Have an '01 Toy RAV4, and it must be invisible! Other drivers head straight for me as if I wasn't there. Can the headlights be wired to come on when the motor is running? Thanks for your help.
How can headlights turn on automatically?
- Thread starter Bill R
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If you had a schematic for it, it would make finding the proper wires easier. Likely you would be better off having the tail lights and any running lights come on so they would be on at night. You do not want the power to your four way flashers or dome light wired to it. You will need a relay with the coil connected to the ignition. The coil may also have a ground terminal or be grounded by screwing its case to the body. Then connect the power to the lights to the contacts of the relay. If the relay has 3 contacts, connect the power to the one marked C or common, and the lights to the one marked NOC or normally open contact. That is the one that is open until the coil is activated by the ignition. Lights draw a fair amount of current, so you want a fairly heavy relay. You need an automotive relay with a coil meant for the 14 volts that 12 volt systems actually use. Some auto parts stores might be able to help if you went in and said you wanted a 3 terminal relay that would handle 20 amps. Many of them can only sell things by the application. To deal with them, chances are, the horn relay your Toyota uses would work, just ask for one of them.
Several years ago, GM started wiring all their vehicles to have running lights come on with the engine. It is a safety feature for which GM has received little credit in the press. Theirs is a more complicated system, but you can easily wire up a more simple one giving you the benefit of this safety device.
Several years ago, GM started wiring all their vehicles to have running lights come on with the engine. It is a safety feature for which GM has received little credit in the press. Theirs is a more complicated system, but you can easily wire up a more simple one giving you the benefit of this safety device.
Sounds like you want a 'daytime running lights' (DRL) module. Every Toyota in Canada, and many other countries, has this by law. Ask your dealer or auto parts store. It shouldn't cost much -- cost me
Edit: On many new cars, maybe your RAV, DRLs are a software option. Check your owner's manual or ask your dealer -- it might be a matter of 5 minutes of programming at the dealer.
klp
[ October 31, 2003, 11:16 AM: Message edited by: kaslop ]
Edit: On many new cars, maybe your RAV, DRLs are a software option. Check your owner's manual or ask your dealer -- it might be a matter of 5 minutes of programming at the dealer.
klp
[ October 31, 2003, 11:16 AM: Message edited by: kaslop ]
I think they should be mandatory everywhere. they are dimmer than regular lights, so they aren't distracting. They don't do anything in perfect weather conditions, but they greatly increase visibility in all other conditions.
On a side note: the cops in Western Canada usually disable the DRL's to be less visible. The police are hypocrits in many ways, and this is a very obvious one. They exist to protect public safety, yet they disable a safety feature.
rpn, that's an interesting note re: cops....didn't know that. Don't think they do that in ON.
However, I don't always think DRL's are designed properly on all vehicles. egs...sometimes they're high beams running on low power. Well, guess what? They still blind you....because they're aimed high!
Then, some cars have high powered turn signals. Well, which is it...should DRL's be white or amber? The amber ones in return, obscure the distincive visual cues of a turn signal.
Then there's cars that use their fog lights as DRL's....fog's are supposed to aim low and to only illuminate about 10-15' in front of the car...but, U.S. fog lightly don't really have regulations, so I don't know where theirs illuminte. However, they're better than high beams.
Then, there's cars that combine both parking lights and the fog lights for DRL's....why need both? Do the rear lights need to be illuminated as well as the front when talking about DRL's? I'm not decided on that one yet.
However, yes I agree that a moving car should be distinguished from one that's parked. I also like the ability to shut them off and leave the car running...either by parking break or other means.
However, I don't always think DRL's are designed properly on all vehicles. egs...sometimes they're high beams running on low power. Well, guess what? They still blind you....because they're aimed high!
Then, some cars have high powered turn signals. Well, which is it...should DRL's be white or amber? The amber ones in return, obscure the distincive visual cues of a turn signal.
Then there's cars that use their fog lights as DRL's....fog's are supposed to aim low and to only illuminate about 10-15' in front of the car...but, U.S. fog lightly don't really have regulations, so I don't know where theirs illuminte. However, they're better than high beams.
Then, there's cars that combine both parking lights and the fog lights for DRL's....why need both? Do the rear lights need to be illuminated as well as the front when talking about DRL's? I'm not decided on that one yet.
However, yes I agree that a moving car should be distinguished from one that's parked. I also like the ability to shut them off and leave the car running...either by parking break or other means.
The switch still works don't it????quote:
Originally posted by Bill R:
Have an '01 Toy RAV4, and it must be invisible! Other drivers head straight for me as if I wasn't there. Can the headlights be wired to come on when the motor is running? Thanks for your help.
I think you nailed every possible problem with DRL's!
My least favorite are the later model Chrysler amber lights that seem about as bright as their high beams. There should be stricter requirements on DRL's to eliminate the annoying ones, including all amber ones.
So law enforcement and public safety are seperate matters? That is why my stste police have ticket quotas? Do we need to change the laws so their enforcement is strictly for public safety?
While I disagree on the specific issue of DRLs, (I feel that they ARE a safety item, but I just turn my park lights on at all times) it is quite true that law enforcement, to some extent, is about collecting a "tax" on people who drive faster than the speed limit.
Right, our governor before last, now senator, and likely presidential candidate eventually, brags about how he balanced the state budget with no new "taxes". Yeah, balanced on the back of the motorists. The department of revenue also became quite quick about sending out notices of under payment of income taxes. I got an insulting letter telling me what the total with unpaid taxes, interest, and penalty would be, but it didn't give the specific amount of the error. After spending time digging up the old tax form and carefully going through it, I sent a letter saying my original return was correct. Near the end of the 90 days I had to cough up, I received a second letter saying I no longer owed any money suggesting several reasons, none of which allowed for the possibility the original notice was wrong. Many other people had a lot more trouble straightening them out. Since they insulted me and were going to charge me a penalty for an honest error on first notice, I felt I was entitled to them admitting they were wrong, apologizing, and paying me a penalty.
True enough, but it's better than having no lights on, and doesn't distract people like having your headlights on.
I wasn't pickin' on you Vader...when you mentioned the parking light thing, it just made me think of dad...
Looking outside my office window, I can see maybe 50 yards, max. It is a cold, really foggy/misty/snowy winter day here in Alberta, Canada. The cars without daytime running lights/headlights on are just about friggin' invisible. Still, a large number of vehicles are out with no lights on; their drivers are simply oblivious to the fact that it is really hard to see...
This is why DRL's are a good idea. All new cars in Canada come with DRL's; the driver can't "forget" to turn on his lights, nor can he forget to turn them off again...
PS - One problem is that people forget to turn on their lights at night...still have lights up front, but no tail-lights out back...
This is why DRL's are a good idea. All new cars in Canada come with DRL's; the driver can't "forget" to turn on his lights, nor can he forget to turn them off again...
PS - One problem is that people forget to turn on their lights at night...still have lights up front, but no tail-lights out back...
Understood...
As for the low light situation, I do have automatic headlights for that(Twilight Sentinel). For my car, you get a choice, DRLs or Twilight Sentinel. I like the TS because I can leave my lights on to light my way in to the house. The TS is pretty sensitive. It comes on befor I would really be thinking about kicking the headlights on.
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