Bob Rouleau

A pal is planning on bringing a US car into Canada. Up here, DRLs are mandatory. He has been told that they can be turned on using a menu item which is part of the on-board computer.

My Canadian RS has no such item, but I know that cars get a flash load as part of the PDI process which installs the "personality" for a specific country. Since DRLs are standard here, there is no need for a menu item to control them. Is it different in the USA or must be visit a dealer?

Thanks,

Larry Cable

Hey Bob, my '10 GT3 has an option in the computer menu to turn the DRLs on/off. Dont think a dealer visit would be necessary unless you wanted to remove the option from the computer.

kyrocks

My '11 GT3 has that option as well in the menu accessed by the lever below the turn signal lever on the left of the steering wheel. There is an option to turn the DRL on or off. If the car has PCM, then I believe it can be accessed via the PCM setup menu as well.

FFaust

Less than 5 minutes and Bob got his answer, wow!

Bob Rouleau

Thanks Guys!

Is this place great or what?

911SLOW

So which of the lights play the DLR role in the RS? The fogs? Anybody got a pic? Just curious.

And how in hell a Euro-Scandinavian old habit and later a questionable law became mandatory. Where the world is going? I actually find them insulting to our intelligence, ugly in most cars and I don't see what they have to offer.
What is the motivation behind their use a new money making marketing trick or a real safety issue?

Larry Cable

I think its just the 2x white led strips above the radiator intakes ... Ive never actually looked ...

DRPM

Thanks very much to everyone for their prompt and valued input on this DRL post.
I hope to have the new RS in Quebec momentarily.
Unfortunately it is currently -6*C (20F USA Temp) and no warm spell in sight, so probably no chance to try it out till the spring.
Pic of the RS being loaded into the carrier in CA..

amaist

DRLs make a lot of sense in daytime low visibility. Places like Scandinavia and Canada have such conditions for a significant percentage of the year. A salt encrusted car on a slushy road is not too visible from a sloppy side window or the edges of the windshield not cleaned by the wipers. Granted, you can have the drivers turn on the lights when it's appropriate but I don't think it is necessary for me to point out the quality of the average driver.

What I don't understand is why they implement them half assed in Canada. In Scandinavia both the front and rear lights light up. No need to ever remember to turn on the headlights. Over here you still have to turn them on when it's dark as the fronts are only partially on an the rears are totally off.

Having lights working on a car that has it's engine turned on is actually helpful. A car with a running engine is capable of changing its position. With the engine off it can only roll slowly. If I get a clear indication of that I can be better prepared to the situation ahead.

I got black flagged once at a DE at WGI. They thought I switched on my high beams on purpose and I was being 'aggressive'.

911SLOW

Andrei thanks for the info but it still makes no sense in fact what you say about half lights working or lets say stronger front position lights and rears not functioning amplifies my doubt that this is more of a marketing facelift gismo thing than an actual safety matter.
We all seem to trust the “average driver” to drive in public roads amongst us and each country uses exams and licenses to ensure that a basic level of competence exists.
We trust him to wear belts, to drive with 3klm/ outside a school; don’t drive in the opposite lane, don’t drink and drive, don’t pass a red light etc etc.
We assume that when he won’t be able to see from the rain that he will switch on the wipers.
And we also think that when dusk comes or weather is bad and visibility low he will open the real lights of the car or use the appropriate fog ones.
So what is this? A marketing derived joke for the neo – Neanderthal consumer? Or a sign of things to come?
..one new feature in merc now is a system that brakes for you, another manufacturer talks about scanning blood or the retina prior to letting you drive off.. or the follow the front car system etc or the don’t change lane system, or the GPS limiter of GTR in Japan etc ?..
Sad no matter how you cut it.

Carrera GT

Some motorcycle riders argue that daytime running lights (synonymous with Volvo from the 80's, I think) have proven to be more dangerous than headlights or no lights -- some irate motorcycle rider was hit and the car driver complained that the light of the motorcycle was "indistinguishable" given every other car had running lights, so the presence of the bike was blurred into the surrounding car lights. I remember this sparked some litigation and attempts to reverse the state law mandating lights. As ever, I'm appalled by the nanny state and suffocating laws costing the freedom of the majority in order to project the imbeciles from themselves -- let Darwin back in the country and let the idiots extinguish themselves; It's already too crowded on the roads anyway. Next we'll have to have a flashing yellow light on the roof and a siren to warn the hapless of the approaching death machine we call a car. Then we'll pretty soon be back to having a man walking in front of the car waving a flag to alert the public to the dangers that cometh.

amaist

It sounds great to leave it to the survival of the fittest until either you or a member of your family gets collected as collateral damage because some idiot was free to be an idiot.

Carrera GT

That's a fun plea to the emotions, but it's muddy thinking -- exactly what laws protect the public from the idiots? Law enforcement can be mistaken for public safety, but it's clearly a revenue business on the roads. The only protection from the idiots is buried in a physics book under the heading of "inelastic collisions" -- drive a land yacht sized SUV and try not to get hit by an idiot driving an 18 wheeler.

The Baron

I did not notice this mentioned above (if so, my apologeeeeeez) but my LED running lights are on ( in bright setting) whenever the car is running and when I turn on the headlights, the LEDs appear to go to a dimmer setting to be subserviant to the headlights.

Would the LED running lights not be considered the DRL?

Is it the LED running lights that is being refered to ( in this thread) that can be disabled by re-setting the ECU or are you refering to the headlights.

I have wanted ti disable my LED running lights from Day 1. because my Cop buddies love them and tell me that they (and the new Audis) stand out in the crowd on the interstate

My '07 & '08 RS never had these.

Bob Rouleau

Cars with LED lights use them as the DRL in Canada and I assume elsewhere if mandated.

Recent Audi's are the same. The LEDs are bright enough to meet the requirements.