Car Headlights

Col7777

Is it me or are car headlights set a bit wrong, I've noticed lots of cars coming the other way and their headlights seem to dazzle.

I'm not on about country lanes where they sometimes forget to turn off the main beam I'm talking about general urban roads.

I did wonder if it was because a lot are foreign cars and they may possibly set slightly off when leaving the factory.

Also some of these cars with the very bright almost blue lights can dazzle too.

Does anyone else think this?

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

Many headlamps are misaligned. This should be corrected at the MOT but often isn't. Some cars have a lot of weight in the boot, and the driver doesn't use the adjuster featured on many cars.

Then you get the idiots who put HID lamps into enclosures designed for incandescent bulbs. Those people should be set on fire.

Hammyman

Some after market HID lamps are horrendous. The problem is it is natural behaviour to look at the light. What you need to do is look down your own beams instead.

flyingscotno1

Col7777 wrote: »

Is it me or are car headlights set a bit wrong, I've noticed lots of cars coming the other way and their headlights seem to dazzle.

I'm not on about country lanes where they sometimes forget to turn off the main beam I'm talking about general urban roads.

I did wonder if it was because a lot are foreign cars and they may possibly set slightly off when leaving the factory.

Also some of these cars with the very bright almost blue lights can dazzle too.

Does anyone else think this?

Yes a number of times I've thought this recently with dark nights. A lot of lights appear to be badly set. I was followed down the motorway by someone with really bright lights in a Clio- reflections off the mirrors was very off putting almost lit my car up- so much so I slowed down a bit so they'd overtake me. Indeed my other pet hate this time of year with dark commuting is the one working headlamp folk for weeks!

Causes-
1. Potholes mean lights are going out of alignment and not being pulled up in an MoT.
2. Poorly installed HID kits
3. People manually raising alignment 'because the headlights aren't very good' and thus dazzling drivers as the beam height is too high (on forum I read had folk trying to realign manufacturer set headlamp levels).
4.Purchasing illegal bulb types which are super bright

HiTo

I see alot of headlamps bulbs fitted incorrectly, not surprising really, some are an adventure to change!

bartman

............and not forgetting the idiots who drive everywhere with their front fog-lights on, just to let everybody know they've got them.
They always get a burst of main beam from me.

vikingaero

bartman wrote: »

............and not forgetting the idiots who drive everywhere with their front fog-lights on, just to let everybody know they've got them.
They always get a burst of main beam from me.

It's getting harder to distinguish between fog lights, daylight running lights and cornering lights these days.

That said my pet peeve at the moment is the muppets who still have their fog lights on from the foggy weather a few days ago. I reserve full beam for them. I pulled into a petrol station behind one guy and he complained about my full beam. I said that he had his rear fog lights on so that must have meant that he wanted me to see him clearly, so I turned on my main beams to see him as clearly as possible. :rotfl:

Loanranger

bartman wrote: »

............and not forgetting the idiots who drive everywhere with their front fog-lights on, just to let everybody know they've got them.
They always get a burst of main beam from me.

Me too. I always put my lights on main beam, just to let them know they're dazzling me with their four lights.

The bluey looking headlights are xenon lights.

To Col777, I don't like driving at night and it's age related. The eyes are less able to cope. So I don't do it anymore, well not much anyway! Are you an older person? If not, go see the optician.

frothey

Full beam me when I've got my fogs on and I'll zap you with my mis-aligned HID's too :rotfl:

One of the problems with not having an MOT for 3 years - new cars can have mis-aligned lights and it doesn't get picked up for 3 years.......

dannymccann

I get flashed all the time for my fully legal 55w H7's I got for £2 off ebay, alignment is set up fine and the adjuster is set to lowest position.Cant imagine how much someone's eyes hurt when they flash me because they think they are up and I blast them back with the even brighter main beam though :rotfl:

Hintza

vikingaero wrote: »

That said my pet peeve at the moment is the muppets who still have their fog lights on from the foggy weather a few days ago.

Do most cars not automatically switch off fog lights when the ignition has been off to stop this?