BRZ ‘s “boomerang” LED strip mystery
 

When exactly does it come on? Is it designed to work in conjunction with the HID lamp only?
Can it be used as a DRL (day running light), with or without the specific DRL lights?
I’d love to see a pic with just the DRL and the LED strip simultaneously lit. Anybody?

These will both be lit when you have the light selector in Parking Lights.

Per the Owners Manual:
O = Off - The daytime running lights turn on.

AUTO - The headlights, parking, daytime running lights and so on turn on and off automatically. (Vehicles without a keyless access with push button start system: When the engineswitch is in the "ON" position.
Vehicles with a keyless access with push-button start system: When the push-button ignition switch is in "ON" mode.)

Parking Lights - The side marker, parking, tail, license plate, daytime running lights and instrument panel lights turn on.

Headlights - The head lights and all the lights listed above (except daytime running lights) turn on.

You mean the regular DRL’s and the LED’s?

You can run just that and the DRL LED strip by selecting the option one click above "auto" - it looks pretty awesome but the interior will dim.

Isnt that the parking light setting?

No lie, I've been driving around with them on just because :D

First car I've owned that looks badass and I cant help it!

The "boomerang" lights come on with the headlights and with the switch set for parking lights. The much brighter 3 LED strip running lights above the fog lights come on whenever the car is running and the hand brake is off and the HID headlights are off. When driving with the switch in the parking lights setting the running lights, boomerang lights, side markers above the wheels, tail lights, and marker plate light will be on.

I’m starting to understand (my bad for not properly explaining this from the beginning)


So I could drive with both the “boomerang” and the dedicated day running lights, but only if the regular and the side markers are also on?
In other words, there is no way to drive with just the boomerangs and the DRL’s? Just the two, and no other lights?

Right, the HID headlights will not be on since you use the parking light position to turn on the "boomerangs" with the running lights, but the rest of the lights that come on with the parking lights will be on.

"regular"?

Parking lights setting will give you boomerang, led strip, side marker, and rear lights on.

If you turn your headlights on, it seems the led strip (DRL) turn off! :(

Fog lights only come on if you have your headlights on - though there will likely be a work around DIY mod to change that if you want them on with parking lights.

I switch it to parking mode when it is overcast. Seems like the headlights don't turn on until it's really dark so I use the halos for the in between times (too dark to read the gauges but not dark enough to need headlights). I don't think they're bright enough to see in full daylight and I don't like having the interior dimmed during the day so I don't bother with them when it's sunny out. I have yet to turn on the fog lights other than to test them out when I first got the car. I couldn't tell any difference with them on or off.

Right
I think this is the way OEM fog lights normally work. I think glare from low-beams in the fog can be reduced by using the leveling adjustment to point them down. So, there may not be a need to make the mod to turn them on with the parking lights.

Working on independent fog light mod. Trying to do it without major rewiring.

It is. Only comes on when headlights are on, fog switch is engaged, and high beams are off.

On my WRX I had them wired to run from the switch independently of headlights as my DRLs, which I disabled.

I was disappointed by how dim the boomerangs are, especially off axis. The DRL strip likely will overpower it.

I am hoping to find a way to toggle the DRL's manually.

I'd love to at some point find a way to mod it so the LED strip in the headlights are always on when the car is running since it does look cool when they are on.

I would welcome this.

Way too many lights in the front imo. Subaru should've just eliminated the front LED DRL strip and used the "boomerangs" or "halos" as the DRLs. Simple.

Agreed. Lots of makers are doing something similar in incorporating the DRL's as a design element in the headlight housing. I like the shape and design Subaru went with on the boomerangs, as well as not using an led appearance but more of a ccfl look ala BMW angel eyes.

Unfortunately looking at the headlight it seemed like it would be an enormous pain in the ass to modify the boomerangs or even access whatever illuminates them. If the element is easy to replace and is led then it might be easy to make brighter, but it looks like it uses some kind of plastic to distribute the light so keeping it even and pretty might be a challenge.

I'm with you though, if the boomerangs could be made bright enough to serve as DRL's and I could completely remove the led DRL strips, I think I'd prefer that look.

Definitely agree with you there about the boomerangs. The light output looks more uniform, instead of distinct LED bulbs like the Audi's and Lexus IS's. I haven't seen a BRZ super up close or anything, but from pics around here, it looks like the boomerangs use LEDs, but just under a piece of plastic like you said (possibly translucent?). Either way, big PITA to mod that I would think.

Well those are the parking lights after all :)

The dealer can adjust the headlight auto-on sensitivity by +/- 40%.

I'd have to disagree, the halo's are no way near bright enough to be DRL's. Besides, having the LED strip and the bommerangs on make it look really aggressive!

FWIW -

http://i.imgur.com/aw1VD.jpg

This is how I do 90% of my driving. I love the ability to control the LED's. I used to get frustrated in my C class when they were all auto controlled, and they car would have looked cooler with only LED's running.. but the system kicked on the headlights and dimmed them

I tried to take a picture with the boomerang and LEDs on but the LEDs turn off when the parking break is up.

Ive just been driving around the boomerangs and LEDs. I think thats the best looking setup. Not sure if the boomers stay on with the headlights.

I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, but we should probably be more concerned about safety (and maybe following the law) rather than how cool it looks. Don't get me wrong, I really do like how the boomerang lights look running on their own, but you can't even see your own headlights when you're driving!

Keep it on AUTO and only worry about it when you're taking photos.

I think it's a fair assumption to say that if you're not an idiot, that you would realize very quickly that the boomerang + LED bar combo does not throw enough light for safe driving when it's dark out.

That being said, when I reference driving boomerang + LED, that is during the day. I figure might as well ignite the boomerang's if they're there right? Plus it just adds to the "WTF is that" mystique the car still has on people since it's so new..

Just drive around with the parking break up. Problem solved. :thumbsup:

I turn headlights on early myself, but if it is broad daylight I'd like to run with only boomerangs.

If the brightness could be increased to near DRL's levels that would be awesome. I guess we'll see in due time. The biggest issue however is how the plastic in the headlight minimizes light output to the sides for the boomerangs. Modifying that probably is not worth the hassle and high risk of failure.

The side marker, parking, tail, license plate, daytime running lights and instrument panel lights turn on.





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LED Tube
led strip lighting
flexible led strip lighting

This is something that I will be looking into this weekend... I like the look of the eyes/halos/boomerangs, but I don't like having to turn on the parking lights to get them. I'm looking at having this come on either when the car is on/accessory, when the DRL's are on, or maybe just adding a dedicated switch for them.

I need these on my FR-S

A dedicated switch would be perfect! Or any other kind of independent control over the boomerang lights.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that one can drive in the daylight with the parking lights on and obtain a similar effect, but to me it still looks like a Christmas tree.

Has anyone tried to wire the boomerangs independently yet? Or possibly find out the lighting of them so we can make it brighter? My dad's BMW Z4 has the halos and the bulbs are user-replaceable, so all the owners get much brighter white LEDs.

Hahaha

Don't knock it till you try it! Bad for MPG though.:(

Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk 2

Is there anyway to change the color of the boomerang light?

I do the same thing too. Granted the car speaks for itself with or without them on :)

I'm guilty also...but I figured this mode was just for the boomerang lights, not triggering other light settings too.

So, I tested this the other day. If you set the stalk to AUTO, and the DRL's turn on, both the boomerangs AND the LED's light up ONLY if the parking brake is disengaged. If it's up, everything shuts off. I'm willing to bet most people are like me, you turn on DRL's, and get out of the car to check with the parking brake engaged.

Make sure you're on a level surface and try it for yourself. :P

You can also do this by checking the headlights' reflection on the bumper of the car in front of you; you'll see the same behavior in regards to the parking brake.

You can also work the ebrake and turn your garage into a nightclub with the strobe effect from the DRLs.