DRL Light bar issue

[Shawkins]

Hi all,

I picked up my T5.1 this afternoon. It has the DRL light bars fitted to the front bumper. Both work and illuminate, but one side is definitely brighter then that other. I'd put up a picture but it's really hard to see in a picture.

Is it likely 1 side is on it's way out?

I've not had chance to have a good look yet, but I'm wondering if it something that I could just swap the light source out, or are these sealed 'un-fixable' units? I'm quite tempted to try and alter their colour. But would like them just to be working first haha.

I assume the panel they are fixed in just pops off? I'll get a decent look as soon as I get chance but thought I would ask here in case anyone has experienced anything like this?

Thanks

Steve

 

[Badjamin]

Are they new? are they retrofitted?

I dunno much about electrics but one being brighter than the other, it might be they're wired up in series and not parallel?

@TheGrapeEscape has/had DRL's and does understand electrics

 

[JumpShip]

Yes the panels just pop off with a trim tool , don't be too rough with them .
I think most of these are sealed units and a lot are aftermarket add ons .
Like these ? - Pardon our interruption...

 

[Shawkins]

Yes the panels just pop off with a trim tool , don't be too rough with them .
I think most of these are sealed units and a lot are aftermarket add ons .
Like these ? - Pardon our interruption...

Yes they are the ones. I had a good search about last night and they seem incredibly expensive everywhere for what they are? Are they special and linked into the CANBUS or something?

I'm not scared of a bit of fettling and have some trim tools winging their way to me now so will pop them off and take a look. Might be a crappy connection (unlikely I know). I might try to open the sealed unit and change the LED colour.

The actual LED must be standard 12v LEDs inside those units so maybe I'll get my soldering iron out and have a play.

It's not right anyway so I've nothing to lose and if it goes belly up I'll be replacing them anyway haha.

Thanks
Steve

 

[JumpShip]

Oh and theyll have probably butchered the bumper behind to make them fit so be prepared when you get them out

If all else fails you can just delete them and replace them with the factory blanks .

 

[Shawkins]

Oh and theyll have probably butchered the bumper behind to make them fit so be prepared when you get them out

If all else fails you can just delete them and replace them with the factory blanks .

Hi Jumpship,

I'm pretty sure that whoever installed them did a decent job. I've not had a proper crawl under the van yet, but when I lock the doors they stay on for 10 seconds or so for 'get me home' lighting so assume they must be plugged in and controlled by something in the ECU rather than just some bodged in 12V signal (*crosses fingers).

I'm hoping I'll get chance to have a good look this weekend. I'll update here with any progress or if I do get into the nitty gritty of messing about with the LED's

Thanks

Steve

 

[JumpShip]

Sorry Steve not implying theyre junk just that the recesses have to be cut into the bumper behind so to expect someone to have been in and 'modified' the bumper behind the trim .
Fingers crossed you can sort them

 

[Shawkins]

Sorry Steve not implying theyre junk just that the recesses have to be cut into the bumper behind so to expect someone to have been in and 'modified' the bumper behind the trim .
Fingers crossed you can sort them

Haha no worries. I have no idea on any of these bits yet as only collected the van Sunday. I appear to be on a bit of a steep learning curve with it.

Cheers Steve

 

[JumpShip]

They're great vans , had ours many years and it still love it .
Yes there's always a job or something new to buy that you didnt know you even needed