how bright are the daylight running lights?

[anon]

As soon as you turn on the engine, are the main headlights supposed to be nearly as bright as or much dimmer than when you turn the switch all the way up?

[Treyz]

Dimmer than stock, but bright enough that they are visible from far. So I would say nearly as bright.

[anon]

Thanks. I'm trying to determine if my headlights have a problem since I accidentally cut a related wire in the fuse box and reconnected it. Right now my headlights seem quite bright when the engine is on, and the dimmer switch only causes the brightness to go up slightly when turned up, but maybe that was always the case. If others can provide similar feedback then I can rest assured it's working fine.

[Treyz]

Wait what? The dimmer switch brightens up your headlights?

What were you installing that you cut the wire accidently?

[anon]

Wait what? The dimmer switch brightens up your headlights?

What were you installing that you cut the wire accidently?

Is the dimmer switch the thing that switches between low and high beam? Then sorry about the terminology, I meant the switch for the regular low beam. When I turn it up, the headlight doesn't get too much brighter.

I was installing a head unit with navigation and needed the speed sensor wire. One of the pictures shown by another user here pointed to the wrong wire which happened to be for the headlights.

[voodoo22]

Dimmer switch is used to control the brightness of the backlighting in the gauge cluster

[anon]

Dimmer switch is used to control the brightness of the backlighting in the gauge cluster

"...headlamp dimmer switch. The dimmer switch allows the driver to select either the low beams or the high beams."
http://searchchicago.suntimes.com/autos/news/letters/1016838,IS062208_letters.article

"If the dimmer switch is in the LOW position, current flows through the low-beam filament of the headlights. When the dimmer switch is in the HIGH position, current flows to the high beam headlights "
http://books.google.com/books?id=U4TBoJB2zgsC&pg=PA511&lpg=PA511&dq=%22dimmer+switch+is%22+headlight+beam&source=web&ots=MULRWmPPxk&sig=CmkMrmkFqKNVYSk60lUYkBOx3fA&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result

[anon]

Below says the daytime lights should use about half the voltage:

"Daytime Running Lights
...The system normally uses the vehicle's high-beam lights. The control circuit is connected directly to the vehicle's ignition switch so the lights are turned on whenever the vehicle is running. The circuit is equipped with module that reduces 12-volt battery voltage to approximately 6 volts. This voltage reduction allows the high beams to burn with less intensity... Applying the parking brake also deactivates the DRL system so the lights are not on when the vehicle is parked and the engine is running."

http://books.google.com/books?id=U4TBoJB2zgsC&pg=PA511&lpg=PA511&dq=%22dimmer+switch+is%22+headlight&source=web&ots=MULRWmPMpg&sig=tCMxh-_byqNpWn3LiG3INY29DGQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result

[IllusionX]

well, they are right and wrong.

Honda cars uses highbeam as DRL. so they run them on 6v so they do not blind people.

but our Yaris uses the lowbeam DRL, so they still run on 12v but limits the current so that the bulbs does not get full amperage.

[anon]

applying the parking brake in my Yaris does not turn off the DRL. Is this normal?

[Pars]

applying the parking brake in my Yaris does not turn off the DRL. Is this normal?

Once the DRL are on, you'll need to switch-off the car to stop em.

When starting-up the car, the DRL wont come on until you release the handbrakes.

Not sure about putting it into drive or gear with the handbrakes up (while engine is running). My guess, they'll still come on.

[IllusionX]

hehe anon: first time owner of a car with DRL ?

if so, i'm very surprised you did not question about the air bag first.