Are DRLs brighter than dipped lights?

[WelshWoody83]

Hi , just a quick question, when you have your light switched to DRL are they meant to be brighter than when you have them set to dipped?
Ive just taken my car to Audi about my lighting issue and they say its normal? When I have my DRLs on there are 2 lights on per headlight and then when I turn it to dipped its only one bulb on per headlight and a lower amount of overall light? I thought the DRLs would be duller than the dipped setting?

Thanks

Chris

 

[Helifella]

I think it is more to do with how the light beam is directed not the number of bulbs. On dipped they are always angled down so as not to dazzle oncoming drivers etc where as the whole point of DRL's is to catch the eye of other road users during the day, so they must stand out even on sunny days . I'd say dipped is brighter from the drivers point of view shining on to the road but DRL's will appear brighter to other road users looking towards the vehicle.

Also dipped are usually 55w and DRLs I guess will be less as they catch road users attention without actually dazzling (where you close your eyes and can still see a negative type image on the inside of your eyelids).

Does that make sense?

 

[Epson]

Hi , just a quick question, when you have your light switched to DRL are they meant to be brighter than when you have them set to dipped?

My DRL dim a bit when switched from DRL to sidelights & dipped beam. So i'd agree with Audi its meant to do that.

 

[Silky-S3]

Yep, thats what mine are like.

 

[Helifella]

Just to clarify. When you say dipped do you mean dipped headlights " //D " or switching from DRL to sidelights " >o< ".

My DRL's are LED and dim slightly rather than turning some LED's off when switched to sidelights. I haven't witnessed how the non LED DRL's perform.

As a side note I have had the lights coded so that my tail lights are also on when DRL is selected, as normally DRL's only offer front illumination.

 

[WelshWoody83]

Hi, thnks for all your replies, I feel better about that now, thought something wasnt working properly. On my switch there are four settings, off, DRL, dipped (or sidelights) and lastly main beam.
When I put the dipped light off its normal for the DRLs to completely go off too then is it? Ive had the car a while but its not something Ive really picked up on before...

 

[nally]

Yep the lads are spot on. Same when signaling

 

[Helifella]

Oh yeah the indicating side dims to show the turn signal better (this can also be disabled in VCDS - god know why??? LOL)

 

[nothingness]

How do you turn DRL's on?

On mine i have OFF, >.<, dipped. When dipped is on, i get a green sidelight on my speedo. ( >.< )

 

[Helifella]

How do you turn DRL's on?

On mine i have OFF, >.<, dipped. When dipped is on, i get a green sidelight on my speedo. ( >.< )

Erm how old is your car? It maybe that it was made prior to the DRL idea, which I feel your's might be. Lower spec cars use normal style bulbs as DRL's and higher spec's which have xenon headlights have the LED style DRL's to match the colour of the xenons.

 

[nothingness]

2004, its the split grille so probably too early for DRL's. I do want to upgrade the headlights when i complete the S line look, though.