There working....now there not

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Wed 13 Nov 2019 19:01
There working....now there not - tourantass
How does the MOT testing deal with what is increasingly common on cars....that is when the indicator is operated the side light goes out....I thought it was a requirement that side lights worked all the time?
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Wed 13 Nov 2019 19:21
There working....now there not - bathtub tom

I think what the OP means here is when the DRL (Daytime Running Light) is extinguished. I believe this is done so the DRL doesn't mask the indicator.

I do hope the OP isn't confusing DRLs with sidelights. I've experienced a couple of times when drivers are convinced their sidelights are on because the front DRLs are illuminated, but of course they've no taillights.

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Wed 13 Nov 2019 19:28
There working....now there not - elekie&a/c doctor
Mot test manual . Lighting section 4.2.2. Switching .
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Wed 13 Nov 2019 20:43
There working....now there not - tourantass

Hi..yep I thought the DRL’s acted as the side lights as well....showing my age now but my only experience of DRL’s was on my father in laws Saab 99 where it was the side lights that were on all the time....thanks for clearing it up.

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Wed 13 Nov 2019 20:49
There working....now there not - Happy Blue!

Oh Lord...

The number cars I see in the winter with no lights on, only DRLs. Compounded by no rear DRLs, dashboards that are permanently illuminated (so they think their lights are on) and no obligation to fit autolights if DRLs are fitted.

If I ran the world....

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Wed 13 Nov 2019 23:45
There working....now there not - Energyman
My DRL’s on Hyundai i30 go out when I take it out of drive.... previous Nissan Pulsar used the fog lights (conventional bulbs) as the DRL’s which were naturally low down and prone to damage, it had LED sidelights and these were used as the DRL’s on the ones I saw in Italy!
The permanently lit dashboards are a bit of a hazard particularly to those of us with older hard wired brains that automatically link them to the lights being on.
Our Volvo XC60 has no indication on the dash when the lights are on, so when set to auto you don’t know if they are on in dull conditions, have to go back to manual setting.
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Thu 14 Nov 2019 08:19
There working....now there not - catsdad
Another issue with auto lights is that they seem to have a mind of their own. Going along in bright light and then going into light shade, but with excellent visibilty, mine often come on. At other times they don't react when I judge lighting is required.

I also just don't like the idea that my lights come on without my control which risks other motorists thinking I am being aggressive or giving some sort of signal. I would much rather an audible warning of low light levels and then I could decide if lights are appropriate and exactly when to flick the switch.

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Thu 14 Nov 2019 08:34
There working....now there not - Chris M

My Astra is the first car I've had with DRL and auto lights. Quite happy with both. Whilst the dash is permanently lit, there's a green 'lights on' indicator for headlights. They sometimes come on a bit earlier than I would have chosen, but so what. They usefully come on in multi storey car parks and in winter when the sun is low.

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