Others have observed this as well - the 2024 United States versions use the headlights as a daytime running light, not the C shaped light. Not really sure why this change was made. I think someone used aftermarket something to make the C light come on as the DRL in a 2024 but I can't find the post right now.

 

That sucks. I would be disappointed if I got the touring and found that out.

 

Only Wilderness has the C DRLs

 

My 2023 Limited DRLs look like the first picture, they're bright enough to drive by at night but not as bright as the full on headlights. Up until a few days ago I thought that since my dash lights were going into night mode my DRLs were switching to full on, not so.

 

Thanks
seems they are going back to the past using low power low beam for DRL’s

 

My '24 Legacy (Canadian version ) also uses the low-intensity headlight bulb as DRL.

I think Subaru may have cheaped out on the DRL, you now are using the headlight LED 100% of the time the car is running - Not sure if this will affect the longevity of the LED, specially considering they are not replaceable (need to replace the entire headlight at $$$$).

 

Not sure if this will affect the longevity of the LED, specially considering they are not replaceable (need to replace the entire headlight at $$$$).

SERIOUSLY! I did not know that. I must check the LEDs on our 22 forester to see if that’s the case there. That’s friggin’ rediculous. i wonder what engineering genius came up with the idea to do that?

 

From what I've read, it's got something to do with a new law in Canada that requires fully automatic headlights - seems like aside from Canada and the US, most of the 2023-2024 models in the rest of the world have the better-looking C-headlight. I bet it's a cost-saving measure, too, having one LED projector that does all 3 modes. Have to say, I do not dig the new designs, on both the Outback and the Crosstrek... their headlights are looking too Mazda-ish on the road. The C type running lights were much more clearly Subaru.

 

Using your vehicle lights to see and be seen

About the new vehicle lighting standard for cars in 2021 and tips on how to use your lights safely now.

tc.canada.ca

 

LEDs do degrade over time. It is not necessarily a linear change but all LEDs will get dimmer with use.

LED lights definitely dim over time - I have witnessed this myself, but with household LED fixtures and bulbs. I'm not sure how much of it is the phosphor aging or what causes this. I'm sure that there are some LED technologies that last longer than others, and the LED products I have are mostly cheap consumer grade stuff.

Many street lights are also converted to LED and I'm curious how easily the LED elements are replaced in those - surely they are designed to be long lasting but they won't last forever.

I searched to see if I could find light output longevity requirements from the SAE or NHSTA and I couldn't find anything, nor can I find anything about the L70 (hours until output is reduced to 70% of original brightness) for OEM automotive headlight LEDs.

Given that most of us don't drive for say 4 hours every night, let's say one hour of night driving per day is normal use.

If the LED lasts for 1000 hours that would be only 3 years. 10,000 hours would be 30 years.

A cursory search indicates that generic LED L70 values are typically around 25,000 to 50,000 hours.

If our headlights are 25,000 hours, in the expected 20 year lifespan of a vehicle is 7300 days, and if we drove with headlights on 8 hours a day that's 58,400 hours, so the headlights would only last as little as 10 years at that rate.

From my experience, an LED will lose noticeable brightness for the first say 1000 hours, and after that the dimming is slower and it's harder to notice.

 

Been discussed before on older Outbacks
Light switch is in Auto
Fog Light swtch is off
Think it should look like the second picture

Car is in Drive

Thoughts?

View attachment 572603

car must be in Drive , and parking brake can NOT be set , if parking brake on they instantly turn off...

 

OP has the vehicle set up correctly. As noted - the headlight projector is the DRL on their year, and that light is clearly lit in their picture.

 

My 2023 Onyx XT 'C' lights do light up in certain situations

2023 Outback XT Touring DRL Daytime Running Lights

A week or so ago, I was driving for the first time in our other car as my wife followed me in our Outback on the freeway. We have owned our Outback for 6 months and 11,000 miles, and I had no idea that our Outback's daytime running lights (DRL) flash on and off constantly with every bump or...

www.subaruoutback.org

 

I went out this morning and pulled up to a window. The parking brake is off in all of the pictures that I took. I don't know why I got two different modes for the lights being Off and the car being in Drive.

 

@pederv what is "park daylight" and "drive daylight"?

 

Park Daylight = Transmission in Park, light switch in Daylight Running Lights. Drive Daylight = Transmission in Drive, light switch in Daylight Running Lights.

 

Correct. Pages 257-258 in the 2023 User's Manual. In some areas driving with parking lights is illegal, but it's OK to drive with daytime running lights.

 

In some areas driving with parking lights is illegal, but it's OK to drive with daytime running lights

in which case, calling that position with all lights on except the headlights the "daytime lights" position could get people in trouble as it's considered 'parking lights'.

 

From the 2023 Owner's Manual. Page 267 in the 2024 manual.

 

My '24 does not have 'DRL' anymore. In addition, it has an 'OFF' setting, but it doesn't work; it's basically like auto, since headlights come on, no matter what. And cannot turn off the headlights as DRLs. And yes, I was pissed off too, when I saw no 'C' DRLs anymore. Oh well.

 

When I first got mine, I was disappointed there was no more driving without headlights.

 

LEDs do degrade over time. It is not necessarily a linear change but all LEDs will get dimmer with use.

LED Brightness Degradation: Do LED Lights Dim With Age? - LampHQ

LED Degradation over Time ✓Do LED Lights Dim with Age? All about Decreasing Luminous Flux ✓ How Much does the Luminous Flux Decrease? Simple Explanation ✓

lamphq.com

It would be interesting to learn what the expected life is for LEDs that Subaru uses before they are too dim for use.

I dislike this change; it was an unwelcome find when we brought the 24MY Touring. I wish it was an option in car settings as I think the C lights are still there.


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LED lights definitely dim over time - I have witnessed this myself, but with household LED fixtures and bulbs. I'm not sure how much of it is the phosphor aging or what causes this. I'm sure that there are some LED technologies that last longer than others, and the LED products I have are mostly cheap consumer grade stuff.

Many street lights are also converted to LED and I'm curious how easily the LED elements are replaced in those - surely they are designed to be long lasting but they won't last forever.

I searched to see if I could find light output longevity requirements from the SAE or NHSTA and I couldn't find anything, nor can I find anything about the L70 (hours until output is reduced to 70% of original brightness) for OEM automotive headlight LEDs.

Given that most of us don't drive for say 4 hours every night, let's say one hour of night driving per day is normal use.

If the LED lasts for 1000 hours that would be only 3 years. 10,000 hours would be 30 years.

A cursory search indicates that generic LED L70 values are typically around 25,000 to 50,000 hours.

If our headlights are 25,000 hours, in the expected 20 year lifespan of a vehicle is 7300 days, and if we drove with headlights on 8 hours a day that's 58,400 hours, so the headlights would only last as little as 10 years at that rate.

From my experience, an LED will lose noticeable brightness for the first say 1000 hours, and after that the dimming is slower and it's harder to notice.

My long term experience with LEDs is from household use. I have had LED bulbs since 2014 in the entire house. I have had one (1) bulb fail in that time and it was the electonics, not the actual LED chip. The failure was the bulb would work fine and after about an hour it would develop intermittent flickering.

One variable was that all our lighting circuits on the main level have dimmer switches that were matched to the lighting. Bulb manufacturers and dimmer makers have compatibility charts and test results, and we only used the exact bulbs and dimmers that were tested. Now going towards year 10 and all appear bright as ever (probably some dimming, but not noticable). Most of the bulbs are bright white, not soft white since they can be dimmed. Dimming would not be an issue on cars, but DRL dimming should be OK, as it is not a variable dimming.

It made a big difference in the monthly electric bill.

If you think the current LED headlight with non-replaceable elements are expensive, wait for the new adaptable driving beams. They will cost more to replace than my first few cars. That is part of the issue behind skyrocketing auto insurance costs - replacing these complex assemblies, parts and chipsets in collision repairs, especially in older vehicles.

I suspect the movement to non-replacable light emitters has another benefit for regulators; it to prevent untested and non-compliant conversions. Given the small size of the LED chip, a standardized replaceable emitter could easily be designed and made, but that means all the automakers and LED lamp makers would have to agree to the standard, which means a loss of revenue on replacement parts. Forced obsolescence is also a way to limit older vehicles that are not compliant with more and more safety and emission regulations. It will also force more buyers into leasing and "car subscriptions" due to ever higher and higher prices.

As with many things, you have to follow the money and look carefully at who is saying vs. who is getting "shareholder value".

 

Another thing is that increasingly stringent headlight testing criteria by organizations like the IIHS expect super bright lights at certain distances and heights, and almost no "glare" at the same time, pushing headlight design to be ultra bright with extremely sharp cutoffs, and this can only be achieved by precise lighting. Ultimately headlights are being designed to the test, and if the test isn't valid for real world conditions then the result can be headlights that pass the test but aren't necessarily optimum for nighttime visibility. I personally think that headlight uniformity and a more gradual rather than absolute cutoff would give more natural vision. Forum members have complained about the headlights being too bright low down and not bright enough above the cutoff. It's very unnatural.

I'm used to it now so it's not an issue for me, but I'm just not convinced that it's really ideal lighting.

About our tests

Learn how we conduct the tests that form the basis for our ratings.

www.iihs.org

 

I agree. Add in an aging population, where older folks have complained about headlight dazzle to DOT and NHTSA and you have a inevitable complaints.

I have not has issues with the cutoff and actually welcomed it since I have been driving cars with European H4 E-Code conversions since the mid-1970s. My 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe was the first car I did not feel was under illuminated, and the Subaru is even better. The E-Code also has sharp cutoffs, but with an angled kickup of the cutoff on the right side for more distance down the right side of the road for spotting pedestrians, animals, and other obstructions, while not needing high beams. To me it feels like the US is finally coming into the light (40 years late, so about normal), but still eschews the right side kickup.

I really, really like the swiveling headlights in the Outback.

However, it means aiming is very critical. Some of that could be eliminated with self-leveling beams that compensate for when you have 4 in the car or a load, but adds costs. My only time I have been flashed in the OB was with heavier rear seat passenger(s) or a load of cargo.

 

I believe in OFF the taillights do not illuminate, so AUTO is a better choice.

They do; it's exactly the same thing as auto now... with the only exception when transmission is in P, where 'off' works (no lights), and 'auto' turns the lights on.

 

I know y'all have already beaten this one to death, but here's pictures of the OBW light settings:

Lights ON setting:

AUTO setting:

Parking Lamps setting:

OFF setting:

All the pictures were taken at dusk, and it's dark enough for AUTO to turn on the headlights. I also took pictures with the car in Drive, but they were identical. I've seen the C accent lights illuminated when I have the OFF setting while driving, so maybe the OFF setting is triggered by something else other than Drive? 🤷 Who knows?

 

I think the Wilderness is a special case and still works like the 20-22. The rest of the trims from 23 on use the headlights as DRL's. That's how my 23 Premium is, if someone else has a different experience please post.

 

I backed up to a window during the daytime and used my rearview dashcam to verify that the only time the tail lights were lit up was when the headlight switch was in the old headlight and parking light positions, they were off when the switch was in the Auto and Off positions.

 

Question is do the taillights come on at night with the switch in off? We know the headlights come on at night with the switch in off for all 23’s except the Wilderness.

 

2024 DRL is boring af 😭😭

 

Swap in the old ones 😎

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