LA4Mead

My '99 US/CA spec RX300's daytime running lamps used to light when with the engine on and the parking brake released. Now nothing. I thought I'd get out there with a test meter, check fuses, relays, and wires for corrosion or other corruption, but then I noticed I had a burned out high beam bulb on the passenger side.

That darned bulb burned out after only a little over 14 years (well, it's not like it was lit the whole 14 years, right?). What kinda junk is this? I should look for one thats a little more hardy to replace it. Anyway, my question is this:

Will a burned out high-beam bulb on one (passenger) side keep the DRL's from working (on the driver's side, of course)?

Second, just kidding about the bulb life. Really. Any ideas about replacing the set as a pair with something that throws a nice really bright, easy to see pattern, same wattage/heat/compatible with DRL system, and still lasts long?

Thanks for all the opinions and help!

bob2200

Yes indeed, the high beams (at reduced voltage) are the Daylight Running Lights (DRLs).

I seem to remember that there is a difference in wiring between the U.S. cars and the Canadian cars, due to different DRL intensity requirements.

Unless you use high beams a lot (I almost never use them), I'd stick with the same kind of bulb that came originally.

LA4Mead

Yeah, you are right on on... The high beams are always in use, at half intensity for DRL's and otherwise, too.

I do travel lots of miles at night on dark, winding, high desert highway roads with very light traffic where I use the high beams often to watch for deer and other hazards jutting out from the joshua forests and rolling terrain.

The clarity of the both the low and high beams is important to me, and I always intended to upgrade when a bulb burned out. Cost is a factor, so I'm not talking about expensive HID conversion, just bang-for-the-buck bright OEM upgrade replacement suggestions.

LA4Mead

For the benefit of others who might have a similar issue and find this thread and who do want the added extra safety afforded by DRL's without the old-fashioned power drain of running the full headlight, taillight, and highbeams during daylight "school bus style" I am adding my findings.

Yes, easy as it was, just replacing the burned-out high beam bulb cured the problem for the other side when in DRL mode. Now the DRL system works again. There must be some issue in the step-down in voltage (as the DRL's run at a lower intensity) that keeps the good bulb from working when one is out in DRL mode, reminiscint of an obsolete set of holiday lights (but not for the same reason).