"DRL" Daytime Running Lights Activation on U.S. Spec. C-MAX?

[GaryG]

On Route 1 in the Florida Keys during the daytime, it has nothing whatsoever to do with darkness, fog, or smoke, simply the glare of the Sun and the narrowness of a two lane Highway.

 

I've been driving that road for 45 years going diving and fishing in the Keys, and it's much better than it use to be. It's certainly not a place to be when you need an ambulance and hospital and I've seen a lot of bad accidents on that road. After market DRL's maybe what you should consider since Ford will no longer allow the dealers to turn them on. One other note about the glare of the sun, I put Air Blue clear windshield tint on my '13 C-Max Energi combined with the 6" stripe of regular tint and found I no longer need the visor to block the sun glare. Tint King covered the entire windshield with Air Blue and made me come back after three days to cure, and then put the tint strip on. Since you live in So. Florida also, I highly recommend Air Blue for that huge windshield to help block the heat in the cabin.

 

Gary

[phil1336]

I don't remember where I read it, but Ford has disabled the ability for service techs in the US to activate DRL's. The only place DRL's can be programmed is at the factory for fleet and Canadian bound vehicles.

 

Years ago, I was a manager at a local courier company with about 200 vehicles, from vans to Rangers and box trucks. When every vehicle was set up with DRL's, we saw a slight (around 1% if I recall) decrease in collisions in the first year. Of course the person who proposed the idea thought it was a great one, but in reality, it didn't do that much. I didn't stay around long enough to learn of any long term results and the company no longer exists.

Wrong, all U.S. Ford`s including 2013 & 2014 can have the DRL`s activated through the Vehicles Smart Junction Box using the IDS Programmer. Several (extra) steps and re-programming are now required so many Technicians don`t know the procedure and even when a Dealer requests Ford Tech Support for advice they are told it is a "non-programmable" feature for U.S. Vehicles that were not originally Ordered for Fleet Sale or shipment to Canada. False on both!

[phil1336]

 

I've been driving that road for 45 years going diving and fishing in the Keys, and it's much better than it use to be. It's certainly not a place to be when you need an ambulance and hospital and I've seen a lot of bad accidents on that road. After market DRL's maybe what you should consider since Ford will no longer allow the dealers to turn them on. One other note about the glare of the sun, I put Air Blue clear windshield tint on my '13 C-Max Energi combined with the 6" stripe of regular tint and found I no longer need the visor to block the sun glare. Tint King covered the entire windshield with Air Blue and made me come back after three days to cure, and then put the tint strip on. Since you live in So. Florida also, I highly recommend Air Blue for that huge windshield to help block the heat in the cabin.

 

Gary

Gary,

Thanks for the Tip on the Window Tint. I use Tint King on Route 1 in Lake Park because I prefer "3M Films". If you want you (factory) DRL`s enabled, they will do it for you on Northlake Blvd. Had my 2013 C-Max SE Hybrid done there. Took less then a half hour. Was $100 charge. Just like a Jeweler, your paying for the knowledge, not the actual labor.

[akirby]

Just to be clear - there was a time when even the dealers did not have the option to turn on DRLs in some vehicles. That was fixed with an update to the IDS software.

[phil1336]

Just to be clear - there was a time when even the dealers did not have the option to turn on DRLs in some vehicles. That was fixed with an update to the IDS software.

akirby; That is true but many Ford Dealers as far back as 2011 (claimed) that the Daytime Running Lights could not be enabled where another Dealer, just days later, using the same IDS Programmer was able to activate with a couple of Mouse clicks. Some Techs are better at finding how to enable obscure requests then others.

[akirby]

akirby; That is true but many Ford Dealers as far back as 2011 (claimed) that the Daytime Running Lights could not be enabled where another Dealer, just days later, using the same IDS Programmer was able to activate with a couple of Mouse clicks. Some Techs are better at finding how to enable obscure requests then others.

 

I understand. When they changed the way DRLs worked on the new models I think they forgot to update the U.S. IDS software to allow it to be changed. Some dealers probably looked once didn't see the option and never went back to check after they updated it. And some just didn't know where to look in the first place.

[transitman]

Wrong, all U.S. Ford`s including 2013 & 2014 can have the DRL`s activated through the Vehicles Smart Junction Box using the IDS Programmer. Several (extra) steps and re-programming are now required so many Technicians don`t know the procedure and even when a Dealer requests Ford Tech Support for advice they are told it is a "non-programmable" feature for U.S. Vehicles that were not originally Ordered for Fleet Sale or shipment to Canada. False on both!

I did some searching and here is what I read on the ford cmax energi forum. Granted, on all forums, not all information is accurate and all posters are not credible, but this is what this person posted. Whether or not it's true, I don't know and frankly, I don't care... food goes in, poop comes out.

 

OK, I have the scoop. From what I can tell, until recently, it was possible to turn them on with the Ford laptop at the dealer. The option was under the Body Control Module. I just checked with my dealer, and the option to turn it on is no longer available. So it has to be programmed at the factory, which is done only for fleet US sales and Canada sales. Ford also said it was illegal to change options there, but I think what is illegal is to hack those modules, not to change available settings.

Edited September 17, 2014 by transitman

[phil1336]

 

I did some searching and here is what I read on the ford cmax energi forum. Granted, on all forums, not all information is accurate and all posters are not credible, but this is what this person posted. Whether or not it's true, I don't know and frankly, I don't care... food goes in, poop comes out.

 

OK, I have the scoop. From what I can tell, until recently, it was possible to turn them on with the Ford laptop at the dealer. The option was under the Body Control Module. I just checked with my dealer, and the option to turn it on is no longer available. So it has to be programmed at the factory, which is done only for fleet US sales and Canada sales. Ford also said it was illegal to change options there, but I think what is illegal is to hack those modules, not to change available settings.

 

Believe what you want but I can attest that I had my 2013 C-Max Hybrid SE Daytime Running Lights activated by an (authorized) Ford Dealership this past year. Thats bull shit that its (illegal) to do so unless it was "Factory Ordered" as a Fleet Purchase or for Canadian Export only. Something like DRL`s are (legal) for use in the U.S. for Fleet Purchase but (illegal) for non-Fleet use? LMAO For the last time, the DRL`s are activated through the Body Control Module using an IDS Programmer and the Vehicle`s Smart Junction Box. Normally, simply scrolling down to Vehicle Lighting brings a (sub-menue) of Daytime Running Lights, Enable or Disable. If that has been changed, other items or settings may need to be re-programmed or re-installed but it (can) be done by someone who knows their Electronics. Ford could simply make them standard equipment or at the very least offer them as an Option to Retail Buyers as they now do for Fleet Purchase requiring a valid Fleet Identification Number, FIN. Such madness while almost every other Vehicle Manufacturer (except) Ford has made them standard for most of their 2015 Models.