Adaptive headlights finally working?

[DCGOO]

For a while I had had been kind of wondering in the background, “what does the adaptive headlights feature actually do?” I could not see any change when turning.

Recently I got firmware 2018.34.1 (the PIN to drIve version). Now the adaptive headlight operation is very obvious, with very bright additional illumination in the direction of the turn.

Is it possible that Adaptive Headlights did not work at all before 34.1? No mention of it in the release notes.

 

[kiwi]

I have never been able to tell they were working before... so I assumed it was subtle and I didn't notice.
I'm on .32.<something>. I look forward to .34 to see if it works.

 

[DermMD]

When I first got my car all those years ago when adaptive headlights was an upgrade option, I wondered for the first few months what it really did. To this day I'm not sure I can tell the difference when driving but it has worked for a very long time and maybe always has for me. First noticed it when self park became active a few years ago. My car has to negotiate a 2-3 inch step from the driveway into my garage. It has to negotiate that climb by turning the wheel one way and then the other. With that you see the adaptive lights in action if standing in front of the car.

 

[DCGOO]

I could not tell it was there at at all before. But last night was the first time out after dark for me with 34.1 (it came the day before). I pulled in my driveway and it was very obvious. I did a double take and said, whoa, who is over there? I checked in both directions, and found the change even while not otherwise moving. This feature has been advertised for years. Is it really possible somebody just now smacked the bug? Wow!

 

[r0xx0r]

It has been working for me since I bought my model X early this year. The light goes with Signals/steering wheel direction.

 

[jboy210]

It has been working for me since I bought my model X early this year. The light goes with Signals/steering wheel direction.

I am pretty sure mine has done that also since day one, late may of this year.

 

[ecarfan]

Mine have worked for me since taking delivery in July 2017. I will check them again to see if they are brighter now. I’m currently on firmware 2018.34.1.

 

[Kacey Green]

My pre refresh Model S has cornering lights in the fog light housing but the Model X we drove in 2017 had additional segments in the headlight LED array. Bjorn has a video on it too.

 

[DCGOO]

Yup, I agree. My 2015 S operates as you suggest. For the "adaptive" headlights though, you must have an X with LED headlights (maybe refreshed S, but I don't have one of those). The difference between 32.2 and 34.1 for me, was dramatic. Perhaps just the animation was changed, If I turn to the left or right, the extra segments "roll" out for the extra coverage. You do not have to be moving, Just slightly turn the steering wheel. The lighting change is very obvious, way more than the cornering lights on my 2015 S.

 

[Kacey Green]

Yup, I agree. My 2015 S operates as you suggest. For the "adaptive" headlights though, you must have an X with LED headlights (maybe refreshed S, but I don't have one of those). The difference between 32.2 and 34.1 for me, was dramatic. Perhaps just the animation was changed, If I turn to the left or right, the extra segments "roll" out for the extra coverage. You do not have to be moving, Just slightly turn the steering wheel. The lighting change is very obvious, way more than the cornering lights on my 2015 S.

Yes on the Model X we drove for a week they would gently roll on, and the auto high beams would do the same, though the highs would instantly cut if there was oncoming traffic or reflection of a sign.

 

[fmonera]

I just returned from a 800km trip where I have been testing adaptive headlights (June/2018 Model X 2018.34.1).

In summary, I think this feature is not ready for real use at all. Many times I had to shut it off manually when it didn't detect traffic comming and I was annoying another drivers.

 

[DCGOO]

I just returned from a 800km trip where I have been testing adaptive headlights (June/2018 Model X 2018.34.1).

In summary, I think this feature is not ready for real use at all. Many times I had to shut it off manually when it didn't detect traffic comming and I was annoying another drivers.

That is not the feature we're discussing. That is auto high-beam. Adaptive headlights illuminate the corners when turning, it does not involve high beams at all.

If equipped, the Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS) automatically adjusts the beam of the headlights to improve your driving view. Electric sensors measure driving speed, steering angle and yaw (the rotation of the car around the vertical axis) to determine the optimum position of the headlights based on current driving conditions. For example, to improve visibility while driving on winding roads at night, the AFS casts the beam in the direction of the curve. When low beam headlights are turned on and when driving at lower speeds, AFS improves lateral illumination to increase the visibility of pedestrians and curbs, and to improve visibility when turning at a dark intersection, into a driveway, or when making a u-turn.