Shutting off DRL's for drive in movie?
 

Hey guys. I need some help! I'm out of town and am supposed to go to a drive in movie tomorrow night, but can't find out how to shut off the LED running lights. Car is a 2014 focus st. Pretty much it has a push button start, so I can't just turn it on accessory.

- if I push the start button to just turn it "on" but without the engine running, it's the same as just the on position for a regular car. If the headlights are turned OFF, the LED running lights still come on.

- if you turn the car OFF (whether the engine was running or it was just in the on position) lights shut off after a minute, but the radio stays on. Sounds perfect but then the radio shuts off if you 1. Open the door, or 2. Leave it on and it shuts off by itself in 10 to 15 minutes.

- clicking the e brake on or off does nothing to turn running lights off.



Any suggestions are appreciated. Can't find anything in the owners manual and looking online is plagued by 2013 ST's trying to make their DRL's work during the day

pull fuse on drl?

Does your car not have the feature that you can put it in accessory by pushing the start button once? I've never seen a car equipped with push start that doesn't have an accessory feature

It does, but the accessory automatically turns on the DRL and does not turn off after a certain time. Pulling the fuse is a good idea, I'll check it out

Pull e-brake and then turn car on or accessory mode should keep the drl off. That's how it worked in my old car

^+1 -- it should work if you set the e-brake while the car is off, then turn it back on -- it
works in the fiesta (had to use the trick at work to keep a car running without the camera catching it so I can sit in AC/listen to music lol)

if that doesn't work, just disconnect the highbeams or the fuse

+1
Car off,putt e-bake on,turn car on=no DRL lights.
Will not work if car is on and you put the ebrake on.

Kk I'll go try AGAIN

Yep. No combination of e brake on/off, OR car on/off will make the DRL's shut off. Remember, on the focus they are an LED strip separate from the low beam and HID main lights. Fuck this man. Srsly

Probably something in the computer that only the dealer or someone with the right tool can program.

For my car, I also got led strip lights, when I have the parking brake on and then turn the car one, the drl is dimmed until I take off the parking brake, does your car dim the leds?

Most cars will keep the DRL off if the ebrake is up when the engine is started. Worst case just bring some masking tape and cover them up with a coupler layers when you get there?

You can get them shut off with the dealership plug in computer, but that means they no longer function as DRL's at all. So for my current predicament it's not really useful. Oh well, I'll live :(

Found a possible solution, get in, don't touch the regular start button, just the radio power button Accessory Mode w/PB Start - Focus Fanatics

black electrical tape.

You fucking genius!

Thanks again, it worked almost like a charm. Still shuts off after a half hour, but you can turn it back on 10 seconds after lol. Double header, after like 4 hours my car shut off to conserve battery. Damn new fangled technology

You saved date night!

Glad to hear it worked!