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"DRL" Daytime Running Lights Activation on U.S. Spec. C-MAX?


phil1336

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Just curious if anyone knows if its possible to activate the "DRL" Daytime Running Lights on a US Spec. C-MAX? I know (most) late Model Ford Vehicles (US Spec.) including my 2011 Ford Fiesta SE Hatchback had the ability to activate. Using the Vehicles "Smart Junction Box" and the Dealers "IDS" Programmer, it`s usually a 10 minute procedure with a couple of "Mouse Clicks". Anyone know or has anyone already done it?

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...or, you could just reach all the way over to the headlight switch and (the horror...) turn them on....

Great idea but why would one want their rear tail lights illuminated (other then for braking) during the Daytime? Also, the (DRL`s) Daytime Running Lights are designed to operating at 80% power, for reducing unnecessary glare and at the same time adding additional lamp life. Helpful suggestion though......

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IRONY... not wanting tail lamps on during the day, but wanting headlamps on... cause having THOSE lights on during the day is just silly.Kinda like DRL's in general.

 

redneck workaround: Set the switch to "auto" and put a piece of electrical tape over the light sensor.

Edited by YT90SC
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I`m not attempting to create a Firestorm of controversy on this Thread about Daytime Running Lights, (DRL`s). Seems to have been thought of as a essential Safety Feature for Motorcycles, why Automobiles would be different is beyond me. Canada seems to believe that they are somewhat effective where they have been mandated for a couple of decades now as well as many Countries in Europe. The majority of both American and Imported vehicles now in the U.S. have been coming with DRL`s as standard equipment too. Why Ford requires a Fleet "FIN" # to order this feature is a mystery. Anyway, rather then being accused of being either un-American or un-Ford, or worse yet a Canadian/European- Socialist/Apologist, I will not add any more comment on this particular Thread. Lights Out!

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The NHTSA reviewed the evidence from other countries including Canada and determined there was not sufficient evidence as to their effectiveness to mandate them. Motorcycles are much harder to see than cars - apples and oranges.

 

My belief is that they don't make any difference in daylight and that most accidents where someone pulls out in front of another car or turns left in front of them is because they failed to even look therefore DRLs would not have helped. I find it hard to believe that a driver who looks but doesn't see a full sized car close enough to hit them and that DRLs would change that.

 

Other than GM, which mfrs have standard DRLs other than the decorative LEDs which are more styling than safety? I can't think of any.

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The NHTSA reviewed the evidence from other countries including Canada and determined there was not sufficient evidence as to their effectiveness to mandate them. Motorcycles are much harder to see than cars - apples and oranges.

 

My belief is that they don't make any difference in daylight and that most accidents where someone pulls out in front of another car or turns left in front of them is because they failed to even look therefore DRLs would not have helped. I find it hard to believe that a driver who looks but doesn't see a full sized car close enough to hit them and that DRLs would change that.

 

Other than GM, which mfrs have standard DRLs other than the decorative LEDs which are more styling than safety? I can't think of any.

Promised (not) to continue adding to this "Thread" but to answer your question of what Auto Manufacturers equip their Vehicles sold in the U.S. with non-decorative LED`s DRL`s, how about Toyota,Honda,Acura,Volkswagen, BMW, Subaru, Mitsubishi,Volvo, Saab, Hyundai (most Models) come to mind. It appears Ford, Chrysler, Mazda, and Nissan are the prominent hold outs. If you have ever traveled narrow Route 1 through the Florida Keys, Signage " Lights on for Safety". The glare from the Florida Sun can make an oncoming Vehicle almost invisible until its almost upon you.

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Promised (not) to continue adding to this "Thread" but to answer your question of what Auto Manufacturers equip their Vehicles sold in the U.S. with non-decorative LED`s DRL`s, how about Toyota,Honda,Acura,Volkswagen, BMW, Subaru, Mitsubishi,Volvo, Saab, Hyundai (most Models) come to mind. It appears Ford, Chrysler, Mazda, and Nissan are the prominent hold outs. If you have ever traveled narrow Route 1 through the Florida Keys, Signage " Lights on for Safety". The glare from the Florida Sun can make an oncoming Vehicle almost invisible until its almost upon you.

I have but don't recall lights helping me spot cars. The glare was jut that bad overall.

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Promised (not) to continue adding to this "Thread" but to answer your question of what Auto Manufacturers equip their Vehicles sold in the U.S. with non-decorative LED`s DRL`s, how about Toyota,Honda,Acura,Volkswagen, BMW, Subaru, Mitsubishi,Volvo, Saab, Hyundai (most Models) come to mind. It appears Ford, Chrysler, Mazda, and Nissan are the prominent hold outs. If you have ever traveled narrow Route 1 through the Florida Keys, Signage " Lights on for Safety". The glare from the Florida Sun can make an oncoming Vehicle almost invisible until its almost upon you.

 

If you can't see a vehicle due to glare then you can't see DRLs. I have never seen a Toyota or Honda with regular DRLs - that must be new.

 

The NHTSA - the ones who mandated TPMS and many other things that some people might question - decided not to mandate them based on actual data from both Canada and Europe.

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If you can't see a vehicle due to glare then you can't see DRLs. I have never seen a Toyota or Honda with regular DRLs - that must be new.

 

The NHTSA - the ones who mandated TPMS and many other things that some people might question - decided not to mandate them based on actual data from both Canada and Europe.

 

Toyota and Honda have had standard non-LED DRL`s for over 10 years now. Why do they appear to be useful or effective for Motorcycles? Finally, on the matter of the NHTSA, its time for them to finally take a stand one way or the other. If them deem Daytime Running Lights ineffective or possibly detrimental, take a stand. "DRLs" are either a good idea or a bad idea. Set a date that after say 01/01/15, all vehicle manufactured or imported for sale in the U.S. will or (will NO Longer) be equipped with DRL`s. This hodge-bodge of 80% do and 20% don`t is ridiculous. Make a ruling already, DRL`s are mandated or they simply go away!

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Toyota and Honda have had standard non-LED DRL`s for over 10 years now. Why do they appear to be useful or effective for Motorcycles? Finally, on the matter of the NHTSA, its time for them to finally take a stand one way or the other. If them deem Daytime Running Lights ineffective or possibly detrimental, take a stand. "DRLs" are either a good idea or a bad idea. Set a date that after say 01/01/15, all vehicle manufactured or imported for sale in the U.S. will or (will NO Longer) be equipped with DRL`s. This hodge-bodge of 80% do and 20% don`t is ridiculous. Make a ruling already, DRL`s are mandated or they simply go away!

 

Or they can leave it up to the mfr whether they think their customers want DRLs like they're doing now.

 

Mandating automatic headlamps would be a FAR more useful safety feature. Every day I drive home at dusk I see 5 or 6 vehicles driving with no lights at all or just DRLs with no taillights. It's light enough they can still see the road but you can't see them mixed in with all the other vehicles with lights on. I flash my lights at them and the majority do nothing as if they don't see me or don't understand. I don't even try any more.

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  • 1 month later...
DLR fleet only from factory but my dealer is doing this when it is delivered for the same price.

Please Post after you take delivery of your C-Max and confirm that they were able to enable and activate the DRL`s. Conflicting reports that Ford locked out the BCM from being able to do so starting with the 2012 MY. My local Dealer claims that they can still activate the DRL`s. Let us know if they were able to accomplish this "magic trick" with a few clicks of the Mouse and the IDS Programmer. Why this DRL $45 option # 942 is Fleet Only, is another unsolved mystery!

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  • 1 year later...

Yes, it is possible to activate the DRL feature on a US spec C-Max, but it is not a straightforward task. My first attempt with a dealer resulted in some complicated reprogramming for the tech when he tried to activate the DRLs.

 

When accessing the 'programmable parameters' wthin the BCM there is a line for 'daytime running lights', but it is locked out on this screen. Apparently if you try to activate them here then all sorts of other things get changed. The way to get them turned on is to highlight the DRL title line and click on that. There will then be a secondary screen with a drop down menu available to turn on the DRLs.

 

The second dealer I went to knew about this. $55 plus tax to do it in 15 minutes while I waited. This method applies to all C platform vehicles and probably to other models as well.

 

I also was in Montreal and spoke with a tech at a Canadian dealer who told me that ALL current Ford vehicles sold in Canada have them built in to there US counterparts. If the Canadians wholesale a vehicle in from the States then they have to be able to turn them on.

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I guess the Ford Daytime Running Light mystery saga will continue indefinitely. Why a Fleet Identification Number or "FIN" is necessary to Order the DRL Option is very puzzling. If for some odd reason Ford wants to join Nissan, Mazda, and Chrysler who choose (not) to make them standard equipment on their US Spec Vehicles, at least make it a stand alone Option! Chrysler Vehicles that don`t come with the fancy LED Signature Lamps at least offer DRL`s as an Option! It took me 3 attempts at different Ford Service Department before one Electronic Tech activated them using the IDS Programmer and the Smart Junction Box. All Ford Vehicles (still) have the DRL capacity in the Cars Body Control Module. A easy 15 minute procedure and viola, as they say, "let there be light". Maybe a good topic for the television show, "Unsolved Mysteries"!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Other than GM, which mfrs have standard DRLs other than the decorative LEDs which are more styling than safety? I can't think of any.

 

Seen them on some Toyota (Lexus), BMW, Volkswagen (including Audi), and Tesla vehicles.

 

GM DRLs these days do not seem to be the poor implementations used by GM in the 1990s (e.g. high beam DRLs that were annoying to others if the driver did not turn on the regular low beam headlamps at night, or the turn signal DRLs that can give misleading "turn signal" indications on a quick glance if one of them is burned out).

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I've since noticed them on Hondas and several other brands so they are more common. I still see GMs with burnt out headlamps.

 

My wife asked me what a DRL was the other day and I told her. She had no idea they existed and when I explained the theory that it made it more likely for other drivers to see you in the daytime she laughed and said that's stupid! If you can't see a full sized car in the daytime then you're not looking. One of the rare times we agreed on anything car related.

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If you can't see a full sized car in the daytime then you're not looking.

 

Unfortunately, that seems to describe a lot of drivers on the road today who are looking at their cell phones or are otherwise not paying attention.

Edited by tjl
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I've since noticed them on Hondas and several other brands so they are more common. I still see GMs with burnt out headlamps.

 

My wife asked me what a DRL was the other day and I told her. She had no idea they existed and when I explained the theory that it made it more likely for other drivers to see you in the daytime she laughed and said that's stupid! If you can't see a full sized car in the daytime then you're not looking. One of the rare times we agreed on anything car related.

I guess your correct when you stated that DRL`s are becoming a bit more common. Actually, other then Ford and Mazda as well as some Chrysler Vehicles that make DRL`s an Option, (all) Vehicles in the U.S. basically now have them on most of their Models. Even Nissan and Infinity have finally added them to some of their Vehicles after years participating in the DRL hold out. Our neighbors to the North in Canada have had them for decades as they are required by Law there as well as most of Western Europe. If you and your Wife ever drive down to Key West, FL on Route 1, a narrow dangerous road you will see signage along the roadway stating, "Lights On For Safety". Of course, thats probably the only situation in America where that would apply and since your not planning on driving there, I see your point.

 

Update: Mazda, one of the last Daytime Running Light (DRL) Auto Manufacturer holdouts has added them to many of their upcoming 2015 line of Vehicles sold in the U.S. too. Other then Ford, who remains (dark)?

Edited by phil1336
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I don't remember where I read it, but Ford has disabled the ability for service techs in the US to activate DRL's. The only place DRL's can be programmed is at the factory for fleet and Canadian bound vehicles.

 

Years ago, I was a manager at a local courier company with about 200 vehicles, from vans to Rangers and box trucks. When every vehicle was set up with DRL's, we saw a slight (around 1% if I recall) decrease in collisions in the first year. Of course the person who proposed the idea thought it was a great one, but in reality, it didn't do that much. I didn't stay around long enough to learn of any long term results and the company no longer exists.

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