987.2 Cayman, day-time running-lights turns tail-lights on?

[DarkVeil]

With day-time running lights set to on, the tail-lights are also on, so it's no different from just turning on the headlights.

Is it supposed to be this way? The owners manual doesn't specify whether or not day-time light includes the tail-lights.

This is arguably a problem with the car since the LED tail-lights get hot and delaminate over time, so running them on more the necessary is ill-advised. So it would be much better in daylight to run with only dipped beam headlights, without the tail-lights on.

[DarkVeil]

johnconners said:

I've got a 987.2 Cayman S with DRLs and had a 987.2 Cayman before without them. If you have the xenon headlights (and so headlight washers) then the front DRLs are the round lights that look like they should be fog lights and the rear lights do not switch on when they're on. Without xenons there are no DRLs and the horizontal strip under the headlights will switch on with the lights (so the rears will also switch on). There's a lights section in the settings where you can disable them if you have them. Are your DRLs definitely the small round LEDs under the headlights rather than the horizontal strip (which are side lights)?

My car doesn't have xenons. In the lights section of the on-board computer the only option is "Day-Time Light" which can be set to on or off, and in the owners manual it says that it keeps on the dipped beam headlights. There aren't any separate lights acting as DRL's, only the dipped beam headlights, but it doesn't seem to make sense that it turns-on the tail-lights as well.

[DarkVeil]

nutsyH said:

Assuming its the same as a 987.2 Boxster (mine -2010 ) they dont have the DRL's that you get on newer models. The setting in the computer just sets dipped headlights, tails etc to "always on" - only useful if you are driving in Switzerland.

If you head over to boxer.net there is a hack that you can fit that turns on the foglights with the ignition, no tails. Switch the fog bulbs to LED and you have perfect DRL's. They still operate as normal fogs when you dial the switch to fog. Hack is not an MOT failure.

I'm happy to just use the dipped beam headlights as DRL's, but I just think it is pointless to have tail-lights on at the same time. Being able to run with dipped headlights permanently on without adding extra delamination to the tail-lights would be a good option.

[DarkVeil]

The delamination is a known issue, but no, I'm not 100% sure that it's caused by heat generated by the lights running, that's just what I was told by a specialist.

I would think that they could still get hot internally but be cool on the surface, but again it's just what I was told by a specialist, so he could just be wrong.

[DarkVeil]

Thinking about it more, one of the tail-lights on my car is slightly delaminated whereas the the other is in pretty good condition. So maybe the previous owner regularly parked in such a position that one side was exposed to more UV light than the other.

[DarkVeil]

supersport said:

DarkVeil said:

nutsyH said:

Assuming its the same as a 987.2 Boxster (mine -2010 ) they dont have the DRL's that you get on newer models. The setting in the computer just sets dipped headlights, tails etc to "always on" - only useful if you are driving in Switzerland.

If you head over to boxer.net there is a hack that you can fit that turns on the foglights with the ignition, no tails. Switch the fog bulbs to LED and you have perfect DRL's. They still operate as normal fogs when you dial the switch to fog. Hack is not an MOT failure.

I'm happy to just use the dipped beam headlights as DRL's, but I just think it is pointless to have tail-lights on at the same time. Being able to run with dipped headlights permanently on without adding extra delamination to the tail-lights would be a good option.

Why is it pointless to have rear DRL?

The number of cars you see in the dark, fog, rain with only front DRL snow and nothing at the rear is bonkers.

End less cars in the dark with no rear lights.

If you want to be seen from the front why wouldn’t you want to be seen from three rear too?

For example driving in sunny or cloudy weather, I don't think tail-lights give any safety benefit, but I'd rather have dipped beam headlights on for extra visibility. For example when driving in the outside lane, overtaking, etc. Especially in a low silver car.

I completely understand your point about numpty drivers forgetting to put on headlights in low light conditions due to DRL's, but my post is specifically about the Cayman rather than a general point about DRL's.