daylight running lights

scott

scott

A2OC Donor
Can anyone point me in the right direction, I want to put a daylight running light strip in my headlights (like the r8 for example) but I looked at a pair in halfords and the light from them looked pants! So I was wondering if anyone new of a good, genuine as can be looking pair I could get from anywhere? I couldn't find a good pair on ebay either the just look like the halfords ones.

Thanks for any help

Cheers Scott
 
You're going to struggle unless you find a light source that uses Luxeon or Cree emitters.

I have the OE S6 ones integrated into Tanks headlamps and these use 5 x 1watt Luxeon emitters, but the new generation of stuff (S5, TTS, R8 etc) all use arrays of lower powered Cree emitters. These 2 manufacturers can make a proper white light source, but you have to pay for the privilege - each Luxeon costs around a fiver on it's own!

Cheers,

Mike
 
You can get the LEDs a lot cheaper from dealExtreme. I have a bunch of Cree Q5s and they are about £3 each. But you will have to buy driver boards and know how to wire them all up properly. I think you can get heatsink from DX as well, although most of them are for building a torch, but you can improvise. And you don't need anything as powerful as the Q5, just any 1W jobbie driven at sensible current will do. However, if you use the high power ones, you can drive them at lower voltage/current and you may be able to get away without too much heat sinking.
 
... and none of the "home made" stuff has EU approval, so watch some MoT guy go "no, that's not OK" or the insurance company try to sneak out of a claim.

Soldering Q5s is also rather difficult. A K2 or five would do the job - yes, I did look into it and we might do a round in Germany but then it will have to be approved which is going to cost around a thousand € for the series.

Bret
 
Ok thanks for your help, I think I might leave it then it sound like more hassle than its worth :( Unless an easy way comes about:)

Thanks

Scott
 
Dude ..... noooooo

I only think they look good on the r8..... theres too many chavvy mondeo's with them now... when I drop the lottery I promise i'll get you an R8... ;) Bammers
 
Why not fitting a complete unit, e.g., in place of fog lights assuming you don't have them fitted. That's what I have done. There are light sources available with E approval also. Straightforward installation: Just the plasitc covers needs to be modified and wiring added. Light sources could later be changed to other similar size units in case it becomes necessary.
 
Possibly because in the UK driving with fog lights on in less than 100m visibility is illegal and can result in a fixed penalty fine. Not a great idea here.
 
they're not foglights, they're DRLs. Too many people can't tell the difference, though.

IMO, it's an excellent idea if it means PC Plod needs to get onto his hands and knees and reads the rest of the imprinted E1 authorisation. Better not have anything else wrong, though...

I've had no problems with the law and DRLs + sidelights (as required here) + tail lights (no numberplate) in Germany, Poland, Sweden or here. Three of those require DRLs, the other they're optional.

How to tell if it's fog or DRL? Well, one's running 55W and the other 6W. Yes, it's only around half as bright, but, dammit, quit flashing lights at me telling me I have fogs on. I don't. It gets very, very annoying and I never had the issue with two obvious lights there. I got flashed by the police a couple of months back. My lights, though halogen, are e-marked R87 and work correctly. No issue.

Alternative: LED versions - the 90mm round ones fit perfectly where the original fogs go. Hella's LEDayline are also pretty cool but are not permitted to be used as sidelights without removing / disabling the originals and ensuring an installation height over 350mm from the road surface. This is virtually impossible to do with stock height and the foglight cutouts as they're too rounded to fit the unit in. You can't use the central grille because they'd then be too close together. An alternative would be to cut the top slat out of the central grille and then move them as far as possible outwards.

Fogs are also tolerated as DRLs here, tolerated being the operative word.

Bret
 
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bammers said:
I only think they look good on the r8..... theres too many chavvy mondeo's with them now... when I drop the lottery I promise i'll get you an R8... ;) Bammers
Click to expand...

Hopefully I can take you up on that one day lol my favorite car!!!:)
 
jupis said:
Why not fitting a complete unit, e.g., in place of fog lights assuming you don't have them fitted. That's what I have done. There are light sources available with E approval also. Straightforward installation: Just the plasitc covers needs to be modified and wiring added. Light sources could later be changed to other similar size units in case it becomes necessary.
Click to expand...

I do have fog lights and I like the look of them, Id rather avoid the odd grumpy policeman who's had a bad day and will do anything to make himself feel better lol. I'm not to fussed about getting them any way now, just thought it would give me something to do and make my car look a bit more different

Thanks everyone

Scott
 
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