Lots of aggressive SUV drivers around us in Wiltshire who don’t seem to see Bette Bumble, so I finally got around to fitting some Ring daylight running lights as mentioned in the above posts. I fitted them inside the grill but was worried about the fragility of the plastic moulded horizontal bar to fix them to so I ran up an aluminium support bracket out of 1mm sheet and fixed that onto the plastic with widespread bolts then hung the lights from them. (Photo) Wondered where to fix the control box when I noticed the (for a Copen) rather generous space at the back of the battery box, so I bolted it on there. (Photo) Worked first time and boy are they bright!!! Move over SUV’s.................
My lights are the same as @JulesAtCumbria although they’re on the front of the grill. The controller works by detecting the voltage increase when the engine (alternator) is running. I’d be interested to hear if anyone using a similar type of controller is having battery drain issues. My little car can only manage 3 days without running Before the voltage drops too low to start.
I’ve not noticed any additional battery draw from the running light control box so far although the after market alarm system that a previous owner fitted (why?) is definitely drawing too much. Poor battery! I’ve just fitted a solar panel on the parcel shelf and wired it direct to the battery with a series diode (stops the panel drawing power from the battery at night) and a fuse to try and get a little bit of top up. Time will tell. Investigating a better method of stopping the reverse current draw than just a plain diode but my electronics knowledge is rather limited.
My Copen can easily manage 2 weeks without running and still start. Something must be wrong somewhere if 3 days is as long as it lasts Regarding running lights, I have just changed the fog light bulbs for lower-powered LEDs and use those as running lights - they come on with the sidelights, so I just need to remember to turn them on. It's probably not legal, but I reckon no policeman is going look twice or bother to pull me. And if they do, I can just say I didn't realise they were on...
Last week I actually drove to Mcdonalds without noticing I only had my sidelights on. Went past about 4-5 police cars and 3 vans in maccies carpark, none of them even bothered flashing to let me know, your average civilian driver is more concerned than a cop eating his burgers P.S. If you ever need the police around Reddish, don't bother with the station, they're all outside maccies, every night.
