Adaptive Headlights?

[BerTX]

My month-old MS is supposed to have Adaptive Headlights, but I have not noticed them working. Maybe I'm expecting action like the diagram, where the beams are pointed around the corner as the car turns, and it is more subtle? Admittedly, most of my night driving has been highway driving, with fairly gentle curves, and in urban driving I have been watching where I was going rather than paying attention to where the lights point.

Can someone who has noticed them working give me a clue of the circumstances and what to look for? I really thought it would be a little more pronounced...

 

[Xenoilphobe]

i have a loaded 90D i don't notice anything either

 

[svp6]

Try at low speed, on winding roads - most obvious with a right/left turn. You will not be able to notice the small turning on a highway.

 

[PtG62901]

You have to turn them on, by pushing the stalk away. There is a headlight icon on the dash, a adaptive headlight icon appears beside it. Then it works on mine. No light icon with an a inside, it is off.

 

[Kbra]

You have to turn them on, by pushing the stalk away. There is a headlight icon on the dash, a adaptive headlight icon appears beside it. Then it works on mine. No light icon with an a inside, it is off.

I suspect you are thinking about auto high beam, which is different from the OP question.

 

[Ohji]

I don't have my Model S yet, but I have adaptive headlights on my current car, and the best way to see them in action is while driving in the fog. If you drive in the fog, you can actually see the beam of the headlight within the fog and when you turn the steering wheel, you will notice the beam of light turning into the curve.

 

[rmnelson]

My S60D delivered 9/19/16 has them. I can see them activate when turning the wheel while next to something they can shine on at night, like a garage wall or a fence. They are subtle enough that it has to be really dark for me to see them. I thought they would be like some of the older BMWs where the headlights actually turn, but they are instead additional led emitters on the side of the headlights that come on when the steering wheel is turned. When driving I see them on a tight cloverleaf with a 25mph speed limit where I can see the inside of the turn being illuminated. They are more subtle than I expected.

I haven't decided if they are worth the $3K upgrade price since none of the other Premium Upgrades Package interested me at all; I got them because we have a lot of nighttime bike riders in town who tend to not stick to the absolute letter of the law. I've come close to hitting more than one unlighted cyclist riding the wrong way in the bike path when I was turning across their direction of travel and concluded that additional illumination might help me see and avoid.

 

[BerTX]

You have to turn them on, by pushing the stalk away. There is a headlight icon on the dash, a adaptive headlight icon appears beside it. Then it works on mine. No light icon with an a inside, it is off.

Yeah, as stated above, that "A" is for auto dimming, not adaptive. Although it did take me a while to figure out that you had to put on the bright lights (by pushing the stem forward) -- they are auto-dimming, not auto-brightening!

 

[BerTX]

My S60D delivered 9/19/16 has them. I can see them activate when turning the wheel while next to something they can shine on at night, like a garage wall or a fence. They are subtle enough that it has to be really dark for me to see them. I thought they would be like some of the older BMWs where the headlights actually turn, but they are instead additional led emitters on the side of the headlights that come on when the steering wheel is turned. When driving I see them on a tight cloverleaf with a 25mph speed limit where I can see the inside of the turn being illuminated. They are more subtle than I expected.

I haven't decided if they are worth the $3K upgrade price since none of the other Premium Upgrades Package interested me at all; I got them because we have a lot of nighttime bike riders in town who tend to not stick to the absolute letter of the law. I've come close to hitting more than one unlighted cyclist riding the wrong way in the bike path when I was turning across their direction of travel and concluded that additional illumination might help me see and avoid.

Thanks, I'll try them while stationary and see what happens. Actually, we have lots of windy roads around where I live, so I'll go find an excuse to go somewhere at night and try them out.

 

[TIppy]

July, 2016 p90dl. I just watched the headlights while the wife turned the steering wheel.The car has to be in gear. A light at the top of the headlight and one on the bumper come on when the wheel is a little left or right of center. If you turn the wheel slowly the the three lights in the top of the headlight come on in sequence lighting farther to the side of the car as they do. The main headlights did not turn.

 

[KIP1]

Tesla "adaptive" it seems to be very different from other manufacturers. While the headlights turn, I myself was hoping Tesla would bring the adaptive high beam. In my X5 and Audi Q7 the lights actually adapt to oncoming traffic and dip/split so that they can remain constantly on. They turn, but high beam is only on -off still, if I have understood correctly. The adaptive high beam is what would be marvelous. You can drive constantly with high beams on.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I used them tonight. They work great

 

[TIppy]

The adaptive high beam is what would be marvelous. You can drive constantly with high beams on.

Autopilot equipped cars will also automatically control the high beams. You can leave the high beams on and they will be dimmed when necessary.

 

[KIP1]

Autopilot equipped cars will also automatically control the high beams. You can leave the high beams on and they will be dimmed when necessary.

Yes it is the old on-off system as in the Xenons. However, in most situations this just means they are off. Like in my Bmw i8 laser lights. The adaptivehigh beam means that they are actually on. Feg the left high beam might be on, while the right is dimmed, or they might be split if driving behind a vehicle. In all these situations the on -off system is off. The only big thing I am missing in the Tesla, in addtion to night vision.

 

[ecarfan]

Bjorn made a video that clearly shows how the adaptive headlights work, see

 

[Spidy]

Yep and this is probably what many people actually thought of when Tesla said adaptive headlights...
@2:00

 

[TIppy]

The only big thing I am missing in the Tesla, in addtion to night vision.

The car has night vision, radar.

 

[KIP1]

The car has night vision, radar.

Again when I speak about true night vision I mean pedestrian/animal detection and integrated lighting (blinks light beam and warns in dash/HUD). Not present in a Tesla. Actually make the missing list1. adaptive high beam 2. Night vision 3. HUD.

 

[TIppy]

Again when I speak about true night vision I mean pedestrian/animal detection and integrated lighting (blinks light beam and warns in dash/HUD). Not present in a Tesla. Actually make the missing list1. adaptive high beam 2. Night vision 3. HUD.

I know. I was just being difficult. Although, most of the current systems display the image in the instrument cluster or on the nav screen. They may actually distract you in the few fractions of a second you have to avoid the obstacle you would have seen had you been looking out the windshield. I agree flashing a spotlight on the target would be useful. Huds are nice, too. I had one in my BMW.

 

[KIP1]

I figured you did .
The dash view is just for show, its true vale is independent of the screen. I never look at it in my Q7/X5. If the system detects something it warns you with a large icon/alarm in the dash/HUD, shines the object and even autobrakes. Sometimes when it is snowing heavily I look at the screen to see where the road is going. Works perfectly then. I have had this in both family wagons and these missing features are no 1. on the list, why I cant buy a Model X at the moment
Also Audi Q7 has 3 isofix places in the rear. I hope Model X will have thos by the time I will replace my Audi Q7 etron. The Tesla Model S is fine for my city driving, but we have pitch darkness in the North for 6 months, a lot of snow and moose on the road, so the system is valuable for me when driving to our winter/summer cottage.