[s-cars] Daytime running light info needed (Canadian DRL)

[Ned Ritchie]

I have two Canadian 93 S4 cars.

There are two wires that supply +12 volts to the low beam headlight circuit
in both the Canadian and USA cars.  The only difference is that with the
Canadian car one of the wires has been rerouted for use in the daytime
running light circuit with its expected voltage drop.  (lower power and
brightness)

When nighttime comes and you turn on the switch for low beams the other wire
not used by the daytime running circuit is used, and it parallels most of
the path of the daytime running lights and you have twice the current flow
path therefore less voltage drop and brighter lights.

The documentation is found in the Bentley Manuals.

The USA version just puts power to both wires at the same time when the
switch is turned on, and would be easier to convert to a toggle [low beam /
fog light] switch or relay. 

I too would like to spend the time to make fog lights work without the low
beams.  I have not done it yet but I would research the fog light switch
itself and determine if it can be used as a double throw switch. (OUT it is
low beam and IN it is fog)  OR Perhaps the fog light relay socket could
accommodate a DIFFERENT double throw relay controlled by the fog light
switch. And that relay control two 40 amp or higher relays. . . one for low
beam and one for fog lights.

Too many other things to do, but maybe I've given enough info for someone to
pick up the wire cutters and volt meter and come up with a plan.

Ned Ritchie

-----Original Message-----
From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
[mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Dave Ellis
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 1:50 PM
To: s-car-list at audifans.com
Subject: [s-cars] Daytime running light info needed (Canadian DRL)


So reading the "fog lamps w/o low beams" thread got me thinking.  

I'm about to begin wiring in relays for the low and high beams and 
install the HIR lamps from Daniel Stern.  Rather than having the DRL 
feature triggering the low beams to come on whenever the car is running 
(and thereby "using up" the somewhat pricey HIR bulbs needlessly), I 
was hoping to figure out an alternative solution.

So does anyone have a diagram or info that shows the operation of the 
DRL feature in Canadian S-cars?  Is there an easy way to disable the 
DRL feature and/or re-wire it to trigger the fog lamps instead? 

It would be preferably to have the low beams opoerated in DRL mode at 
the reduced wattage the DRL feature now send to the low beams, or to 
find a way to safely send the reduced DRL voltage to the HIR low beams 
bypassing the relays when in "DRL mode".  

Since the stock DRL feature will just trigger the soon-to-be-installed 
low beam relay, the DRL will no longer function at a reduced wattage 
and will force the low beams to be on a "full power" all the time.  I'm 
guessing the original idea of sending a lower voltage to the low beams 
in DRL mode was to extend lamp life and to reduce electrical load 
somewhat.  Since I have to keep the DRL feature by law where I am, I'm 
looking for a reasonable alternative to running the new HIR bulbs when 
ever I'm driving weather they're needed or not.

Right now in my Canadian model '93 S4, the exterior lamp control stalk 
off the steering column has three positions:
  -bottom position: no exterior lights except DRL which
   is the low beams run at a reduced wattage.
  -middle position: parking/corner lamps and DRL on.
  -top position: parking/corner lamps and low beams on
   at full wattage.

I'd like to keep this or similar operation if I can since it's unlikely 
my wife would ever remember to actually hit a seperate switch to turn 
on the DRL.

Thanks!

Dave
'93 S4
'99.5 A4 1.8t

 
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