Canyon Driving Lights...[aka daytime]

[ronin]

**Anyone with Lotus Driving Lights. If you would like to take control of these little beauties and use them as you like AKA daytime runing lights, great in canyons or just to be seen.....This is what I've done...Locate Driving light relay under dash center, remove relay, remove philips head screw holding relay socket and locate High Beam triger wire [Blue with "small black stripe"]. Cut triger wire 3" from socket and butt splice a wire from Relay socket to" Fuse C3 Audio" in also under dash. Don't forget to tape off old triger wire. Now cut and butt splice between "Yellow and Green stripe" wire going to C3 Audio in fuse.There you go now you have control of your Driving Lights...PS they will turn off when the key is removed......now they can see you coming because you know they watched you leave,,,,,,Do it if you want. You don't need the blessings of know it alls..

[MattG]

Good info, thanks! How bright are they, though? Do you think it's likely to be an issue driving around town at night (ie, too bright for fulltime use)? Are you able to turn off the driving lights and run with just low beams if needed (there's a separate switch for them, right?)?

[Arno]

Interesting idea..

Driving around with your high beams on all the time (which is what the driving lights are: auxilliary high beams)

Would be a highly illegal modification on this side of the pond though.

Bye, Arno.

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by MattG

How bright are they, though? Do you think it's likely to be an issue driving around town at night (ie, too bright for fulltime use)?

They are very bright. The Lotus Driving Lights are not the normal "fog lights" on most cars. They are very bright auxiliary high beams. You definitely cannot drive around at night with them on.

You might annoy people driving around in the daylight with them...

[Dave]

Originally Posted by TimMullen

You might annoy people driving around in the daylight with them...

Gee, it takes more than some lights to get me annoyed, but that's just me. If seeing running lights during the day pushes someones button, then counseling is in order. Anything that gets me noticed to other drivers I consider a good thing.

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by Dave

Anything that gets me noticed to other drivers I consider a good thing.

And some people have the attitude that "No one else matters but me".

Personally, I get a bit annoyed when the SUV behind me has his brights on during the daylight and I have to flip the mirror to the night setting (and I can't see anything else in the mirror). I try not to do thing's that annoy other drivers if I can help it.

I do have high quality fog lights installed on my black Miata to function as DRLs. They make me more visible in the daylight and don't blind people with the glare - day or night. But I don't drive around with my high beams on with other drivers around...

[Dave]

Originally Posted by TimMullen

And some people have the attitude that "No one else matters but me".

Personally, I get a bit annoyed when the SUV behind me has his brights on during the daylight and I have to flip the mirror to the night setting (and I can't see anything else in the mirror). I try not to do thing's that annoy other drivers if I can help it.

I do have high quality fog lights installed on my black Miata to function as DRLs. They make me more visible in the daylight and don't blind people with the glare - day or night. But I don't drive around with my high beams on with other drivers around...

Hey, I gotta know...have you ever made a post without the before? Why are you always so confused Mr Mullin? 'I have high quality fog lights for DRLs' - you're killing me man!

[JnC]

Originally Posted by Dave

If seeing running lights during the day pushes someones button, then counseling is in order.

Saturn DRL's used to piss me off. Fortunately most have migrated to the junkyard by now.

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by Dave

Hey, I gotta know...have you ever made a post without the before? Why are you always so confused Mr Mullin? 'I have high quality fog lights for DRLs' - you're killing me man!

Yea. I use to denote "whatever". Kind of like when I would shrug my shoulders in real life. It could be one way or the other.

And my name is Mullen...

[ChrisB]

Originally Posted by JnC

Saturn DRL's used to piss me off. Fortunately most have migrated to the junkyard by now.

They pissed off a lot of people, including the NHTSA who fined GM and made them recall the Saturns and a couple other brands where they just used the high beams as DRLs. The NHTSA considered it unsafe, though I just found them an annoyance.

[ChrisB]

Originally Posted by ronin

Who really gives a crap if the NHTSA recalled a Saturn. This was a post for Lotus Elise owners. If you don't want to do it don't...It's your car, oh yea if I leave it stock than maybe one day I can get more on trade in. What a freekin joke who gives a ----. They will see me coming and the'll watch me leave, right.

Apparently JnC did. If you don't, there's no need there's no need to be rude, just ignore it.

As just an honest question, not judgemental, why the driving lights instead of just using your headlights?

[GaryD]

Originally Posted by TimMullen

AI do have high quality fog lights installed on my black Miata to function as DRLs. .

On that note - anyone know if there are Lotus fog lights instead of driving lights for this kit? I would rather have fogs and would get more use out if them since I rarely get to use high beams. I like to see the deer on the side of some of the back roads...

[MattG]

Originally Posted by ronin

Who really gives a crap if the NHTSA recalled a Saturn. This was a post for Lotus Elise owners. If you don't want to do it don't...It's your car, oh yea if I leave it stock than maybe one day I can get more on trade in. What a freekin joke who gives a ----. They will see me coming and the'll watch me leave, right.

I think the NHTSA information is useful, as it shed some insight as to how the rest of society may view a vehicle with high beams as DRLs.

[ronin]

Do It if you want, if not don't

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by GaryD

On that note - anyone know if there are Lotus fog lights instead of driving lights for this kit?

Not that I know of...

You could always install your own fog lights if that is desired. I have Hella Micro DEs installed on my Miata and recommend them. They are extremely small and you put out a very well controlled fog light pattern. They have magnesium housings to withstand the trapped heat caused from the very small size.

But I like my Lotus Driving Lights for use with my high beams - when I turn them on while driving a back road, they really light things up.

[GaryD]

Originally Posted by TimMullen

I have Hella Micro DEs installed on my Miata and recommend them. They are extremely small and you put out a very well controlled fog light pattern. They have magnesium housings to withstand the trapped heat caused from the very small size.
.

Tim - Are they a similar size to the Lotus lights? or do you think they will look too small in the opening left by the smaller grill?

[ronin]

Originally Posted by GaryD

Tim - Are they a similar size to the Lotus lights? or do you think they will look too small in the opening left by the smaller grill?

Hey GaryD don't Mickey Mouse you Elise..the factory kit is easy to install if you are pre wired....It comes with new grill & switch panel..

[raggedy1]

I'd run with my headlights (low beams) on even during the day. I figure with such a little car I want to be seen!

Why doesn't Lotus offer true DRLs? Like other cars, the high beam may be used, but they only run at something like 50% so they aren't annoying anyone during the day. My Highlander has them and I think they're great.

Funny to hear about the recall on those older Saturns. I remember seeing them around thinking, "Why The F--- are those DRLs so Freakin' bright!" I guess GM wasn't running the high beams at a lower wattage for DRLs???

[pianomaniac]

Originally Posted by ronin

Hey Tim don't Mickey Mouse you Elise..the factory kit is easy to install if you are pre wired....It comes with new grill & switch panel..

Don't want to hijack this thread, but I've been gone for two weeks..........good to see you back, Frank.

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by GaryD

Tim - Are they a similar size to the Lotus lights? or do you think they will look too small in the opening left by the smaller grill?

No, the Hella Micro DE fog lights (at the bottom of the page) are about half the size of the Lotus Driving Lights, that's why I used them on the Miata - they are very small and blend into the grill opening when not in use. The DEs are 2.61 inches in diameter (3.5 inches wide at the bracket) and 5.5 inches long (although that shouldn't matter). They also make a very expensive HID driving light version of the DEs too, but the fog light version is priced around $125 with another $25 or so for the wiring harness and switch (the switch is a small button on a surface mount stick on unit that could be placed under the dash or something along those lines).

If you really want the fog lights, you could possibly mount the DEs into the existing grill without changing to the driving light grill. But I have no idea for sure...

Originally Posted by ronin

Hey Tim don't Mickey Mouse you Elise..the factory kit is easy to install if you are pre wired....It comes with new grill & switch panel..

I know. I don't Micky Mouse any of my cars. I installed the Lotus Driving Lights in my Elise last summer. All cars are pre-wired for the lights, later cars add the wiring for the switch. This link shows how to install the Factory Driving Light kit.

But the question was how to install fog lights to use as DRLs instead of the Lotus Driving Lights. For that, I'd recommend the Hella Micro DE fog lights. I have them installed on my black Miata for visibility, but for the Elise, I figure that if people can't see my florescent orange Elise, then fog light DRLs isn't going to help... If I'm really worried about visibility, then I turn on the low beam headlights.

But I didn't mount fog lights on my Elise - I really like the Driving Lights at night with the high beam on.