DRL Delete DIY - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

Ishii Motors · 06-01-2012, 02:33 AM

Ok, I hate DRL ( Day time running lights )

So let's turn them off.

It's very simple to do, Just remove the DRL Resistor. Makes the car just that much lighter as well! lol

1. So, access the Front Right Lower panel.

2. Undo the clips and bolt pictured.
(Peel back)

3. Locate DRL Resistor connector
Unplugg and tape up.

4. Remove DRL Resistor

5. Put back together.

Simple.

Ishii

DarrenDriven · 06-01-2012, 11:07 AM

I was going to try to figure this out today.... you beat me to it. Thanks for the DIY!

mattles · 06-01-2012, 11:19 AM

I found an easier way for the lazy among us. Go into the fuse panel in the engine bay, pull the big brown fuse that is labelled as 'DRL'. I have been running for weeks without this and it seems to not have affected any other electrics in the car, so it looks like its a dedicated one-purpose-only fuse for the DRL circuit.

DarrenDriven · 06-01-2012, 11:21 AM

That is the direction that I was going to go first... Ishii, how did you manage to determine that removing the resistor would accomplish the same thing?

Longhorn248 · 06-01-2012, 11:41 AM

Just want to point out that since DRL's are considered a "safety feature", removing them or making them inoperable is technically illegal. With that being said, I don't think anyone will encounter any problems for doing it, just wanted to make everyone aware just in case. Nice pics for the DIY btw.

ESBjiujitsu · 06-01-2012, 11:54 AM

yeah very interesting you dont like them..... but i guess to each their own. I love day time running lights they save life's!

dsgerbc · 06-01-2012, 01:13 PM

I can understand disabling them when DRL uses either low or high beam bulb, when it's a standalone system - I'm gonna keep'em. Thanks for the guide anyway.

Ishii Motors · 06-01-2012, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarrenDriven

Ishii, how did you manage to determine that removing the resistor would accomplish the same thing?

The title of the thread is DRL Delete so this is should be considered a permanent cancellation of the DRL.

The DRL system operates the high beams at a lower voltage via a resistor.
The system has a DRL Relay which changes the path to ground for the high beam bulbs.
In a static state the ground is through the resistor. Then when high beam operation is requested it changes to a direct path to ground.

Removing the resistor eliminates the path to ground for the high beam bulbs to run at a DRL power level.

Ishii

Jeff Lange · 06-01-2012, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Longhorn248

Just want to point out that since DRL's are considered a "safety feature", removing them or making them inoperable is technically illegal. With that being said, I don't think anyone will encounter any problems for doing it, just wanted to make everyone aware just in case. Nice pics for the DIY btw.

Depends where you are. In many states DRL are not a requirement, and the ability to turn them off is built into the car or can be done via computer. In fact Toyota sometimes even posts DRL disabling instructions similar to this on TIS occasionally.

In some places disabling DRL's is not legal (like in Canada), but in many places it is perfectly fine.

Jeff

Brett · 06-01-2012, 01:23 PM

DRLs lower your insurance rates because they make it less likely for someone to hit you. I also never see them. I'm going to keep them.

DarrenDriven · 06-01-2012, 01:44 PM

Ishii, that was a clever way of doing the delete. In all fairness, most people will probably just pull the fuse, but your method will save weight, too. I'll probably pull my resistor today.

DRLs are mandatory in Canada, but not here the US. I don't like the yellowed, dim, cross-eyed headlight look so those are going... plus I'm going to convert my high-beams to HID so the DRL feature wouldn't work anyway.

chulooz · 06-01-2012, 02:02 PM

Cool beans, Im not a fan of DRLs either. Safety feature, shmefty feature; lights on when the suns up looks dumb.

Jeff Lange · 06-01-2012, 02:07 PM

When every car on the road has it, you get used to it, so around here, it looks weird when you see a car without DRL, lol.

Jeff

Superhatch · 06-01-2012, 02:11 PM

I'm assuming this is for the FRS since the BRZ uses the LEDs for DRL?

There are plenty of studies that show DRL implementation dropping multiple car accidents (2 people involved, not indicating 3+) by 10-30%! http://www.ibiblio.org/rdu/DRLs/studies.htm

I know it might not look "cool" but the facts surrounding the use of them are hard to argue against.

06-01-2012, 02:33 AM	#1
Ishii Motors Join Date: May 2012 Drives: Scion FRS Location: Bellevue WA Posts: 186 Thanks: 13 Thanked 153 Times in 61 Posts Mentioned: 17 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	DRL Delete DIY Ok, I hate DRL ( Day time running lights ) So let's turn them off. It's very simple to do, Just remove the DRL Resistor. Makes the car just that much lighter as well! lol 1. So, access the Front Right Lower panel. 2. Undo the clips and bolt pictured. (Peel back) 3. Locate DRL Resistor connector Unplugg and tape up. 4. Remove DRL Resistor 5. Put back together. Simple. Ishii

06-01-2012, 11:19 AM	#3
mattles Proud of FR Layout Join Date: Jan 2012 Drives: 2013 Scion FR-S 6MT Location: Puget Sound, WA Posts: 984 Thanks: 101 Thanked 381 Times in 228 Posts Mentioned: 8 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I found an easier way for the lazy among us. Go into the fuse panel in the engine bay, pull the big brown fuse that is labelled as 'DRL'. I have been running for weeks without this and it seems to not have affected any other electrics in the car, so it looks like its a dedicated one-purpose-only fuse for the DRL circuit. __________________ --Matt // Flickr \\ Instagram

06-01-2012, 02:07 PM	#13
Jeff Lange Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Drives: 1986 AE86 GT-S, 2011 Lexus IS250 6M Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 661 Thanks: 136 Thanked 361 Times in 161 Posts Mentioned: 5 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	When every car on the road has it, you get used to it, so around here, it looks weird when you see a car without DRL, lol. Jeff __________________ 2011 Lexus IS350 F-Sport 6MT with LSD 1986 Toyota Corolla GT-S Supercharged

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06-01-2012, 01:13 PM	#7
dsgerbc Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Drives: BRZ(sold), STI Location: A2, MI Posts: 1,915 Thanks: 176 Thanked 419 Times in 241 Posts Mentioned: 11 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I can understand disabling them when DRL uses either low or high beam bulb, when it's a standalone system - I'm gonna keep'em. Thanks for the guide anyway.

06-01-2012, 02:02 PM	#12
chulooz Registered you sir Join Date: Feb 2010 Drives: 99 impreza coupe Location: DC / CT Posts: 1,666 Thanks: 259 Thanked 380 Times in 207 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Cool beans, Im not a fan of DRLs either. Safety feature, shmefty feature; lights on when the suns up looks dumb.

06-01-2012, 02:11 PM	#14
Superhatch AIM4APX Join Date: Jun 2012 Drives: 2013 WRB BRZ Limited Location: Milwaukee Posts: 1,206 Thanks: 642 Thanked 749 Times in 324 Posts Mentioned: 8 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I'm assuming this is for the FRS since the BRZ uses the LEDs for DRL? There are plenty of studies that show DRL implementation dropping multiple car accidents (2 people involved, not indicating 3+) by 10-30%! http://www.ibiblio.org/rdu/DRLs/studies.htm I know it might not look "cool" but the facts surrounding the use of them are hard to argue against.

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