DRL Re-Wire ?

J08M3 · 01-29-2009, 03:21 PM

Does anyone know if it's possible to rewire the angle eyes so they have full voltage all the time? I know they are rewired with the HID kit from camaross305 to have full voltage. But when the headlights are off I think my GP Thunders look great I think they're pretty good for being just right with the brightness. The only problem is when the voltage drops from turning on the headlights. They don't look as good once they turn yellow.

kmarei · 01-29-2009, 05:09 PM

all you need is a relay and a cable from the positive post in the hood
i'd love to do that but i don't want anyting showing that would cause the dealer to say i messed with the electronics and give me a hard time for the warranty
i wonder if there is any hot wire inside the headlight?

J08M3 · 01-29-2009, 05:16 PM

that wouldn't give a bulb out warning?

camaross305 · 01-29-2009, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J08M3

that wouldn't give a bulb out warning?

Unfotunetly that won't work

J08M3 · 01-30-2009, 04:37 PM

Any solution that will work?

kmarei · 01-30-2009, 04:55 PM

you can always put a load resistor on the original DRL wire
i did that in my crossfire when i wanted to run a hot wire to the ballasts for my HID lights that i installed
i mounted the load resistor on the original wire and got a tap from the same wire to turn on a relay connected to positive wire that went to my HID lights
worked perfectly for 3 years and never gave a bulb warning
just be careful as those load resistors get very hot
so you would have to mount them to the metal somewhere
not to plastic or near any wiring

alpine335i · 01-30-2009, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J08M3

Any solution that will work?

http://www.jlevistreetwerks.com/BMW-...q27lj2v1j2egg1

J08M3 · 01-31-2009, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpine335i

http://www.jlevistreetwerks.com/BMW-...q27lj2v1j2egg1

Yea, but aren't those LEDs? Everyone says they are not bright at all during the day especially the outer ring? Even the pics of the website don't look all that great. How do they compare to the brightness of GP Thunders?

Kev · 01-31-2009, 09:28 AM

better at night and when the headlights are on (no dimming / change of color), but still invisible during the day. I have the PIAA LED rings installed on my old E92:

Big Windy · 01-31-2009, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kev

better at night and when the headlights are on (no dimming / change of color), but still invisible during the day. I have the PIAA LED rings installed on my old E92:

wow, very blue. too bad none of these are visible during daylight.

GregW / Oregon · 01-31-2009, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmarei

i mounted the load resistor on the original wire and got a tap from the same wire to turn on a relay connected to positive wire that went to my HID lights
worked perfectly for 3 years and never gave a bulb warning
just be careful as those load resistors get very hot
so you would have to mount them to the metal somewhere
not to plastic or near any wiring

I believe the problem is most relays require 12v to trigger, so when the headlights are on and the voltage drops to under 5 for the halos it won't work the relay. That's what camaross305's cicuitry overcomes.

kmarei · 02-02-2009, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregW / Oregon

I believe the problem is most relays require 12v to trigger, so when the headlights are on and the voltage drops to under 5 for the halos it won't work the relay. That's what camaross305's cicuitry overcomes.

that's the part i don't get
why does the voltage drop on the M3?
i've never seen that on any other car
that one light dims when you turn on the headlights

GregW / Oregon · 02-02-2009, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmarei

that's the part i don't get
why does the voltage drop on the M3?
i've never seen that on any other car
that one light dims when you turn on the headlights

I don't have a clue to BMW's reasoning with that. Certainly the headlights are far stronger than the halos, even with the halos on full.

J08M3 · 02-02-2009, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmarei

that's the part i don't get
why does the voltage drop on the M3?
i've never seen that on any other car
that one light dims when you turn on the headlights

That is the key question right there. If that didn't happen a simple $15 H8 swap would be all anybody needed.

kmarei · 02-02-2009, 01:40 PM

my only guess is that somewhere upstream, the HID and halo share a power cable that is not as high a gauge as required.

GregW / Oregon · 02-02-2009, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmarei

my only guess is that somewhere upstream, the HID and halo share a power cable that is not as high a gauge as required.

The issue is that the car's computer drops the voltage to the halos when the headlights are on, dimming them. This is avoided with the HID installation bu powering directly from the hot lead to the battery and using a relay. The question is why BMW chose to dim the halos with headlights on.

kmarei · 02-02-2009, 03:12 PM

i wonder if there is a way to disable that
i know on my last Audi A5 there was something called a VAG-Com software with a special cable that you could use to reprogram certain features
you could use any light in the front as the DRL
the way the central locking works etc

J08M3 · 02-02-2009, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregW / Oregon

This is avoided with the HID installation bu powering directly from the hot lead to the battery and using a relay.

Yea, I want to know if it's possible to do this without buying a HID setup, and how to do it?

GregW / Oregon · 02-02-2009, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J08M3

Yea, I want to know if it's possible to do this without buying a HID setup, and how to do it?

You can use any light source. The trick is getting the relay to work on both 12V and 4V. That's what camaross305s circuitry does. You can see if he will sell you the relay and control unit w/o the HIDs.

n3985 · 02-02-2009, 05:15 PM

You can just go on eBay and buy a relay wiring harness for $25, which taps into the + and - of the H8 bulb connector, then draw power direct from the battery. To combat the light out error, get load resistors for both sides and done. The relay harness will draw a full 12V once it receives signal from the original H8 wiring to turn on.

GregW / Oregon · 02-02-2009, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n3985

You can just go on eBay and buy a relay wiring harness for $25, which taps into the + and - of the H8 bulb connector, then draw power direct from the battery. To combat the light out error, get load resistors for both sides and done. The relay harness will draw a full 12V once it receives signal from the original H8 wiring to turn on.

That will not work in headlight mode, as the 4+V from the OEM wiring will not trigger it.

n3985 · 02-02-2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregW / Oregon

That will not work in headlight mode, as the 4+V from the OEM wiring will not trigger it.

I'm pretty sure it would since the harness supplied with the HID angels eyes kit works off same principle. If not then oh well lol, at least another idea.

01-29-2009, 03:21 PM	#1
J08M3 Major General Drives: 2011 M3 COUPE Join Date: May 2008 Location: NEW YORK Posts: 6,015 iTrader: (8)	DRL Re-Wire ? Does anyone know if it's possible to rewire the angle eyes so they have full voltage all the time? I know they are rewired with the HID kit from camaross305 to have full voltage. But when the headlights are off I think my GP Thunders look great I think they're pretty good for being just right with the brightness. The only problem is when the voltage drops from turning on the headlights. They don't look as good once they turn yellow. __________________
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01-29-2009, 05:16 PM	#3
J08M3 Major General Drives: 2011 M3 COUPE Join Date: May 2008 Location: NEW YORK Posts: 6,015 iTrader: (8)	that wouldn't give a bulb out warning? __________________

01-30-2009, 04:37 PM	#5
J08M3 Major General Drives: 2011 M3 COUPE Join Date: May 2008 Location: NEW YORK Posts: 6,015 iTrader: (8)	Any solution that will work? __________________

01-31-2009, 09:28 AM	#9
Kev Resident Anesthesiologist Drives: VW bug with a misplaced engine Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 8,821 iTrader: (24) Garage List 2009 Porsche 911 Ca ... [4.75]	better at night and when the headlights are on (no dimming / change of color), but still invisible during the day. I have the PIAA LED rings installed on my old E92: __________________ kev { divinum est sedate dolorem }

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01-29-2009, 05:09 PM	#2
kmarei Major General Drives: 1988 M3 Evo II Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Reston, VA Posts: 6,069 iTrader: (32)	all you need is a relay and a cable from the positive post in the hood i'd love to do that but i don't want anyting showing that would cause the dealer to say i messed with the electronics and give me a hard time for the warranty i wonder if there is any hot wire inside the headlight?

01-30-2009, 04:55 PM	#6
kmarei Major General Drives: 1988 M3 Evo II Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Reston, VA Posts: 6,069 iTrader: (32)	you can always put a load resistor on the original DRL wire i did that in my crossfire when i wanted to run a hot wire to the ballasts for my HID lights that i installed i mounted the load resistor on the original wire and got a tap from the same wire to turn on a relay connected to positive wire that went to my HID lights worked perfectly for 3 years and never gave a bulb warning just be careful as those load resistors get very hot so you would have to mount them to the metal somewhere not to plastic or near any wiring

02-02-2009, 01:40 PM	#15
kmarei Major General Drives: 1988 M3 Evo II Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Reston, VA Posts: 6,069 iTrader: (32)	my only guess is that somewhere upstream, the HID and halo share a power cable that is not as high a gauge as required.

02-02-2009, 03:12 PM	#17
kmarei Major General Drives: 1988 M3 Evo II Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Reston, VA Posts: 6,069 iTrader: (32)	i wonder if there is a way to disable that i know on my last Audi A5 there was something called a VAG-Com software with a special cable that you could use to reprogram certain features you could use any light in the front as the DRL the way the central locking works etc

02-02-2009, 05:15 PM	#20
n3985 First Lieutenant Drives: E46 M3 + E70 50i Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Edgewater, NJ Posts: 378 iTrader: (1)	You can just go on eBay and buy a relay wiring harness for $25, which taps into the + and - of the H8 bulb connector, then draw power direct from the battery. To combat the light out error, get load resistors for both sides and done. The relay harness will draw a full 12V once it receives signal from the original H8 wiring to turn on.