dpb

dont suprise in the slightest

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43525525


whats the need ?- have people driving these vehicles eyesite got worse over the years

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Officially 30% of cars fail MOT due to lighting issues; including beam aim.

I'd say the real world figure for incorrect beam aim is far higher as I'd say roughly 1 in 3 cars that passes through our workshop has incorrect beam aim (too high or low). Many of these are not logged as its found during routine service so isn't logged in the MOT database, but many other garages just don't bother checking. Even brand new cars have incorrect beam aim, so can drive round for three years before being rectified.

HID/LED lamps with incorrect aim will dazzle more, as will incorrectly fitted bulbs....again it seems load of people even 'professionals' simply cannot fit a light bulb, granted it can be awkward, but if the bulb is sitting on the p1ss in the fitting, it's not going to give the correct beam pattern...get this about three times every week:




That bright 'blob' above the cut-off line will dazzle drivers like using high beams!







After re-fitting: The red lines is the acceptable range to prevent dazzle:




Cheap or counterfeit bulbs can alsogive the wrong beam pattern like the above. So don't buy bulbs from the market stalls or random eBay sellers (or even Amazon, unless the suppliers are verified). Couterfeit Osrams and Philips bulbs are rife and indistinguishable from the real deal until tested with a beam tester.

Also seized/broken position sensor linkages, which is often overlooked:







Combine all the above into the trend of tall SUV type modern vehicle headlamps above waist height and you made the problem ten times worse!

dpb

I'm amazed these things come out the factory like it !

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I'm not.

I have three pet hates at the moment:
1. W@nkers with HID bulbs in Halogen headlights. Awful.
2. SUV's and vans whose lights are at a higher level than cars, tested on the same MoT apparatus, resulting in beams FAR TOO HIGH. GET A GRIP VOSA!!!!
3. LED lights which seem to have zero beam control. The vehicle moves a couple of feet and it's lights are blinding. What the **** is that all about?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

2. Check out my pic of the beam tester pattern:





The blue lines are the upper and lower tolerance limits for vehicles (like vans, SUVs and 4x4s ) that have headlamps higher than 850mm off the ground...these need to point downwards more than cars with lamps fitted lower to the ground (as shown by the red lines)

3. LED dipped headlamps should have level positioning systems like HIDs. Of course these can be defective due to seized/broken level sense linkages (as per my other post), impact damage from parking/front end shunts (they are arrays of multiple LEDs and reflectors , so often can't be adjusted like a halogen or HID headlamp with a single reflector) and less tolerant to impact damage, or simply faulty.

Now if you are talking about LED retrofits or running lights, yes they can glare quite a bit under certain conditions. But dipped factory fit LED headlamps if in correct order do give a perfect beam pattern and zero bleed above the cut-off threshold (dotted horizontal black line), where most halogens will bleed above this a little which is why HID retrofits dazzle so badly as as brighter bulbs give more bleed, especially if the geometry of the bulb is wrong, which is common on retrofit bulbs.

Finally VOSA is now DVSA

Yeah I know, they'll probably call themselves something else in three years time

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I've watched MoT's carried out and can assure you that not everyone is looking at beam throw, just pattern.

You only have to drive at night round here to see the truth in that.

And as for cyclops cars, and those with one pointing at the ground and one in the air, i give up.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

I went out with a woman once who had eyes like that , Dip and Dazzle I called her.

zip106

The LEDs on our Vitara seem too high - get flashed by oncomers every now and then.
I asked the dealer to adjust them and they told me there’s no adjustability built into them.

scousefly

For using fog lights when its not foggy. Its the trend and I hate everyone who uses these lights unwarranted especially rear ones

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Easter rush; failed five (out of five tested) cars this morning alone all for headlamp aim. Three of which were pointing above the 0% horizon...in other words they were pointing UP rather than down

Fishbowlhead

iTrader: (1)

Can't be that hard to realise that your headlights are pointing up more hand down can it?


I did mine the other day, had to replace them due to vandalism. The replacements we're pointing at the floor (how the F the previous owner could drive like that is beyond me) so sat there at night on the ind est and got them all adjusted and correct. It literally takes 20 mins if that to get it correct.

andy97

iTrader: (1)

I built my twin hid lights for my truck, I ordered all my parts from the USA specced UK beam alignment. I then set them up. Even when pulled up behind a vehicle my lights don't enter the cabin of a car in front. I spent a little while getting the alignment spot on. Different matter on high beam.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Same here for my projector conversion.