Turn Signal and Lighting Stalk

[jray3]

(off topic) Is it possible to take the headlight adjustment switch out of an i-MiEV that has it and put it in a US i-MiEV? The servos and gearing are on the headlights, but is the wiring and circuitry in place under the dash?

Okay, newby question. There's a ring on the left hand control stalk with headlight icons, but it does nothing, as far as I can tell. Here's an attempt to share a photo...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/koh5r1ztmhdwxbe/IMG_6314%5B1%5D.JPG

 

[Don]

Okay, newby question. There's a ring on the left hand control stalk with headlight icons, but it does nothing, as far as I can tell.

That ring turns the fog light off and on in my car

Don

 

[peterdambier]

1 tap up foglight.
2 taps up foglight + backlight

1 tap down backlight off
2 taps down foglight off

I am glad it can do everything but the foglights automagically.

Cheers
Peter and Karin

 

[jray3]

1 tap up foglight.
2 taps up foglight + backlight

1 tap down backlight off
2 taps down foglight off

and so it does! The fog lights that act as daytime running lights on my SE are so dim compared to the headlights that I hadn't noticed them when shining on an ordinary wall to test the switch... Had to find a glass wall to see them work.

 

[Don]

and so it does! The fog lights that act as daytime running lights on my SE are so dim compared to the headlights that I hadn't noticed them when shining on an ordinary wall to test the switch... Had to find a glass wall to see them work.

Now you've got ME confused!

My DRL's go off completely when I turn the headlights on, so I couldn't see them even with a mirror

I use the foglights about 99% of the time when I have the headlights on - They really light up the road in front of the car and they also make it easier to see the road edges . . . . especially handy when someone with their custom, blinding, misaimed, blue headlights is coming at you. It's immediately obvious when you turn them on . . . . you don't need a wall to shine them on

Don

 

[jray3]

Now you've got ME confused!

Feels like I oughtta get a prize! Don, you have an ES, don't you? The ES has a DRL lamp inside the headlight assembly, for those base models not equipped with fog lamps (as my ES was). I'm guessing that an ES with fog lamps still uses the headlight-integrated DRL. On my SE "Premium", the fog lamps are always on as the DRL, they turn off when the headlights come on, and the ring on the stalk can turn the foggies back on. I've been interested in replacing that foglamp/DRL with LED, since that's a continuous electrical load that could be reduced.

 

[PV1]

An ES that doesn't have fog lights has NO DRL function. There are bulbs in the headlight assembly that function as marker/parking lights. The switch has to be turned to marker or headlights manually to turn them on.

The reason I didn't get the factory fogs was because of the DRLs and the energy they waste. Where I live, it doesn't matter if you have lights on or not, people still can't drive.

 

[JoeS]

On the SE, the separate daylight running lights (DRLs) and fog lights are inside the same housing in the bumper. On the SE, the DRLs are always on (wish I could turn them off sometimes) during the day. On the SE, the fog lights can be turned on only with the low beam headlights and do a nice job of filling in the area closest to the car, as Don has pointed out. On the SE, the fog lights cannot be turned on without the low beam headlights on (why?). On the SE, the DRLs extinguish when the headlights turn on. Sheesh, need a logic diagram just to turn on the lights on these newfangled machines :roll:

 

[Don]

Now you've got ME confused!

Feels like I oughtta get a prize! Don, you have an ES, don't you?

No - Mine's an SE and the fog lights *should* work exactly the same as yours, which is why I was wondering how you were seeing the DRL's with the headlights on and the fog lights off, because that shouldn't happen.

The DRL's (which are always on) are a tiny bulb and don't draw much current. The foglights are 35 watt bulbs I believe and as Joe mentions, they can only be used with the low beam headlights. Can't be used alone and also go off when you switch to high beams. Why? Pretty sure it's to comply with the law in several states which mandate exactly that

Many years ago in Oregon I got an actual ticket for running down the Interstate with only my parking lights and fog lights on. It was snowing very heavily and I couldn't see ten feet with my headlights on, but the visibility was actually pretty good with just the fog lights. That bit of logic (using whatever lights allow you to SEE) didn't impress the officer one bit

Don

 

[JoeS]

FWIW, in case you hadn't noticed, for the simple function of activating the turn signals, our turn signal stalk turns out to have three distinct capabilities:

1. Just like most modern turn signal stalks of the last 60 years, you push the stalk fully up or down and it just sits there with the turn signal blinking until it either automatically returns to OFF after a sharp turn or else is manually pulled back to OFF.

2. Gently pushing the stalk up or down partially and holding it keeps the turn signal flashing until the stalk is released.

3. Gently tapping the stalk up or down activates the turn signal for three flashes only. This is programmable (by the dealer) to either deactivate this feature or else change its activation time (I think).