General > Product Reviews

Hella Daytime Running Light LED's....

<< < (2/30) > >>

RedRobin:
^^^^
Thanks for the compliment, buddy :happy2:

Human beings generally tend to resist change but there's something more stubborn in the average Englischer! I'm generalising of course.

"The European Union plans to make daytime running lamps mandatory on new cars from 2011, and on trucks and buses one and a half years later, according to a report from a German newspaper. The British government is also supporting the move as a way to help increase road safety.

British road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick has been quoted as saying “the UK has been successful in arguing against the introduction of mandatory use of dipped headlamps during daylight hours by drivers of existing vehicles. However, from early 2011 all new types of passenger cars and light vans will have to be fitted with dedicated daytime running lamps in accordance with the relevant European directive. By summer 2012, all new vehicles will have to be so fitted.”

The use of daytime running lights can lead to fuel efficiency losses but this is being reduced greatly by the increasing number of cars using LEDs for this function. Still, it’s expected that their use contributes to an increase in fuel consumption of 0.5%-1%.

Around 50% of member nations in the EU already require daytime lights, but the EU eventually wants this type of legislation rolled out in every country."

Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/eu-to-mandate-daytime-running-lights.html

I think it's because my Hella DRL's are the type which either substitute (or go alongside) fogs, or their low position which dictates the automatic-switching rule - European Hedgehog Rights perhaps? We're not allowed to dazzle them at night. I don't know the reason for certain, but it is clearly written.

The Audi DRL's are integrated in the headlamps and may be switchable - I don't know. Also some cars have lights which are called DRL's but actually they aren't because they are stronger than x-number of candellas (or whatever the correct measurement is). You could say that your dipped headlights are DRL's but they aren't - You are just using them as if they were.

I've read that the UK authority are going to allow the use of fogs in non-foggy conditions as a transition while the DRL law is first introduced here - How ridiculous! How many people get stopped for inappropriate use of fogs NOW FFS!? I read numerous studies and info from various EC member countries and organisations on the subject of DRL's.

As with anything to do with European bureaucracy, the rulings are very complex and EC member countries and car manufacturers are constantly arguing about them. Hella are a major force in the automobile lights industry and also being German, they tend to know what they're doing. Pity I can't say the same about Hella UK though!

I sent a pic to Germany attached to an email thanking them for all their help. This was the reply I recieved : -

"Wow, this is great. This pleases me for you that we could help. Your car looks really first-class."

AFAIK mine is the only GTI in the whole of the UK with these Hella DRL's. It doesn't seem to be a mod which people go for! Hurdy has the integrated type but he didn't have Xenons originally.

All I know is that I'm really pleased I did this mod and I believe in it's road safety advantages.

:happy2:

RedRobin:
....

I forgot to add that when my car went for its first MOT, the 'inspector' was going to refuse it because of the DRL's!! I had anticipated this possibility (nothing surprises me!) and read him the riot act via my VW dealer (his boss). He was still arguing so we showed him the documentation I keep in the car - He promptly shutup and passed it!

:evilgrin:

stealthwolf:
I've liked the DRLs RR but wasn't a fan because they replaced the fogs. Not that I've ever used the fogs except when making sure all the lights work (before long journeys etc).

I've also thought about adding in DRLs next to the fogs, so no one gets confused about whether they're foglights or not. Will have to look into the headlight DRLs thing.

As for change, as I recall, it was stated that we should leave our headlights on all the time, 24-7 (no mention of DRLs) like the more northern countries such as Norway, Finland, Sweden where it's darker so you need lights on during the day anyway. One of the issues was the futulity of leaving on headlights on a bright and sunny day. Another was that motorcyclists use headlight permanently as a way of helping boost their visibility so they're not missed. Having lights on all the time would therefore reduce the how visible motorcyclists were back to square one!

As for me, I tend to run headlights when it's raining or looks particularly overcast in order to boost my visibility to other drivers.

RedRobin:
^^^^

Some of the tastefully converted/modded cars by Hamann (I think Rob works for them?) fit double side by side but our vent panels are limited what we can do without making it looked hacked or amateur.



^ Hella DRLs inner and fogs outer ^ - Same monkey-face units as mine.

Yes, using headlights as 'DRLs' would be counter productive regarding motorcyclists - Hence another reason I prefer mine which are low level and non-glare and non-illuminating LEDs.

Using (dipped) headlights to boost your visibility is obviously a good practice but not as good as LED DRLs imo.

All these countries bogged down in writing legislation have got it wrong by not thinking beyond the headlight unit - They totally miss the fundamentals! Hella and Audi with their pretty strips have both got it right imo. Volvo, surprisingly, haven't.

stealthwolf:
Nice pic. That's the kinda look I was thinking about (with the fogs and DRLs side-by-side). Not sure about the rest of it and I don't have the vented fog grilles.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page