Is it legal to disable DRL's

[jaf01uk]

Cyder said:

ch108 said:

I seen an Audi the other day with only one working DRL. I wonder how much that would cost to repair? Probably a new headlamp unit. And would the police stop you if you have a faulty DRL?

Most DRL's inside the headlamp can't be services so would have to replace the whole unit. If it wasn't covered under warranty I'd guess £800-£1000 to replace an LED or Xenon headlamp with DRL.

£565 on a Q5, my mates one has just failed, built in to headlamp unit so whole thing has to be changed, he has switched the one remaining one off, apparently Audi has changed the design since his one to make them replaceable, I was under the impression (from a salesman) that the led's would outlast the vehicle! Grr

[liner33]

Dont think the compulsory requirement came in Feb 2012 as my 370z doesnt have DRL and its a 12 plate , in fact DRL were only fitted to the MY14 370z's

My '12 Fabia has a switch inside the fuse box, I used to leave them off when i first got the car due to morons flashing me all the time but now most people are used to them I leave them on.

Our MY09 Skoda Superb has DRL but the switch just turns the front AND rear sidelights on.

[S3_Graham]

jaf01uk said:

£565 on a Q5, my mates one has just failed, built in to headlamp unit so whole thing has to be changed, he has switched the one remaining one off, apparently Audi has changed the design since his one to make them replaceable, I was under the impression (from a salesman) that the led's would outlast the vehicle! Grr

It's normally not the physical LED that fails. Quoted life varies from 11 to 20,000 hrs. Usually the attached stuff that goes wrong!

My dad had an LED go in the rear light on his E92, had to replace the whole unit at £300+

[Cyder]

liner33 said:

Dont think the compulsory requirement came in Feb 2012 as my 370z doesnt have DRL and its a 12 plate , in fact DRL were only fitted to the MY14 370z's

My '12 Fabia has a switch inside the fuse box, I used to leave them off when i first got the car due to morons flashing me all the time but now most people are used to them I leave them on.

Our MY09 Skoda Superb has DRL but the switch just turns the front AND rear sidelights on.

It did but only on new models after that date. Existing models didn't need to add them.

[julianc]

I can turn them off in my Bugatti Veyron.















Only kidding, I can't turn them off in the Bugatti.













Another "worst I've got a 'insert name of car' thread ever" thread.

[jbsportstech]

I got stopped two years back and copper moaned about my passat b7 day running lights as they looked liked front fogs.

So I turned them off.

[Hol]

julianc said:

Another "worst I've got a 'insert name of car' thread ever" thread.

Jules,

As the OP and architect of this thread (and its intended purpose), can you tell me (by only looking at this thread and not my profile or any other thread) what car I drive?


I will give you a clue - it has DRL's that you cannot turn off.
And its not Red.

[SistersofPercy]

I have a 61 plate Fiat 500 and there is an option to turn off. My Mums neighbour shouted me the other week and asked me if I could turn them off in her 62 Plate 500L. In short, no, I couldn't. The option was gone from the menu and she is stuck with them.

[senorblm]

Have a new 2014 Mini Cooper, no option to turn off the DRLs. So far hasnt bothered me but now means I have to switch the ignition off when dogging

[Snappy89]

C. Grimsley said:

I can turn them off in my 208

Carl

I also have a 208 but I can't. The option is there in the menu, but selecting "off" does nothing. Car was registered September 2012.

[Snollygoster]

Hol said:

I hate DRL's as I think they look like some form of chav neon.

Not to mean any offence, but with all due respect, it doesn't matter what they look like; it's a safety measure for mainly pedestrians and other road users.

As to the legalities of your question; as a driver, to my understanding, yes, it is legal to disable DRL's.

A manufacture however has a legal obligation to ensure any car which goes for type approval after August 2011 has DRL's fitted as standard. They must come on when the engine is running and go off when other lights are turned on. The regulations also states: "The light source module(s) shall be tamperproof." So one would assume the manufacture would be responsible, and the car shouldn't be type approved if there is a way to turn them off.

There is nothing, nor any court cases to define the outcome if a driver of a car which is required to have DRL's find a way to switch them off.

[Mound Dawg]

SistersofPercy said:

I have a 61 plate Fiat 500 and there is an option to turn off. My Mums neighbour shouted me the other week and asked me if I could turn them off in her 62 Plate 500L. In short, no, I couldn't. The option was gone from the menu and she is stuck with them.

Strange, I've switched them off on my 14 plate Punto.

[Ross_T_Boss]

I think it's about time cars had mandatory DRLs. They've had them for years in North America and allegedly stats show road safety increased as a result. Of that I'm skeptical as it would have taken years to have enough cars on the roads to make an impact...

But I think there is no reason not to want them, along with the better visibility and safety benefits that result. Most recent cars tend to have automatic headlights so that makes the 'i forgot to turn my lights on because the dash was lit up' issue non-existent, although I struggle to understand how anyone can drive around and not notice, unless they have candles for headlights?

[Hol]

I agree with the earlier comment that (because they are new and there is a lack of knowledge of them) a lot of people see daytime lights the same as they would foglights. Especially when visibility does not need them.


Until they become law, or more families buy new cars with them fitted - I guess that attitute will remain.

[g3org3y]

jaf01uk said:

Cyder said:

ch108 said:

I seen an Audi the other day with only one working DRL. I wonder how much that would cost to repair? Probably a new headlamp unit. And would the police stop you if you have a faulty DRL?

Most DRL's inside the headlamp can't be services so would have to replace the whole unit. If it wasn't covered under warranty I'd guess £800-£1000 to replace an LED or Xenon headlamp with DRL.

£565 on a Q5, my mates one has just failed, built in to headlamp unit so whole thing has to be changed, he has switched the one remaining one off, apparently Audi has changed the design since his one to make them replaceable, I was under the impression (from a salesman) that the led's would outlast the vehicle! Grr

Good engineering!

I'm happy with switching on my dipped beam. Even if an H1 bulb fails every year, £565 buys a lot of bulbs.

[julianc]

Hol said:

Jules,

As the OP and architect of this thread (and its intended purpose), can you tell me (by only looking at this thread and not my profile or any other thread) what car I drive?


I will give you a clue - it has DRL's that you cannot turn off.
And its not Red.

Apologies, Hol, I wasn't referring to you - just other posters!

[Corbeliere]

DRL's have been around for years. It all started with the 1980's Volvo 240. Admittedly, it was just the normal dipped beam that came on in those days.

[SistersofPercy]

Mound Dawg said:

Strange, I've switched them off on my 14 plate Punto.

Its very odd, the menu system is almost identical to the 500 but the option just isn't there. Even the manual that came with it told you how to do it via the menu option (thats not there!) My boy has a 61 Punto Evo with the option to turn off via the same menu.
In the end she took it into Fiat who similarly scratched their heads, did some research and discovered the option to turn them off had been removed from later 500L's and the manual hadn't been updated to reflect that.
I believe they did tell her it might be possible to turn them off via OBD but they didn't comment on the legality.

• edited to add, her 500L is actually a 14 plate not a 62, I think you can still turn them off on earlier ones**

[Cyder]

g3org3y said:

jaf01uk said:

Cyder said:

ch108 said:

I seen an Audi the other day with only one working DRL. I wonder how much that would cost to repair? Probably a new headlamp unit. And would the police stop you if you have a faulty DRL?

Most DRL's inside the headlamp can't be services so would have to replace the whole unit. If it wasn't covered under warranty I'd guess £800-£1000 to replace an LED or Xenon headlamp with DRL.

£565 on a Q5, my mates one has just failed, built in to headlamp unit so whole thing has to be changed, he has switched the one remaining one off, apparently Audi has changed the design since his one to make them replaceable, I was under the impression (from a salesman) that the led's would outlast the vehicle! Grr

Good engineering!

I'm happy with switching on my dipped beam. Even if an H1 bulb fails every year, £565 buys a lot of bulbs.

It's basically impossible to make them serviceable especially when you have so many LED's in the unit because of the PCB's, risk of damage, dirt ingress and structure etc.

Plus the LED's should last 10 years as a minimum so shouldn't need replacing in the majority of cars.

[AndyNetwork]

On my Octavia (59 plate 2010 model), the dash lights up whether the lights are on or not, it has auto lights, so no great issue. However, I have noticed when driving a friend's Audi (2001 model A3) the dash lights up, and on occasions I have forgotten to put the lights on, as I have just got used to them coming on.

My car also has the opposite issue to many here - it is a facelift mk2 Octavia, so has the DRL fitted next to the fog lights, complete with bulbs, but have never been enabled. The manual tells you how to switch them on, but it doesn't work. If you plug into the VAGCOM system, you can set them to come on, apparently, but what's the point, just some more bulbs to replace when they blow.