07 daytime running lights question

[nika2001]

Hello to all!

New to forum, new to Mazda 3 and soon owner of a Mazdaspeed3 (called Mazda 3 MPS in Europe) :-). Coming from an VW GOlf MK4 25 Years GTI with a lot of power, I wonder how happy I'll be with the new car and I can't wait delivery...

So here's my first question and I hope someone can help.

Some mazda owners have written in the mazda3forums.com this comment:
"07 with factory HID it uses the halogen high beam at half power as a daytime running light. As you may have guessed it looks horrible."

Actually driving with (some) head light is only because of security issues, especially with a Mazdaspeed3 ;-) It's good to be seen in others people's mirrors in time :-)

I don't like to drive all the time with fogs or HIDs on, so the question:
Are the 07 DRLs really so horrible as mentioned? Anyone with 07 and factory HID around, who can post a (or some) picture(s)?

If this is not too "horrible" my dealer may be able to enable this functionality in my european Mazdaspeed3, hopefully through the diagnostics interface only. No in depth mods in a new baby ;-)

Thx and greetings to all,
Nika2001

[Broli]

welcome to the board!

wont your euro 3 mps have the same set up to start?
the speeds here, have the same set up as the 07s with hids, at least i think so. and if drls are a legal requirement in ur country?

i may just be lost, if so sorry!

:)

[Xenon]

The 2007 DRL on the Canadian Models are a 1/2 output high-beam. Mazda only ships with this feature if it is a legal requirement of the country of destination.

Even if you don't like it, you can always get rid of it somehow. Many of the members here have changed or removed the DRL. If you search around the forums you will see the different methods used.

[nika2001]

Hi Broli and Xenon,

and thanks for welcome and feedback!

Actually, I'd only like to see a picture of the 2007 DRL on the Canadian Models, to better understand of how it looks like in terms of light intensity and colour and I was hoping someone driving a 2007 can post a picture, or at least knows where to find one.

Whether the 1/2 output high-beam will be legal or not and whether the whole system will be legal or not in europe, depends on whether it fullfills the european ECE-87 requirements, which are:

- Intensity of light: max 400 candela on each DRL
- DRLs must be switched off automatically, by turning on head lights, fogs or high beams
- Distance from the road: min 250mm, max 1500mm
- Distance between the DRLs: min 600mm
- Distance between DRLs and cars side edges: max 400mm

I couldn't find the canadian requirements yet, but they shouldn't be to far away from the european ones, maybe the intensity of light could be different.

But as long as we don't have the ECE-87 as an european wide regulation, I just don't care. If the canadian DRL functionality can be simply "enabled" in european MS3 versions and if this doesn't look "horrible" (too yellow), I would go for it just for security reasons and lower fuel consumption over time.

Anyway, if it works, I'll find it out :-) and I'll post some pictures.

Thx and happy Mazda3ing,
Nika2001