side light as drl's ?

[gtineal]

is it possible to have my sidelights as drl's on my mk 5 ed30 ? ive tried searching but i think you can only activate the main xenons in scandinavian or us mode ? is this correct?
 
 thanks
            neal

[RedRobin]

Welcome to the forum, Neal 

I don't know the answer to your specific question but if you wanted proper DRLs this is a solution, though more expensive:

http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1917.0.html

[rdfcpete]

Hi Neal - welcome,

As I understand it, if you have factory (OEM) Xenons, then you can indeed set them as US or Scandavian DRL's, although I don't actually know what the Scandanavian ones do tbh but both are an option in VCDS/VagCom.

I retrofitted my Xenons so I can't have either, but the sidelights do look smart anyway

HTH.

[RedRobin]

^^^^
The oem sidelight strips on the Mk5 might look smart but they are useless in daytime as they give other road users absolute minimal chance of seeing you any better. Hence why people use LEDs.

[rdfcpete]

That's true RR, the standard bulbs on those are only visible when dusk starts to hit.

I've got some of the MTec White sidelights are they're a little better for visibility in the day and do the job well for me personally.
There aren't really many sidelights that will match your DRL's for brightness in daylight however.

[RedRobin]

There aren't really many sidelights that will match your DRL's for brightness in daylight however.

....Burn! Baby! Burn!! 

[mortygttdi]

Hi Neal - welcome,

As I understand it, if you have factory (OEM) Xenons, then you can indeed set them as US or Scandavian DRL's, although I don't actually know what the Scandanavian ones do tbh but both are an option in VCDS/VagCom.

I retrofitted my Xenons so I can't have either, but the sidelights do look smart anyway

HTH.

As you know I have retro fitting my xenons with the auto level and washers and I managed to do the DRL's, don't ask me how cos for some reason it wont come back on but it must be a coding issue.



Darren

[rdfcpete]

Hi Neal - welcome,

As I understand it, if you have factory (OEM) Xenons, then you can indeed set them as US or Scandavian DRL's, although I don't actually know what the Scandanavian ones do tbh but both are an option in VCDS/VagCom.

I retrofitted my Xenons so I can't have either, but the sidelights do look smart anyway

HTH.

As you know I have retro fitting my xenons with the auto level and washers and I managed to do the DRL's, don't ask me how cos for some reason it wont come back on but it must be a coding issue.



Darren

I think it's cause you have the wiring within the levelers Daz, it must be something to do with that? 

[cmdrfire]

^^^^
The oem sidelight strips on the Mk5 might look smart but they are useless in daytime as they give other road users absolute minimal chance of seeing you any better. Hence why people use LEDs.

The OEM sidelights are within legal limits for use as DRLs where appropriate laws apply and will conform to forthcoming legislation.

I believe that if the "US" setting is used then they will be on whenever the keyswitch is in the "on" position. The Scandinavian setting will turn on the main beams as well, as local legislation requires main beams be on at all times while driving (hence Volvo lights always being on), but I'm not 100% that that is what the VCDS setting will do.


...or you can just flip the lightswitch to sidelights mode, which is what I do (which turns on the taillights as well).

[RedRobin]

^^^^
The oem sidelight strips on the Mk5 might look smart but they are useless in daytime as they give other road users absolute minimal chance of seeing you any better. Hence why people use LEDs.

The OEM sidelights are within legal limits for use as DRLs where appropriate laws apply and will conform to forthcoming legislation.

I believe that if the "US" setting is used then they will be on whenever the keyswitch is in the "on" position. The Scandinavian setting will turn on the main beams as well, as local legislation requires main beams be on at all times while driving (hence Volvo lights always being on), but I'm not 100% that that is what the VCDS setting will do.

...or you can just flip the lightswitch to sidelights mode, which is what I do (which turns on the taillights as well).

....I'm surprised that the oem sidelights on the Mk5 will conform to the forthcoming legislation, but the point is that as DRL's they are hardly very effective.

Different countries have been arguing for ages about the subject and Britain has been somewhat unenthusiastic. Mine are wired with the ignition too.

[gtineal]

cheers  for the replys fellas, it was just out of curiosity really, on the new audis a3's there sidelights are like the mk5 golf's and buy the looks of it they run them as drl's because there rear lights are not on ?

[cmdrfire]

cheers  for the replys fellas, it was just out of curiosity really, on the new audis a3's there sidelights are like the mk5 golf's and buy the looks of it they run them as drl's because there rear lights are not on ?

Correct. You'll note the same on new Sciroccos and Golfs as well.

[RedRobin]

^^^^
The new Roccos and Golfs have different lighting units and arrangements to the Mk5 Golf.

The Rocco R and Golf R have proper effective DRLs, as do the better Audis.

[Richn83]

Hi All,  I coded the DRL's American via VCDS on my OEM xenons, when I first tested they seemed to be working fine, although I stupidly made them very dim by adjusting the brightness the wrong way.  But after parking the car over night and starting up in broad-daylight the DRL's seem to have reverted to the main beams which were on no matter what I did with the light switch.  So I turned the function back off.

I believe that American should be front sidelights only and Scandavanian front and rear sidelights.  but CMDRFIRE might be right about the main beams being involved in the Scandinavian option. HTH

[RedRobin]

^^^^
Mine are according to some Euro rule (forgotten the #) and are front DRLs only without rears or any other lights.

This is going to be a right mish-mash of legislation in different territories even just in Europe. All the studies and long consultive documents I've read from various European (including UK) countries have conflicting ideas and proposals and the UK has been particularly resistant to it happening at all.. Duh! So much for a united Europe.