Dimmed headlights?

[gavs]

I don't believe that DRL's are legally required as not all new cars have them, and so they can possibly get away with it as long as they go out (which they do) when the headlights come on. As fog lamps, yellow is perfectly OK, and actually preferred as it is the blue portion of white light that scatters and causes a lot of the back glare in fog. This is also why the French have their cars with yellow headlights.

If it is considered a DRL, then it needs to conform with the above specs that I posted. So long as it meets the temperature requirements for the light beam and the luminocity, there isn't an issue what colour it is.

Wai, you above comment is incorrect, there are specifc beam pattern, illumination and cut-off positions and light pattern changes due to dirt and sand-blast requirements in ADR 50/00 for front fog lamps. It is also illegal to drive during night hours without headlights illuminated and there is no mention in at ARR Feb 2009 editon that mentions the use of foglamps without headlights.
Mind you, driving through the mountains one night when it was super foggy, I turned my headlights off because even being HID, they just reflected off the fog, so I just had the fogs on.


Not trying to have a go at you mate, just getting the facts out there I spend many a day trawling through teh ARR and ADR manuals, just the nature of my job

[pologti18t]

I don't believe that DRL's are legally required as not all new cars have them, and so they can possibly get away with it as long as they go out (which they do) when the headlights come on. As fog lamps, yellow is perfectly OK, and actually preferred as it is the blue portion of white light that scatters and causes a lot of the back glare in fog. This is also why the French have their cars with yellow headlights.

How often have you seen yellow foglights on a new car?? France ditched selective yellow headlight requirements years ago (EU requirement).

[wai]

on the topic of fog lights. what about the new passat they seem to have their yellowy fogs always on a DRLs. thats technically illegal ye?

ADR 13/00 (Table 1) lists Daytime running lamps shall be white, so technically they do not comply. Fog lamps can be white or yellow and cornering lamps can be white or amber.

[gavs]

Daytime running lamps are referenced in ADR 13 yes, but have their own chaper specific to them in the ADRs, it's ADR 76/00 which states that a DRL must be no less than 400cd and no more than 800cd in light intensity, the light must not have an illuminating surface area of less than 40 cm squared, the light shall be white and measured by using a light source at a colour temperature of 2865 Kelvin which falls into the yellow spectrum. However, for non replaceable light sources, this falls into a test proceedure that the colour of the light must fall into a specific grouping thrichromatic range, basically draws of a table pattern, similar to a cross.

For the passat example given (just realised we are waaaaaay off topic to the OP's question here!) then the colour of the light must fall into the specified limit for yellow-ness of the light, otherwise it would not be able to be complied.

[Gladiator]

Uhh are lights meant to be on when the switch is in the 'O' position? Can't seem to drive with no lights on lol.

[gavs]

That's right, owner's manual answers this question....