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So i want to get switchbacks for the front turn signal bulbs, but i want the drl to stay white all the time the lights are on. I know are cars stay orange in drl mode has anyone made this work? i just want the switchback to be orange only when using the turn signal thanks guys in advance.
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
No, you have switchbacks that work the way they are designed but not the way the OP wants. He wants the lamps to be white at all times except when the turn signals are in use (i.e. white whether the headlights are on or not).
This is not possible with the factory wiring. In fact, I can't think of any simple modification to the factory wiring that would do this either. The front lamps have three wires - power for parking lights, power for turn signals and DRLs, and ground. Switchback bulbs illuminate white for the parking lights and amber for the turn signals (which is the same power circuit used for the DRLs).
In order to have white DRLs but amber turn signals you'd have to disable the factory DRLs and find a way to replace them with a separate circuit. There are aftermarket DRL modules that you could wire to the parking light circuit and there are wiring modifications you can make to eliminate the factory DRLs but it would be a fair bit of work. Besides, amber DRLs are distinctive - especially with all the silly white LED strips that manufacturers are installing in new cars these days.
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Yes, you're right... installing plain white 3157 bulbs (not switchbacks) would make the front lamps white at all times, day or night, but they would also flash white instead of amber for the turn signals.
I gave this some additional thought and came up with wiring mods that will accomplish what stanggreg90 is looking for - white DRLs and parking lights with amber turn signals. No additional parts are necessary except for some wire, a fuse and connectors (or solder and heat shrink) but cutting and splicing wires is necessary.
1. Pull out the radio so that you can get to the DRL module mounted to the defroster duct behind it.
2. Cut the four blue wires in the black plug of the DRL module. Make sure you leave enough slack to work with. The wires are light blue, light blue with a white stripe, dark blue, and dark blue with a white stripe.
3. Connect the corresponding striped wires together with their plain counterparts (i.e. light blue with stripe to plain light blue and dark blue with stripe to plain dark blue). You want to connect the ends that go into the car not the ends that go into the DRL module. You should tape up each of the ends that go to the DRL module so that they don't accidentally short out when you put it all back together.
4. Now test your lamps - they should be off except amber when the turn signals or hazard flashers are on and white when the headlights are on. If so, you can put your dash back together. Basically, you have bypassed the factory DRL circuit.
5. Under the hood, find an ignition switched power supply. You can tap into the CRUISE/AC fuse in junction block 2 or there is an empty slot next to the 15A starter fuse:
Thanks to member Danny2tek for this photo.
6. Run a fused wire from that ignition switched source to each of the two front lamps. A 5A fuse would be a good choice if you're running 16 gauge wire.
7. Cut the brown wire near each front lamp. Connect the new wire you just ran to the end of the cut wires that go into the lamp socket. Tape up the other ends of the brown wires so that they won't short out.
You now have white lamps that are on whenever the ignition is on - a close approximation of true daytime running lights. And you still have amber turn signals. The switchbacks will flash amber/off or amber/white depending on which type of switchbacks you bought. You can add a separate switch in your ignition switched power wire if you want to have a way to turn them off. Or you could get fancy and add a relay connected to the parking brake switch that would turn them off whenever the parking brake is applied (more like factory functionality).
Yes, you're right... installing plain white 3157 bulbs (not switchbacks) would make the front lamps white at all times, day or night, but they would also flash white instead of amber for the turn signals.
I gave this some additional thought and came up with wiring mods that will accomplish what stanggreg90 is looking for - white DRLs and parking lights with amber turn signals. No additional parts are necessary except for some wire, a fuse and connectors (or solder and heat shrink) but cutting and splicing wires is necessary.
1. Pull out the radio so that you can get to the DRL module mounted to the defroster duct behind it.
2. Cut the four blue wires in the black plug of the DRL module. Make sure you leave enough slack to work with. The wires are light blue, light blue with a white stripe, dark blue, and dark blue with a white stripe.
3. Connect the corresponding striped wires together with their plain counterparts (i.e. light blue with stripe to plain light blue and dark blue with stripe to plain dark blue). You want to connect the ends that go into the car not the ends that go into the DRL module. You should tape up each of the ends that go to the DRL module so that they don't accidentally short out when you put it all back together.
4. Now test your lamps - they should be off except amber when the turn signals or hazard flashers are on and white when the headlights are on. If so, you can put your dash back together. Basically, you have bypassed the factory DRL circuit.
5. Under the hood, find an ignition switched power supply. You can tap into the CRUISE/AC fuse in junction block 2 or there is an empty slot next to the 15A starter fuse:
Thanks to member Danny2tek for this photo.
6. Run a fused wire from that ignition switched source to each of the two front lamps. A 5A fuse would be a good choice if you're running 16 gauge wire.
7. Cut the brown wire near each front lamp. Connect the new wire you just ran to the end of the cut wires that go into the lamp socket. Tape up the other ends of the brown wires so that they won't short out.
You now have white lamps that are on whenever the ignition is on - a close approximation of true daytime running lights. And you still have amber turn signals. The switchbacks will flash amber/off or amber/white depending on which type of switchbacks you bought. You can add a separate switch in your ignition switched power wire if you want to have a way to turn them off. Or you could get fancy and add a relay connected to the parking brake switch that would turn them off whenever the parking brake is applied (more like factory functionality).
Thank you so much for this write up. My drl module was beginning to go bad and I had lost the drl feed to the driver's side circuit. With switchbacks, I had orange on passenger side and white on driver's side. This eliminated that issue and will give me white drls when I connect the fused lead.
Thank you so much for this write up. My drl module was beginning to go bad and I had lost the drl feed to the driver's side circuit. With switchbacks, I had orange on passenger side and white on driver's side. This eliminated that issue and will give me white drls when I connect the fused lead.
Just came across your post and beeing curious about your DRLs. Are you saying that DRLs are white all the time with headlights on or off but when you use turn signals the DRL's and side markers will blink amber by doing WhiteBird00 mode? Thanks.
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