Veey bright headlights

[brianl703]

Yeah, and probably the biggest problem is the abundance of cheap LED bulbs that folks stuff into reflector housings that just blast light everywhere. Super popular, and the glare is insane because of course that housing was never designed for that bulb.

I see a lot of trucks and in particular, Civics and Chevy Cruze's with this going on.

Up here, it is the MTO IIRC that's supposed to enforce cracking down on this, but they don't seem to.

I've seen LED replacements for sealed beam headlights that appear to be nothing more than a matrix of LEDs. I expect that the only difference between high and low beam with this trash is the number of LEDs that are powered; the beam pattern is otherwise the same.

And if you want this stuff, Amazon will sell you a pair of them for $50 or so.

Meanwhile, Sylvania makes LED replacement sealed beam headlights and they are at least $100 each. But they comply with regulations.

 

[repairman54]

Oh man you're such a good driver wow.

The auto headlights in my last two cars react at least as fast as I do.

 

[fsdork]

Oh man you're such a good driver wow.

The auto headlights in my last two cars react at least as fast as I do.

Now you're just being ridiculous. There's no way a computer can react faster than a person.

/s

 

[CT Rob]

The halogen headlights on the 2017 Ford Super Duty trucks are called "quad dual beam". There are 4 low beam lamps and 4 high beam lamps. I can't recall ever seeing that arrangement on a vehicle.

I'm sure this is a better-performing headlamp system than the outgoing setups with single H13 or something like H11 low/HB3 high. But yee dogs, 120w per side on low beam and 140w per side on high beam (@ 12.8v) for a total of 240w low beam and 280w high beam? Not that there's going to be any shortage of power available in a truck like that, which I'm sure comes equipped with a monster alternator, but wow, that's a whole lot of amps (about 20 of them) to achieve the task.

AND with all 4 low beams on you can STILL use fogs also.so thats 6 lights .And they still suck. But again its a Ford

 

[Oillover]

I also wonder if main/low beam etiquette is even taught any more.

Why bother when newer vehicles do it automatically?
That's like expecting people to shoulder check when changing lanes.

 

[TiGeo]

With most of what's on the road SUV/CUV/trucks, if you drive a car you're screwed. The headlights are bright but with them being higher up it's murder. Glad I have the auto-dimming rear view.

 

[brianl703]

Found an exact picture of the type of garbage sealed-beam LED replacement I referred to above, with the exact type of vehicle it's usually found on:

 

[TiGeo]

Found an exact picture of the type of garbage sealed-beam LED replacement I referred to above, with the exact type of vehicle it's usually found on:

View attachment 117034

Had a Cherokee...bought new in '00. See these a lot also on Wranglers.

 

[brianl703]

Had a Cherokee...bought new in '00. See these a lot also on Wranglers.

The beam pattern on those is awesome. They throw almost as much light 90 degrees to the vehicle as they do to the front.

 

[brianl703]

Had a Cherokee...bought new in '00. See these a lot also on Wranglers.

Sad part is that they could probably get a set of E-code replacement sealed beam lights for about twice what they paid for that garbage.

 

[wings&wheels]

Sad part is that they could probably get a set of E-code replacement sealed beam lights for about twice what they paid for that garbage.

This... It is sad that with very few exceptions, most modern vehicle headlights do not perform as well as quality (Hella, Cibie, Koito even current Lucas......NOT Autopal or similar) E-code's.

 

[jeepman3071]

Found an exact picture of the type of garbage sealed-beam LED replacement I referred to above, with the exact type of vehicle it's usually found on:

View attachment 117034

Yeah there are tons of those out there, the Chinese quality matches the light output. When I had my Cherokee the first thing I did to it was upgrade to Euro-spec H4 halogens with a nice sharp cut-off. I have IPF H4 housings in my TJ Wrangler and they work very well without blinding anyone, plus they were still along the same prices as some of those kits with the awful blue lights.

 

[TiGeo]

I have an Atlas with OE LED headlights - by the way those are in a reflector housing, not projector. They work great but I do get flashed now and then which is likely more to do with the level/height and having someone in a car like me sitting lower. I have LED retrofit bulbs in my Sportwagen and never get flashed. Those bulbs are designed around a reflector with the diodes lined up where the filement in the halogen bulb would be, they work great. When I got this car the headlights were terrible. I swapped in the higher-output halogen bulbs (Osram Nightbreakers) and aimed the housings up a bit, they were ok at that point. When I did the LEDs I aimed them back down a touch. I have some pictures etc. of them vs. the Atlas, the cutoff is about the same and I don't think anyone would know these are LED bulbs in factory housings. Osram has actually introduced street-legal/will pass their inspections LED bulbs over in Europe using the same type of design. I always like to note this as many sit in the "OH MY GOD NO AFTERMARKET BULBS IN OE HOUSINGS" camp but this is 2022 not 2004, there are options that improve night vision/driving and don't blind anyone. HID bulbs are a bit more challenging but I've seen them with shields around the bulb to help narrow the light emitting portion of the bulb down - just no reason in 2022 to run HIDs IMHO.

 

[MCompact]

Yup, DOT is a joke.

Starting in 1976 every car I bought that came with worthless sealed beam headlamps immediately were fitted with Cibie or Hella E Code lamps- even my Wrangler TJ got a set(upgraded with OSRAM Night Breaker H4 bulbs).

 

[ammolab]

I think they are Euro Spec...like no American car I have driven before.

Your Tourx isn’t an “American Car” …it is made in Germany by Opel.

 

[DriveHard]

Your Tourx isn’t an “American Car” …it is made in Germany by Opel.

Yes, I know...thank you.

 

[Bailes1992]

Your Tourx isn’t an “American Car” …it is made in Germany by Opel.

Correct, however I will say I have the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia with the 'intellilux' matrix LED headlights and they are without a doubt THE best headlights I've ever experienced.

My first experience with LED headlights was my 2017 Volvo V40 Inscription which were a great upgrade over the halogens in the 2015 Ford Focus I had before it. I then purchased a 2019 Volvo V40 R-Design Pro which had the same LED headlights, but they turned with the steering which was an absolute revelation. In dark lanes, the turning feature made life so much easier. I then replaced this with a 2020 BMW 520d M-Sport Touring which had LED headlights but without the turning feature. Good headlights, yes. But I missed the turning feature.

In comes my 2021 Vauxhall Insignia with it's Intellilux headlights which constantly move and adapt to your driving. As soon as you hit 30mph in any unlit road they automatically switch into high-beam mode. The high beam is then adapted to oncoming traffic, signposts, turns etc etc. You can have main beams on, and the car in front or a car driving towards you will stay in complete darkness. It's amazing.

 

[DGXR]

Most factory headlights are very bright (HID/LED) but most of the time they are adjusted properly or they are "smart" lights that shift the beam to avoid blinding other drivers. So yeah I notice but I don't mind them, generally. They are bright from a distance, but the beam shifts when they get closer. It's the bruhs with aftermarket everything on their monster 4x4 that never ever sees dirt, the ones who don't care how the lights are aimed as long as they look cool, who cause problems for everyone else. You know, the ones who pull right up to your rear bumper at a stoplight... so incredibly stupid. Also those who replace broken lamps but never bother to adjust them properly. And of course the work trucks with big heavy tool boxes mounted on the back so the headlights are illuminating the moon... because they are not adjusted properly.

 

[TiGeo]

Most factory headlights are very bright (HID/LED) but most of the time they are adjusted properly or they are "smart" lights that shift the beam to avoid blinding other drivers. So yeah I notice but I don't mind them, generally. They are bright from a distance, but the beam shifts when they get closer. It's the bruhs with aftermarket everything on their monster 4x4 that never ever sees dirt, the ones who don't care how the lights are aimed as long as they look cool, who cause problems for everyone else. You know, the ones who pull right up to your rear bumper at a stoplight... so incredibly stupid. Also those who replace broken lamps but never bother to adjust them properly. And of course the work trucks with big heavy tool boxes mounted on the back so the headlights are illuminating the moon... because they are not adjusted properly.

Agteed however I see plenty of modern stock vehicles that blind the ^#^=* out of me in cars that sit lower.

 

[meep]

Thinking of the original post, I’ve wondered about those super duty headlights. The number of bulbs glowing plus placement makes me want to think the brights are on, but they appear to oncomers as oem fogs, not offensive at all. i appreciate that.

my favorite personal setup was shoehorning lowbeam projectors into oem fog housings with amber tint. Dual lowbeams with a real cutoff and proper far-field distribution was really good, never got flashed.

when I DD the sedan to work, I’m regularly blinded by a lifted truck, probably with a legitimately proper low beam aim, either in oncoming traffic or parked on my back bumper. I may start commuting more in the f150 again.