Archived Posts » 59,699,509
Daytime running lights on 2012 F150 FX4?
4/25/2012 3:42:21 PM
I have been told by 3 different dealers that if you didn't get the DRL option when purchased, then it cannot be "turned on" later.
If I am correct, you can access this function via the Ford diagnostic computer hooked to the Body Control Module.
Are they just being obtuse or can this not be turned on after the fact?
If I am correct, you can access this function via the Ford diagnostic computer hooked to the Body Control Module.
Are they just being obtuse or can this not be turned on after the fact?
4/26/2012 9:41:41 AM
I dunno about a 2012, but back in my Lincoln-Mercury days, we had a very good (and very strange) customer, a judge, who along with his family had a bad habit of smashing their cars up. So he wanted/needed every bit of help he could get with his insurance company, and his goofy insurance company gave him a discount for having cars with DRLs.
I used to go on EBay, get VINs for Canadian Lincolns and Mercurys that had DRLs enabled from the factory, use those VINs to get the calibration info off Ford's dealer website and reconfigure the modules in his cars manually to Canadian spec just to turn the DRLs on. You really aren't supposed to do this, but this particular guy bought like 20 cars from us over the years, and he also provided our body shop a lot of business (seriously - dude and his family can't freaking drive), so they told me to bend the rules and make it happen.
The last one I did for him was like a 2009 Lincoln MKZ I think. So, it's probably possible, but in the states we/they really aren't supposed to do it via cheating module configuration.
ETA - Not long after I did a few for the Judge reconfiguring modules, a bulletin floated out over Ford's system that said do not, under any circumstances, try to cheat or otherwise reconfigure modules to turn DRLs on. There was no specific option in the scan tool to turn DRLs on and off at the time, I had to do it using Canadian VINs and configuration data.
I used to go on EBay, get VINs for Canadian Lincolns and Mercurys that had DRLs enabled from the factory, use those VINs to get the calibration info off Ford's dealer website and reconfigure the modules in his cars manually to Canadian spec just to turn the DRLs on. You really aren't supposed to do this, but this particular guy bought like 20 cars from us over the years, and he also provided our body shop a lot of business (seriously - dude and his family can't freaking drive), so they told me to bend the rules and make it happen.
The last one I did for him was like a 2009 Lincoln MKZ I think. So, it's probably possible, but in the states we/they really aren't supposed to do it via cheating module configuration.
ETA - Not long after I did a few for the Judge reconfiguring modules, a bulletin floated out over Ford's system that said do not, under any circumstances, try to cheat or otherwise reconfigure modules to turn DRLs on. There was no specific option in the scan tool to turn DRLs on and off at the time, I had to do it using Canadian VINs and configuration data.
4/26/2012 3:55:21 PM
Why would you want DRLs?
4/26/2012 4:13:37 PM
You can also go another route....
Motorcyclists often use auxiliary lighting for increased visibility. DRL are proven to reduce the number of "I did not see you coming" incidents with morons. It's really simple to wire in a set of aux lamps. A pair of leads off the battery, a switch (which could even be completely cut out of the circuit or mounted under hood) and a single wire from any hot circuit to a relay feeding the aux lamps. I installed a set on my bike two weeks ago. 1 hour project, including a whole lot of plastic body panel removal and reinstallation. Not a big deal. Sometimes this sort of route is easier and less hassle than frogging around with factory systems.
VisionX
As an added benefit many of these systems, especially the newer LEDs, are VERY bright but also have a different look. Instead of the usual yellowish hue, many are a bright clean white. Visibility is excellent, more so than the usual DRL.
Motorcyclists often use auxiliary lighting for increased visibility. DRL are proven to reduce the number of "I did not see you coming" incidents with morons. It's really simple to wire in a set of aux lamps. A pair of leads off the battery, a switch (which could even be completely cut out of the circuit or mounted under hood) and a single wire from any hot circuit to a relay feeding the aux lamps. I installed a set on my bike two weeks ago. 1 hour project, including a whole lot of plastic body panel removal and reinstallation. Not a big deal. Sometimes this sort of route is easier and less hassle than frogging around with factory systems.
VisionX
As an added benefit many of these systems, especially the newer LEDs, are VERY bright but also have a different look. Instead of the usual yellowish hue, many are a bright clean white. Visibility is excellent, more so than the usual DRL.
4/26/2012 8:24:43 PM
speaking of DRL, i have had a couple people call in the last couple weeks asking us to "install" DRL in their vehicle so they can move to canada....WTF!?
4/26/2012 9:05:14 PM
Originally Posted By DJdiesel:
speaking of DRL, i have had a couple people call in the last couple weeks asking us to "install" DRL in their vehicle so they can move to canada....WTF!?
speaking of DRL, i have had a couple people call in the last couple weeks asking us to "install" DRL in their vehicle so they can move to canada....WTF!?
Canada is the reason DRLs got foisted on us. They require them as OE
4/27/2012 10:14:09 PM
I know canada requires it, but people keep calling me to "install" DRL on their car. I gotta figure out how, ive never done it or heard of installing DRL 
4/27/2012 11:02:26 PM
Originally Posted By Agilt:
Why would you want DRLs?
Why would you want DRLs?
THIS. Damn things are one of the reasons you see folks driving around in the dark with no lights. They see the DRL and think they have their head- and taillights illuminated. I disabled them on the '99 Tahoe I had and luckily the K5 doesn't have anything like that installed.
4/27/2012 11:08:58 PM
if you have automagic headlights put tape over the sensor? I did that on my truck so the HID's wouldnt keep going on and off.
