Daylight running lights

I am thinking of fitting some DRL's to a 2007 Ford Focus, I'm just wondering if the car is already wired for them or would I need to fit a relay to switch them off when the main lights are on?

Has anyone ever fitted DRL's and how easy was it?

OldmanMondeo

I was thinking of fitting some on my car. I looked at the Philips ones, they seem very easy to fit. You can download the .pdf fitting from here.

http://www.automotivesaleskit.com/#!/cars/led-daylight-4/43

You can get the other ones from here as well.

SCOOP 64

Fitted some to my Zafira ,got power from a spare fuse in fuse box ,earth to body,no switch or relay require, low voltage,you will have to use a volt meter to find which spare fuse in fuse box comes on with ignition , so off and on with ignition, .so on during day,but this means you cant turn them off separately at night, so also on at night with headlights ,but does not seem to bother other drivers at night ,not being flashed any way,been on a year now .look good.
that's the way i done it, had no problems at all. but im sure some one on here will say say other wise, and tell you tell how to do it the hard way,relays , switches, get a sparky to do it etc....

Nissan doctor

Deleted User wrote: »

I am thinking of fitting some DRL's to a 2007 Ford Focus, I'm just wondering if the car is already wired for them or would I need to fit a relay to switch them off when the main lights are on?

Has anyone ever fitted DRL's and how easy was it?

I don't know about the Focus in particular but many late model cars can have a DRL function activated through the on board computer.

bazery

Nissan doctor wrote: »

I don't know about the Focus in particular but many late model cars can have a DRL function activated through the on board computer.

I think you can get specific inserts for your ford focus, can you post a pic of the front. You can power them from the fuse box. I've fitted ones to my car and the missus's. Trying to keep them OEM looking though

Check out these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/09-FORD-FOCUS-4D-Sedan-DRL-WHITE-LED-FOGLIGHT-DAYTIME-RUNNING-LIGHT-LAMPS-/320923946094?_trksid=p2047675.m1850&_trkparms=aid=222002&algo=SIC.FIT&ao=1&asc=14588&meid=5986561324019011081&pid=100011&prg=1005&rk=2&sd=320799827703&

bazery

bazery wrote: »

I think you can get specific inserts for your ford focus, can you post a pic of the front. You can power them from the fuse box. I've fitted ones to my car and the missus's. Trying to keep them OEM looking though

Check out these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/09-FORD-FOCUS-4D-Sedan-DRL-WHITE-LED-FOGLIGHT-DAYTIME-RUNNING-LIGHT-LAMPS-/320923946094?_trksid=p2047675.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14588%26meid%3D5986561324019011081%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D2%26sd%3D320799827703%26

Those inserts around the fog lights look exactly the same as my car's.
Picture of identical car from the UK

guil

They won't fit, they are for the newer model

guil

guil wrote: »

They won't fit, they are for the newer model

OK Thanks, I'm now looking at the possibility of replacing the "blank" above the fog lights with suitable DLRs, they'll need to be angled as the regulations say 10 deg max deflection from forward facing and these covers appear to be closer to 20deg.

May be it's a case of finding a DLR that the LEDs can be angled?

bazery

dolanbaker wrote: »

OK Thanks, I'm now looking at the possibility of replacing the "blank" above the fog lights with suitable DLRs, they'll need to be angled as the regulations say 10 deg max deflection from forward facing and these covers appear to be closer to 20deg.

May be it's a case of finding a DLR that the LEDs can be angled?

Have a look on eBay there a few options for aftermarket fog grills

mickdw

I wouldnt fit LEDs unless there is a factory option as they will look a bit dodgy. If its DRLs you are after, its possible that you can change the lighting behaviour of the existing lights with coding as nissan doctor said.

Just found this thread, may be of use to other Focus owners, http://focusowners-social.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=10648

mickdw

mickdw wrote: »

I wouldnt fit LEDs unless there is a factory option as they will look a bit dodgy. If its DRLs you are after, its possible that you can change the lighting behaviour of the existing lights with coding as nissan doctor said.

Currently, I just switch on the lights (dipped head lights) every time I drive.....

Another option I have is to fit a relay to activate the front fogs when the lights are off (ignition on).

I'm still looking into fitting some form of daylight driving lights, According to the car manual there are a couple of fuses (empty spaces) for daylight driving lights.
These appear to have wires attached and there are a couple of spare slots for relays.

Would anyone know if these fuse slots actually connect to anything or to a "spare" wire to the lights or how they're wired?

If it's a simple case of fitting fuses and having the dipped lights function as daylight driving lights, then I'll just do that.

OldmanMondeo

If your going to just use the dips for DRL's, then consider getting some LED side light bulbs. These can be purchased in 4000k or 6000k to match Xenon effect. Therefore giving a brighter light, making you easier to see.

Tropheus

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

If your going to just use the dips for DRL's, then consider getting some LED side light bulbs. These can be purchased in 4000k or 6000k to match Xenon effect. Therefore giving a brighter light, making you easier to see.

But they may interfere with the dip beam pattern and cause you to fail the NCT.

OldmanMondeo

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

If your going to just use the dips for DRL's, then consider getting some LED side light bulbs. These can be purchased in 4000k or 6000k to match Xenon effect. Therefore giving a brighter light, making you easier to see.

Yes, that's another option, I was just wondering if I fitted those missing fuses would any of the existing lamps would take on the role of DRLs, the front sidelights for example.

In which case fitting those LED's would make sense, sidelights parking lights are simply too dim!

Update: In the end I bought a pair of flexible LED strips off ebay and fitted them below the fog lights and wired a relay so that the DRL lights only come on when the ignition is on and the lights are off, they switch off when the lights are on.

I tried to use the DRL circuit in the fusebox but it was incomplete and I didn't know what was missing!

colm_mcm

Pics?

OldmanMondeo

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

I was thinking of fitting some on my car. I looked at the Philips ones, they seem very easy to fit. You can download the .pdf fitting from here.

http://www.automotivesaleskit.com/#!/cars/led-daylight-4/43

You can get the other ones from here as well.

Sorry for dragging this back up, I have seen the new philips catalogue and they are going to sell the trim parts to fit the DRL directly to vehicles. So you would get a Peugeot 308 trim piece that would fit the DRL's on.

colm_mcm

colm_mcm wrote: »

Pics?

OK


A front view of the lights fitted, with the ignition off

With the ignition on, only the DRL's are on, in hindsight I should have stuck the LEDs more to the middle as the angle of the front under the fog lights is too steep and means that the lights are not too bright when seen directly from the front but is good from about 20deg angle from straight ahead.

DRLs go out when side lights are switched on.




Relay that switches off the DRLs when the sidelights are on, mounted in the fusebox, a feed for the DRLs is taken off an unused fuse socket in the ignition circuit and switched via the relay.

Del2005

Deleted User wrote: »

OK



DRLs go out when side lights are switched on.

Should have it that they turn off when the dipped beams come on not the sidelights, if it's possible to wire, nothing more annoying then people driving with only side lights on(not aimed at you).

Possibly stupid question. Would you need to inform your insurance company about modifying the wiring and fitting DRLs?

Del2005

Del2005 wrote: »

Should have it that they turn off when the dipped beams come on not the sidelights, if it's possible to wire, nothing more annoying then people driving with only side lights on(not aimed at you).

Possibly stupid question. Would you need to inform your insurance company about modifying the wiring and fitting DRLs?

I did think about connecting the relay to the dipped lights, but then again I never drive with the side parking lights on anyway.

This type of mod IMHO is too minor for the insurance companies to be interested in, they're more interested in things like engine enhancements & racing suspension and the like.

Del2005

Deleted User wrote: »

I did think about connecting the relay to the dipped lights, but then again I never drive with the side parking lights on anyway.

This type of mod IMHO is too minor for the insurance companies to be interested in, they're more interested in things like engine enhancements & racing suspension and the like.

Not if you make a fire claim

Del2005

Del2005 wrote: »

Not if you make a fire claim

I've fitted a fuse as well.

Mc Love

Nice job Dolanbaker!! Same thing occurs when my sidelights are turned on...I think most cars are meant to do the same, however most of the cars on the road have their DRL's on the whole time.

Have you wired your rear lights to come on also? I havent but would like to.

Mc Love

Mc Love wrote: »

Nice job Dolanbaker!! Same thing occurs when my sidelights are turned on...I think most cars are meant to do the same, however most of the cars on the road have their DRL's on the whole time.

Have you wired your rear lights to come on also? I havent but would like to.

No, I specifically wanted only the DRLs to come on with the ignition and go out when the lights were on, so no the rear lights don't come on.

If that's what you want, it'll probably be just a simple case of connecting them up to the sidelights.

blindsider

So, I met a friend of mine over the weekend, and he's just taken delivery of a new car - 131 reg and straight off the forecourt.

I duly admired the car - it's a slightly unusual marque, so I won't bother naming it, but it's a standard road-going car which was purchased new from a franchised dealer.

What I noticed, as he pulled up on my driveway, was that the DRL's weren't working. I asked him and the says they never worked - he was unaware of the legislation, and the dealer didn't mention it either. He assumed they were 'fogs'

I have seen other 131-reg cars with no DRL's, but this was the 1st time I got to ask a driver/owner about it.

Anyone know why would this be the case, when it's law to have DRL's working?

My understanding of the law is that all cars manufactured after a certain date must have DRLs rather than cars sold after that date, it could just be old stock.

Unless you look at the vehicle ID number, it's difficult to know how long the car was in storage before being sold.

During a previous recession, some cars were found to have been stored on disused airfields for up to four years!

whizbang

My car DRL's turn off when the handbrake is applied. took me days to figure that one..

corkbuoy

Found these on the net, any opinions on them ?


http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Deluxe-Cool-DRL-Ford-Focus-white-light-5led-Daytime-Running-Lights-for-front-fog-light-free/1631061244.html

Esel

^ Apart from the zombie-ish effect - are the lights you linked not very expensive?

corkbuoy

corkbuoy wrote: »

Found these on the net, any opinions on them ?


http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Deluxe-Cool-DRL-Ford-Focus-white-light-5led-Daytime-Running-Lights-for-front-fog-light-free/1631061244.html

The range of cars that you can by direct replacements is increasing but still not available for my car (unless you want the US yellow style:()