xenon headlamps' beam "cutoff"- anyone else have problems?
07-07-2002, 03:02 PM
#1
Thread Starter
I find that when I drive on a twisty canyon road, the "cutoff" on the top part of the xenon beam spread makes it very hard for me to see what's up ahead in the distance. The beams light up the lower part of the road (what's fairly near in front of me) beautifully, but if I'm going uphill or if the car dips forward from braking, visibility of anything in the not too far distance becomes almost nil because it's above (uphill of) the cutoff point where the beam pattern ends. With the high beams on it's fine because it fills in the top part of the light spread. But driving with low beams only is just not very good.
My lamps are set as I got them when I bought the car new a couple of months ago. Is it possible that they were set too low from the dealer? Has anoyone else noticed this problem? I've thought of raising them but don't want to blind oncoming drivers, they do seem set correctly for normal driving.
I've had quartz halogens with the beam height cutoffs on my Miata, but never had this kind of problem with it.
Again, this is an issue only on curvy roads with lots of hills (where you need the light the most!). For straight or flat road driving, the lights are wonderful.
My lamps are set as I got them when I bought the car new a couple of months ago. Is it possible that they were set too low from the dealer? Has anoyone else noticed this problem? I've thought of raising them but don't want to blind oncoming drivers, they do seem set correctly for normal driving.
I've had quartz halogens with the beam height cutoffs on my Miata, but never had this kind of problem with it.
Again, this is an issue only on curvy roads with lots of hills (where you need the light the most!). For straight or flat road driving, the lights are wonderful.
07-07-2002, 05:07 PM
#3
I agree. I find mine very frustrating when trying to read street signs in the country where the only lights are your own headlights -- they seem to cutoff just below sign. It seems odd I have had to backup and put on the high beams to read them. Where they are good they are really good but otherwise I'll take the old fashion ones.
07-07-2002, 05:24 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: South Bay
Posts: 3,362
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I find that on the hilly and curvy roads, i do use my brights alot. I suppose I should just slow down so I dont outdrive my low beams, but for now, the hi-beam solution works well enough for me.
Adding driving lights may be a better solution though if you live in an area where you need to drive those roads all the time at night.
But even with this limitation, I agree that the headlights otherwise are fantastic.
Adding driving lights may be a better solution though if you live in an area where you need to drive those roads all the time at night.
But even with this limitation, I agree that the headlights otherwise are fantastic.
07-07-2002, 06:20 PM
#5
Registered User
Yes, I dislike this feature. I wish there was some "fuzzy" light to see road signs and 50' in front of your car when going down a hill.
My solution is to not drive the car at night on back roads (use other car instead). Don't like the constant high beam usage required for hilly driving, and I also don't like people in front of me hitting the brakes because they are annoyed by my lights "flashing" them.
My solution is to not drive the car at night on back roads (use other car instead). Don't like the constant high beam usage required for hilly driving, and I also don't like people in front of me hitting the brakes because they are annoyed by my lights "flashing" them.
Trending Topics
07-08-2002, 04:39 PM
#9
Registered User
[QUOTE]Originally posted by toecheese
[B]
Drive your other car??? To me, those hilly, curvy roads are the most fun roads of all!
I'm thinking maybe a set of driving lights.
[B]
Drive your other car??? To me, those hilly, curvy roads are the most fun roads of all!
I'm thinking maybe a set of driving lights.
07-08-2002, 05:29 PM
#10
The lights can be annoying with the cut off. It is almost like half your windshield is tinted. But the high beams really solve this.
But can be a pain. At night is the best for back roads.....first there is less traffic at night....second if the road has overhead wires you can see an oncoming cars lights reflex on the wires...which is great at blind turns and so on. Third...very few if any pedestrians or bikers.....around here bikers are every where during the day especially on weekends.....they hang out
in the middle of the lane...on a blind turn it is very dangerous
if your driving with any speed. forth......workman crews...cable guys, telephone men and tree crews...even slow county mowers. These can all spell disaster during the day. if your gonna do the back road twistys with any speed. Night is the time.............and third gear is the place to be. it is the perfect gear for the twistys and find myself in this gear on the twistys
in the woods for miles at a time. But the lights do cut off. use your high beams....if to many cars are coming the other way then you should not be speeding ....the road is to busy.
But can be a pain. At night is the best for back roads.....first there is less traffic at night....second if the road has overhead wires you can see an oncoming cars lights reflex on the wires...which is great at blind turns and so on. Third...very few if any pedestrians or bikers.....around here bikers are every where during the day especially on weekends.....they hang out
in the middle of the lane...on a blind turn it is very dangerous
if your driving with any speed. forth......workman crews...cable guys, telephone men and tree crews...even slow county mowers. These can all spell disaster during the day. if your gonna do the back road twistys with any speed. Night is the time.............and third gear is the place to be. it is the perfect gear for the twistys and find myself in this gear on the twistys
in the woods for miles at a time. But the lights do cut off. use your high beams....if to many cars are coming the other way then you should not be speeding ....the road is to busy.