People with angel eyes

[pingu]

I fitted the DRL relay to my first Z3. It permanently lights the main beams at 60%. I was flashed many times and it got quite annoying. It wouldn't be so bad now as all new cars have DRLs.

IIRC, fitting it was quite a pain as you have to do something inside the fusebox and space is VERY limited. It is NOT a "plug and play" relay change.

[Southernboy]

I don't get why it needs to be such a complicated process...If the DRL / Angel eyes are illuminated by the 1st "click" of the light switch, it is a really simply matter of rewiring that circuit to the ignition switch, so that they will switch on when the ignition is turned on, and off when the ignition is turned off.

[Jonco]

.............IIRC, fitting it was quite a pain as you have to do something inside the fusebox and space is VERY limited. It is NOT a "plug and play" relay change.

Was about to place an order when I read this. Pingu - don't suppose you can remember what else needs doing. Wiring diagram http://wedophones.com/Manuals/BMW/1998% ... Manual.pdf section 6312 Headlights makes it look like a "plug and play" on relay 46/46z.

[c_w]

I don't get why it needs to be such a complicated process...If the DRL / Angel eyes are illuminated by the 1st "click" of the light switch, it is a really simply matter of rewiring that circuit to the ignition switch, so that they will switch on when the ignition is turned on, and off when the ignition is turned off.

But that is a lights on position (so the rears are illuminated too), but with DRLs only the DRLs at the front are lit up. It is a bit daft as may as well just run with the lights on to save the faff, but that is the difference as I see it.

[Southernboy]

Rear lights on are a good idea...keeps the sleepy guys behind aware as much as the sllepy guys in front... or am I mistaken about the purpose of DRL's ??

[c_w]

Personally I drive with my headlights on all the time whatever the time of day or weather. It just seems DRLs are only at the front and are brighter than sidelights. What I can't understand is why if it becomes law that a car has to have a daytime light, it just doesn't have headlights on all the time like Canada, or volvos of old, not have to have a separate light completely. Surely running with taillamps too isn't much different.

Obvious when a new "feature" on newer cars come out many people retrofit to older cars (remember front fog lights in the 1990s!)

[littlefeller]

I also fail to see how driving with park lights could cause an accident. surly you shouldn't assume anything, I may be wrong though, sometimes insurance company's can try and use the daftest excuses.

[c_w]

I lose count of people driving with sidelight/parking lights on. At night a sidelight doesn't throw out any light so a vehicle is less visible if you are pulling out of a street etc.

[pingu]

.............IIRC, fitting it was quite a pain as you have to do something inside the fusebox and space is VERY limited. It is NOT a "plug and play" relay change.

Was about to place an order when I read this. Pingu - don't suppose you can remember what else needs doing. Wiring diagram http://wedophones.com/Manuals/BMW/1998% ... Manual.pdf section 6312 Headlights makes it look like a "plug and play" on relay 46/46z.

Maybe my memory is playing tricks with me. The wiring diagrams certainly make it look like it is "plug and play". I'm sure that I had to bridge some wires and I cut the bridged link when I sold the car, so it was returned to normal.

Edit: Nope, memory is still OK, TADA...

http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4121

[t-tony]

Surely there must be someone here who remembers the old 240 series Volvo's which had the original driving(DRL) lights on the front wings,these had a 5/21w bulb ei a stop/tail bulb which without the sidelights on powered the 21w filament(daylight time) but powered the 5w filament when the lights were on? The whole point of this system was to make a driver aware of an oncoming vehicle so what would be the use of rear lights being illuminated? Really angel eyes are pointless regarding road safety but are simply there to look good(vanity)? I have them on mine there are built into the lights that I imported fron California for my Z3 because they look great but I fitted proper DRL's in the interest of road safety. WHY do people think that motor cycles have they're headlights illuminated all the time? It's not so you can see them from the rear is it?

[t-tony]

By the way I agree with comments re. people driving on sidelights,WHAT do they think that they are saving? In Florida the LAW states that if it is raining and you have your wipers on you must have headlights on too.I don't understand why cars are still produced with sidelights.They are totally irrelevant in todays world where alternators provide all the power you need in a car.The M.O.T calls them position lights which when headlights are on makes them redundant? You can only park in streetlighted areas facing the right way,and not leave sidelights on so really what is the point?

[Southernboy]

Sidelights, as mentioned, are pretty useless in the dark as a visual aid to the driver. However, if one replaces the OEM bulbs with LED's, they are extremely bright and will have a benefit as an alert to other road users. I agree that "angel eyes" are more a "vanity" than useful in daylight, and of little use at night as a visual aid. The "parklights" are useful if they are used apropriately and the indicator is left in the outside of the car position when parked, so that those lights remain on and will serve as a position indicator.
The benefit of having the rear lights on in daylight is to provide a visual warning to drivers approaching from the rear, especially if there is a low bright sun directly in front of him. The point of having any lights on at all is to provide a more immediate visual alarm to other drivers of your presence / approach.... the theory being that a bright light will catch the attention of your eye "at a glance"... which is often the way we "look" when we drive...especially at junctions controlled by "yield" signs. Hopefully, they are not there to alert us of oncoming traffic, since we should be looking ahead in any event...although that isn't always true of people playing around with mobile phones, make-up, or examining their latest nasal ejecta etc...
As with so much, we all become inured to novelty and in time it is as if it isn't there at all thus losing it's intended effectiveness. Recall the advent of "angel eyes"...they were so novel, we conciously looked out for them...now we barely give it any notice. I would say the purpose was more to draw attention to the product brand and less a driver safety consideration. Considering the use of multiple LED's in taillights, one has to conclude that this is the case...how many taillight bulbs does an Audi need to be seen when approaching from the rear...or see it from the front! One might presume that Audi considers the average road user visually impaired at best, or possibly having had a deprived childhood where Xmas lights weren't part of normal festive decorations. Sadly, the marketing departments of more car brands have picked up on this cheap trick, and have followed this tragic expression of "look at me...I'm a bling junkie".

The days of understated elegance, aesthetic design and confident presence has been replaced by the cheap popstar in underwear trend. The "look" has superceded the performance...because so many cars are "look-alikes", as with their pop star counterparts, they leave us with cold ennui.
The signature feature of the Z3 is it's unique appearance as is. It really doesn't need superfluous "Xmas" decoration to make it stand out amongst in the herd, and as with many roadsters, it is conspicuous by it's uniqueness. In another current post " Santa came early", the fitting of the Eisenmann exhaust is a far better option, since it gives a discreet but positive "voice" to what is already a superb roadster design. On that thread, you will notice, if you listened to the youtube link, that the owner has opted for a system which enhances the overall presence of his Z3...vs a "noise-box" which by comparison would be loud and crass like an embarrassing relative from "across the pond".

A SUPERB ROADSTER IN IT'S OWN RIGHT......

[Jonco]

Maybe my memory is playing tricks with me. ..................
Edit: Nope, memory is still OK, TADA...

http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4121

Pingu - Impressive memory after ~9 years. Thanks for link.

[gookah]

I like my angel eyes
A: for the look.

and
B: because I don't want to get old just yet.

[t-tony]

You make some good points Southernboy re led's,have you seen the rear end of a Dodge Charger with lights on? And I totally agree with the Z3 being a fantastic looking car and though we all start out with the same basic car I think everyone likes to think that there is only one like"mine"

[littlefeller]

its down to personal preference, just take a look at 17 year olds cars - shocking, but then they like them and hey who are we to argue each to his own. though I have noticed over many years of driving that a car goes through many stages, when new there the dogs watsits, then around 8 years later they get modded to bring them back up to date and stay cool, this goes on for a few years then would you addam and eve it (after about 20 years) - they get put back to there original trim and that then becomes cool again. a car is like a teenager, its just phases