How many people have their daytime running lights programed to be on all the time? I turn them on with my parking lights when driving in rain or close to sunset and have been thinking of setting them to be on all the time.

 

I had mine programmed off.
When I'm working on my car, I don't like draining the battery whenever the ignition is on.
When I'm driving the car, I always turn on ALL my lights (except fogs). Start the car, lights on, seatbelt on, then go. Whatever you can do to make yourself more visible to all those inattentive drivers out there, it really helps when you're driving a small car.

It might be a regional preference, if you live somewhere sunny with light traffic, it may not be as necessary as it is in Seattle.

 

I don't drive with mine on during daylight, except when raining or near sunset.

My work truck has daytime running lights. I find plenty of drivers who can't see a full size, ladder rack equipped truck with running lights. They don't seem to make much difference in my experience, at least not on a multi-lane freeway with the nut-cases who drive in my area.

On a two lane highway with passing zones and long straights they definitely help with visibility. I turn on my Mini's lights in those situations but not for normal driving.

 

I thought I had mine programmed on but sometimes I pull up to someone and notice that I have no lights (by the lack of reflection off their back); other times they are on. I suspect that my DRL ore not programmed on but the ambient light sensor on my auto headlight feature is very sensitive in that anything other that direct sunlight will trigger the headlights.

I'm going to have them programmed on when I go in for my first service on Friday.

 

I had mine turned on at the dealer when I first got the car. My theory is that if it saves me a single time it's worth it.

 

I just realized that when you set your daytime driving lights to come on automatically, all the lights come on; the headlight low beams, the lower parking lights, side markers, and the tail lights. I was under the impression the daytime driving lights were only the upper half of the fog lights, guess not... I don't want all my lights on all the time, most daytime driving lights are only the headlights not all the lights... Another Mini thing...

 

Mine are off. I don't want the Xenons coming on everytime I start the car.

 

I thought mine were programmed, but I'm wondering if it is tied in to the fob I was using at the time the dealer dealt with it. Sometimes they're on and sometimes not. Does anyone know whether this is the case or not?

 

I believe so. Many of the user controllable settings are tied to the fob. That way, two drivers can each have the car set up the way they want it.

 

Ahhh. . . Thanks!

 

I had mine on for a while. Then one night I was waiting for my wife outside a store and realized with the car idling, the lights couldn't be turned off!
Someone has since mentioned that in his pre R56 if he pulled up the emergency brake, the lights would go off with the car idling. I haven't tried it though.

 

It doesn't work that way in the R56. I was in the car reprogramming it with it idling and they came on with the emergency brake set. They came on and stayed on no matter what I did. I had a GMC P/U with DRLs, you could press the dome light button three times and the lights would go out until the next time you restarted the truck. This was handy when coming up to a check point or base entrance when you had to turn off your lights at night so the guards at the entrance weren't blinded.

 

I am baffled that drivers are so stingy with their use of their lights. Do they think turning them on costs them money? Or are they just clueless as to the safety aspects of being seen? I have DRLs ON all the time. My 2003 MC had a dedicated bulb but with my 2007 MCS it is the bixenon bulb. I don't care if it costs me a few $ to replace the xenon bulb. I learned when driving a motorcycle, part of being safe is being seen. Plus, I live in the mountains, on a two-lane highway where the light is mixed between tree shadow and bright sunlight. Headlights make a big difference, and most of the commuters here drive with lights on, even in broad daylight, because being seen is part of being safe.

 

The whole trick to being invisible is to be at the same luminance as your background (an old camouflage trick). Conversely, to maximize your being seen, you want the most contrast possible. In almost all cases that means lights on...only time that wouldn't work is if you're parked in front of a huge wall of light or actually in flight with a bright sky background...neither of which are likely.

I'm going with DRLs.

 

Same thing I realized and exactly why I have mine programmed off. Especially given the xenons on my MINI. Some may call it stupid, but it's simply my preference. I don't like having almost every single one of my exterior lights on in the middle of the day. Unless I'm in a situation which particularly calls for added visibility of my MINI, such as driving on a two-way road. My Dad would argue the opposite, as he makes a point to actually switch his lights on upon starting the vehicle, no matter what the conditions. To each his own...

Also, I have the auto-lights and never take them out of auto (there's a dedicated off position). So at sunset, when it's raining, in a tunnel or frankly even in a bit overcast, my lights are on.

 

i have my programmed off. i just don't like to have ALL those lights on.

 

I would use the DRls if they were just that and not all the lights turned on. But I should stop comparing a Mini to my truck with DRLs that only turns on separate headlights just for that function.

 

Mine are off. I think you could set them at 30% of normal brightness on the R53, but not the R56. Is that right? Also, I know you can turn off the interior lights with doors open if you hold the domelight switch for a few seconds. Could that turn the DRLs off with engine running too?

 

Hence in Canada, DRL's have been the law since about 1992 or so. Seems strange whenever I cross the border and see so many cars driving without their lights on. DRL's also are not as bright as when the lights are on fully. Having had my car for over 10 years now, I've never had to change the lights once in my car. There really isn't any measureable savings by having them off. When working on a car with DRL's, raising the hand brake lever usually turns them off.

 

Neither of those are true with the MINI. There may not be any measurable savings, I simply prefer not to use DRL's (except in circumstances that especially call for them) given MINI's implementation of them. The fact that I have xenons also plays a part.

 

in order to "save" the bulb life of the xenons, anyone here just run the parking lights & front fogs as an alternative DRL? any legality issues with this?

 

+1

 

I have mine on all the time. If I'm seen, I'm that little bit safer than if I were not.

 

I don't have mine on nor have I every used them on any car I've driven. I'm not alone...DRLs are very, very rarely seen around here.

 

What if costs > $1,000?

My understanding is that Xenons are extremely expensive to replace, and the thing that kills them is startup. So, if I'm running a lot of short errands with good visibility, I leave them off. If I'm driving a few miles or more on a two-lane road or freeway, I'll turn them on manually.