I have read so many euro light threads lately, trying to decide if I can afford it or not.... what are city lights? people talk about getting them wired properly, and IDK what they even are.

If it's Daytime Running Lights, is it possible NOT to wire them up? I refuse to drive something where the lights are on all the time (if it's mine, anyway) - I'm not interested in the extra wear and tear on my bulb life and alternator.

But... tirade about DRL aside, what are city lights?

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

Small low-wattage bulbs in the headlamp reflector. When they are on and headlamps off, gives the lights a soft golden-white glow, european thing.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I always drive with my low beams on in the daytime. bulbs are cheaper than replacing the car due to somebody not seeing me.
insurance companies give discounts if the car has daytime running lights too... I understand your aversion to the wear and tear, but the plusses do outweigh the minuses.
John

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Personally, I think DRLs look silly. I'm in the process of trying to get rid of the daytime headlight on my bike (without hacking up the wiring too much), I'll probably have to buy a set of euro controls that include a on/off switch.

hmm, on motorcycles, I think the headlight is part of the charging system, without it I don't think the alternator will work... that could be old tech though.
John
it is also LAW in most states to have headlight on while driving a motorcycle...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Not on mine, I have a generator not an alternator, and the non-U.S. versions of my bike have a switch to turn off the silly headlight when the sun is out. The euro version of the switch is usually available for a few $100, on of these days I need to find one and order it.

Can you mount a remote toggle switch to it?

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

On the other hand, there's a reason that manufacturers have all killed off the daytime running lights, right? And the government never mandated it. Figure out for yourself whether the evidence of their safety is really all that good. I hate 'em.

Cheers, John

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'98 E300TD (W210) | Sold 6/09 with 205k and counting
'04 VW Touareg V10TDI

Sure, but I want the correct switch installed. It's just a matter of tracking one down and ordering it.

Daytime headlights save lives. Why do school buses always have lights on (by law) when carrying passengers? Being seen better helps prevent accidents. I'd rather buy a bunch of alternators in the lifetime of a car than get hit once by somebody who didn't see me. Check out accident statistics in Scandinavian countries when they mandated daytime lights.
Steve

If it makes you feel better you should keep your lights on, I'll pass.

BTW, why don't school busses have seat belts if they're so concerned about safety?

^^^^^^You are talking about logic reason and accountability
and consistency with respect to Governmental regulations?


bwahahaahahahhahahaha

Mercedes in the 1980's came from the factory in Germany with fire extinguishers, a trunk warning reflective triangles ("Warndreieck"), European headlights that were 60% brighter than US DOT ones and with a better beam pattern, and a First Aid kit.

But the D.O.T. in its infinite wisdom, declared all those awful things illegal, and they had to be junked before you could import and register a gray market Mercedes in the USA.


I ask you.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

yep, and they're legal at night in well lit cities in Europe...don't have to run the main running lights, which IMO is not a good policy as the city lights are just too dim. Comes up on various written tests for national licenses.

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1982 300TD 210K miles ("The Replacement" aka "The Anvil") - SOLD
1979 300SD 245K miles (never ending project)
2007 Pinarello F3:13
1995 Ducati 916 (SOLD, sniff)
1999 Ducati 900SSie (SOLD)

I like DRLs, I'll take whatever I can to make sure other drivers see me approaching.

Extra strain on the alternator? Cost of bulbs?

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-justin

1987 300TD, 1987 300TD
2008 R32, 2000 Passat Wagon

IIRC, all Vespas hardwire the headlight on when the engine is running. My 78 did. I don't see how having a light on during the day could be a bad thing (except maybe if you think it looks silly). I'd rather look silly if it means I can avoid that accident that will smash my skull.

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-justin

1987 300TD, 1987 300TD
2008 R32, 2000 Passat Wagon