happy

What exactly is day time running lights? Can we convert our TLS high beam to daytime running lights?

SimTypeS

In Canada the TLS come with daytime lights. You mean the kind that come on automatically, right? If so, find out how it is wired for Canadian cars. I'm sure all they do is send a few watts to the lights. But, why would you want to? I leave my lowbeams on all the time. I never turn them off, even when I get out of the car. Xenons have a long life, so don't be worries about them burning out. Or, rewire your fogs so they can be on without lowbeams (unless it is illegal), and replace the amber turn signals for PIAA Xtremes, and drive with just the running lights on.

AKRY

DRL uses high-beam bulb, but running at only a fraction of wattage. I am sure it can be rewired. And if I were you, I would also wire in the taillights so they comes on automatically...

Andy Kuo

SimTypeS

I agree, the tailights should be on, too, if you want day-time lights. You now only want people to see you coming, but I don't want some fool flying up on my *ss because he doesn't see me going slower than him (it could happen... and monkeys might fly out of my butt). That's why I leave my headlights on ALL the time (unless I pull into a restaurant and don't want to blind people).

FTM-1

I wanted Daytime Running Lights but Honda had to be an a$$ about this again. I would think that a motorcycle maker that has safety for its cycle riders would put them in their cars. I know its not required by law in the U.S. but other makers have them. Somepeople want them & others don't I don't know why they can't put them into cars here if the people wan't them. I talked to the service maneger last year about this. He told me a few other people had also asked about DRL. If the same car is required to have the lights in Can, then why can't we have it put in. I don't see whats that hard about it. I drive with my low beams on all the time anyway. I would rather use my high beams at a lower wattage I would pay no more than $100 to have it put in the car & Honda/Acura should give us that option. We have the blank DRL space in our guage lights the DRL spots is also in our fuse box. Volvo has it on all its cars GM on theres. Honda took the easy way out & put auto- off lights on some cars. So if you leave the lights on they will go off after the car is turned off. When you push your remote to enter the car the lights will come back on.

daverman

The safety benefits of DRL is questionable at best, and I'm glad that the US does not mandate "yet another safety feature" on our cars.

I do agree that DRL should be a cheap option though, perhaps a hidden switch a la the trunk release lock.

If I were an electronic engineer designing the North American TLs, I would make the control unit identical for the US and Canada models...

I'd start by looking up the Service Manuals for the canadian TLs and see what they're doing differently. I bet it's a matter of a couple of wires routed differently.

pianoman41

When I was researching the wiring diagrams for the fog light mod, I was looking at the differences between the US spec and the Canadian spec circuits in the FSM. There are a few differences, mainly in the way the relays are wired in series. Also, if you note when we use our hi-beams the lows stay on as well, so the Canadian wiring has to be different in that the DRLs have to work independant of the low beams--something the US cars can't do.

Definitely could be retro-fitted to a US spec car, but I wouldn't want to be the first to do it. Timely and tedious (in hunting and splicing wires and adding relays and such)

happy

Hey buds,

I read up on the TL service manual and found out that we need a day time running light control module installed near the driver side fuse box. Circuit diagram was completly different for Canadian model TL. All this tells me that it is not trivial and not worth our while to get DRL. I guess I'd settle for one of these:

1) have low beams on
2) have fogs on only with super white bulb
3) run with parking lights on (super whites here too)

Can somebody list side turn signal light and side market light model numbers from PIAA for '02 model TLS? Plus what color should we get? Platinum, super or plasma type?

Thanks!

black2000

I also was very interested in getting DRLs for my TL, and found out what you guys did; The wiring in the Candian TLs is completely different than in the US TLs!

Very frustrating; I was able to add DRLs to my '95 Contour SE by plugging a $15 module into the fusebox!

quazi

If you have DRLs do you have to have auto on lights? Every DRL equiped car I have driven has auto-on lights.

Does the Canadian TL have auto on lights?

BLEXV6

No we do not have auto on lights in Canada.

SimTypeS

I drive around with my lowbeams on.
If I didn't do that, I guess I could drive around with my parking lights and fogs (I did that little conversion). I installed PIAA Platinum SuperWhite 9006 in the fogs (much whiter, but still not a match for our HIDs) and also installed PIAA Xtreme White 1157 in our front corner turn signals (got rid of that ugly amber bulb. white now, but not a match for the HIDs). Those are on all the time. I left the amber strip and stock bulb below that. I didn;t want to be hassled by the cops, but I would love to clear those out, too.

mrdeucie

I don't understand why you would leave your lights on all the time. Aren't you worried about the battery dying?

I was reading a post at b15sentra.net that brought up the question if people were allowed to run their fogs on when there wasn't any inclement weather.

pianoman41

The lights have auto-off/on which means approx 15 seconds after you shut the car off and lock the doors with the remote, the lights will go off. When you unlock the doors with the remote, the lights will come back on automatically. During really cold winter months turning the lights off before starting the car will greatly extend battery life but other than that there's no real danger to the battery.

As for the fog lights, this is going to be answered differently depending on what state you reside in. I can only speak for MA when I say the law states fog lights/auxiliary driving lights can only be used when "atmospheric conditions are present that impede or interfere with visibility." Darkness does not count as an atmospheric condition so they cannot be used at night in MA unless inclement weather is present (snow/sleet/rain/fog, etc). However, they are restricted in the same sense as regular headlights meaning they are only regulated 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 before sunrise. Outside that time (say, middle of the day) you could use them and not have trouble. But for those people that habitually drive every night with both low-beams and fogs on--it is illegal in MA and is a $35 civil motor vehicle infraction.

tdoh

That may be true with some cars but not all; my Tahoe has DRLs which run on low-beam circuit but at a slightly lower wattage. I think that there is a federal regulation or something regarding how bright DRLs are supposed to be as a percentage of low-beam wattage output.

Tony

Edward'TLS

Almost all cops are using instant on radars when they see a car from a distance. With your headlights or daytime running lights turned on, they can spot your car miles away, long before you can spot them.