A Problem In The Rain After Disabling The Drl

[silvercorvette]

I managed to turn off my DRL but in NY and most states the law requires you to turn on your lights in the rain. The problem is that there is is no bell to remind you that you left the lights on and the lights don't turn them self off automatically so the first time I turned on the headlights in the rain I wound up forgetting to turn them off.

The solution I came up with is not to turn on the lights. I always keep my lights set to the automatic setting and had switched to the manual on position when it rained. But now when it rains I leave the switch in the auto position and cover the light sensor (any dark collered object will work however a light / white object will work but it with leave a reflection on the window) if it stops raining I just remove the cover from the sensor to turn off the lights, if I forget to remove the cover the lights will turn themselves off after 90 seconds after you turn off the key (or whatever time you told the dealer to set them to).

The light sensor is a circular red (it is red but is so dark it looks like it is black) thing that is on the drivers side near the window defroster vent

[Rx330driver]

interesting idea....

or you can just keep the DRLs lol

[silvercorvette]

I spent a lot of time getting rid of them, I want to decide when I want them turned on and althought the decrease in gas milage is probably bvery small one of the reasons I got a hybrid is to use less gas, I would rather get the full benefit of the hybrids ability to use less gas than the (in my opinion) unproven added safety that DRL provide.

[riwyle]

interesting idea....

or you can just keep the DRLs lol

I always like to see numbers. Making some assumptions, i.e DRL are pulling 10 amps current (120 watt), 30% engine efficiency, and $3.00 a gallon gasoline, the DRLs are costing about 3 cents an hour (1/100th of a gallon of gasoline). Of course this doesn't include added cost of bulb replacement that may be caused by continual running.

[silvercorvette]

I just got back from a trip from NY to SC to T and then back to SC and TX so I guess I saved an insignificant $2. I guess it may not be important to some people but I hate waste, I also make it a point to turn off lights in rooms in my house that aren't occupied.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question424.htm

At the time the article was written gas was $1.50 a gallon, it is now $3.60 in NY I just edited the numbers to $3.00 and did the math it and got $1.2 Billion. The numbers of one car are insignificant but when you calculate the number of cars on the road it adds up to large numbers.

That's only a couple gallons for each vehicle, but in total it is more than all of the vehicles in the country burn in a day. At $3.00 a gallon, that's $1200 million per year. Looking at it another way, an extra 8 billion pounds of Carbon Dioxide would be added to the atmosphere by this law.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

PS I forgot to mention this but I'll just include this bit of info for what it is worth, GM asked for and got permission from the EPA to disable the DRLs when they ran their mileage tests, so if the effect of DRLs have no noticeable effect on fuel mileage why would GM ask to be allowed to turn them off during testing?

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

. . . . . . . . .

PS I forgot to mention this but I'll just include this bit of info for what it is worth, GM asked for and got permission from the EPA to disable the DRLs when they ran their mileage tests, so if the effect of DRLs have no noticeable effect on fuel mileage why would GM ask to be allowed to turn them off during testing?

That's by no means the only thing GM has done, to fake their mileage into looking better. Consider, "Flex fuel" ... E-85, Corn. Grain alcohol. It actually gets worse MPG than gasoline. Don't even get me started on how much polution goes into refining E-85. The regulating agency here in CA (california air resource boad ... or CARB) for purposes of calculating MPG, only requires "gasoling" to be figured into the MPG formula. So by mixing the alcohol (for easy math example, say it's mixed 50/50 ) fuel with gasoline, a SUV that only got 18mpg NOW gets 36mpg ... because they only count the gasoline in the gallon of 'fuel' !!

So you make flex fuel SUV's .... sell and lease the Flex Fuel vehicles as Fleet vehicles to major corporations (like Disney that I work for ... they have DOZENS of Flex Fuel TAHOES, Silverados etc) and that artificially pumps the stated mpg's way up. And sice it's flex fuel, you don't even have to use E-85. And who would want to? ... because it gets worse mpg ! !

(shaking head)

OK, back on topic ... sorry for getting off topic. About 30 or 40 posts ago I inquired here about putting in an override light switch, so I could not only run without the HID's ... but even the running lights. I never mentioned the current draw, but yea, that too was in the back of my mind. A bypass switch can be a wonderful thing to increase (ever so small) MPG :^)

[silvercorvette]

One other topic related to rain and DRL I forgot is that people assume (myself included) that if you have DRL it isn't necessary to turn on the headlights in the rain. It took me a while to realize that even with DRLs the headlights should be turned on in the rain because the tail lights are off. So turning the headlights on in the rain may help prevent you from getting rear ended in the rain. Maybe this has been brought up before but if it hasn't I would like to make a suggestion for all the people that think it isn't necessary to turn on the lights on in the rain because they have DRLs it is a good Idea to do so to make your self more visible to a driver in the rear.

[NeoN]

One other topic related to rain and DRL I forgot is that people assume (myself included) that if you have DRL it isn't necessary to turn on the headlights in the rain. It took me a while to realize that even with DRLs the headlights should be turned on in the rain because the tail lights are off. So turning the headlights on in the rain may help prevent you from getting rear ended in the rain. Maybe this has been brought up before but if it hasn't I would like to make a suggestion for all the people that think it isn't necessary to turn on the lights on in the rain because they have DRLs it is a good Idea to do so to make your self more visible to a driver in the rear.

anyone know how to turn off the DRL 90 sec shut off delay? can we adjust that to 30 or 60 seconds?

[Jim Clark]

. . . . . . . . .

PS I forgot to mention this but I'll just include this bit of info for what it is worth, GM asked for and got permission from the EPA to disable the DRLs when they ran their mileage tests, so if the effect of DRLs have no noticeable effect on fuel mileage why would GM ask to be allowed to turn them off during testing?

That's by no means the only thing GM has done, to fake their mileage into looking better. Consider, "Flex fuel" ... E-85, Corn. Grain alcohol. It actually gets worse MPG than gasoline. Don't even get me started on how much polution goes into refining E-85. The regulating agency here in CA (california air resource boad ... or CARB) for purposes of calculating MPG, only requires "gasoling" to be figured into the MPG formula. So by mixing the alcohol (for easy math example, say it's mixed 50/50 ) fuel with gasoline, a SUV that only got 18mpg NOW gets 36mpg ... because they only count the gasoline in the gallon of 'fuel' !!

So you make flex fuel SUV's .... sell and lease the Flex Fuel vehicles as Fleet vehicles to major corporations (like Disney that I work for ... they have DOZENS of Flex Fuel TAHOES, Silverados etc) and that artificially pumps the stated mpg's way up. And sice it's flex fuel, you don't even have to use E-85. And who would want to? ... because it gets worse mpg ! !

(shaking head)

OK, back on topic ... sorry for getting off topic. About 30 or 40 posts ago I inquired here about putting in an override light switch, so I could not only run without the HID's ... but even the running lights. I never mentioned the current draw, but yea, that too was in the back of my mind. A bypass switch can be a wonderful thing to increase (ever so small) MPG :^)

Ethanol is one of the biggest scams ever. Corn farmers are laughing all the way to the bank. There is NO environmental benefit. It is complete BS.

[skyfish400h]

anyone know how to turn off the DRL 90 sec shut off delay? can we adjust that to 30 or 60 seconds?

There is a CBEST setting that the dealer can change which controls the delay for the headlights after you remove the key from the ignition and open the drivers side door. I have mine set to zero so that my headlights go off immediately. Since I park in well lit carport, I have no need for light when I get out of the car. If I had a garage, I might want 30s or a minute to get over to the garage light switch before the lights went out (but then most door openers have a built in light too...)

Now whether this setting controls the DRL or not, I'm not sure. Since mine go off when I open the door, I'm not sure if that is always the case or if its tied to the headlight timer.

[wwest]

I spent a lot of time getting rid of them, I want to decide when I want them turned on and althought the decrease in gas milage is probably bvery small one of the reasons I got a hybrid is to use less gas, I would rather get the full benefit of the hybrids ability to use less gas than the (in my opinion) unproven added safety that DRL provide.

High beams are used as DRLs to get the highest distance visibility. In DRL "mode" the two bulbs are connected in series plus an additional voltage dropping resistor. Total power consumption is likely less than 30 watts.

[wwest]

. . . . . . . . .

PS I forgot to mention this but I'll just include this bit of info for what it is worth, GM asked for and got permission from the EPA to disable the DRLs when they ran their mileage tests, so if the effect of DRLs have no noticeable effect on fuel mileage why would GM ask to be allowed to turn them off during testing?

That's by no means the only thing GM has done, to fake their mileage into looking better. Consider, "Flex fuel" ... E-85, Corn. Grain alcohol. It actually gets worse MPG than gasoline. Don't even get me started on how much polution goes into refining E-85. The regulating agency here in CA (california air resource boad ... or CARB) for purposes of calculating MPG, only requires "gasoling" to be figured into the MPG formula. So by mixing the alcohol (for easy math example, say it's mixed 50/50 ) fuel with gasoline, a SUV that only got 18mpg NOW gets 36mpg ... because they only count the gasoline in the gallon of 'fuel' !!

So you make flex fuel SUV's .... sell and lease the Flex Fuel vehicles as Fleet vehicles to major corporations (like Disney that I work for ... they have DOZENS of Flex Fuel TAHOES, Silverados etc) and that artificially pumps the stated mpg's way up. And sice it's flex fuel, you don't even have to use E-85. And who would want to? ... because it gets worse mpg ! !

(shaking head)

OK, back on topic ... sorry for getting off topic. About 30 or 40 posts ago I inquired here about putting in an override light switch, so I could not only run without the HID's ... but even the running lights. I never mentioned the current draw, but yea, that too was in the back of my mind. A bypass switch can be a wonderful thing to increase (ever so small) MPG :^)

Ethanol is one of the biggest scams ever. Corn farmers are laughing all the way to the bank. There is NO environmental benefit. It is complete BS.

Growing corn adds oxygen to our environment.....

[wwest]

One other topic related to rain and DRL I forgot is that people assume (myself included) that if you have DRL it isn't necessary to turn on the headlights in the rain. It took me a while to realize that even with DRLs the headlights should be turned on in the rain because the tail lights are off. So turning the headlights on in the rain may help prevent you from getting rear ended in the rain. Maybe this has been brought up before but if it hasn't I would like to make a suggestion for all the people that think it isn't necessary to turn on the lights on in the rain because they have DRLs it is a good Idea to do so to make your self more visible to a driver in the rear.

Canada requires street/parking/tail light be on along with DRLs. I retrofitted my RX300 so the it work that way. 12 volt relay energized by the OEM DRL circuit. N.O. relay contacts supply 12 volts to street/parking/tail circuit.

[RX400h]

Gee, what will be next in Canada - full high beams and high-intensity neon lamps at all times? I have to chuckle a bit when I hear these types of things. There IS such a thing as too many lights to a point where it is very distracting to others on the road. Even here in the US, I notice that some LED taillights are so bright, it bothers me.

[NeoN]

anyone know how to turn off the DRL 90 sec shut off delay? can we adjust that to 30 or 60 seconds?

There is a CBEST setting that the dealer can change which controls the delay for the headlights after you remove the key from the ignition and open the drivers side door. I have mine set to zero so that my headlights go off immediately. Since I park in well lit carport, I have no need for light when I get out of the car. If I had a garage, I might want 30s or a minute to get over to the garage light switch before the lights went out (but then most door openers have a built in light too...)

Now whether this setting controls the DRL or not, I'm not sure. Since mine go off when I open the door, I'm not sure if that is always the case or if its tied to the headlight timer.

so your saying its impossible to adjust this ourselves?

[wwest]

Gee, what will be next in Canada - full high beams and high-intensity neon lamps at all times? I have to chuckle a bit when I hear these types of things. There IS such a thing as too many lights to a point where it is very distracting to others on the road. Even here in the US, I notice that some LED taillights are so bright, it bothers me.

Yes, so BRIGHT, VERY BRIGHT, that I'm beginning to think some these new LED brake lights should turn off automatically once the vehicle comes to a complete stop. Or maybe only have the high mount on at a reduced brightness level. I also think we need a federal mandate making it illegal to have ANY auxillary forward lights on along with factory low beams.

[skyfish400h]

There is a CBEST setting that the dealer can change...

so your saying its impossible to adjust this ourselves?

I have not seen any documentation on how to make this adjustement at the user level. It may require special equipment.

The only CBEST settings we can change are the behavior of the door locks with the ignition and shifter. These are documented in the owners manual, altho difficult to follow.