After-market DRLs

Neil C

Neil C

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Apologies if this has been discussed before, but I had a quick look through previous posts and couldn't find anything.

For a few weeks now, I have been debating whether to purchase the following after-market fog grille mounted DRLs for my 54-plate Sportback.

DAYTIME DRIVING LIGHT IN FOG GRILLES FOR AUDI A3 8P >08 on eBay (end time 20-Jul-11 18:29:53 BST)

With a pending divorce, money isn't exactly flush at the moment, but I feel the need to treat myself, only I can't afford to be buying a dud.

Your thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated

Neil
 
They will be ok and will look the part !

However, if you're any good at car DIY you could go to Halfords and buy a set of 'Ring' daytime running lights for about £60 and fit them yourself. You will need to adapt the grilles slightly with a Dremel but they will look ok when finished.

Good luck !
 
Grab a copy of VAGCOM and have a look to see if you can enable your fogs as DRL's. Being an early car you might not be able to but I enabled it on a 54 plate GTI yesterday. Best thing is you can then use the fogs as fog lights like before :)
 
Rhyso said:
Grab a copy of VAGCOM and have a look to see if you can enable your fogs as DRL's. Being an early car you might not be able to but I enabled it on a 54 plate GTI yesterday. Best thing is you can then use the fogs as fog lights like before :)
Click to expand...

Last I heard it was illegal to run with foglights only if the weather was ok !! ( in the UK that is )

Just bought a set of those in my post #6 and they are very neat and very bright. Will post pics when I have fitted them which, unfortunately, won't be this weekend.
 
I think they'd look good. I'd get them if i wasn't gona be making space for my FMIC D:
 
mike foster said:
Last I heard it was illegal to run with foglights only if the weather was ok !! ( in the UK that is )

Just bought a set of those in my post #6 and they are very neat and very bright. Will post pics when I have fitted them which, unfortunately, won't be this weekend.
Click to expand...

I've adjusted the brightness to about 25% and they look no brighter than new cars with DRLS

IMG_2397.jpg
 
You will still get a fine for running fogs as drl .Make the coppers day by doing that method even with lower brightness

Euro car parts had some good ones on offer iirc there Philips .theres also a 30% Euro car parts code on here some place do a search
 
Lingy. said:
You will still get a fine for running fogs as drl .Make the coppers day by doing that method even with lower brightness

Euro car parts had some good ones on offer iirc there Philips .theres also a 30% Euro car parts code on here some place do a search
Click to expand...

What about new cars that use fogs as cornering lights?? Surely that's just as annoying?? Not to mention it looks like a load of news cars has a major fault lol

I'll take the risk and continue to run them as they are. If I get fined then so be it but it would be nice to see other people pulled over who run their fogs at full brightness when its perfectly clear.........

EDIT - do you have a link to the information where it says you will get a fine? I've had a look myself but I cannot find anything.
 
Last edited:
Personally don't like aftermarket DRLs that fit to the car in a different place to OEM ones.

Think it looks a bit "tacky" myself, but understand that if you like it then go for it.
 
Rhyso said:
What about new cars that use fogs as cornering lights?? Surely that's just as annoying?? Not to mention it looks like a load of news cars has a major fault lol

I'll take the risk and continue to run them as they are. If I get fined then so be it but it would be nice to see other people pulled over who run their fogs at full brightness when its perfectly clear.........

EDIT - do you have a link to the information where it says you will get a fine? I've had a look myself but I cannot find anything.
Click to expand...

When you get pulled they will gie you the info mate .Had a few pulls using fogs at NIGHT
 
What about the new Passats and Skodas that have what looks like their front fogs as DRL's? I don't mean the LED ones, it's the round ones that look exactly like front fogs. I've seen loads of these about now and I'm wondering how many of these cars are getting pulled over by Police that think they have fogs on?
 
danb986 said:
What about the new Passats and Skodas that have what looks like their front fogs as DRL's? I don't mean the LED ones, it's the round ones that look exactly like front fogs. I've seen loads of these about now and I'm wondering how many of these cars are getting pulled over by Police that think they have fogs on?
Click to expand...

That's a very good point !

Perhaps someone on the forum knows a traffic policeman who could advise the current UK position ?

We could all benefit from the info. !
 
mike foster said:
That's a very good point !

Perhaps someone on the forum knows a traffic policeman who could advise the current UK position ?

We could all benefit from the info. !
Click to expand...

Use of a fog light when the visibility is greater than 100m is deemed illegal (if the brightness is the full 55w 100%)

The DRL setting that Rhyso has set on his car is VAG legit as the brightness is set to 25% of the light capacity and turns off on that side when the indicator is used.

Don't get hung up on what the light is called. Pre facelift S3 and B7 RS4 ran their high beam units as drl but at a lower brightness from the factory. All legal....

The current Passat uses the lower lights in the grills as both DRL and Fog lights....
 
tmills said:
true, bumper off job no doubt, and then into the headlight unit.
Click to expand...

The only problem with that is the unit is sealed so it quite tricky getting into it if my old car was anything to go by.

If your worried about those ring drls looking like those led strips on ebay i wouldn't be they're completly different the brightness is the key, I asked mike foster about this and he gave me great advice and direccted me to halfords where you can test them and see the brightness that's the only reason why i mounted them on my motor.
 
audicruiser said:
Use of a fog light when the visibility is greater than 100m is deemed illegal (if the brightness is the full 55w 100%)

The DRL setting that Rhyso has set on his car is VAG legit as the brightness is set to 25% of the light capacity and turns off on that side when the indicator is used.

Don't get hung up on what the light is called. Pre facelift S3 and B7 RS4 ran their high beam units as drl but at a lower brightness from the factory. All legal....

The current Passat uses the lower lights in the grills as both DRL and Fog lights....
Click to expand...

I've activated mine at 50% brightness. They turn off when I put my sidelights on, but they're not affected by the indicators. I was followed by a 60 plate Skoda Superb this morning with fog lamp type DRL's and his both stayed illuminated when he was indicating too. I thought the option to do this in the coding was for cars with LED DRL's in the headlights as they could mask the function of the indicators.

Rhyso, do yours do this? I followed your guide for the coding but mine don't go off on the side I indicate.
 
danb986 said:
I've activated mine at 50% brightness. They turn off when I put my sidelights on, but they're not affected by the indicators. I was followed by a 60 plate Skoda Superb this morning with fog lamp type DRL's and his both stayed illuminated when he was indicating too. I thought the option to do this in the coding was for cars with LED DRL's in the headlights as they could mask the function of the indicators.

Rhyso, do yours do this? I followed your guide for the coding but mine don't go off on the side I indicate.
Click to expand...

Mine remain on when I indicate although there is the option within the long coder which will turn the DRL off when you indicate. Can't remember the exact byte but it is there. I'll try and grab a screen shot later :)
 
not a fan of aftermarket drl's as ive seen allsorts of cars with them now and i think they look tacky ive got drl's on mine they are set as my main headlights but was thinking about getting them changed to my fogs as loads of new cars have them as drl's
 
Rhyso said:
Mine remain on when I indicate although there is the option within the long coder which will turn the DRL off when you indicate. Can't remember the exact byte but it is there. I'll try and grab a screen shot later :)
Click to expand...

I'm sure I've seen that option too, but I thought it was just for the LED models. It might look a bit odd now I think about it. The indicators and fogs aren't exactly next to each other.
 
I'd love a set of genuine Bi-Xenons, but they're not cheap and I'm not supposed to be spending much on this car (according to the wife!). :whip:
 
HAHAHA... just dont tell her... she wont really notice! :p

yes they do cost.. if you have a £500 budget you can usually get them in all fitted... but so much worth it!
 
danb986 said:
I'm sure I've seen that option too, but I thought it was just for the LED models. It might look a bit odd now I think about it. The indicators and fogs aren't exactly next to each other.
Click to expand...

Yeah initially I enabled the option but when I saw it in action I wasn't overjoyed; it looks like a new car which uses fogs as cornering lights, broken! lol
 
Now you've started to talk about VAG coding, etc, did I read once that you can have the coding altered so that your rear fog lights ( sportback ) come on, at a reduced brightness, with your brake lights ?
 
Neil C said:
Now you've started to talk about VAG coding, etc, did I read once that you can have the coding altered so that your rear fog lights ( sportback ) come on, at a reduced brightness, with your brake lights ?
Click to expand...

Not that I'm aware of. You can't on my 2006 sportback.

You can code it to make the hazard flashers come on under very heavy braking if you want. I have done that but fortunately have never tested it !!!!
 
I'm sure that I didn't imagine it, but it would've been possibly 3 - 4 years ago when I read about it.

It's not the sort of question that your local Audi dealer likes to answer either. Can't think why ! lol
 
Well I have genuine VCDS and have extensively explored all possibilities of lighting alternatives and I can assure you that, with my model, that alternative is not available.

Had it been then I would probably have selected it !!
 
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I think both Neil and Mike have the early versions of the Central Electronics module meaning half the options are unavailable to you. I'm looking at a 56 plate A3 this weekend so will scroll through the options and see what can and can't be coded :thumbsup:
 
Cheers Rhyso - for reference my Central Electronics module is 8P0 907 279 F (23 Byte version )

My coding is 00062736
 
Anyone knows if u can switch from bulbs drl to led drl on the s3 8p via vcds? I heard it's doable on the q7 pre face lift (as the post face lift are led)
 
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