Sidelights & Headlights?!

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robd

Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by robd »

Hi, this may be a completely stupid questions but...

When you turn on your side lights are your headlights meant to pop up as well or has someone been playing around with mine? My headlights don't come on, they just pop up when the side lights are on which I think is completely pointless & just looks weird!

I would like it so just my side lights come on & headlights only pop up when headlights are turned on or main beam used!

I know the Mk2 I had before, if you flashed with your main beam when you had your side lights on the headlights would stay popped up but if you just had the side lights on the headlights wouldn't pop up!

As you can tell it's getting on my nerves a bit lol....so any help would be great.

Cheers :)


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Tinker2
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Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by Tinker2 »

By the looks of your avitar, you have a MK1 and im not sure if they are the same as the MK2 but my lights dont come up with the side lights on, they only come up if I turn them on.

Hope it helps
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paff

Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by paff »

Yep thats how it works on all of them.

You can modify the relays to allow you to just have the sidelights on and the headlights to pop up and return when you flash them.

I'm sure Jimi's documented it somewhere but I can't find any of my old book marks. Or if you are down this way anytime my V6 has had the relays modded and I can show you in person.
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Wolfman

Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by Wolfman »

This is the reason I either have no lights, or full lights when I drive lol!

-wolfman
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paff

Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by paff »

Tis only 2 pins to cut mate.

You can solder a switch in to put them back to stock setting if you need to. Easy to do :)
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robd

Re: Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by robd »

Oooh I'll have to take a look at that then if it's that easy, would love to change it as it just seems wrong the way it is! Makes it look like your headlights don't work lol! :no:

I was planning on popping down to see you one day soon but will have to get speedo sorted first now! I dunno ey..one thing after another! lol :)
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paff

Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by paff »

If I get a chance I might be able to mod a spare relay that I have here for you, that way you can pop down and just swap them over, unless you wanted to do them yourself anyay.

Get yourself a snooper mate, ran my car for months with a gps speedometer reading for the same reason :)
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robd

Re: Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by robd »

Cheers for the offer mate :D Think I'll ave a go at it this wkend tho & see if I can do it, just been reading the article in the Know Ur 2 section & it looks pretty straight forward :) lol he says..when I come back on here & say..ummm how do you fix ur lights when you've broken ur relay hahaha :rofl: :)
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Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by jimi »

The 1a and 1b have different behaviour due to the 1b having dim/dip
1a
1st click sidelights only, headlights stay off and down
2nd click sidelights on, headlights up and on

1b
1st click sidelights on, headlights up and on dim/dip
2nd click sidelights and headlights up and on normal
There are 2 articles in KY2 on how to modify this behaviour.

FYI
Dim-Dip Lamps (UK Only)

UK regulations briefly required vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1987 to be equipped with a dim-dip device[17] or special running lamps, except such vehicles as comply fully with ECE Regulation 48 regarding installation of lighting equipment. A dim-dip device operates the low beam headlamps (called "dipped beam" in the UK) at between 10% and 20% of normal low-beam intensity. The running lamps permitted as an alternative to dim-dip were required to emit at least 200 candelas straight ahead, and no more than 800 candelas in any direction. In practise, most vehicles were equipped with the dim-dip option rather than the running lamps.

The dim-dip systems were not intended for daytime use as DRLs. Rather, they operated if the engine was running and the driver switched on the parking lamps (called "sidelights" in the UK). Dim-dip was intended to provide a nighttime "town beam" with intensity between that of parking lamps (commonly used by British drivers in city traffic after dark) and dipped/low beams, because the former were considered insufficiently intense to provide improved conspicuity in conditions requiring it, while the latter were considered too glaring for safe use in built-up areas. The UK was the only country to use such dim-dip systems.[18]

In 1988, the European Commission successfully prosecuted the UK government in the European Court of Justice, arguing that the UK requirement for dim-dip was illegal under EC directives prohibiting member states from enacting vehicle lighting requirements not contained in pan-European EC directives. As a result, the UK requirement for dim-dip was quashed. Nevertheless, dim-dip was (and is) still permitted, and while such systems are not presently as common as they once were, dim-dip functionality was fitted on many new cars well into the 1990s.
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Uruzata

Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by Uruzata »

thats so wrong ^^

i love havin my side lights on without sight of main lights ;p
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robd

Re: Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by robd »

I only just realised last night that the headlights are actually on when they pop up, just dipped! DOH :oops:
I have changed my little side lights for Amber bulbs for a bit of old skool Jap effect & want to do the same with the headlights! :wink:

Do you know if I change the headlights to be amber if they would pass an MOT or do they 'Have' to be normal white stylie?

I think if I can get amber bulbs for the headlights I will leave them popping up prob for a bit more amber jap effect :th:

On a side note if I can use them(I will anyway) does anyone know where I could get some Amber headlight bulbs? Been looking on Ebay but they only have yellow...check out this clip of a Hachi Roku for what I mean(skip 1 min into the clip)... Clicky :D
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Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by jimi »

You will fail the MOT on 2 counts
Reasons for failure
Sidelights (Front position light)
a. A front position lamp shows a light other than white to the front, (or yellow if incorporated in a yellow headlamp)
headlights
f. does not emit light that is either substantially white or yellow.
robd wrote:I only just realised last night that the headlights are actually on when they pop up, just dipped! DOH :oops:
No they are not on dip in the first position, it's dim/dip, see my post above
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robd

Re: Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by robd »

Sorry Jimi I just meant the lights when they pop up are on when I just want to have side lights on, one flick on the lights..I didn't realise they were on before, thought only my little side lights next to the indicator were on! When I click to the second position they then come on as proper headlights. :)

Well I guess I'll just keep the old bulbs then & flick back to them for the MOT...or take it somewhere where they are a little lenient :wink:

Def still want to get the Amber bulbs tho for the headlights....ya never know..I may be able to get away with saying they are yellow!! lol :)

This is what the little side lights look like in Amber...
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Sidelights & Headlights?!

Post by jimi »

You may well get away with it, a lot depends on the Tester. You may attract Police attention as well :wink:
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