Self levelling headlights

[gwatpe]

I have now driven 2 AUS shipped PHEV aspire models. The LHS self levelling headlamp on both vehicles is affected by undulations in the road. For some reason the lamp beam jumps up and road signs are lit up brightly and then the beam lowers down over a few seconds to the normal level. The RHS lamp on both cars does not do this.

Is there a way of turning OFF the self levelling? On LEFT hand drive vehicles this would be the side closest to oncoming traffic. I have found that oncoming traffic flashes me when the lamp beam jumps up. Have lowered the default position and this does not seem to make a great difference. Both beams at the default are in line with the sharp cutoff striking the road at about 50m. Any closer and there is a gap with the high beam overlap.

I thought the self levelling was only active at startup, to make allowances for changes in level with weight in the car.

Difficult for the dealer to replicate in business hours.

 

[maby]

It was certainly my understanding that self levelling is a one-off process when you start the car. I haven't noticed the behaviour you describe - but we probably don't drive on roads as bumpy as you do. I don't think you can turn self-levelling off - it is a legal requirement for HID lamps in many countries.

 

[jaapv]

It is just the car rocking on its springs. The sharp cutoff of the bright HID lights makes it noticeable.

 

[gwatpe]

It is not rocking of the car related, unless the car thinks the levels have changed, so quickly adjusts the light, up, and then slowly adjusts the light back down. Why adjust the light in the first place, unless the system actually works properly. I suppose eventually the adjusting motor will burn out and the light will stay put and the light can then be adjusted to the right place. Might just need to find the levelling motor connector and disconnect it.

I have also noticed that when the car is brought to a stop with the lights ON, and a door is opened that the light beams drop as well. before the car levels are altered with passengers getting out. Maybe this is the car pre-empting what is about to happen.

 

[jaapv]

Disconnecting would be quite illegal. As for adjusting, the only time I notice the lights doing so is when they switch on. However, our roads may be too well maintained.

 

[gwatpe]

I wonder how much difference there is in legal terms between having the system move the beam up and blind oncoming traffic compared to fixing the beam at a position that does not do this.

If the third PHEV does the same, then maybe there is a flaw in the self levelling light programming in AUS shipped vehicles. I had originally thought that the loan PHEV had been possibly damaged by a previous driver. The beam jumping up and then moving down is more noticeable while driving on a motorway, with the profusion of big signs that accompany these roads, as well as the concrete barrier to reference against. The continuous random movement of the light beam does make night driving more tiring.

The HID H4 that I installed as replacements in my Nissan MAXIMA were fantastic and made night driving a pleasure. Can't say the PHEV comes anywhere close.

 

[jaapv]

If the HID leveling mechanism does not function the car does not comply with MOT specifications And it thus not legal to drive. Whether it can be used safely does not enter the equation, I fear. I wonder whether the Austrian specification is different in this case. We have well over 10.000 of these vehicles on the road here and this complaint has not been heard once.

 

[jdsx]

fwiw I think the headlights are set too high. They would be fine for motorway driving, but around town, particularly going up a hill, I frequently get flashed at by oncoming motorists who think I have the main beam on. I used to drive my previous car around town with headlights always on a 'low' setting, as you very rarely need to see that far ahead in well-lit areas, then adjust them to 'normal' on the motorway (assuming no heavy loads, obviously). I'm disappointed that you can't adjust the headlights on the PHEV as they are very bright! Anyone else found this?

 

[maby]

fwiw I think the headlights are set too high. They would be fine for motorway driving, but around town, particularly going up a hill, I frequently get flashed at by oncoming motorists who think I have the main beam on. I used to drive my previous car around town with headlights always on a 'low' setting, as you very rarely need to see that far ahead in well-lit areas, then adjust them to 'normal' on the motorway (assuming no heavy loads, obviously). I'm disappointed that you can't adjust the headlights on the PHEV as they are very bright! Anyone else found this?

they are higher than I would choose, but the rules do not permit HID lights to be driver-adjustable. The halogens fitted to GX3s are adjustable from the driving seat. In well lit areas, I usually drive on sidelights.

 

[greendwarf]

fwiw I think the headlights are set too high. They would be fine for motorway driving, but around town, particularly going up a hill, I frequently get flashed at by oncoming motorists who think I have the main beam on. I used to drive my previous car around town with headlights always on a 'low' setting, as you very rarely need to see that far ahead in well-lit areas, then adjust them to 'normal' on the motorway (assuming no heavy loads, obviously). I'm disappointed that you can't adjust the headlights on the PHEV as they are very bright! Anyone else found this?

What was the previous car? There has always been the problem of 4x4/SUVs having the headlights higher than ordinary saloons etc. so this might be the cause Also, when you say "low" do you mean dim or pointed down? If the former, why use headlights at all in town?

 

[jaapv]

Nu previous car ( Jaguar) had Xenons as well, and they lacked manual adjustment too. According to the dealer that was an European legal requirement.

 

[jdsx]

fwiw I think the headlights are set too high. They would be fine for motorway driving, but around town, particularly going up a hill, I frequently get flashed at by oncoming motorists who think I have the main beam on. I used to drive my previous car around town with headlights always on a 'low' setting, as you very rarely need to see that far ahead in well-lit areas, then adjust them to 'normal' on the motorway (assuming no heavy loads, obviously). I'm disappointed that you can't adjust the headlights on the PHEV as they are very bright! Anyone else found this?

What was the previous car? There has always been the problem of 4x4/SUVs having the headlights higher than ordinary saloons etc. so this might be the cause Also, when you say "low" do you mean dim or pointed down? If the former, why use headlights at all in town?

Previous car was a Ford S-max. 'Low' means pointed down. It's dark here in the winter for 20 hours a day(!), I would never just use sidelights (I cycle a lot so rely on cars using decent headlights!). Decent headlights not blinding other road users is essential IMO, so the ability to 'lower' the standard HIDs would be ideal...

 

[greendwarf]

Previous car was a Ford S-max. 'Low' means pointed down. It's dark here in the winter for 20 hours a day(!), I would never just use sidelights (I cycle a lot so rely on cars using decent headlights!). Decent headlights not blinding other road users is essential IMO, so the ability to 'lower' the standard HIDs would be ideal...

Having cycled a lot myself here in London I would say the opposite, as the unnecessary use of headlights in well lit streets actually prevents you seeing oncoming two wheelers due to the dazzle

 

[maby]

Previous car was a Ford S-max. 'Low' means pointed down. It's dark here in the winter for 20 hours a day(!), I would never just use sidelights (I cycle a lot so rely on cars using decent headlights!). Decent headlights not blinding other road users is essential IMO, so the ability to 'lower' the standard HIDs would be ideal...

Having cycled a lot myself here in London I would say the opposite, as the unnecessary use of headlights in well lit streets actually prevents you seeing oncoming two wheelers due to the dazzle

I fully agree - in good weather on well lit roads, I often drive on sidelights.

 

[jaapv]

That would cost you 90 Euro per police officer you encounter over here...

Rightly so imo. It is very hard to pick out a car that has running lights only against other lights..

 

[maby]

That would cost you 90 Euro per police officer you encounter over here...

Rightly so imo. It is very hard to pick out a car that has running lights only against other lights..

I said sidelights, not running lights.

 

[jaapv]

Sorry, I meant sidelights..

 

[gwatpe]

I have to clarify something. My reference to AUS shipped, means Australia, [Down under] and not Austria.

My issue is that the self leveling system that seems to be adopted in AUS shipped cars is lacking the ability to perform the job. I had the lights manually lowered to a point where the beam did not dazzle oncoming traffic by the dealer, but the lights were effectively useless for driving on country roads when set there. Have manually adjusted back to a point that is lower down from the factory setting, and this has helped, but the beam does jump up and dazzle oncoming traffic. My comment stems from an apparent fault in the damping of the auto leveling system of the LHS HID light. The lights do not follow the movement of the car, but seem to have an amplified and time delayed movement with road bumps.

The beam is not dimmed, but I am discussing the LOW beam HID bulb system. We don't have DRL on AUS shipped cars. We do have front halogen bulb fog lamps, the small round housing mounted low down on the bumper, that are activated ON by rotating a switch forward, and OFF by rotating the same switch backwards. Not a lot of useful light for illuminating the road. Have not driven in fog yet, so can't comment on their purpose as fog lights.

It is still possible that there is a programming issue with the damping of the motorized system. There seems to be many programming areas that have to be refined on the PHEV. Unfortunately we are at the mercy of the state of the roads we drive on and it is likely that we will see differences in the way systems work with poor roads, compared to places where the roads are much better.

All of the testing of HID seems to be static and only related to the sharpness of the cut OFF and scattered light above the cutoff.

I know some BMW have self leveling and auto dip of the high beam as well, responding to cars in front travelling the same way as well as oncoming.

May have to be more persistent with the dealer checking the operation and replacement of any faulty components.

 

[maby]

I can't imagine that headlamp levelling would be controlled from the car's firmware - surely these are turnkey units with the levelling mechanism built into the light fitting? I would have thought it was as simple as a spirit level mechanism that is free to rock for a few seconds, then locks in position - no point in building in complex sensors and servo motors!

 

[jdsx]

Having cycled a lot myself here in London I would say the opposite, as the unnecessary use of headlights in well lit streets actually prevents you seeing oncoming two wheelers due to the dazzle

You must be passing all those Outlanders with badly adjusted headlights :lol: