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Question: DRL Wiring

Old Nov 13, 2010 | 09:18 AM
  #1  
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Exclamation Question: DRL Wiring

I have a 2010 SS with Gen 4 projectors.

I had previously installed some projectors on my girlfriends Civic and when all was said and done, everything worked out as planned; that is the DRLs were low voltage (6V) high beam, the low beam stayed on when the high beam is on (as usually occurs on vehicles with stock projectors), etc.

I installed Gen 4s on my car and tested them, and everything worked fine except I noticed that when the DRLs were on, the low beam was on...I thought this was odd, but kept moving on and wired up the the low beam to stay on when the high beam is on (as usually occurs on vehicles with stock projectors).

After this was done, the DRLs are still the low beam? I have HIDs installed in the low beam (projectors) so I still thought this was odd because usually, DRLs are low voltage (6V) high beams...and better yet, they are almost always low voltage (6V), so I was confused as to why it was even making the HIDs turn on (since they require 12V). Also, when I measured the voltages on the leads prior to installing, I had made a note that when DRLs were on, there was 6V going to high beam.

I want to keep my DRLs, so pulling the DRL fuse won't solve my problem.

What I want to do is to have the DRLs work as they normally would (or at least I what think is normal); that is low voltage (6V) to the high beams for DRL.

Anyone have any suggestions / ideas / know any details about the wiring on our cars that I'm not aware of?

Any help is appreciated. (and for those who aren't sure, DRL = Daytime Running Lights)
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Old Nov 13, 2010 | 09:21 AM
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notta clue, who needs lights in the daytime. first thing i do when i start my car is turn them off haha
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Old Nov 13, 2010 | 10:45 AM
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DRLs on 07+ Cobalts are the low beams, always have been. In 05-06, they used the Turn signal at full voltage. You have to live with low beam DRLs or pull the fuse, which you should do regardless because running HID ballasts at anything but full power will destroy them.
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Old Dec 12, 2010 | 01:23 AM
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Originally Posted by NCC-2000
DRLs on 07+ Cobalts are the low beams, always have been. In 05-06, they used the Turn signal at full voltage. You have to live with low beam DRLs or pull the fuse, which you should do regardless because running HID ballasts at anything but full power will destroy them.
if ur using a relay harness and keep the drl fuse in to keep drls, does the ballest run at full power since ur connected straight to the batt?
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Old Dec 12, 2010 | 01:33 AM
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I wired my fogs as DRL. Looks pretty good.
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Old Dec 12, 2010 | 01:39 AM
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Originally Posted by NCC-2000
DRLs on 07+ Cobalts are the low beams, always have been. In 05-06, they used the Turn signal at full voltage. You have to live with low beam DRLs or pull the fuse, which you should do regardless because running HID ballasts at anything but full power will destroy them.
this. I have the same lights with some hid's but i haven't pulled any fuses or anything. for the first couple of weeks i kept turning the auto lights off but now i say eff it and let the hid-drls stay on. no issues as of yet and they have been on my 07 SC for several months and just switched them to my 10 TC that i just bought yesterday
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Old Dec 12, 2010 | 08:50 AM
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They might work fine now but as they age the lower voltage may start to not be enough to get the ballasts to ignite the bulbs. Relay harnesses fix this DRL issue since the relay will send a full 12 volts to the ballasts, using the lower voltage to trigger the relay itself. I still personally prefer removing the DRL fuse and calling it a day.
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