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CHATROOM: DRL / Daytime Driving Running Lights

181K views 689 replies 137 participants last post by  N5S-Matter 
#1 · (Edited)
Will the new Santa Fe Sport US-Spec have the LED lights?
(Located below the fog lights, as shown on the both SFS's at the NY Autoshow, which are also on the KR-spec)
I think it's supposed to function as DRLs, or should at least switch on with the parking lights.

The silver unit of the US launch photos seems to be missing it. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks.
 
#605 · (Edited)
Thanks for the clarification, Koot. Your original question was a bit rambling and unintelligible. As I recall, the appropriate US government authorities never agreed that DRL's reduce accidents. Studies have been done to support this, they claim. Thus, DRLs were never mandated, but only supplied by various manufacturers based on their individual initiatives. I disagree and in my personal opinion, DRL's are quite helpful in alerting other drivers to your presence on the road. I wouldn't be without them on any future vehicle that I own.

Keep in mind too that Canada has very different climate and daylight conditions than most of the US. For example, when I lived in Berlin, Germany the sun set at 3 PM-ish in the winter and didn't rise again until 9ish in the morning. Most winter days were dim and grim, just as in much of Canada and Alaska, I presume. Obviously the typical daytime lighting conditions of any geographical area coming to play when discussing the advantages of DRL's.
 
#607 ·
Understood, Koot. Ya know, you Canadians are your own worst enemies. For example, why would you take a perfectly good 32° and turn it into 0°. It's just negative thinking that gets you guys into trouble. :smile:
 
#614 ·
I wish I had LED DRLs on my '14 SFS but you know the old saying : Wish in one hand .......
That said, I know you all have had the same experience with those dratted "other" drivers -- you know, the ones that drive around in low visibility and at night with just the DRLs on. They forget, or are just too dense to realize, that there are NO TAILLIGHTS on when using the DRLs! That means the car is almost invisible from behind in rain, fog, blowing snow, etc. I drive long-distance a lot, from my home area to Florida, Oklahoma, Louisiana, etc. frequently and I see it every day. Drivers who have no idea that they can't be see well or almost not at all from behind with just the DRLs on. Too bad DRL tails aren't mandated somehow, even though I don't like government mandates as a rule.
 
#615 ·
That said, I know you all have had the same experience with those dratted "other" drivers -- you know, the ones that drive around in low visibility and at night with just the DRLs on. They forget, or are just too dense to realize, that there are NO TAILLIGHTS on when using the DRLs!
+1 Yes!!! Saw someone in a Mini doing this just the other night! The LED DRLs on the Mini are nice, but my first thought was "what a an idiot...he has no tail lights on!" And it was pitch black out. What are these boneheads thinking?

My LEDs are aftermarket, and I have them hooked up with a relay so they come on with the ignition and stay on while the care is running.
 
#621 ·
It's a slippery slope when you start designing for the lowest common denominator, aka dumb people!

Yes, I think glowing clusters is why people forget to turn on the headlights. But I've noticed that the DRLS on my 2014 (50% HB) are terribly dim and it's difficult to drive on a street without lamps.

I can't imagine the LED DRLs cast that much light forward, I figure their whole purpose is to glow so you can see the vehicle.

I guess there's lots of ways around it. Toyota Trucks use orange lights (signal?) that don't cast light at all really for DRLs, but they definitely make you take notice.
 
#623 ·
The longest part of this mod, at least for me, was getting all the wiring done. Solder doesn't like 20 degree weather... Getting the bumper off is about 15 mins and cutting the bars about the same.

Get a sawsall and make sure it is 24tpi. Working like a charm. Ill post pictures when I get some tomorrow. Night pictures are just a blur.
 
#636 ·
Looks fine, but there is no way I would trim down the bumper bar like you did. That is there for a purpose. Why mess around with crash safety?

Do your new lights contain a second socket for adding cornering lights? If so, what did you do with that?
 
#637 ·
Mine only had 1 fog light socket, however I have another set that has the 2, as for the bar trimming it's really nothing that would help out its just overhang that would fold in easily.. I do plan however come summer to take the bumper bar back off and weld square tube back on to each side making it even stronger then it was.
 
#638 · (Edited)
Good plan to strengthen that bumper bar again.

I bought a set like your second set with both a fog and a cornering light socket in each housing. Returned them, though, when I saw how much of the bumper bar needed to be trimmed off. Too bad, because I really wanted those cornering lights, even more than I wanted the LED DRL lights. Cornering lights are really great, especially if you live in the boonies, which I do not.
 
#641 ·
I was thinking about mimicking the 2017 dtr on my '13 and curious anyone recommends the Phillips 4 lights for easy install?
I realize it won't be an exact bumper match of the '17 and i'll need to mount to the bumper but it might resemble the '17 and still look like Merk-a-de CLK.
 
#648 ·
I bought the Phillips 8 LED for just over $100. Pretty easy, I used 3m double sided tape (2 per light). Still there since April.

titostl1 did you buy a KIT (remove the plastic lens and put in the LED) or the entire headlight?
Ripping apart a headlight is a 5+ hour job and getting it back sealed the right way. Hence my was was way cheaper and in my photos from another post, really lets the car stand out now.
 
#653 ·
Giving up on finding DRL Fog Lamps (for now) since I could not find a single housing that would fit without cutting the bumper support. I tried ordering the single lamp version from Nicemotors on eBay since the photos looked promising. Luckily for me, they immediately wrote back saying their product will not fit US Santa Fe's and allowed me to cancel my order. This confirmed my suspicion that there is nothing on the market at this time for the US since every housing that I have looked at in eBay or Amazon uses the Korean version. Even the exLED retrofit video uses the Korean housing. I was considering taking the retrofit route but after studying the US housing, there is no "lip" that I can see to mount the LED strips like they did in the video. If you did do this retrofit on a US housing I would like to know how you did it.

For me, cutting the bumper support is simply out of the question. The US version of the Santa Fe has a longer bumper structure for a reason. I can only believe that it must be safety related or Hyundai would never go through the trouble (and expense) of making a special version just for the US.
 
#656 ·
Very cheap diy drl

Saw this 72 LED Strip on eBay so for $8.48 I thought I'd make my own DRL until something better comes along.

I cut the strip to fit and put a dab of silicone on the cut end to make it waterproof. Used 0.23" wide 3M Automotive attachment tape to secure the LED strip and drilled 1/8" holes to pass the wire through the bumper fascia as shown in photo 2. The wire leads that came with the LEDs were extremely thin and short but I manage to solder them to 20 ga hook-up wire. Soldered "+" and "-" 20 ga wires together and used butt connectors to join them to an 18 ga wire. Because the leads were so fragile - I did several tests with a 9V battery to make sure everything was working before putting back the bumper cover.

Put all wiring in a split loom tubing. Usually like to secure the tubing with zip ties but there was nothing I could attach them so I had to use electrical tape - photo 3. Got power from the fuse box with an Add-A-Circuit and grounded the LEDs to the battery - photos 4 & 5.

I want to note that one of the strips was poorly manufactured with a depression that didn't seem to cover enough of the wiring. This also resulted in a bad mounting surface for the 3M tape so I filled the voids as best as I could with silicone. If anyone else wants to try this product I do recommend buying 2 sets just in case you get a bad strip like I did.

Lastly, although the LEDs are encased in a silicone like material and the eBay ad says it's waterproof, the packaging says not to get them wet so I don't know whether they will last. But for $8.48 I guess I shouldn't expect too much.
 

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#658 ·
How is it obsolete? Mine still doesn't have them and I would like them one day, if possible. Besides, it's cool to see what others have done. For those who don't need it, it can easily be ignored.
 
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