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Headlamp choice for DRL?
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CarlIseminger
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:24 am    Post subject: Headlamp choice for DRL? Reply with quote

My beetle convertible is my daily driver.

I have a couple of safety items to make the car more visible.

The headlamps are currently used as the Daytime Running Lights using a module that turns on the halogen sealed low beams to 80% power.

Is there a "plug-n-play" unit that I could use instead of of the halogen lamps that will work at 80% power without ruining the lamp? I want to up the light output for the regular headlamp usage.

And I know, I will be putting in relays for any lamp that uses more power than the standard lamp.

I looked at VintageCarLED's but they won't allow the 80% power.
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hopkin Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:48 am    Post subject: Re: Headlamp choice for DRL? Reply with quote

Expensive, but you can use these H4 Euro style headlights with a second bulb. I have these on my Beetle, but they are wired as City lights, not DRL, same effect though. No relay is needed for the extra bulb, but you may want a relay for the low/high beam if you go this route:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


This is the reverse side, you can see the second bulb at about the 4 o'clock position in this photo:
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City light turned on:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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CarlIseminger
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:03 am    Post subject: Re: Headlamp choice for DRL? Reply with quote

Very nice lights Hopkin. I have always admired your RollBack Beetle.

At this moment, I am not so much concerned with cost, but how bright is the City Light in daylight? I thought these lights were more for when the car was parked at night so that it would be noticed.
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hopkin Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:25 am    Post subject: Re: Headlamp choice for DRL? Reply with quote

CarlIseminger wrote:
Very nice lights Hopkin. I have always admired your RollBack Beetle.

At this moment, I am not so much concerned with cost, but how bright is the City Light in daylight? I thought these lights were more for when the car was parked at night so that it would be noticed.


They are designed for driving at dawn or dusk, this was before DRL, headlights would wash out cars without them so City lights were used.

That's why (bright headlights washout cars without them on), when DRL was originally introduced they were dimmer than just turning on the headlights.
Our '91 Civic has the original factory DRL setup [for Canada, that required them starting in '89 or '90] that was used, highbeams at a low (I don't know the percentage) intensity. Highbeams were used to extend the life of the low beam filament (or bulb), which also why they were dimmer Smile .

They are definitely bright enough to be seen on a sunny day. They are about as bright as the DRL setups were back in '90s. Most newer cars just turn on the headlights, not dimmed.

Paruzzi has these, I bought the set in the first picture as a stone chipped one of the ones on my car (which were actually for the UK, so I needed to change the pair):

https://www.paruzzi.com/uk/volkswagen/electricity/headlights-reversing-lights-and-fog-lamp/3652/
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AlmostHeavenWV_VW Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:39 am    Post subject: Re: Headlamp choice for DRL? Reply with quote

I'm not sure how your module makes the "80%" power of the low beams, but if it does it by lowering the voltage....IIRC, low voltage increases the strain on components like light filaments so expect shorter bulb life if you continue with a similar set up.

Forgive my simplistic approach, but why not just run the low beams 24/7 while driving and forgo the extra $$ for relays, modules, or new headlight housings?

If running the straight low beams 24/7 are causing lots of bulb replacement, perhaps fronting the money for "Long life" bulbs would be a good option?



Just some thoughts and options to consider
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CarlIseminger
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:57 am    Post subject: Re: Headlamp choice for DRL? Reply with quote

Interesting.

The module that is running the lights at 80% is actually a GM Module that was a retrofit back when DRLs were just coming into play. And one of its supposedly good attributes was that running them at 80% was to lengthen lamp life. Smile

One of the benefits that I like of the module is that it turns them off if I turn on the parking lights, so if at a drive-in movie theatre, or somewhere I don't want the bright DRLs, I can easily turn them off. Without having to remember to turn them back on.

And a note: I am not looking for a brighter DRL, I am looking for a brighter headlamp for driving purposes. But the headlamp would have to withstand the 80% power for the DRL.

But thanks for the thought of the 24/7 low beams. I seem to remember seeing on EBay a type of relay that would allow that, but worked similar to the GM Module, in that it would control them with the parking lights.
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Starbucket
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 3:51 pm    Post subject: Re: Headlamp choice for DRL? Reply with quote

You can buy bright LED daytime running light strips apx. 7" X 1/2" that have mounting tape to mount them on your bumper or fender just wire them with a toggle switch to a "hot when on" fuse if you want to turn them off at the movies. Amazon has them four for $8.95.
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Meiang
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:02 pm    Post subject: Re: Headlamp choice for DRL? Reply with quote

DRL's are much brighter than a dimmed headlight in daylight. You can buy a control module/loom very cheaply which switches them on when the engine is running and turns them off when the headlights are active. They switch on when the voltage of the electrical system gets above 13.0v (or there abouts)i.e when the generator/alternator is running and switch off when the voltage drops below 13.0v Or alternatively buy a DRL kit which has the loom included.

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mondshine
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 18, 2021 4:12 am    Post subject: Re: Headlamp choice for DRL? Reply with quote

I have been using the Web Electric DRL module on my Thing for many years.
This thing powers the 21W front turn signal filaments when the ignition is switched on, and the running lights or turn signals are off.
I know they are effective, because I see eye contact with other drivers who were about to pull out right in front of me.

https://www.webelectricproducts.com/store/DRL-1-Universal-Daytime-Running-Lights-p264368736

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jinx758
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 18, 2021 6:39 am    Post subject: Re: Headlamp choice for DRL? Reply with quote

Just to increase visibility to other vehicles I mounted two amber torpedo lights to the front bumper. They are wired to a fuse that is hot only when ignition is on. I used a bumper mounting bolt so no holes were drilled.
They are different & therefore stand out.

I think they are Greote (Grote ?) brand from Napa. They are about the diameter of a racquetball. They have been there over four years but I distinctly remember not having them & people would pull out in front of me. After, not so much but when they did there was ample distance to speed up without impacting my path.
I put 2 white LED strips on front bumper of wife's vehicle from Wish. They are about 3inches long COB type LEDs & are very bright. Easily mounted with 3M tape which I cleaned the bumper with isopropyl alcohol first.
Same effect as bug.

Hope this helps ... travel safely

jinx
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