just choose to drive with your low beams on throught the day. If so, would this shorten the life of the battery?

 

No it would not shorten the life of the battery. But why would you want to have your low beams on?

thanks

 

BTW, electrical power is pulled from the alternator while the car is running (shared at idle), so battery life doesn't even come into play.

 

Oh. If you drove as much as I did, you wouldn't ask this foolish question. I have risked my life countless times, came close to crashing, often face to face, because some other dangerous drivers didn't have their lights on, during daytime.

Some reason that lights should be on only when it's raining/snowing. Wrong. Even in the sunlight, especially when the sun lowers, if I have the sun in my face, there's hardly any way I'll see traffic I cross if they don't have their lights on.

Lights on don't use up batteries quicker at all since they are powered by the alternator. Yes, they might use up light bulbs a little quicker, but the cost is minimal, compared to that of securing your life, and that of others.

 

Unlike Canada, thankfully, DRLs are not required in the US (or most of the world for that matter). While what you say about the safety aspect of DRLs might be true so is a speed limit of 0 MPH.
If the safety aspects of DRLs were so great the gov't would have mandated them like they did the 3rd brake light since MY '86 cars.
Maybe soon all cars will be like BMW where the enabling/disabling of DRLs is a simple software change. Then folks like you can have them on while I'll have them off (and turn the headlights on when I think they are necessary).

 

i felt less stressful driving in DRL area, and found cars without DRL are dangerous, but i am not sure this is because i alreay adopted with DRL driving environment. however, a car with DRL is very easy to spot, while a car without DRL in cloudy day can be dissicult to notice. i see the differences myself and i will put DRL on my car even if i am driving in non-DRL area. there are more and more country adopting DRL now... but i think low beam is too strong, you only need something like side marker and that's good enough..

 

biker, why are you so against DRL's? I can't see anything but the benefits of having them.

 

How much are new TSX-HID bulbs anyway?

 

Here in North Carolina, we're surrounded by rolling hills, big trees, and few straight roads. Even in bright sunlight, you can go through patches of road that are dark with blind corners. I think DRLs come into play in those instances.

 

Corbs, the DRLs don't use the HID bulbs. They use the same bulb as the highbeams but they only use the lower wattage filament so they aren't as bright.

 

Personally, I like the idea behind DRLs. It makes it easier to see other cars and when you live in an area like mine, where people don't turn on their lights at night because they're just stupid, DRLs could prevent quite a few traffic accidents.

And plus, I thought that they were mandatory in all new European cars?

 

I agree that DRL only have benefits. They should be a gov't standard...that and auto headlights. I can not count believe how many people forget to turn on their lights at night.

 

Just don't forget that Xenon lights have very specific life span. Every car is different so I don't have the specs for the TSx. Usually there is a calculation somewhat like this:
Average milage X average speed X percentage of night driving gives you about 8-10 years of use of the lights before they will go on you. If you run the lights all day all the time you might get hit with a big bill to replace the headlight unit somewhere down the road.

 

abbachia, as per above, the TSX doesn't use the HID lights for DRL.

 

I ws talking to the guy who was thinking of driving around with his low beams on all day instead

 

No.

There is not yet proven statics showing a decrease in accidents due to DRLs. Besides, I find that cars are HARDER to see in the daytime with lights on than without.

 

What, like this: http://www.autointell-news.com/News-...r-29-03-p7.htm

 

Can you explain why? I'm curious as to how something with light is harder to see than something without (unless it was blinding light but usually not the case with DRLs). Not flaming, just really curious.

To the question of bulb replacement, there are two points I'd like to bring up.
1. Xenons age not so much by how long they're on but how many times they're turned on and off (relatively speaking, of course the length of time still matters but to a lesser degree).
2. Even if your bulbs go in 5 or 6 years, they'll only cost a few hundred dollars to replace. Only a few hundred?! That's insane! No it isn't, when compared to the amount of damage someone can do to your car if they can't see you.

The only time I wish I didn't have DRL's is at night time when I'm creeping through an abandoned industrial area and I don't want the terrorists/cops/robots to spot me. Otherwise they're A-OK in my book.

P.S. Just because a government doesn't mandate something doesn't mean it's not good (or better). It's the same story with 2.5 mph bumpers. The government doesn't mandate 5 mph bumpers so they aren't needed right? Just wait until you hit something at 4 mph.

 

I agree DRL's are good, especially in a DRL mandated environment (like Canada). If everyone has DRL's, and you alone do not, you're a black hole and even less visible in traffic.

One thing I notice in TO are people driving around at dawn, dusk and even nighttime w/o headlights on. Do DRL's lull them into a false sense of security that they think they are visible? Because they aren't, since their marker lights aren't on for traffic beside and behind them.

 

Thanks for reminding me! This is my biggest beef with DRL's. Sadly, I've witnessed this phenomena with TSX's in my town. In a well lit area, a person not paying attention could forget to turn on their lights. But this person would also (especially in the case of the TSX) have to avoid looking at their instruments because of the blinding brightness at the "daylight" setting.

My official position on these idiots is this: If you can't tell your lights aren't on and it's night time, please for the love of all that is good and holy, get off the darn road!

 

biker, abbacchia and Lung Fu, you've cornered yourself into the the part of the debate where "wrong" will be the systematic reply for you. And I haven't seen you bring too many strong arguments to back your sayings either.

biker: I know Switzerland, as I have been there a few times, and though I have a hard time understanding why you would take such a strong position against DRLs, I know that driving from one town to another is only 3-4km distances most of the time. Going to the second city away from yours is almost as far as most will go during one year, except for vacation travelling. Of course I can't expect someone like that to understand the relevancy of DRL's...

abbachia: I'll get hit by a $300ish bill to replace my headlamps when I am at around 200,000km, driving around with my low beams on at all times. This would mean a cost for me of about $125 per year to insure myself against someone hitting me because he didn't see me. I spend $1400 each year to insure my car against crashes. Wouldn't it be ironic that I would risk losing my LIFE in a crash that could be prevented by a precaution that costs about 125$ a year? Just a question of common-sense.

Lung Fu: Well Dan's the man. He told it to ya. + I can't imagine in what way a car would be harder to see with lights on, even if they were blindingly bright... you couldn't miss them then!

Common sense, folks!

 

Actually, that probably makes it worse, because the drivers can still see their instruments (as it burns an image onto their retinas ). Cars with conventional panels which aren't lit in daytime would naturally prompt their drivers since panel would be virtually invisble at night.

I also see '03 Civic drivers with this problem, since it has similar backlit panel as the TSX.

 

I wish my cars had DRLs...it would make my vehicle more visible on the road. I also feel its safer with it on.

my

 

i just put my parking lights on whenever i drive during the day

 

I have DRLs and I still drive with my Xenons on all day, even in bright sunshine, even for a one minute drive.

My mother is an occupational therapist specializing in driver rehabilitation, and she is well-versed in the field of automotive safety. She deals with clients day in and day out who have been involved in serious car accidents. She maintains that keeping the low beams(Xenons) on all day is much safer than even the DRLs.

I always find it odd when I go to the states and I see cars driving with no lights on- its like the cars are off but still moving. Weird.

I only wish that on our car, since the Xenons are automatic turn off, that the beep beep beep could be disabled when you open the door with the lights on. If youre going to turn it off automatically, why are you telling me to do it? Shut up, do it yourself!

Bah!

J.

 

The xenons have such a sharp cutoff that I wonder if they are better than the DRL's which are lower wattage hi-beams aimed higher than the low beams.

 

it's the law for motorcycles to run with lights on in the U.S. reason??? so that other drivers can spot them quicker. so the only reason DRL hasn't made it to U.S. cars is just bureaucracy.

 

I've found that by running with the headlights on during the daylight I get fewer people pulling out in front of me. Given the abysmal driving skills and inattention of the local drivers, I'll take advantage of any possible way to make sure I'm not overlooked when someone rolls that stop sign and drifts across 2 lanes, or pulls directly into the fast lane from the on ramp.

A number of years ago I was T-boned in a Prelude in broad daylight.... I couldn't believe the guy drove right into the side of my car after stopping at a side street.... I watched him stop and then accelerate but it was too late to avoid the hit... managed to do a 360* after impact and pull over safely but the car was totaled. :'(

I've driven lights-on since then. My CL went through one low-beam bulb in the six years I owned it, and I'm still on the original bulbs on my DRL-modified Miata. Use your lights, it's cheap insurance.

Santa Rosa Steve

 

Unfortunatelty not in whole Europa.
Only some.

 

DRL makes driving safer period as it is easier to be seen. But eventough mandatory in CND you find some idiots to disable their DRL to possibly save a couple of box on bulb replacement. Go figure!

 

Especially in the Beauce area.

 

drls are like foglights..

help others see u, rather than lighting up the roads...

 

I recently purchased a TSX and was surprised to learn that it did not have DLR's.
Asked a local dealer if this could be installed. I was told no but I find that hard to believe.
Has anyone done this?
I've also seen very inexpensive devices advertised that are supposedly easy to install. Has anyone tried one of these?

 

i think they just disabled them cuz they don't like them :P

 

As a Canadian I was used to DRLs, and was disappointed when my American 2000 Si didn't have them. I have put 110,000 miles on the Civic, with the low or high beams on for every single mile.

No electrical problems, original bulbs, original battery.

I cannot speak to bulb life in the HIDs, but I'm with Sauce. One bulb replacement during the life of the car is a small price to pay for the added security.

I will definitely run with low beams 100% after I get my TSX.

 

Ok I found this website for all those who want DRL's on ther tsx it's a after market kit for less than $40 bucks check it out http://www.automotiveelectronicaccessories.com/