Technical Installing permanently-on LED side lights (for driving in the EU)

[OwenCr]

Hi there.
In 3 weeks time I am driving from UK to Europe in my Seicento. While I'm preparing a service for the car, I was wondering if there are any kits out there to install LED strip lights at the front, which are always on when the engine is running. ... this is a requirement in the European Union and you could get fined if the lights are off during daylight.

Currently, as with most UK cars registered before 2010 or so, I have to switch the side-lights / dipped lights on manually... but I would prefer an alternative to this, so that I don't need to engage the lights all the time, as well as save the existing bulbs.

Are there any kits and wiring instructions out there?

Thanks in advance.

 

[lunchbeers]

Plenty of kits out there, here’s one from a known good manufacturer:

Ring Lyra Dual Function LED Day / Night Lamp | Halfords UK

Shop the latest Ring Lyra Dual Function LED Day / Night Lamp boosts visibility in the day and oozes style at night. at Halfords UK

www.halfords.com

Do a google for instructions, but in reality it’s probably quite simple.

 

[OwenCr]

Hi again.
Okay I've got the DRL lights in place. Now I just need to wire them.
I was thinking of using a fuse tap but I've also ordered a control unit which should arrive tomorrow.

Has anyone here wired a DRL via a fuse tap? If so, which fuse slot would you use? I want to try and avoid the fuse box inside the car and use either fuse boxes in the engine bay... but I notice that the fuse box near the battery is not the same as shown in the user manual.

Any ideas?

 

[Ralf S.]

On my Stilo I used a piggyback fuse from the fuse that powered the optional sunroof, since it powered itself off after a delay.
The LEDs were activated by a separate switch I installed.. so I needed a means to have them turn off if I left them on accidentally.

You probably don't have a sunroof fuse available, since the Seicento only had a manual roof... but if you have a cigarette lighter in the car then I would just connect your live feed to that. You probably never use the lighter .. but it's a hefty circuit @ probably 30amps.. so it can easily cope with 2A of LED.

Just check that it's not permanently live.. most lighters aren't... but I've heard of some that are.


Ralf S.

 

[YoungButVintage]

Interesting. I leave my headlights on dipped, and they turn off with the ignition. Standard 1999 Seicento Young, Polish version.

 

[Ralf S.]

Interesting. I leave my headlights on dipped, and they turn off with the ignition. Standard 1999 Seicento Young, Polish version.

This is correct... but;

a) The tail-lamps and instrument lights are all on during daylight, if you use the dipped beams as DRLs.
It's perfectly fine.. but it offends the purity of the DRL concept ..and think how many light bulbs you'll be eating up.

b) LED DRLs scatter their beam and it's white / 6000K (assuming the OP doesn't choose a "warm"/ 3000k tone) which is much more visible

c) It looks cool.


Ralf S.

 

[YoungButVintage]

This is correct... but;

a) The tail-lamps and instrument lights are all on during daylight, if you use the dipped beams as DRLs.
It's perfectly fine.. but it offends the purity of the DRL concept ..and think how many light bulbs you'll be eating up.

b) LED DRLs scatter their beam and it's white / 6000K (assuming the OP doesn't choose a "warm"/ 3000k tone) which is much more visible

c) It looks cool.


Ralf S.

Yep. But I'm in Poland. I'm pretty sure dipped is what you're meant to run 24/7.

 

[the green vanper]

white / 6000K (assuming the OP doesn't choose a "warm"/ 3000k tone) which is much more visible

No, they are not much more visible. You only have such impression. The light emited by the warm / cool LED is the same. The cool LED light is more aggressive to the eyes, as it is far away from the natural light tone.

but it offends the purity of the DRL concept

The DRL concept is that the car is better visible all the time, also in strong sunlight. Try driving behind another car when the sun is low directly in the direction of the sun. And try seeing where the rear of the car is It's much more visible when the rear lights are on.

Then, which is most important, there are laws indicating how the DRLs should operate which are different depending on the 1st registration of the car.

Yep. But I'm in Poland. I'm pretty sure dipped is what you're meant to run 24/7.

The regulations are more or less the same in the EU, low beam or DRL. As I wrote above, how DRLs should work on the car depends on the 1st registration of the car. In Poland it is described in the document called 'Rozdział 3 - Światła - Warunki techniczne pojazdów oraz zakres ich niezbędnego wyposażenia.' published here: Dz.U.2024.502 t.j.

 

[Prawny12009]

Drl lights are meant to turn off or dim as soon as sides or main lights are turned on.

To have them behave like that you would need to wire a normally closed relay that powers up with ignition on then powers off as soon as sides or headlight turn on.

To have them dim you would use a two element bulb, the lower wattage element being wired to your side lights.

In my opinion drl can be more of a hazard than just using on off lights, I've seen plenty of clueless people driving on drl at night with no tail lights.

 

[the green vanper]

Drl lights are meant to turn off or dim as soon as sides or main lights are turned on.

That depends on the country and the 1st registration date.

 

[YoungButVintage]

No, they are not much more visible. You only have such impression. The light emited by the warm / cool LED is the same. The cool LED light is more aggressive to the eyes, as it is far away from the natural light tone.



The DRL concept is that the car is better visible all the time, also in strong sunlight. Try driving behind another car when the sun is low directly in the direction of the sun. And try seeing where the rear of the car is It's much more visible when the rear lights are on.

Then, which is most important, there are laws indicating how the DRLs should operate which are different depending on the 1st registration of the car.



The regulations are more or less the same in the EU, low beam or DRL. As I wrote above, how DRLs should work on the car depends on the 1st registration of the car. In Poland it is described in the document called 'Rozdział 3 - Światła - Warunki techniczne pojazdów oraz zakres ich niezbędnego wyposażenia.' published here: Dz.U.2024.502 t.j.

 

[YoungButVintage]

On the Polish rules, that law seems to be about the lighting setup, where and how wired. Does it say when you're meant to use them? Seems I was wrong about dipped all day all year though (as was OP about DRLs EU-wide).
I found a couple of police blog posts that suggest it's dipped headlights during the day from start of Oct to end Feb from sunrise to sunset - or, if visibility is good, DRLs instead.

U W A G A ! Od 1 października przez całą dobę jeździmy na światłach

Od 1 października do ostatniego dnia lutego kierujący pojazdami są zobowiązani do używania świateł mijania podczas jazdy przez całą dobę. Od świtu do zmierzchu, w warunkach dobrej widoczności, zamiast świateł mijania można używać świateł do jazdy dziennej.

pomorska.policja.gov.pl

 

[the green vanper]

On the Polish rules, that law seems to be about the lighting setup, where and how wired. Does it say when you're meant to use them? Seems I was wrong about dipped all day all year though (as was OP about DRLs EU-wide).
I found a couple of police blog posts that suggest it's dipped headlights during the day from start of Oct to end Feb from sunrise to sunset - or, if visibility is good, DRLs instead.

U W A G A ! Od 1 października przez całą dobę jeździmy na światłach

Od 1 października do ostatniego dnia lutego kierujący pojazdami są zobowiązani do używania świateł mijania podczas jazdy przez całą dobę. Od świtu do zmierzchu, w warunkach dobrej widoczności, zamiast świateł mijania można używać świateł do jazdy dziennej.

pomorska.policja.gov.pl

Don't trust police blogs Especially when they are 20 years old

In the EU the lights have to have an european homologation to be used on public roads. It's confirmed by the circled E+number marking. The number represents the country in which the homologation was obtained.

So, you can't use side lights nor anything else as DRL lights unless the light has been homologated as the DRL (RL marking on the light housing). That's the law. Practice can be different, but insurrance companies like to check such things in case of problems.

For the weather, it's the other way:

All year round:

If the vehicle is not equipped with DRLs: low beam (no side lights etc).

If the vehicle is equipped with DRLs:

With correct visibility dawn to dusk: DRLs (low beam are also allowed)
With poor visibility (rain, snow, fog etc): low beam.
Dusk to dawn: low beam.

Source:

LEX

sip.lex.pl

As far as in the EU same rules apply, except for side lights usage I assume, at least looking at how they are being used for example in France

 

[YoungButVintage]

Gotcha. Thanks.