DRL Hack

[jrhboxsters]

This subject has probably been beat to death on the forum by the more seasoned owners, but I'm new to the Margue, so if it has please direct me to the correct reply stage to learn how.
I have a 2001 3.2 with factory original Lithtronic headlamps. I've been told you can activate the Canadian required DRL process by a certain unknown to me process. How do I accomplished this?

[BoxsterSteve]

Locate the fuse box cover on the lower left side underneath the dash, remove the cover and locate fuse number A6 and A9, both fuses are located on the first top row, from left to right fuse #6 and fuse #9, if you don’t have heated seats the #6 fuse slot will be empty.

Once located, you will need to have a 3 inch long electrical wire (18 gauge wire is good) strip each end of the wire approx. ½” on each end of the wire, what you need to do is use that 3” wire to jump fuse #6 and #9 like a bridge, take one end of the wire and wrap it around one peg of the fuse and the other end on one peg of the other fuse and insert both fuses back into their respective slots #6 and #9.

If you had an empty slot, simply use a spare fuse, amperage not important, in the empty slot. Verify that the hack worked by putting the ignition key on the headlights should come on.

I removed the DRL module on my Canadian spec car and tried it. It does indeed work.

[jrhboxsters]

Thanks Steve, I'll give her a try. Question which headlight activates, the Lithtronic or the high beam and do they activate in a dimmed mode, going full bright when you actually turn on the headlights via the switch? - Thanks

[BoxsterSteve]

My understanding is this hack will illuminate low beams at full brightness. The headlight switch would activate all other exterior lights & dashboard. Fuse 9 is low beam, you could look up the high beam fuse and jump to that... only problem there might be heat buildup in headlight housing.

This gets used as a low-buck DRL activation on US cars imported to Canada, otherwise expensive electrical additions are required to certify for road use in the Great White North (eh).

[Auf los!]

I did this mod this morning, after getting some fuse taps from Radio Shack. First I looked up a fuse diagram in the factory shop manual, which showed A9 to be the right lo beam, and A10 to be the left. Interesting...separate fuses for left and right? In my diagram they were listed as being 7.5 amps each. Well, when I got at the fuses I was surprised to see that my A9 and A10 were each 15 amp. Okay, I have a 2001 S with factory-fitted Litronics, so maybe the uprating makes sense.

I didn't want to put a fuse in the A6 spot that was rated less than A9 was, so I installed a 15 amp with the jumper wire. Switched on the ignition, the Litronics lit, and promptly went dark. The 15 amp fuse I had put in A6 had blown.

The only reason I could think for this is that I want to light BOTH headlamps, and each are rated 15 amp, so 15 x 2 = 30, and I tried installing a 30 amp fuse. Success!

This mod is WELL worth doing. I had done the same thing (full-power lo-beam DRLs) on my '99 Miata, and while the Miata had required a relay, I also installed an override switch for defeating the mod when autocrossing. When I would forget to turn the DRLs back on, I would immediately notice an annoying increase in cars pulling out right in front of me, etc.

Thanks, BoxsterSteve, for spurring me to get it done.

[BoxsterSteve]

Auf los,

My car has the standard halogens, so I got away with a 15A fuse. I can see how ballast draw of the Lits at start-up would require a higher rated fuse. It's funny though, how jumping to a single headlight fuse will cause both to power on.

I have a very lightly optioned Boxster S, so I had to add a fuse at #6 as I don't have heated seats. Worked like a charm, though. I did, however reinstall the DRL relay because my rear plate lights wouldn't come on at all without the DRL relay in place?!

I wonder if a stealership could program the car to only illuminate headlights instead of all exterior lights..... anyone know for sure?