Sidelight problems

[Primal_Concrete_Micra]

Easy guys, just fitted some blue sidelights to my micra, they work fine when the engine management system is off, but when the EMS is on they are showing a normal bulb colour as well, although i have xenon lamps fitted, any ideas?.......

 

[ollie240585]

I believe the headlights come on (low power) when the engine is on, and sidelights are on.

 

[Swiper]

I believe the headlights come on (low power) when the engine is on, and sidelights are on.

that's correct. i think it may have been a legal requirement at some stage to have dipped beam on with sidelights, but less powerfull (dim dips). i think all pre-facelift micras had dim dips.

 

[Primal_Concrete_Micra]

should this second light not be the same colour as my xenon headlight bulbs then? is there a way i can stop this from happening?

 

[NeX]

it is not a legal requirement, but its called the Dip/dim system. look under the dash in the driver's footwell and you can see the controler box,

basically its there because if your sidelight failes then there is a second bulb so you don't look like a motorbike...

if you are after true blue bulbs then get the sportz blue headlights

 

[Swiper]

it is not a legal requirement,

i didn't say it is a legal requirement, i said it may have been. around the late eighties early nineties iirc.

 

[Swiper]

just found this in another thread. thanks james. it does feel good to be right

from wilkipedia

In 1988, the European Commission successfully prosecuted the UK government in the European Court of Justice, arguing that the UK requirement for dim-dip was illegal under EC directives prohibiting member states from enacting vehicle lighting requirements not contained in pan-European EC directives. As a result, the UK requirement for dim-dip was quashed. Nevertheless, dim-dip was (and is) still permitted, and while such systems are not presently as common as they once were, dim-dip functionality was fitted on many new cars well into the 1990s.