help please (daytime running lights)
hi everyone so basically i put a strip of led's under the headlights in the vy today like is popular these days but i got pulled over because of them tonight. The cops were good about it and admitted they weren't exactly sure but are they legal. I was under the impression that they were because the E2 hsv's have them and audi have had them a few years but does anyone know where i can find out in black and white because i've had no luck. thanks
i've added a pic of someone elses as an example of wat i'm talking about
Too the best of my knowledge they are legal as long as they are white LED's and not any other colour...that being in Vic had some on my car for a few months and have never been hasseled...
Banned
they aren't illegal is the best way of looking at the situation.
Im not sure tbh as to if they are illegal or not, but I do know you can not use the 'but the E2 HSV's have them' as a reason as to why they are legal. As they are standard on the HSV's and your car didnt come out of the factory like that it makes the rules different im pretty sure.
Well the Audis had a V10 as well, does that mean we can drop one into a commodore too? Whenever i see a car coming with LEDs up the road, I think of a vs ute with aerials and cat mudflaps and checkerplate sideskirts lol
Donating Member
I was sitting in my car waiting for my wife, had the engine running and lights on when a motorcycle cop pulled up in front of me to go into subway but first he came up to me and informed me that the led strip lights I have on the front are illegal. I politely asked why and he said the vehicle didn't originally come out with them. They can be used as daytime running lights but must turn off when the headlights come on, so now I have to figure out how to do that. What about all those trucks covered in LEDs and lit up like a Christmas tree.
MY RIDE
I thought I was wrong once but I was mistaken.
★★★★★
Same as the above post, im sure they have to switch off when your headlights come on like the day/night feature on the E2's
Site Administrator
Easy fix, they are pointless on a HSV and pointless on your car. Remove them and you won't have any problems.
Selling FG G6E Turbo and buying a N/A Supra
we like the bun
DRLs are defined in the ADRs, based on a range of technical performance parameters that are basically impossible to work out without expensive testing. to the average person, it is impractical to tell whether a light qualifies as a DRL or not. good luck with that.
go in Luxury
yeh spot on Jules.
Also yes, the excuse "VE's have them" doesn't work as anything on a VZ is an after market addition and I assume would be dealt with in this fashion.
Same as idiots who put the illegal LED washer jets on their bonnets, or blue/red/whatever LED parker lights.
Banned
If you're going to go the whole ADR argument, then ANYTHING that is added to the car after it leaves the factory is technically ILLEGAL.
In fact you can take it one step further and say that if the car is changed at all once it leaves the factory, then it's illegally modified.
If they are illegal why can trucks run a thousand of them and they dont seem to have any worries?
It also puzzles me that people modify their cars ( which seems to be mostly what this forum is for) to their own tastes and some people on here call them idiot's or some other derogatory names.
Obviously every ones tastes are different but does that make them idiots for not liking the same things as the name callers.
Your freedom ends where mine begins
lol... steve steve steve....
Lambo's sit about 5cm off the ground and they are legal while you're not allowed to lower other vehicles to sit less than 10cm off the ground.
And trucks are not cars, different rules apply to each.
This is the same situation with HID's. It's technically illegal to install HID headlights on a vehicle that does not have them factory.
Banned
And you'd be stupid to install them in a reflector headlight and without self levelling. They just end up blinding oncoming traffic.Originally Posted by Jesterarts
go in Luxury
Jester, that's right - unless it has self levelling and headlight washers because that's what the ADR outlines as being the requirement.
CSP, some after market parts have been ADR tested and complied for the part itself to be fitted in a specific way, like Thule roof pods for example, but most aren't because of the cost of having the testing done, its just not economically viable for the company to do it, sometimes the Government prices itself out of safety. This is where the issue becomes apparent. Then again, there are parts like Altezza lights people can buy from Autobarn which would never meet any ADR to begin with.
Volvo for instance have the worlds safest child seat restraint system fitted to ALL their current cars called "isofix" which uses a rail in the seat base as a firm anchorage point, but they cant use it. So do Subaru, exact same system, but they can use it. Suby paid for the testing to be done in Australia for their cars, and it passed, so they can sell Isofix child seats as a genuine accessory. Volvo can't see the cost of testing being worth while - they wont really sell enough child seats to cover the cost of the ADR compliance, plus make a profit. So they choose NOT to have the testing done, which means they can't sell Isofix child seats.
Its not illegal to sell the part just because it doesnt pass an ADR test, but it can be to fit and thats why so many people come unstuck. Its only an ethical obligation to warn the purchaser the part may be illegal to fit and use, but its not legal binding. You can even ask the bloke at Autobarn or Repco "can I fit it and not have any issues", apart from maybe not knowing he's also not obliged to say anything else and people come unstuck because they think if a large retail store like that can stock it on their shelf then surely its legal.
Steve, what do you think of someone when you pass their car with bright blue window washer nozzles, or red LED parker lights, or undercar neons? They look cool yes, but their not legal. Now I reflect I suppose my comment was a bit harsh, I'll retract it - to me their not idiots, their uneducated modifiers, some of who become quite upset when the police then educate them, and I can dig up some threads from this forum if needed to highlight this point.
Ultimately the owner of the car is responsible for ensuring any modification is still legal, which is why the OP is now asking the question because he's been made aware of the situation that perhaps fitting the DRL's is against the law, could make his car a defect, and should he have an accident may even void his insurance. Sure, the police were also unsure, but I'm pretty sure you'll find if they really delved into it like we are now their judgement would be they are illegal due to the reasons stated, to be a DRL they must deactivate with the headlights switched on.
Ignorance ie "I didn't know" is an excuse, but not a reason when modifying a car, and there's enough resources online now such as this and other forums, to help anyone out. I know at some point in the future someone else will learn from this thread about VZ DRL.
I'm currently fitting some Hella DuraLED DRLs to my car - I've been reading the ADRs to make sure what I do is legal so here's my take on this:
To be legal you lights have to be an ADR compliant device (the document seams to exempt the testing at this stage, but the installation requirements still have to be met.) and installed such that they come on with the ignition and go off when your headlights come on.
The easiest way is to buy an approved retrofit unit (the ones I've used are intended for HCVs but they're still compliant for cars and fit very nicely behind the black inserts in the non-fog light equipped bumper) - mine came with 4 wires, power, ground, positive switching, negative switch. To install you wire up the power to an ACC power source and the posative switch to a headlight or park light feed (ignore the negative switch, this is only for positive earth vehicles) and you're done and compliant.
Because DRLs aren't required I don't see why you cant have an override switch to manually shut them off (i will), and I'm considering wiring them up to be able to be switched on as fog lights with a separate switch since they're plenty bright enough.
Have a read of this if you need to check the legalities for yourself:
The last one is probably most useful (see page 89) - You could either wire the strips up as DRLs or link them to the high beams and call them driving lamps.
ADR index Third Edition Australian Design Rules
ADR 76 (DRLs)
ADR Installation requirements http://www.comlaw.gov.au/comlaw/mana...8?OpenDocument
difference being, the lights you refer to on trucks are clearance lights. They aren't fitted to the headlights.
There is no limitations on how many can be fitted, as long as they are fitted in pairs.
as per the vehicle safety standards (Qld)
Any vehicle over 1.8m in width MAY have 'clearance lights' fitted (vehicles under 1.8m wide cannot have clearance lights fitted)
any vehicle at least 2.2m wide MUST have clearance lights fitted or a prime mover.
however the lights can only be white or yellow and no more than 7 watts
Last edited by Darren_L; 07-09-2010 at 08:52 PM.
Its very easy and cheap to make the running lights go off when the headlights come on.
Just grab a 12v relay, using the wire going to the headlights as the power for the coil.
Use the normally closed contact to power the day running lights.
I can give you more information if you'd like
crewing.
could you possibly message me some more info on your above reply? If its alright.. Because i'm probably going to do my lights the way u've suggested
cheers
VK Madman
OP Its simple
Step 1 - Ring an automotive engineer near wherre you live.
Step 2 - Tell him what you have done and ask him what the chances are of getting it engineered and how much it will cost.
Step 3 - If he hasnt hung up on you take it to him and get it engineered
Step 4 - Drive around to your hearts content with them on and if you get pulled over show the cops the engineers certificate.
This way the car modifications are certified that your car passes ADR requirements. Technically if you dont and someone has a head on accident with you they can say your lights dazzeled them and caused the accident, you will be held accountable for it your insurance will be null and void and you will be royally screwed. couple of hunderd $$ at an automotive engineer will be money well spent
Scott
Loads of VB-VK information, All you need to know about EFI 5L Conversions Ultimate EFI 5L Conversion resource "
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booosted
km5,
something i have made up a while ago, except this is to make your front parkers switch off when low beams activate (same principle). only thing different is wiring colours may vary between models. also terminal "86" would be wired to the negative trigger on the low beam circuit. I can revise the diagram if you need
Power is measured in DECIBEL
Moderator Puppeh
Legal or not.. in 90% of cases they look like #### anyway.
go
there not illegal, our company has been fitting them to ambulance, police, hazmat, rta vehilces for a while now.
as long as they turn off when the parker comes on, which can be done with a simple relay setup...
also most quality branded ones have it in built, they come with 3 wires for IGN, earth and parkers,
the ones i installed on my sisters astra only dim at night, but they look factory
Yes cheers if you could StreetWagonkm5,
something i have made up a while ago, except this is to make your front parkers switch off when low beams activate (same principle). only thing different is wiring colours may vary between models. also terminal "86" would be wired to the negative trigger on the low beam circuit. I can revise the diagram if you need
Make the stupid stop!
Your location says London. So are you fitting them to emergency vehicles in the UK?
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