Badly adjusted headlights rant

[Supernaut]

That's when you should have mowed them down and replied with "well I can't stop much quicker than a lorry!"

[richbraith]

And yet, indicators are really hard to see on modern cars (if they're used at all).  

[AMC Rebel]

BTW - back on headlights - I said this before in the collection thread, but the headlights on the Mondeo are excellent - ordinary halogen ones, but from a time when they were still allowed to look like headlights instead of anti-tank weapons and so could be large enough to be effective.

 

The AMC 5.75" quad headlights are proper sealed beam - i.e. not halogen, and are a bit marginal, but OK for occasional use at night.  They are only 35/35 watts, mind you.

 

There's a lot of careless use of terminology around BTW

 

Sealed Beam = A glass unit containing the reflector and filament(s), common sizes 5.75" (common power - 35/35w, originally), 7" (common power 45/60 in the olden days - much more now) When one of the filaments gives up, you change the whole unit.  Now available from US as Halogen with higher wattages.

 

Semi-Sealed (or just ordinary!) = unit where the bulb (lamp) can be changed - early applications were improved versions of the 5.75" and 7" with H4 and H1 lamps.

 

All the above are filament incandescent - the advantage of Halogen is a brighter light as the filament can burn hotter without blowing - ordinary lamps just have the filament in a vacuum.

 

You almost never see a car with non-halogen lights these days.  When we were changing over to halogen lights in the 70's lots of people complained about these new blinding bright lights - now they are the old yellowy looking ones - nothing changes.

[martc]

The Farmer's Anti Automobile Association of Pennsylvania ordered that automobiles travelling along country roads at night must send up a rocket every mile and then wait 10 minutes for the road to clear. The driver may then proceed with caution blowing his horn and shooting off roman candles.

 

If this continued to today there would be an arms race over which photcopier reps car had the loudest boom and they would use lasers rather than rockets.

[Guest Hooli]

On the subject of front fogs, what is it with this new phenomenon of them coming on - on one side of the car - when the steering wheel is turned in that direction.

 

Is this some kind of magic which enables the driver to see around corners? Or just some kind of secondary signalling system, acknowledging that manually operated indicators are too much effort for the modern motorist?

 

The first.

 

It's basicly admitting that the headlights admitting the headlights are shit as you can't go round corners with them. Of course unless you're a fucknugget you'll be looking much further ahead than foglights illuminate anyway.

[AMC Rebel]

 and they would use lasers

 Don't go giving 'em ideas - although Auldi already are researching producing this.

[rrsix]

 Don't go giving 'em ideas - although Auldi already are researching this.

 

 

 

 

I've driven a 3 series with xenon headlights auto adjusting leveling and all that bollocks in the dark

 

Even on dipped main there was so much light that it caused white out for me there were no shadows left for contrast it was horrible and the headlights were shit too. 

[PhilA]

On the subject of front fogs, what is it with this new phenomenon of them coming on - on one side of the car - when the steering wheel is turned in that direction.

 

Is this some kind of magic which enables the driver to see around corners? Or just some kind of secondary signalling system, acknowledging that manually operated indicators are too much effort for the modern motorist?

Citroen swiveling headlights were a good idea.

 

I see little point in this though, as most stock modern fog lights have such a poor light spread that they offer little additional illumination to the street.

 

It's kinda been a "thing" on premium* car brands here for ages though, an additional light mounted on the side of the bumper at the front that comes on with the indicators on that side- it is helpful here where you're making a turn into an unlit street with no kerb and a sharp drop into a drainage ditch, while your headlights are a good 45 degrees off to the side. They're not always on**, and of use to the driver.

 

 

--Phil

 

 

**Assuming people actually use their indicators

[AMC Rebel]

MMercedes have an "auto dip", at least my mates C250 AMG had it. It was the most annoying device ever and rarely if ever worked properly. All they seemed to do was dip the lights from main beam about 10 feet short of the car coming the other way smashing into her.

 

I've a 22 year old Harley Davidson with a 6 inch headlamp. Not the brightest light ever made (I'm still using a 55w bulb in it),  but the beam pattern is excellent. I can ride it flat out (well, up to when the handling turns to jelly) on unlit lanes no problem.

 

50s Chevies and Caddies had auto dip as an option.

[forddeliveryboy]

I came to the conclusion that blinding other drivers gives a rosy glow to the cash-rich, anti-social sort in today's society. It's probably no coincidence that newish Range Rovers seem to be one of the most dangerous vehicles for this.

 

Let's face it, a generation or two ago if you had money to spare, the roads would have been nothing but fun. Reasonably quiet away from the towns where the proles lived, police who couldn't keep up with you (unless Lancashire) and cap-doffing subservients in their appallingly awful and ugly little Fords and Morrises who moved over to let your gleaming, thundering, growling sculpture of power speed by. 

 

Roll forwards to most of England in the 2010s, where almost all cars easily exceed the speed limit by 30mph and handling is in general almost faultless. Traffic jams trap the rich and poor alike and there is no deference offered to expensive-looking machines, often the opposite. So how does the self-made rich person assert themselves, if they are so inadequate they feel the need? By sitting on more dead animals than anyone else, by sitting higher than anyone else and by having the brighest and most blinding lights. 

 

Rather like clutching at straws, if you ask me. But something should be done about these lights - they're dangerous. 

[gordonbennet]

Those fog lights that come on when you turn, i've got those on me MAN artic, at first i thought them a gimmick but in practice (on sharp right turns where the headlight beam cut off leaves you in the dark) they really light the road up, pointless on left turns mind cos the beam pattern lights 500 square miles to the left anyway, never had a vehicle with so much light concentrated left and upwards.

 

The MAN ones are not the fog lights but a completely different pair set within the (real honest to goodness glass) lenses, they only work below a certain speed so won't be coming on all the time to piss every bugger off.

Oh and yes mine does have DRL's, but on the menu you can turn them off, so off they are, if you can't see the brightest yellow tractor and tanker trailer on the road unless its got two fairly lights on you need a bloody white stick, so i'm doing my bit to reduce light pollution, yay.

 

By the way, whilst on a light rant, WTF can't people use their indicators on bloody roundabouts,  me bloody crystal ball is worn out and i now find meself putting me hand up in appreciation if some bugger actually indicates properly so i can maintain progress.

[eddyramrod]

Want to be dazzled by oncoming cars in the dark?  Try driving a left-hand-drive Cadillac!  I'm about as far as it's possible to get from where the oncoming car's dipped beams should be, but I'm so regularly blinded by the fuckers that I actually don't want to drive such a lovely car in the dark.  Mind, if we did come together... mine weighs two and a half tons and is all steel.  All the crumple zones are the other guy.

[martc]

Some stuff about the bourgeoisie vs the proletarian. 

 

Come the revolution they will be driving Ladas like the rest of us. But probably the twin headlamp version.

[Noel Tidybeard]

i want them bmw laser lights!

[Noel Tidybeard]

and why is it when you are on a unlit nsl dual carriageway taking a right hand bend with main beam on some people insist on flsahing at you? my headlights are shining to my left cos corner so how the fuck are they affecting you??!

[Kiltox]

Those moaning about brake lights tell Renault please - my Laguna only drops to a proper idle speed when the brake is applied, not when the electronic handbrake is (with the gearbox in D)

[AMC Rebel]

Those moaning about brake lights tell Renault please 

 

Ok, I'll give 'em a ring in the morning.

[FakeConcern]

Citroen swiveling headlights were a good idea.

 

I see little point in this though, as most stock modern fog lights have such a poor light spread that they offer little additional illumination to the street.

 

It's kinda been a "thing" on premium* car brands here for ages though, an additional light mounted on the side of the bumper at the front that comes on with the indicators on that side- it is helpful here where you're making a turn into an unlit street with no kerb and a sharp drop into a drainage ditch, while your headlights are a good 45 degrees off to the side. They're not always on**, and of use to the driver.

 

 

--Phil

 

 

**Assuming people actually use their indicators

My 2005 Citroen C4 has swiveling Xenon lights that are really good and don't blind oncoming traffic. (the XM doesn't have lights at all as far as I can tell from the driving seat). I hate the cornering fog lights and nearly pulled out in front of a car with this on a roundabout that looked like it was turning off.

[cros]

Paddock Motors are now selling pairs of Wipac 7" round halogen headlamps for 22 quid. I can't believe they are still made at Buckingham but have ordered a pair in hope that they are as good as their lamps used to be. Not much help maybe, but hopefully better than the rubbish lights you get on cars like some of the old Punto range.

[rrsix]

Paddock Motors are now selling pairs of Wipac 7" round halogen headlamps for 22 quid. I can't believe they are still made at Buckingham but have ordered a pair in hope that they are as good as their lamps used to be. Not much help maybe, but hopefully better than the rubbish lights you get on cars like some of the old Punto range.

 

I bought some of the crystal version they have at Paddock spares.(still Wipac) combined with some osram nightbreaker bulbs (the 90%* brighter ones) they are a fantastic upgrade on my seven.and they look the part for older stuff.

 

photo here for anyone interested:  http://i399.photobucket.com/albums/pp75/hybridrrs/IMG_20151001_175036_zpsfqpxncrg.jpg

[cros]

I'm sure all you modern buckeroos know about this but I was sitting in a cafe boggling at the awful looks of a car parked just outside. It was one of them DS things that have ditched every last vestige of interestingness. The owner returned and on staring the engine it's headlight lenses travelled upwards before settling back down to the normal level. I assume this to be the lighting equivalent of the modern speedo's antics at startup. Given that the lights are on for the performance its an ugly and tasteless gimmick. I've upset myself just thinking about it.

 

Update on my Wipac lamps, they were just reboxed Autopal ones.

[Guest Hooli]

I'm sure all you modern buckeroos know about this but I was sitting in a cafe boggling at the awful looks of a car parked just outside. It was one of them DS things that have ditched every last vestige of interestingness. The owner returned and on staring the engine it's headlight lenses travelled upwards before settling back down to the normal level. I assume this to be the lighting equivalent of the modern speedo's antics at startup. Given that the lights are on for the performance its an ugly and tasteless gimmick. I've upset myself just thinking about it.

 

Update on my Wipac lamps, they were just reboxed Autopal ones.

 

Auto-leveling, all xenon headlights do it in some form or another. Goonas start at the top, drop the the bottom & back up for example.

[Noel Tidybeard]

Auto-leveling, all xenon headlights do it in some form or another. .

 

honda spaceship has auto-level but none of the show-off antics on start up á la germans

[Kiltox]

It's a self test routine.

[captain_70s]

Checked the Civic's headlight height last night, 2nd lowest position. I R RESPONSIBLE MOTORIST. Apart from the fact one of the dipped beams has been dead for quite a while...

[Noel Tidybeard]

Checked the Civic's headlight height last night, 2nd lowest position. I R RESPONSIBLE MOTORIST. Apart from the fact one of the dipped beams has been dead for quite a while...

 

should be on 0 unless you have a dead prostitute in the boot

[overrun]

Super mega watt lights are becoming a joke, but I am a fan of the lights on my Mondeo.

Just halogen jobs, but the 'adaptive' dipped beam swivels with the wheels, it has additional cornering lights on the inside of the headlights and still has fogs, which I rarely use.

 

A nice useful layout which doesn't offend others and the turning dipped beam still impresses me in it's effectiveness.

[captain_70s]

should be on 0 unless you have a dead prostitute in the boot

Boot is full of tools and other assorted crap, no deceased sex workers currently though...

[AMC Rebel]

I have a question - every now and again I am dazzled by one or other of an oncoming vehicle's headlamps - but not due to it being obviously badly adjusted.  It seems that something in the design of some ordinary halogen lights throws light up/sideways in some cases.  Am I imagining this or has anyone else noticed it?

[cros]

should be on 0 unless you have a dead prostitute in the boot

FUCK. I wondered why the Wolseley smells so bad every time you put the heater on.