Auto Adjustable Headlights

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Mod Note: This thread was split off from the Wipers ... and their armatures thread

My Escalade Hybrid (sounds like an oxymoron) has auto wipers and they work flawlessly. I also have auto bright lights, which has never failed to light up and dim at the exact moment I would have manually initiated them. The auto bright isn't in the Model S, which disappoints me, but it's not that big of a deal, just I nice feature missed by Tesla.

What are auto brights? Tesla has auto on/off headlights and DRLs as well. Why would we need lights that go bright and dim?

 

[FalconNinetyD]

I'm assuming for on a dark road, when the car doesn't see any other headlights coming at it?

There aren't too many roads like that here in my part of San Diego, but there are a few single lane, dark roads where I do turn on the brights to make sure I don't miss something in the roadway, but inevitably another car comes at me 10 seconds later and I need to turn off the brights, then turn them on again once it passes.

 

[Velo1]

What are auto brights? Tesla has auto on/off headlights and DRLs as well. Why would we need lights that go bright and dim?

Auto bright lights turn on and off your high-beam lights via a light sensor. For example at night without other cars in front of you or coming toward you the high-beam lights (bright lights) come on automatically. Should the high-beam sensor detect a car coming toward you or you get within a certain distance from the car in front of you (100+ feet), then the high-beams turn off. As I mentioned, the auto sensor is dead on exactly as I would have manually turned on or of my high beams.

 

[jerry33]

Auto bright lights turn on and off your high-beam lights via a light sensor. For example at night without other cars in front of you or coming toward you the high-beam lights (bright lights) come on automatically. Should the high-beam sensor detect a car coming toward you or you get within a certain distance from the car in front of you (100+ feet), then the high-beams turn off.

So you blind the person ahead of you until your 100 feet away? That's a big fail in my book. You turn your high beams off if you can see the other car's lights (either headlights or taillights). High beams are only for when there are no other cars.

As I mentioned, the auto sensor is dead on exactly as I would have manually turned on or of my high beams.

In the 1950s and 1960s many higher end cars had this feature. It never worked properly, so most people just turned it to the least sensitive setting and switched manually. Eventually they stopped offering them. Perhaps the new ones are better.

 

[WhiteKnight]

From Tesla's website:

Halogen headlights with automatic on/off and LED daytime running lights

That means the headlights automatically come on when it gets dark outside. Has nothing to do with high beams.

 

[sp4rk]

Mods ... I started this thread and now it has gone from wipers to headlights. Can you split it please?

Or it'll look like my desk. Chaos!

 

[NigelM]

^ Welcome to the forum...... :wink:

 

[Jason S]

So you blind the person ahead of you until your 100 feet away? That's a big fail in my book. You turn your high beams off if you can see the other car's lights (either headlights or taillights). High beams are only for when there are no other cars.

I think you misunderstand -- it is 100ft from the back of another car. Not the front.

In the 1950s and 1960s many higher end cars had this feature. It never worked properly, so most people just turned it to the least sensitive setting and switched manually. Eventually they stopped offering them. Perhaps the new ones are better.

The EU is talking about making cars turn on FULL BRAKING automatically based on some computer sensors (Europe demands a Autonomous Emergency Braking System (AEB) for new cars by 2015 | Forums | Tesla Motors), I certainly hope the technology is good enough to deal with headlights reasonably well.

 

[jerry33]

I think you misunderstand -- it is 100ft from the back of another car. Not the front.

Actually, no. If you can see the other car's headlights or tail-lights, you should not have your high beams on. Period. 100 feet is entirely too close. This is particularly annoying to those who have electrochromic mirrors because they don't attenuate the light very much. I've gotten so that I just move my head out of the way because they are so poor--the manual dimming mirrors provided a lot more light attenuation.

The EU is talking about making cars turn on FULL BRAKING automatically based on some computer sensors (Europe demands a Autonomous Emergency Braking System (AEB) for new cars by 2015 | Forums | Tesla Motors), I certainly hope the technology is good enough to deal with headlights reasonably well.

One can always hope:smile:

 

[AnOutsider]

Mods ... I started this thread and now it has gone from wipers to headlights. Can you split it please?

Or it'll look like my desk. Chaos!

Mod Note: This thread was split off from the Wipers ... and their armatures thread

 

[olanmills]

All of this time I thought Escalade owners were being dicks. I guess it's just the GM designers.