Turning off Daytime running lights

[DV52]

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Thank you both for your responses. Some very compelling logic indeed! Whilst I'm of a view that the tweak that I have posted will remain on my car, the tick on the "Daytime Running Light" entry (on the screen) will remain "on". I will do this in part for the reasons that you have both articulated, but mainly because I like the look of the DRLs as well. Of course others can take their own views on this matter.

[Diesel_vert]

Just because there is a provision to turn them off doesn't make it legal.

Broadly speaking, as far as road-registered vehicles driven on the public highway are concerned, that is how the regulations should be interpreted in general.

Also should you go for a roadworthy and the examiner is familiar with the model how are you going to explain they aren't working.

A possible solution would be to return the vehicle to its road-registerable state prior to inspection.

Should you have an accident and the other party says I didn't see the car but it should have had DRLs showing what will your insurance say.

Assuming the other party is at fault and is indisputable, causing a collision on account of not having seen one's vehicle, irrespective of whether it was equipped with DRLs or not, would still make them liable - otherwise it would set an undesirable precedent.

If DRLs were mandatory, I imagine the worst that would happen is for both parties to share liability, at no less than 50% for the other party for an absolute worst case scenario, IMO.

Of course, the logic behind DRLs is to make one's vehicle less inconspicuous, so depending on the circumstances, the likelihood of that hypothetical collision would have been reduced if one's vehicle were equipped with DRLs and were functioning at the time.

This was mentioned on here some time ago when someone asked a dealer to do it for them and the dealer refused for the reason I gave.

Volkswagen may deny a warranty claim if any unapproved modification is found to have caused or contributed to a fault. However, given the nature of this particular modification, the likelihood of that happening would be fairly remote I imagine.

The dealer is probably just protecting itself from any possibility of liability (no matter how remote), given that it's a modification which hasn't received manufacturer approval (for the Mk7 Golf in Australian markets).

Perhaps warranty may come into it if your car is non compliant.

Volkswagen should not deny any warranty claims based solely on the vehicle's roadworthiness.

For example, Volkswagen should deny a warranty claim for a damaged differential caused by mismatched tyres fitted on the same axle. The fact that fitting mismatched tyres on the same axle renders the vehicle unroadworthy is immaterial to Volkswagen.

[Snail Style]

Guys, not having DRLs won't cause failure of a RWC. I have my roadworthy license and DRLs are counted as additional lighting. Aslong as you have low beam, parkers and high beam then the vehicle is roadworthy, atleast in Victoria. Whether it meets ADR's still is a different story.

[Diesel_vert]

Guys, not having DRLs won't cause failure of a RWC.

In regards to vehicle standards, the presence of DRLs on motor vehicles is not mandatory in Australia, as per clause 8.14.1 in ADR 13 - so you are correct on that point.

However, clause 4.2 and 8 in ADR 13 states that if the lamp is fitted and/or installed, they must comply with the requirements listed in the standard. For DRLs, this refers to paragraph 6.19.7 of appendix A in ADR 13, which states:

The daytime running lamps shall be switched ON automatically when the device which starts and/or stops the engine is in a position which makes it possible for the engine to operate.

The daytime running lamp shall switch OFF automatically when the front fog lamps or headlamps are switched ON, except when the latter are used to give intermittent luminous warnings at short intervals.

Thus, if DRLs are fitted and/or installed and don't function as per above, then it does not comply with ADR 13 - which leads to the next point...

Aslong as you have low beam, parkers and high beam then the vehicle is roadworthy, atleast in Victoria. Whether it meets ADR's still is a different story.

In regards to vehicle safety and roadworthiness, most states will have the following clause written somewhere in the regulations:

If a third edition ADR applies to the design and construction of a vehicle, the vehicle must comply with the ADR.

So in the overall scheme of things, if a vehicle is to be road-registered, it is a requirement that it comply with the ADR.

[Snail Style]

Hmmm yeah didn't consider that point! But as most cops aren't even qualified to check for an oil leak, I think anyone with a good reason for this mod should be safe.

In any case it would only be cause for a minor defect so it would just mean turning them back on and going to get it inspected.

[DV52]

In regards to vehicle standards, the presence of DRLs on motor vehicles is not mandatory in Australia, as per clause 8.14.1 in ADR 13 - ......................................
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Diesel_vert: Wow - any superlative that I could use to describe your knowledge of the Australian Design Rules for Lighting would be grossly inadequate!! Very inpressive indeed. I hope that you're not the policeman that pulls me over if I ever have my DRLs off!

[Diesel_vert]

Hmmm yeah didn't consider that point!

If you think about it, I suppose it would be inconsistent and contradictory if a vehicle is considered to be road-registerable without simultaneously complying with the relevant vehicle standards.

But as most cops aren't even qualified to check for an oil leak, I think anyone with a good reason for this mod should be safe.

In any case it would only be cause for a minor defect so it would just mean turning them back on and going to get it inspected.

Exactly.

Wow - any superlative that I could use to describe your knowledge of the Australian Design Rules for Lighting would be grossly inadequate!! Very inpressive indeed. I hope that you're not the policeman that pulls me over if I ever have my DRLs off!

I guess I'm merely doing what any ordinary person could've done - which is to simply state what the rules are.

These rules can be found on websites of the relevant government authority, and are free to be viewed by members of the public with internet access and sufficient boredom.

In the interests of our members, I thought it best to highlight the relevant sections (most of which are self-explanatory), lest we start modifying cars under a false assumption or an incorrect understanding of the rules.

I care not what one does afterwards, as it's not my job to care. Enforcement of the rules is the responsibility of the police - not mine (so you need not worry, haha).

[bigtallbloke]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but thanks for the valuable info about DRL mods in VCDS. Just wondered if anyone had discovered an option to disable them when engine not running as opposed to parking brake active? Thanks.

[DV52]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but thanks for the valuable info about DRL mods in VCDS. Just wondered if anyone had discovered an option to disable them when engine not running as opposed to parking brake active? Thanks.

bigtallguy: hello and what a great question!

I assume that you have looked through the VCDS reference thread and that you have discounted the option of switching off the DRLs via the infotainment screen (i.e. you want an automatic method).

I don't have a definitive answer to your interesting question, but here's a suggestion that you might like to experiment-with:
Within the 73 x allowable settings for the "alpha" Leuchte channels is the command Klemme 15 mit Nachlauf bis Fahrzeugstillstand. My German language skills are atrocious, but according to the web-translators this command means something like " Terminal 15 with follow-up vehicle standstill" (I think).

You probably know that terminal 15 is ignition switch-on (with, or without engine-on), so the combination of this and vehicle standstill roughly equates to your requirement (I guess)

So (and again, this suggestion is entirely untested), if you include this command into the two Leuchte-sets for the left/right side DRLs - together with a Dimmwert setting of 0 and a dimming direction setting of minimum, the effect should be to extinguish the DRLs when the car is stationary (and the ignition is switched-on)

Don

[bigtallbloke]

Thanks Don, Yes, I did mean automatic. Due to work, I sit in the car with ignition on, so I was trying to avoid them being on then. I like having them on, but didn't want them to go off when sat in traffic with the parking brake on. It's no big deal, just a silly desirable.
I'll have a tinker when I get a minute and feed back.
Cheers, Mike