VintageRacer477

When I lived in New England a medium blue MGB was my daily driver. I always drove with my halogen headlights on. When in Westport, Connecticut with all of the Soccer Mom's in their monster SUV's, I resorted to 55 W high-beams. I also had a LED HMBL for the sleepers coming my way. AS bad as that was, when I moved to Florida, my driving almost came to a stop - dropping from 7,000 - 8,000 miles per year to c. 150/yr. Just too scary here.

Despite the fact that white is the most visible car color per a Mercedes-Benz research study (1983), I drive my Targa with both headlights & fogs on. If you haven't driven US 19 here in the Clearwater area, you can't imagine it. It is so much more dangerous than anywhere else I have ever driven, I'm going to install this jumper ASAP. Just in case I forget to put the lights on. (Forgetfulness comes with age.)

RBP

This was the exact info I was looking for! DRL legal requirements in Canada are for the front lights only. Having the fog lamps on when the ignition is on is perfect and all that is needed. I don't want or need the park lights on during the day.

The problem here is that if you do like me and end up finding a car you like in the US and not here you need to get the DRL on in order to get plates. After you are plated no one bothers you if they aren't on. There are a lot of US plated cars driving around here and none have the DRL.

I bought my 993 in 2010 and the local Porsche dealer made a mess. They somehow taped a relay with wires attached and then had wires in various pins to different relay sockets. Charged me 350.00 when they should have just done what the first post here said!

I would have done it but didn't know all this when I first got the car.

Ed Hughes

With at least a weekly fatality on the undivided highways in these parts, I always try to remember to put my light on during the day.

I don't need a NHTSA study to tell me whether it is effective or not.

I had a ballistic recovery parachute on my old airplane. Don't know if it would've ever saved my life, but it felt good knowing it was there. It was not "cheap insurance".

DRL's are.

2RedPorsche

I guess your car was less then 15yrs old RBP. Mine was just over 15 and was not subject to the RIV inspection or modifications. However
I used this method when I imported my 993 from New York and it worked perfectly.
I agree with Ed that they are a good safety feature that I could easily add myself.

Leander

I just drive with my low beams on all the time. Is this bad?

centerpunch

I wanted to use Fogs as DRLs, but wanted to be able to occasionally turn them off. I rewired the fog light switch so you can turn fogs on independently of headlights. If you leave fog light switch pulled to "on" position, fogs will come on when you start car.

Details here https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...eadlights.html

centerpunch

Nope.

RBP

Centerpunch how did you wire the fog light switch to work with the jumper solution? I like that idea. I thought the fog light switch and an additional circuit from the headlights needed to be "MADE" in order for the fog lights to work.

2RedPorsche, my 96 was exactly 15 when I brought it over, it was manufactured in March 96 and went through customs April 2011. Not sure who looked at your car, but all cars manufactured in 1996 and imported into Canada required DRLs. In Ontario, in order to get a safety you would need the DRLs working. I couldn't get plates till I had this done. This info was from DMV not me, they told me that the only way you wouldn't need DRLs was if the car was manufactured in a year when DRLs were not required by law, guessing late 70's or early 80's. Since any 96 Porsche imported into Canada in 96 required DRLs the fact that you are importing it 15 years later doesn't change the requirement.

Leander, the only issue with running all the lights is power usage but what I really don't like is the amount of heat generated from some of the bulbs. I run LEDs for my low beams and fog lights. I tried changing a lot of the other park lights to LEDs but they don't seem to want to work, not sure what the problem is. Maybe something in the circuit.

centerpunch

Details in the thread, with 4 page pdf instructions. Link in my post above.

Essentially, with the stock wiring, the fog light switch only receives power when the headlights are on. My mod cuts that wire and taps into the power going to the rear defroster switch, which has power whenever the key is on.

All these circuits are low power, the switches control relays that do the actual high current switching.

2RedPorsche

RBP I would have expected the same thing as you are saying. My car was a 95 and was 16yrs old at the time. I was told no RIV inspection was required and IIRC it was the customs agent that was to stamp it as such. I simply certified and smog tested it and was able to get it plated right away. I did the relay mod and added DRLs myself in the first year of ownership but that was because I wanted to. Maybe I just lucked out on the whole import situation.

johnireland

Seems that turning on the fog lights when you want DRL is pretty simple and doesn't involve screwing around with the factory electricals. If its too hard to remember turning them on then maybe you don't really need it or want it. As for LEDs...they do nothing but look trendy...I'd rather have the car the way Porsche built it.

centerpunch

That would be a great idea except the fog lights won't come unless you turn the headlights on too.

Hence the mod.

71-3.0-911

Don't confuse johnireland with facts. He is immune to them.

RBP

It really doesn't surprise me that the "rules" between one crossing and another are enforced differently! My biggest problem was with the Provence of Ontario as they required a "safety certificate" from a licensed garage before issuing plates. The safety required the DRLs, the garage doing the safety was the Porsche dealer in Ottawa. They told me they did many such DRL mods for US cars being brought into Canada. So I had no choice, sounds like you had an easier time of it. Guess it came down to the person doing the safety and what they wanted to issue the certificate. How did you get the safety?

vancouver z

i did exactly this mod today and resolved the stupid DRL half the time not coming on. tap relay 34, and they come on for maybe 3 or 4 more starts, then nothing again. took the relay out and shorted it terminals as you suggested, and problem solved. thanks for the great tip. just didnt feel like buying a new relay for such a silly function.