[Joe367]

I've seen this on a Kia Carens. It would've been okay if both the DRLs turned yellow at the same time, but if one turns yellow and the other doesn't - then it looks defective.

I thought there might be some plastic light diffusing layer inside which is turning yellow when exposed to sunlight. There are some cars with DRLs thay doesn't diffuse the light and we can tell apart individual LEDs inside the strip - I haven't seen such lights turning yellow. Like in Ignis, maybe Ignis owners can confirm this.

[rajathv8]

Originally Posted by SideView

Any other advantage other than aesthetics? (Night time anyhow lights are there)

I would say yes.
My A-Star does not have DRLs. I keep the fog lights ON during daytime highway drives, this makes my black car more visible. There is a stark difference is the response from vehicles/pedestrians trying to enter/cross the road when I have them ON.

[Drive-right]

Originally Posted by ttm_220d

I hope my experience in this write up helped some of you go out and check your DRLs to see if they are yellowing. If so, you know what to do. This experience of mine was due to me taking my Seltos for a very annoying DPF issue (which I have documented before and will have a comprehensive post out soon). If this exists for you, I hope your dealership is as cooperative as mine. And to the car company executive reading this blog, if there is a one in a million chance you are reading this blog, please do your part in helping us Indians live our car dreams without issues such as this be a daunting warning, preventing us from falling in love with your cars.

I am grateful Kia replaced the entire headlight set up in my Seltos without any hassle. I hope that if you are facing this issue, your company will be just as cooperative.

Thanks for sharing this . You have highlighted a very genuine concern . I see these days many car markers are selling these gimmicky lights( Led , Connected LEDs , Ambient lighting etc) and advertise these in a big way . What is not being observed commonly that they are also cost cutting in areas where customers will not notice . I went for a Test Drive of Hyundai Alcazar Turbo Petrol , Signature model . I noticed during 3rd TD only that they have quietly done away with Fog Lights . Thanks to many BHPians who mentioned their struggles with driving in monsoon nights and struggling because fogs are not there and these hyper new LEDs are not sufficient . Asked the Salesperson also , who obliged by checking with accessories department . Seems like for Hyundai , it's an order from top . Cannot say same about other Car makers . How silly . Now despite, liking the car a lot , here I am holding on my decision a bit . Buying 20Lakh+ Car and having to stop in Night rain because light is not adequate , that sounds really funny and also the feeling that users are being taken granted for !!

[im_revhead]

If this yellowing issue is due to high temperatures, why can't manufacturers just turn them off once the temperature crosses a threshold? LEDs generally cools down relatively quickly after being turned off. Does the law mandate the DRLs to be ON all the time?

[@ppy.tbhp]

Originally Posted by BhayanaV

This issue has been discussed extensively in other threads as well. But why only DRL's are going yellow, not any other LED lights. And why only in few cars and not 100%. Replacing DRL's/headlights will not be a solution unless we are sure new one are fool proof and will not turn yellow.

BhayanaV, This has been talked about a lot! Honestly, all front light LEDs are turning yellow over time—it’s just that DRLs make it more obvious because of how their light diffuser is designed and constructed. I have shared a picture of Light assembly that was actually opened up (same one I have in my Seltos), and all the LEDs—Low beam, High beam, and DRLs LED chipsets had shifted from white to yellow. It’s not just about looks, it seriously affects visibility on the road. All this is just 4-5 months and 14000 KMS of normal driving. I am attaching pictures of my Seltos for reference which was clicked before warranty replacement of all light assemblies. Low beam, High beam and DRLs all were turning yellow and it was prominent to see by naked eye at around 14000 KM and just 4 months of ownership of Seltos.

Originally Posted by SR5471

Most cars are not designed to endure the extreme and very random climate of India. Here in Kerala you can expect a heavy shower even on a very hot day. This will cause rapid aging to plastic,rubber and paint. Then there is the case of poor quality control and manufacturing. These issues are slightly manageable if uv resistant sealers are used. If cars are under warranty, it is best to claim and replace the faulty part. The chances of yellowing,degradation and peeling is still present in future.

Hello SR5471, I have got replacements of all front lights after much hassle and a prolonged period only to find the same defect in just two days of replacement. What's the point of warranty replacement if the design and manufacturing defects aren't fixed in the first place?? It has confirmed design and manufacturing defects and quality control issues with critical components- front light assemblies of Kia Seltos 2023. KIA ASC have told me they have nothing they can do to fix it now, Since they have ordered new replacement and done everything they could do in their Scope of work. I am forced to drive a vehicle with critical safety hazard of low visibility due to severe fogging and high moisture buildup inside all front light assemblies till date. This is just unacceptable.

Originally Posted by GeeTee TSI

Excellent thread!

The yellowed DRL always looked (horrible) like a decayed tooth. While it does not affect night time illumination of the road, it is a sorry sight for owners and onlookers alike.From my limited exposure to videos on older cars, I have not come across this as a known problem associated with the model across markets. Headlights cost a bomb nowadays and so do DRLs, especially if one cannot stand the sight of it. A related gripe, the moisture/droplets inside headlamp housing (taillights too) monsoon season irrespective of the segment of the car.

GeeTee TSI seriously, once a DRL turns yellow, it’s like a decayed tooth—you just can’t unsee it. And while some say it doesn’t affect night-time visibility, I can tell you firsthand that it does. In my case, the Low beam, High beam pattern and light output had definitely gone downhill. It was even compared it with a brand-new PDI Seltos at the ASC, and the difference was crazy—mine had deteriorated so much, turned yellow, and now had weird high and low spots in the beam pattern on the road. It’s not just about looks, it actually affects how well you can see at night. It’s not just cosmetic—high moisture and condensation are wrecking the LEDs.

[AShubrah]

While others are debating why their DRLs are turning yellow and trying to get them fixed under warranty, I’m over here looking for modules to make them switch from white to yellow/amber on purpose for every car in the household.

[Rodie09]

While I understand the owners' pain with poor product they got for their money, but on a lighter note how I wish that every damn white light on automobiles somehow turns to yellow one day magically. This is totally out of frustration with the white light menace in our country and happy to get DRLs yellowed for my own ride too.

Lighting enthusiast, don't kill me now.

[lemedico]

Originally Posted by Mortis

It's definitely due to the heat. White LEDs are actually blue or violet LEDs with a phosphor on top which gives off white light when excited by the wavelength given off by the blue LED underneath, similar to how white flourescent tubes are actually UV tubes with a white phosphor.

Wouldn't heat make both go kaput? I've only noticed one or the other which has discoloured on nearly all cars with this problem.

[Vinod_nair]

And we humble Indians are made to shell out a premium for this defective feature.

By the way, I started noticing this 'Special' yellow DRL feature after reading this thread, well done Bhpian.

[@ppy.tbhp]

Originally Posted by vignesh207

Wow, this thread is surprising for me. I had yellowing issue on my Verna's DRL and has them replaced under warranty recently. But didn't know so many cars were affected by this issue. If the issue is due to the heat or bad QC from manufacturer, i guess it'll get yellow again over time and I've to again get them replaced. One thing I note in my Verna is, the DRL is on full brightness when headlamps are off. When headlamps are turned on, the DRL brightness reduces. May be making the DRL brightness less always will help save it?

Originally Posted by SideView

Is this a manufactured issue?
Are DRLs really needed? (Other than low light/visibility situations) Any other advantage other than aesthetics? (Night time anyhow lights are there)
+
Fog lights for low visibility.

hello vignesh207,SideView, The lights are there to make driving safer by improving your visibility and ensuring other road users can see you in all weather conditions. It’s really up to the car manufacturer and the OEM to make sure they’re using good, reliable parts that work properly. Making them dimmer would totally defeat the point of having them in the first place.

Originally Posted by .HEM

I just saw this in my IRVM, came to my office and opened team-bhp and there is a thread on this. I saw a VW with left side yellowish DRL and right was bright white. I do not now if this is a quality issue, but thought it may be because of the heat created by the usage of headlights.

Hello .HEM, Automotive light assemblies must never heat up to an extent where the start damaging components housed inside them. It can create serious problems.

Originally Posted by lemedico

Wouldn't heat make both go kaput? I've only noticed one or the other which has discoloured on nearly all cars with this problem

Hello lemedico, Yes excessive heat will surely damage the seals, components housed inside the these assemblies, can cause material discoloration and deformation making them go Kaput at the worst possible time, It's a great safety hazard for vehicle owners and other road users.

Originally Posted by Vinod_nair

And we humble Indians are made to shell out a premium for this defective feature.
By the way, I started noticing this 'Special' yellow DRL feature after reading this thread, well done Bhpian.

Hi Vinod_nair, It’s honestly ridiculous how they talk about ‘commitment to quality and safety’ here. We’re the ones who end up paying extra for a faulty feature, while the manufacturers just focus on selling more cars. They completely ignore the basic rules and regulations they’re supposed to follow to make and sell cars in India.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by rajathv8

I keep the fog lights ON during daytime highway drives, this makes my black car more visible. There is a stark difference is the response from vehicles/pedestrians trying to enter/cross the road when I have them ON.

Please don’t? Fog lights are meant to scatter light making them the second most annoying to oncoming road users after high beams. Reserve usage of your fog lights for foggy conditions when visibility does not extend far enough.

[VijayAnand1]

Interesting post. Umpteen times seen this yellow tinge on Audis and VW's especially -- they really stand out as sore thumb and coupled with the fact that many Audis I've seen have busted DRLs on the left side and faint yellow LED DRLs so bad that one can almost see the blocks for the DRLs running inside the HL unit.

Definitely heat, definitely weather and the polycarbonate cover itself acting as a focus point for sun's heat to be trapped inside. LEDs in my opinion especially one that's too much adorning the cars these days have apex-ed and are simply blarney in their design elements and have become too much a form over function.

Anyone who's followed a Swift with LED rear tail lamp especially when it's raining know what I am talking about when the Swift brakes. Too much brightness where it doesn't matter and too little where it matters. LEDs are good, but they simply are making drivers tired where it actually shouldn't.

Maybe I'm old school, but these overly adorned LED strips, fore, aft of a car and the only thing left is them running over the shoulder creases of a car L/R which I'm pretty sure some crazy manufacturer would start the trend to begin with.

SMH!

Cheers!
VJ

[rajathv8]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Please don’t? Fog lights are meant to scatter light making them the second most annoying to oncoming road users after high beams. Reserve usage of your fog lights for foggy conditions when visibility does not extend far enough.

As mentioned in my post, I use it during daytime on highway runs. They remain off at night and in the city.
The stock fogs on the A-Star are not bright enough to blind oncoming traffic during the day. For that matter I doubt halogen high beams itself would blind anyone during the day.
Two wheeler LED headlights is a different topic altogether

[TorquePull]

Originally Posted by SideView

Is this a manufactured issue?

Are DRLs really needed? (Other than low light/visibility situations) Any other advantage other than aesthetics? (Night time anyhow lights are there)

+

Fog lights for low visibility.

Even on a sunny day, a car with DRL can be easily spotted. It enhances safety.

[rogerthat]

Originally Posted by Joe367

I've seen this on a Kia Carens.
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Attachment 2727451

Right on. There is no yellowing of my Ignis’s DRLs and yes, I can actually “count” the LEDs in my DRL. I was surprised to see so many vehicles with yellowing DRLs out there, that too new vehicles! I came to tbhp for answers and if I should be worried too and voila, here I am