how to disable DRLs using VIDA

[T5R92011]

Does your 2012 S60 not have separate LED DRLs?

My housemate's 2012 C30 has an 'Auto' option on the headlamp control switch which puts the (extremely bright) front LED's on, but the actual headlamps stay off.

I know the older C30s/S40s etc didn't have an Auto option, the dipped beams were just permanently on.

[The Thong]

I wanted to turn the DRL’s off on my V50 and the dealer said no.... Not allowed to by Volvo apparently

TT

[SwissXC90]

Originally Posted by The Thong

I wanted to turn the DRL’s off on my V50 and the dealer said no.... Not allowed to by Volvo apparently

DRLs are required by law in many many countries, and in the UK for all new cars from February 2011

And why would you want to turn them off anyway? The law said cars need them for a very very good reason - they work well in showing people a car is approaching and thus helping to reduce the accident rate by 6%.

[NigelDay]

The DRLs on my XC60 operate at two levels. Stationary and up to about 4mph they are at a reduced power, then above this speed they are at full power. When the headlamps are on they are at reduced power at all times.

[Brianvs60]

Originally Posted by T5R92011

Does your 2012 S60 not have separate LED DRLs?

My housemate's 2012 C30 has an 'Auto' option on the headlamp control switch which puts the (extremely bright) front LED's on, but the actual headlamps stay off.

Yep she does, to be fair. But when the switch is in the 0 position, the headlamps are on - I have to consciously switch to "sidelights only" to turn them off. According to the manual this setting can be altered by a dealer.

Whilst I agree that it is an additional electrical load on the car's system, as well as additional "wastage" on the lamps involved, for me having headlights on is a price that seems fair given what I consider to be the increased possibility of avoiding something unwanted.

I guess we're splitting hairs here between running with headlights on vs running with DRLs only! For reference - the studies showing DRLs effects...I'm sorry I can't get this image to embed, but I've posted on imgur an extract from an Irish document published around the time DRLs became legal here.



https://imgur.com/a/Ftc61RY

[1monkey600]

The biggest shortcoming with this law when introduced, in my opinion, is the fact that it relates only to the front of the vehicle. How many times a day do you see someone driving around in poor visibility, or darkness, with no rear lights. The drivers see (from reflections) that front lights are on but don't realise the back ones aren't lit!
I don't know how many of the current volvos light up the back lights as well (our MY16 xc70 does) but I do remember it was back in the late 70's / early 80's that my dad bought a Volvo with full DRLs (not sure exactly when because he had 5 or 6 different models between '76 and mid 90's and, I'm not sure, but think it was either the 164 or the 245glt).
It was a totally new thing back then - when we went off on a long journey one of our games was counting how many 'helpful' people flashed us in the day to let us know we had 'forgotten' to turn our sidelights off.

[Brianvs60]

Originally Posted by 1monkey600

The biggest shortcoming with this law when introduced, in my opinion, is the fact that it relates only to the front of the vehicle. How many times a day do you see someone driving around in poor visibility, or darkness, with no rear lights. The drivers see (from reflections) that front lights are on but don't realise the back ones aren't lit!
I don't know how many of the current volvos light up the back lights as well (our MY16 xc70 does) but I do remember it was back in the late 70's / early 80's that my dad bought a Volvo with full DRLs (not sure exactly when because he had 5 or 6 different models between '76 and mid 90's and, I'm not sure, but think it was either the 164 or the 245glt).
It was a totally new thing back then - when we went off on a long journey one of our games was counting how many 'helpful' people flashed us in the day to let us know we had 'forgotten' to turn our sidelights off.

Yep, agreed! This is another good reason for all lights on all the time, imho.

[Sysyphus]

I don’t have a problem with DRL’s as a concept, but I find it annoying that both the sidelights and headlights remain on all the time the ignition is on, unless I set the light switch to sidelights only, which leaves them on even when I do turn the ignition off.

As driver of my vehicle, I am far better placed to determine when and if I need my headlights on than any engineer in Gothenberg a decade ago.

[Tannaton]

Just to clarify a few points...

DRL's where mandatory on all vehicles and revisions of models submitted for type approval post 2011. If you have an earlier XC60 the uses the headlights as DRL's - it is not illegal or contravening C&U regulations to turn them off.

I don't see why a Volvo dealer should refuse to turn them off in the above circumstances, Volvo have created and list as a part number a software update specifically to do this (though I do agree that this isn't a good idea unless you are fitting an alternative DRL).

On earlier implementations of the LED DRL's the front lights only came on, on later models it seems as though the rears come on now too (in daylight). I *think* this also applies to the earlier models if the software is up to date - this is what happened on my 2016 (17 MY) XC60.

Designated DRL's don't have a dipped beam and are quite bright, hence as part of their approval they must dim when dipped headlights are on. DRL's are therefore more visible in daylight than just having headlights on - especially projector headlights (i.e. Xenon).

[cbarrow]

My S60 doesn't have separate DRLs. The small LEDs on the front are the parking lights (I think); it uses the headlights (bi-xenon) as DRLs....

In bright sunlight, there is a case against DRLs, since they can make a car harder to see against a bright background (aircraft conspicuity trials found the same thing - but on balance having a bright forward facing light was seen as better than without in most circumstances - same applies to DRLs).

If I had separate DRLs it wouldn't be an issue.. Will leave as is and just expect to burn through bulbs faster!