The best do-it-yourself DRL connection diagram for a car

Hello, dear friends! I think many people are interested in an effective connection diagram for DRLs, that is, daytime running lights.

For several years now, there have been rules in the country according to which, when driving a car during the day, you should indicate your presence with the help of appropriate headlights. Fog lights, low beam headlights and the DRLs themselves are used as such lamps.

The use of fog lights and headlights has objective disadvantages. Therefore, it is best to connect the DRLs from the generator or battery yourself.

There are various ways and schemes for implementing the idea. Some do this without a relay, others combine DRLs with turn signals, others even control the daytime lights with a separate button, etc. To do everything right, you need to know some important points. And then automatic activation will be carried out without violating traffic rules.

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The regulations state that the circuit should be used in such a way that the drive wheels turn on automatically when the key is turned in the ignition switch. That is, when starting the power plant. But DRLs are also required to turn off automatically as soon as the main beam headlights come on. Here, as you understand, we are talking about the headlight unit (low or high beam). There is also a rule indicating that the head light should turn on only when the headlights turn on. The exception is short-term signals to warn other drivers.

Based on the above, we can safely say that you should not output the DRL through the button. The same as through the handbrake. But you can install it in turn signals, but you will need to connect 2 additional wires from each turn signal.

All this is extremely important to take into account when connecting the movers. After all, you should be concerned not only with the fact that the light bulbs do not burn out. Although this is an extremely significant point.

Without a well-thought-out and competent scheme, you will definitely not be able to install DRLs yourself. After all, everything should work with a shutdown when the high or low beam is turned on.

There are a number of schemes according to which, in theory, you can install DRLs on your car if they are not included in the standard configuration of your vehicle. The only question is which scheme is better to use.

An important role is played by the voltage stabilizer, which is a subject of much debate when using diode running lights. The DRLs themselves are equipped with resistors that act as a current limiter. But during voltage surges, they are not able to maintain the voltage at a single level. Therefore, it is correct to assume that the use of a stabilizer in such a scheme will be mandatory and necessary. Otherwise, the service life of the DRL will be significantly reduced due to regular voltage drops. Although some still believe that the connection can be made without a stabilizer.

It is worth considering several schemes separately, drawing appropriate conclusions from them and making a final decision for yourself.

Connection via 5-pin relay

Now it's time to learn how to connect running lights via a five-pin relay. The scheme is the most universal, and was assembled to eliminate the disadvantages of previous options.

First, about connecting the relay for DRLs:

30 – to the positive terminals of LED modules;
85 – to the positive wire of the side lamp;
86 – on the car body;
87a – to “+” from the ignition switch;
87 – do not connect (isolate).

The circuit with a five-contact relay works as follows. When you turn the key, +12 V is supplied to the DRLs, thereby turning them on. If you turn on the side lights or headlights, the relay will open contact 87a and close inactive contact 87. As a result, the DRLs will go out and the side lights will turn on. The circuit fully complies with the requirements of GOST and traffic regulations and can work with side lights even based on LEDs.

However, the circuit still has one negative point - the DRLs will turn on immediately after turning the ignition switch. That is, if you turn the key in the ignition but do not start the car, the DRLs will light up.

Despite the existing drawback, the circuit is quite successful, but in order to correctly connect the DRL via a five-pin relay, you will need to supplement the circuit with a voltage stabilizer.

This switching option is interesting because the path of current flow through the running lights is independent. This allows you to install light sources of any type and power in headlights and DRLs.

It couldn't be simpler

This is the simplest scheme, which involves connecting to a battery or generator as a power source.

The scheme provides that the DRLs will be activated simultaneously with the engine starting. The point is to connect the plus to the positive terminal from the ignition switch of your Renault Logan or the same Lada Largus, and fix the minus on the car body in any convenient place. Everything looks simple and extremely logical. But you should not rush to conclusions, nor should you make such a connection. After all, it has an obvious drawback.

If the system is assembled according to this scheme, the diodes from the DRLs will start working constantly while the key is in the ignition switch. There is no question of any coordination with other headlights here. Therefore, such a connection contradicts GOST and traffic regulations.

Useful video

You can see some options for installing and connecting the DRL in the video below:

Many car enthusiasts have not yet installed daytime running lights on their car, but perhaps they have been thinking about it for a long time. It's no secret that the absence of running lights, as well as the low beam/fog lights being turned off, can cause your vehicle to be stopped by a vigilant traffic police inspector, which is not very desirable for most drivers, unless the latter lack communication with people and are happy any company at any time.

In addition, if you use low beam or fog lights as daytime running lights (hereinafter referred to as DRLs), you will probably have to change the lamps in these headlights much more often. There is also the issue of increased gas consumption when constantly driving with the low beams on. Of course, this expense is negligible compared to the main one, but it still occurs.

If you have a certain amount of time (depending on skills and experience) and desire, correctly installing DRLs on a car is not such a difficult task for people who know how to hold a soldering iron in their hands and crimp terminals with wires, and in this article I will tell you how to do this .

Of the tools and materials we will need: a crimping device (if you have some skill, pliers will also do), a soldering iron, wire cutters, a knife, a lighter (as an option for tightening the heat-shrink tube), 3-4 meters of two-core wire in PVA insulation 2x1.5 (2x0 is possible .75 if the DRLs are LED and not the fog lights with halogens!). This wire will be needed to connect two lamps in parallel with each other.

You will need a standard 12 V automotive relay, four-pin, reed switch (any), single wire with a diameter of 1.5 to 2.5 mm. approximately 2-3 m., plastic clamps, heat shrinkage. That seems to be all.

Now a few words about connection options.

Option 1.

You can make the DRLs turn on when you turn on the ignition and not turn off until the engine is turned off. This is the simplest option. The negative wire is attached to the car body in any convenient place, the positive wire is attached to the positive wire from the ignition switch or to terminal D of the high-voltage module, preferably through a fuse (not indicated on the diagram).

Option 2.

The same option, but when the low beam is turned on, the DRLs go out. In this case, we connect the plus in the same way as in the first option, and the minus – to the positive wire of the low beam lamp (either of the two). The fact is that an incandescent lamp consumes much more current and has a much lower resistance than LED DRLs and therefore, when the DRLs are turned on in this way, the lamp filament will not heat up even to the minimum glow at full incandescence, and when the DRL is operating, the resistance of the lamp filament is ( even warmed up) will have practically no effect.

As soon as you turn on the low beam, a plus will appear on the negative side of the DRLs and they will go out. True, if you turn on the high beam, the DRLs will light up again. In this case, you can connect the DRLs to the side lamps in the same way (if incandescent lamps are used as such, and not LED!). In most cars I know, the side lamps are a priori connected in parallel, so you can connect the common negative wire from two DRL lamps to any side lamp.

Option 3.

This is an option where the DRLs turn on automatically only when the engine is started and running. In this case, we also connect the minus of the DRL to the car body, and the plus to the 30th contact of the relay. Contact 87 is connected to the more powerful positive (you can connect to the positive terminal of the battery), contact 85 of the relay is connected to the vehicle ground through the running lights, and 86 is connected to the reed switch, to one of its terminals.

We also connect the second output of the reed switch to any plus nearby (can be from the generator or from the same place - from the battery). We start the car and by moving the reed switch around the generator we achieve the relay activation and the DRL ignition. We attach the reed switch, pre-packaged in heat shrink, using a plastic clamp to the generator in the found position and you’re done.

Option 4.

If there is no reed switch. Everything is the same, only contact 86 goes to the oil pressure lamp in the instrument panel.

That's all. In conclusion, I will say that using something made with your own hands is much more pleasant than something made by others. Good luck in implementing your and not yours, but most importantly, interesting ideas.

– these are lighting devices installed on a car and intended for use during daylight hours to improve the visibility of the vehicle while driving. DRLs can be provided by the manufacturer or installed additionally.

Daytime running lights on the VAZ-2114 are not provided by the manufacturer, therefore, if there is such a need, they can be installed additionally.

Low beam or dimensions

You can also connect to the side lights or low beam headlights. In theory, everything here also looks quite simple, interesting and promising. The first of the schemes under consideration provides that you will use an electrical circuit that powers the size lamps. Here the plus from the DRL is connected directly to the battery as a power source. But the minus goes to the plus of the dimensions. At such a moment the latter will be electrically neutral. Thus, the current flows from the plus of the battery through the diodes to the dimensions, and then through the lamp to the housing, where the latter acts as a minus of the created electrical circuit.

Since the level of current consumption will be small, the diodes will start to work, but the size lamp will not turn on.

As soon as the driver switches to the dimensions, a voltage of 12V will appear on its positive side, the potentials will be equalized on the DRL wiring and the diodes will go out. The circuit will begin to operate in normal mode, supplying current to the dimensions.

Everything seems to be fine. But again, conclusions were drawn hastily.

The scheme is simple and working. It just has a few drawbacks:

The drive trains will remain active when the engine is switched off. This directly contradicts current laws;
If the dimensions are equipped with LED lamps, such a circuit will immediately become inoperative;
Operation will not be correct when using powerful SMD diodes as part of DRLs;
To provide additional safety, you will have to add a fuse to the circuit.

To avoid the first drawback, the circuit is slightly altered. The positive from the LED module is taken not from the positive of the battery, but through the positive of the ignition switch.

The second scheme involves activating the DRL using a low beam lamp. The point is that when the low beam is turned on, the walkers are turned off, and the rest of the time they work.

There are the same disadvantages here as for the previous scheme. That is, it contradicts GOST and traffic rules.

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These are two more methods worth considering. A 4-pin relay, a generator and an oil pressure sensor will be used here. But not in a single chain.

Both schemes assume that the DRLs will turn on only when the engine starts. The system is powered by a generator and is based on switching a 4-pin switch and a reed switch.

The connection of the relay contacts looks like this:

Pin 30 goes to the plus of the LED module;
Contact 85 goes to the plus of the wire to the dimensions;
Contact 86 is required for any output from the reed switch;
87 contact to the positive terminal from the battery;
Also, the second terminal from the reed switch goes to the battery plus.

After connection, configuration must be carried out. Here you need to start the engine and start moving the reed switch near the generator in order to get the movement and stable operation of the movers. Then the reed switch should be removed into a special thermal tube and fixed.

If there is no reed switch, then power for the DRL can be supplied through the oil pressure sensor. Then contact 86 goes to the pressure lamp, but otherwise the circuit remains in its original form.

The schemes are excellent in many ways. But they cannot be used in situations where the dimensions are based on LEDs. This is the only significant drawback.

Connection via a 4-pin relay from a generator or oil sensor

The following two methods have a common basis and imply the operation of daytime running lights only after the engine is started. The circuit for switching on DRL from the generator is based on switching a four-contact relay and a reed switch.

The DRL relay contacts are connected as follows:

30 – to the positive terminals of LED modules;
85 – to the positive wire to the dimensions;
86 – to any reed switch output;
87 and the second terminal of the reed switch - to the “+” of the battery.

After checking the reliability of all contacts, proceed to setup. To do this, start the engine and, by moving the reed switch near the generator, achieve its activation and a stable glow of the DRL. Then the reed switch is hidden in a thermal tube and fixed in the found place using nylon ties.

At the moment of starting the engine, and then the generator, the contacts of the reed switch and relay close, supplying power to the LED running lights. In this case, the side lamps remain turned off, since the current through the relay coil is small to light them.

In the absence of a reed switch, you can power the DRL from the oil pressure sensor. In this case, pin 86 is connected to the oil pressure lamp. The rest of the circuitry is duplicated.

Both schemes have a common drawback. They cannot be used if LEDs are installed in the dimensions.

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To get rid of the disadvantages of previous schemes, a connection option via a 5-pin relay is used.

The relay is connected as follows:

Contact 87 is not connected and is simply isolated;
87a goes to plus to the ignition switch;
Pin 86 is needed to connect to the housing;
85 goes to the positive wire from the side lights;
Pin 30 is output to the plus of the DRL LED module.

By turning the key in the lock, 12V begins to flow to the DRL, which allows the running lamps to light. When turning on the headlights or headlights, the relay opens contact 87a and closes contact 87. Thus, the running gears turn off and the other lights turn on. This scheme is good because it complies with GOST and traffic regulations. Plus you can use diode dimensions.

Here it is recommended to use a voltage stabilizer. The only drawback of the scheme is that when you turn the key without starting the engine, the DRLs will light up.

DRL control unit

The most reliable and simplest option is to connect DRLs without a relay, but using a special running lights control unit. It ensures that the DRL turns on after starting the engine, guarantees safe operation, protects against overloads and can be installed on cars with any type of lamps, including LEDs.

Unfortunately, among the variety of industrially manufactured DRL units, the vast majority do not comply with GOST and have mediocre build quality.

This applies, first of all, to products from AliExpress, which do not meet the requirements in almost all respects.

Among all the diversity, only 2 options can be noted: the Russian DayLight+ DRL control unit and German products from Philips and Osram. The DayLight+ control unit was developed by Russian radio engineer Fedor Isachenkov, taking into account all the features of the vehicle’s on-board network and has a number of positive aspects:

there is built-in voltage stabilization;
full compliance with GOST;
the maximum long-term load power is 36 Watts (significantly less is required for DRLs);
simplest connection diagram.

In addition to the points described above, the DayLight+ unit is universal and is suitable for all cars with an on-board 12-volt network, and also has good build quality and a high degree of protection from moisture and dust.

German products from Philips and Osram also have all the above-described advantages of the DayLight+ unit, however, German control units are supplied only together with daytime running lights and are more expensive.

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Hello, dear friends! I think many people are interested in an effective connection diagram for DRLs, that is, daytime running lights.

The use of fog lights and headlights has objective disadvantages. Therefore, it is best to connect the DRLs from the generator or battery yourself.

Legislation

Before practicing installing DRLs, I would like to dwell a little on the legal standards for installing DRLs, as well as the rules of their operation.

The very first and basic rule is that unauthorized installation of additional light signals on a car is prohibited. Yes, you are right, you do not have the right to install DRLs on your car if it was not equipped with them by the manufacturer. This will be considered as making changes to the design of the vehicle. For every change to a vehicle's design, a certificate must be obtained, which in itself is neither quick nor cheap. Otherwise, traffic police officers will issue you a fine, or even take your car to the impound lot.

How so? My neighbor installed DRLs on the Oka and drives calmly! - you ask. He is simply lucky to have loyal traffic police officers who do not pay attention to his DRL - I will answer you.

Once again, unauthorized installation of additional light signals on a car is prohibited if it was not equipped with them by the manufacturer. Therefore, you make any changes to the design of the vehicle at your own peril and risk. It’s a completely different matter if your car’s equipment does not include DRLs, but the more expensive trim levels of your model do have DRLs. In this case, you have the right to install DRL without any approval from the certifying authorities.

The first rule for installing DRLs concerns their location on the car body (see picture). If we briefly describe this figure, we get the following:

DRLs should be installed at a height of 250 to 1500 mm;
The distance between adjacent edges of the DRLs must be at least 600 mm;
The distance from the outer side surface of the vehicle to the nearby edge of the DRL should be no more than 400 mm.

Now let’s briefly go through the rules of operation and use of DRLs:

DRLs should only be used during daylight hours;
It is prohibited to use DRLs in conjunction with side lights, low and high beam headlights, as well as fog lights.

Everything that is not prohibited is permitted. It's that simple

Separately, I would like to dwell on an important point, it concerns the use of DRLs in conjunction with high beam headlights. The rule sounds something like this: When the high beam signal is briefly signaled, with the side lights and low beam headlights turned off, the DRLs should not turn off

Let me break it down: you are driving with your headlights and side lights turned off, your DRLs are on, when you signal with your high beams to an oncoming car that you are approaching a traffic police post, your DRLs should not turn off.

Just? I also think that there is nothing complicated here. Knowing the legislation and rules for using DRLs, we are ready to move on to the practice of connecting them. Let's start with the simple and incorrect and end with the complex and correct. Go!

Traffic rules installation standards

The requirement for the presence of DRL is contained in the traffic regulations, and the technical parameters of the lights are regulated by two GOSTs - R 41.48-2004 and R 41.87-99. According to their requirements, there must be two lanterns, and the color of their glow is only white . Other characteristics should not go beyond:

brightness 400..800 candelas;
the distance between the lanterns is no more than 60 cm;
distance from the edge of the car – within 40 cm;
horizontal opening angle of the light beam – 20 degrees, vertical – 10 degrees;
installation height – 25..150 cm.

The essence of modernization

The technology of connecting DRLs from a car generator did not arise by chance. After all, the main GOST requirements for the functioning of DRL are as follows:

powerful light-emitting diodes must be turned off when the head light is activated, which is the “near”, “far” or luminous flux from the PTF;
DRLs should automatically start when the body that controls the engine operating modes moves to the “on” position;
it must be possible to turn off the running lights without the help of an external tool, i.e. button.

LED lamps and the law in

The main regulatory framework has not changed: 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, part 1,2,3, 12.20 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, TR CU 018/2011 clause 77, Traffic Regulations, clauses 19.6, 3.7 and 3.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

LED lamps are installed in standard headlight locations instead of halogen lamps. It is quite difficult to notice the replacement with an LED when the light is correctly adjusted.

Lamps must have a certificate from the manufacturer that this lighting device has all acceptable characteristics. LED is not xenon and is classified according to 2.5 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, part 1 with a fine of 500 rubles. A fine is issued only at the initiative of the inspector (in rare cases). There is no legislative framework for LED with deprivation of rights. When drawing up a protocol, be sure to record the color of the glow and the certificate of conformity of the lamps, then any Resolution under 12.5 Part 3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses regarding LEDs can be challenged.

The condition for a quiet ride is a correctly adjusted light with a glow color that is not prohibited by traffic regulations.

I will quote once again the Russian Traffic Regulations “Appendix. List of malfunctions and conditions under which the operation of vehicles is prohibited:

Don't use over-powered bulbs, adjust your headlights, and be respectful of other drivers on the road at night.

8(800) 350-34-54

Choosing a stabilizer

In this form, the first and second methods will be combined. Even if your daytime running lights do not have a stabilizer, I recommend purchasing one or making it yourself.

You can buy Chinese modules at prices ranging from 50 to 120 rubles, so as not to order on Aliexpress, take a look at Avito, you can find very reasonable prices. The most common modules are pulse LM2596 and linear LM317. They are of course outdated, but they will draw a current of 1 ampere, which will be a power of 12 watts.

The XL6009, XL4015 chips are considered modern for 2016. They have higher efficiency and heat up much less. They can withstand a current of 2 Amps without a chip cooling system, this is equivalent to a load of 24 watts.

LED neon tube

Two-color flexible tube

If you correctly install the flexible tape or tube inside the headlight, you will get decorative lighting that will look decent. You won't get DRLs from such a tube, even if you try hard.

The most difficult installation option, you will have to disassemble the headlight. The hardest part is removing the clear plastic from the front. The headlight is sealed and the glass is sealed. There are two types of sealant: one that softens at temperatures above 100 degrees, and one that does not soften at all even at 300 degrees. I came across non-separable ones, one took 10 hours to disassemble so as not to spoil or scratch it. I tested the sealant with a soldering iron, which heated up to 300° and could not melt it.

Bake until done and sprinkle with stewed nails

For heating, use an oven or box heated with a hair dryer. Once the sealant softens, the clear plastic will come off easily. For reassembly, you can buy a special rubber sealant, which is used by xenon technicians.

What does the generator have to do with it?

As was written above, connecting the DRL can be done in several ways, but one way or another, you have to use a generator and a relay.

Connecting DRL via generator

According to experts, connecting the DRL via a generator gives the best effect, since it is possible to minimize complexity and costs. You can also integrate the DRL with your own hands, without using a generator, by conducting a positive impulse from the battery.