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Aftermarket DRL Brightness

Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2015 10:57 am
by Trouble
Hey All,

I've had some aftermarket DRL type LED projectors installed on my RA.

I was wondering how i would go about increasing the brightness of the LEDS?

They're currently switched on for the parking lights + w/ the headlights - and i understand they're meant to be dimmed with the headlights - but i was wondering if i could maybe have them brighter when the headlights aren't on?

Photo:

Image


This photo kinda is misleading as they seem brighter here than real life

Cheers

*flame*

Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2015 11:58 am
by Lancer1993
Not sure if you can make them brighter without damaging them or shortening their life.
I think they look bright enough already but it's always hard to tell in a photo.

Rules/laws on DRLs are a little foggy to say the least.

On the one hand your's could be considered after market which mean the DRLs are meant to go out when the head lights come on but being part of the main light cluster you can argue they only need to be dimmed.

That said I have some stock looking DRLs on my VRX and they came with a controller that only dims them when the headlights are on, which I like.
Image

I think either way you'd be unlucky to be pulled over now for running DRLs with or without headlights given a lot more new cars now come with them stock, which was not the car just a few years ago.

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 8:17 pm
by Trouble
Yeah the photo is very misleading

ie during the day you cannot even see that they are on compared to the audi ones which are bright during the day

i believe they must be dimmed due to the fact theyre on when the main headlights are on - was just wondering if there was a way to increase the brightness for when only the parking light mode is on

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 9:19 pm
by Lancer1993
I have the same issue with mine, the photo I posted above is misleading, it was late in the day and in the garage. With full sun shining on them they are hard to see but I guess that's the point, they are meant to help see the car in less than ideal conditions.

Not sure if there is much that can be done without shortening their life span.

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 8:26 am
by Shaun Patterson
yeah cant really make them brighter, they usually run at max brightnes anyway and i dont think yours are LED, i think they are ccfl

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 3:42 pm
by Bigdamos
I think what you would need to do is actually change the LED that runs in the light tube. From what I have heard those headlights have an LED at each end that runs through the light tube which gives it that shape. So you would have to crack open the headlights and change the LED to a higher output version.

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 1:49 pm
by Trouble
Bigdamos wrote:I think what you would need to do is actually change the LED that runs in the light tube. From what I have heard those headlights have an LED at each end that runs through the light tube which gives it that shape. So you would have to crack open the headlights and change the LED to a higher output version.


Yeah i thought that might be the case - sounds like its not happening haha

Was hoping it would be some easily changeable bulb or something

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 4:50 pm
by Bigdamos
I was thinking of getting the exact same headlights but from what I heard about the LED strip I decided against it. Do you by any chance have any shots of what the output of the projectors is? Like a shot of your lights on facing a wall. If not don't worry about it.

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 5:54 pm
by Mark14
I have the same headlights and these photos were taken on a cloudy day too
Image

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 5:59 pm
by Mark14
Although, they are decently bright during the night, its only if there's light that they're dim

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 7:40 pm
by Trouble
Mark14 wrote:Although, they are decently bright during the night, its only if theres light that theyre dim


Yeah during day theyre non existant - but then i see the audi's with a similar bent strip that just dominate

Obviously a price difference - but just if its a lot of effort then not worth it i guess

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:25 pm
by Lancer1993
Yeah is the photo is correct I'd be a little disappointed.

Sometimes with mine it's hard to tell if they are on in direct light.

Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2015 8:25 pm
by troyc4
Mark14 wrote:I have the same headlights and these photos were taken on a cloudy day too [img:2d954a4677]http://www.clubcj.net/img/images/1435650812_BeforeandAfter.jpg[/img:2d954a4677]
Mark14 wrote:I have the same headlights and these photos were taken on a cloudy day too [img:2d954a4677]http://www.clubcj.net/img/images/1435650812_BeforeandAfter.jpg[/img:2d954a4677]



This looks nothing like the Audi strength, what a shame - I was gonna pick some up from ctautoparts.com but unsure after this. Anyone found a fix to this yet?