Wiring Driving Lights w/ DRL

Hi! Sorry, I don't have an Impreza, and the WRX was due out after I NEEDED to get a car... But I am the PROUD owner of a Legacy Wagon "L".

I've found an interesting quirk with the way Subaru has wired its daytime driving lights. When the headlights are on, there is no power sent to the highbeam. When the lights are turned off, however, reduced power is sent through the highbeams!

This creates a problem when trying to connect aux driving lights!

ANY SUGGESTIONS on how to get around this, and still allow for highbeam activiate driving lights?!?!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[webkris]

I would try to disable DRL altogether. There is a resistor pack in the engine bay - somewhere (Not sure on the Legacy's - but I'd be willing to bet money that it's the same as on the 02 Impreza's.) That reduces that voltage, and powers the daytime running lights.

If you do a search - and get pictures... Look for that.
Otherwise stop at the meet, or garage day sometime soon. We'll find it.
- Kris

[Fitz]

Kris wrote:

Otherwise stop at the meet, or garage day sometime soon. We'll find it.

"SNIP.. ok.. try it... nope.. wasn't that one.... SNIP... hmm.. give that shot... nope... what else can we cut?? .. I think those are the spark plug wires... SNIP... uh huh... yep.. spark plug wires... "

Just kidding Kris...

Fitz

[bsbg]

Like a good boy, I did a search and found my question, but no answer.

I installed some Hella 500's yesterday and had the same problem - almost. I disconnected the DRL's as soon as I got the car. When I installed the Hellas, they worked fine w/ the headlights on. However, with the headlights off, they were on all the time as "really bright DRL's" Plugging the connector back in seemed to cure the problem, *but* now when you start the car they driving lights come on w/ the DRL's. If you turn the headlights on and off, the driving lights go out. If you flash the high beams, the driving lights stay on.

Puzzling to say the least. Short of tearing the dash apart to tie in to the high bean indicator light, any ideas?

Thanks

[Amazake]

i may be way off
but for bsbg's problem i may have a solution

v6turbo and i were talking yesterday about my 130 w cibies due in any day now. i asked him how i could get the most options out of my driving lights.

i want: DRL's, an option to run LOW beams and driving lights, as well as HIGH beams and driving lights. since my lights are replacing the factory FOGS, we figured i ( or better yet someone who knows what the hell they are doing ) could add a 12v relay switch that runs the driving lights through the factory FOG switch

and then do the mod that allows the HIGH to run with the FOGS which would now be my driving lights

DRL's only

LOW with driving lights via the fog switch

High with driving lights via the mod that allows both High and FOGS

if this is not possible @ all let me know. hopefully all 3 of us can get our questions answered together and maybe get some advice/help from our locals!!!


thanks and i hope this helps somewhat

[Amazake]

bump

i hope someone here can guide us with this

thanks

[Snowphun]

hnd-kla - I've got Hella 500 driving lights instead of the stock fogs. Since they're 55w I used the stock wiring, no problems there (just had to make some small spades to plug into the harness). Now my Hella's are only on with my lows, assuming the switch is on. Not good. Assuming someone can find a wire near the fog switch that gets current when the high beams are on, I could fix this easily to work the way it should - Hella's only with high's, with fog switch on. I've had no luck with this.

The problem I think you'll find with all the options you want below: you need to be able to turn those bright lights off quickly when surprised by oncoming traffic. That's why it's important to tie them into the high beams. If they go off, so do the Hella's. If you do it some other way, you'll likely be needing to turn off the highs, then fumble for the fog switch.

I'd like to keep my DRL as well. They don't bother me enough to remove them.

Anyone have the wiring diagrams for these systems?

Paul

[Amazake]

bump!!

thanks bsbg ( answered same question i posted on another forum ) and snowphun. high beams it is!!

can anyone help these guys out still?

thanks

[alfriedesq]

BUMP - having same exact problem - DAMM subabru !!!

[Jack ffr1846]

Ok, I have the answer for you. I first had to get around this with a Blazer. One of the first things that I do when I buy a car is re-arrange the lighting so that when the high beams come on, it activates also the low beams and fog lights. DRL makes this much more difficult because the high beams come on all the time. Here's what you need to do.

1 Relay is used that is activated when the high beams come on. This means connect the + and - of the coil across one high beam. This "MAY" click on that relay with DRL, but it does not matter. Now, since DRL does NOT turn on the running lights, connect a 2nd relay coil from a running light to ground. This acts as a blocking relay. Now connect power to one relay switch (fused) and connect the other side of that switch to the 2nd relay. Connect the output of the 2nd relay to the light that you want to activate. If you do like I do and activate the lows and the fogs, then you want to add either diodes or additional relays between this relay and the lights to avoid back feeding other lights (fogs from the lows). I always make the fuse, mentioned above, really easy to get to and pull it when I go for state inspection. Mass says you can only have 4 light bulbs on at one time....legally. This is a piece of cake compared to the Blazer, where I had done this work and also had an extra pair of fogs and an extra pair of driving lights (yes, I melted things in front of me) along with the interrupt/switchover relays for a plow hookup (ugh!). If you're a EE, you'll look at the explanation above and have no problem with it......if it looks difficult, you might want to diagram it out or get some help. I have to do this on our new Outback Wagon and I'm not looking forward to it.

jack