MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

TR parts and Triumph parts, TR bits, Triumph Car Spares and accessories are available for TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8, Spitfire and Stag and other TR models are available from British car spares and parts company LBCarCo.

Triumph TR6 - Day Time Running Lights

For safety reasons I will be installing a day-time running light kit. I found a very neat little kit at Princes Auto called DAY-LIGHTS made by http://www.rallymfg.com/V1/index.php
The kit only costs $15.00 and it must be available at parts stores in the US. Could even be available at CDN Tire. Comes with relay, all wiring with pre-molded plug (into relay) and instructions.
Will be a winter project for me.
Rick C
I bet Chris installs one.
Rick Crawford

Rick- If you haven't done this yet,hold off. There is a neat headlight kit that has them built into the unit.
Don
DON KELLY

Don
I think I know what you are talking about. On e-bay Triumph stuff are Xenon replacement units with a built in daytime light. This would still require a relay to turn them on. Is this what you are talking about? If not, 'splane to me lad.
Rick
PS I have already bought the unit but it can go back.

Rick Crawford

Don't know if they are zenon, just that they have a 2nd bulb in the unit for daytime.
Don
DON KELLY

Rick,

Is it a good idea daytime running lights? I have lived in foreign contries and it is non-existent there, desite the fact that there is far more population by miles. My second resistance to that is the more stress it will give to the poor extremly "bullet proof" Lucas charging system.

Cheers,

JGC
J. G. Catford

That is why Lucas is not allowed in my car.
DON KELLY

Please keep us posted. I intend on installing driving lights on my car(s) as well. I have recently been extremely close to a head on collision at highway speed. Idiot drivers in a hurray on fast highways have been conditioned to watch for driving lights rather than other cars especially when passing. Without my headlights on I now feel invisible.

dave
David B

Rick, what's wrong with turning on your lights when you get in and turning them off when you get out?
Chris
Christopher Trace

Hey, some of us are getting up in years here and we forget to turn them off.
DON KELLY

Chris

UMMMM...like Don said.
Thanks for reminding me Don:)
That is why I only turn on the parking lights now. Have forgotten to turn them off many times.
Don here is what you are talking about.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/7-IN-H4-CONVERSION-KIT-UNIVERSAL-EURO-ROUND-HEADLIGHTS_W0QQitemZ290027983765QQihZ019QQcategoryZ33710QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Not sure how bright that city light part is.. I must admit, I am not to excited about the idea of my headlights on all the time. I do have Lucas in my car. Circuit is on its own fuse though. Do not want to add driving lights either.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Looks likeit,can't tell what they are using as a running light.
DON KELLY

Having had daytime running lights on our vehicles for the last 8 years, and listening to the controversy about their effectiveness, I was really interested to find a paper through the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) website on this very subject.

They estimate that DRL's resulted in a 5% reduction in opposite direction fatal crashes, a 5% reduction in opposite direction/ angle fatal crashes, a 12% reduction in non-motorist, pedestrian, cyclist fatal crashes, and 23% reduction in opposite direction motorcylist fatal crashes. The word "fatal" bothers me!

The link to this paper is: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/Rpts/2004/809-760/images/AssessmentofDRLs.pdf

To me these are significant reductions, especially when we consider the age and crashworthiness of our favorite rides.

And as an avid bicyclist, I can assure you, after riding in the U.S. where DRL's are not mandatory, I sure appreciate the fact that they are here in Canada when I'm out on my other favorite ride.

SID
Sid Turner

Sid
DRLs are comming into the US now.
I wounder what the numbers are in just plain avoided accidents.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

By Oregon law, you either have your head lights on or not. Running with just parking lights or driving lights is illegal. (but it not enforced)
Also, I can think of two distinct times I almost passed another car when I thought the on comming car was farther away than it apeared with it's driving lights on or when I thought the oncoming car was parked along the side of the road with thier parking lights on.
Personally, I think the styling concept was thought up by that Chinees stylist Gu fy.
skikir

To me DRLs are like seat belts. They are proven to save lives.
Our cars are small. We need all the help we can get being seen.

Where I live, every weekend, we have the "cidyiots" come up from Toronto. They still think they are in the city and drive like...well...idiots.

Rick C
Rick Crawford

Rick C...That looks a good buy. Alternatively, the H4 conversion is great for the ability to add a halogen headlamp bulb, but IMO the smaller light is useless as a DRL. It is intended as a parking light - 5 watt or so, so not easily visible in daylight and the diffusion makes it less so.

Volvo has had DRL's on many models that are on/off with the ignition circuit. These are much brighter than the parking lights and use a dual filament 21w/5w but are behind a white diffuser, not in the headlamp reflector.

When we are travelling out of the city in all cars, we travel with headlights on low beam during the day. The practice is actively encouraged by our Road Traffic Authority and the are road signs and occasional TV ad campaigns to promote it. I have no doubt it will have saved lives, but statistics of this are impossible.

A cheap headlight warning buzzer in the light circuit under the dash will save the battery if lights are accidentally left on - I turn mine on in the TR if I'm in the country or feeling vulnerable (going fast!) in the city....

That said, I might also get a similar kit and locate them behind the front grille. Could you please post some feedback as to the quality of the kit you've bought? - while it looks good, web pics can be a misleading.

Cheers
Roger

P.S. I'm sick of the Chinese crap that is becoming more accepted simply because the volume of stuff available at next to nothing is dominating the stores here.
Roger H

Rick- Check Daniel Stern's website. See if he shows em w/ a more powerful bulb.
DON KELLY

Don
Interesting WEB site. Did not see anything about DRLs. Did see a lot about using relays. Daniel definitely promotes relays in head light systems. He has a lot of driving and fog light systems using relays.

Roger
I currently have seal beam Halogens and like them. It is DRLs I want. I also question that smaller bulb as being bright enough. Have sent question to the e-bay seller.

The Kit is quite acceptable. 18GA wire, good instructions. Will flicker some pics next post.
FYI Canada has had mandatory DRL on ALL cars since 1993.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Rick - You mean "on all NEW cars since 1993". Older cars are not required to retrofit them but I see your reasons for wanting to have them. All I plan to do is run with my headlights on during daytime driving. Following you on Sunday, I saw your red tailights on so I knew you had your lights on. Were your headlights or only your parking lights on ?

I have been running with halogen bulbs in my tail lights for about 12 years now. These gige about double the output as the original tailings and for the brake lights, they are about 3 times as bright. On my TR3A, it must be hard for someone following me at night to see me.

Don Elliott
Don Elliott

Don
OOPS you are correct. Did not spell it out fully:)
Yes I had my head lights on. That was a very cool drive back up north (in both senses:)
I am starting to lean towards having the parking/marker lights attached to the relay for DRLs. I question the brightness of the front parks and you mention Halogen. Where can I find them in the Toronto area if you know please? Can you get them in the 1157 bulb (double filament)? I think standard 1157s are 12/5 watts. 5 watts is too low. Would not work to reverse the 2 bulbs wires.

Rick C
Rick Crawford

"The word "fatal" bothers me!"

Then perhaps you should reconsider the risks you are exposing yourself to by driving around in a 30 year old convertible. In any conceivable serious accident you are dead meat on a stick.

Putting DRL's on a TR6 is like rubbing sunscreen on your body in a burning house. Buy a Hyundai Colitis, you'll be safer. Even without DRL's...
Tom Marincic

TOM TOm Tommm Putting DRL's on a 6 is to keep you from being "meat on a stick"
DON KELLY

Here's a picture of my Babe Magnet. As you can see I have my headlights on for safety. As you can also see I've forgotten to turn them off.


http://www.ahcm.ca/Galleries/FallColours05/temp/target12.html
Don Ho

Don
Nice lookin' magnet!
Sounds like you need a no brain-er reminder like me... a full automatic system where I am not involved in having to remember to do something X numbers of hours from now:)

Tom, Gotta agree with Mr. Kelly. We all know what the results of a serious accident in a TR6 means to our good health. The purpose of DRLs is to HELP avoid that accident by making my TR6 a little bit more visible. Would you drive a motorcycle without its headlight on? Same purpose.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

I can't imagine anyone forgetting to turn off the headlights when they leave the car. I'm 66, and I've never ....What were we talking about?

Here's an interesting and simple "headlights on" warning scheme. It requires only a buzzer, some wire, and a door jamb switch. The buzzer will sound only if you open the door with the headlights or parking lights on. Sometimes, you will want to have the headlights and/or parking lights on without the engine running and you don't want to be annoyed by a constant buzzing. Unless you're in the habit of exiting by climbing over the door, you'll get a warning as you leave the car if you've left the lights on.

Simplicity: Add a new door jamb switch and run the grounding wire from it to the negative post of the buzzer(any 12 volt buzzer will do, just pick one you like the sound of). From the buzzer positive, run a wire to the nearest or most convenient red wire (red wires are for the parking lights).

That's it! The buzzer will now sound if you have the parking lights on (which you will have if you have the headlights on) and you open the door. No need to fuse the circuit, as the red wires are already fused.
Dan Masters

Thanks Dan. Very intersting.
Rick Crawford

oops not finished.
I already have a buzzer. the ignition buzzer that I have disconnected. Hate the sound but can live with it to warn me that I left the lights on.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

This thread was discussed between 14/09/2006 and 02/10/2006

Triumph TR6 index