Automatic High Beams Suck

[oktane]

Tried searching forum and didn't find much.

I'm not happy with the auto high beam feature. I can't find a way to disable it in the menus. It can be dangerous to not have high beams turn on when I feel it is appropriate, because the software overrules me.

I am a very conscientious driver (at least when it comes to not blinding people). I do an excellent job of manually modulating the beam on and off based on traffic conditions.

With auto high beams, often times the computer won't let me engage high beams. No one is in front of me. I can pull backwards to "flash" but not lock ON. Sometimes if I cycle it on/off the computer will allow engagement.

The logic for turning high beams on and off is flawed and doesn't work consistently.

True "auto high beams" involve matrix lights, where the high beam is selectively disabled for oncoming traffic in only small sections of the light pattern. I know our cars are not capable of this, and it is a shame. Let's hope Model S catches up with other car manufacturers in the future.

 

[ucmndd]

I agree they are garbage. I turned them off in the first 15 minutes.

That said, they're easy to turn off. So easy I don't even remember how I did it, but I did.

 

[gearchruncher]

The instructions to enable and disable the auto high beams are in the release notes.

 

[GasKilla]

Mine work perfectly, way faster and better than any human. But I'm on HW1 so can't compare if you are on HW2. Enabling or disabling auto-high beams is in the menus.

 

[GasKilla]

 

[dragoljub]

Yup on AP2 they do suck. On dark unmarked roads where there is no lane edge to detect they simply will not turn on without any car or any sign marking in site. AP1 worked in this case just fine...

 

[Aieukl378]

Auto high beams are awesome(AP1). I'm sure AP2 will catch up before long.

 

[Silverstreak]

They are great in my Volvo. Nonexistent in my Tesla

 

[DDotJ]

I have an AP1 Model S and a AP2 Model X. AP1 Auto high beam is WAY better than on the AP2 Model X. Quite frankly, it SUCKS on AP 2.0.

On my Model S, it's almost flawless and I can leave it on all night and I rarely have to manually turn it off. On my Model X, different story. I have to manually turn it off so often that I don't even bother using it. It will keep the high beam on even when there is oncoming traffic in plain sight. After traffic passes, it takes forever for the auto high beams to turn on again. It also gets confused with street lights and stop lights. Sometimes, I'll even be on a dark road with only a few street lamps and the high beam will refuse to turn on.

There's this one freeway by my house that has a rather large center dividing area with a lot of grass in the middle. On the Model S, the high beam will turn off for any oncoming traffic without hesitation. Even traffic on the opposite onramp and overpass bridge (as seen in the photo) will cause it to turn off. On the Model X, it seems that the car can't detect oncoming traffic across the center divider and won't ever turn off the high beam. I have to manually turn it off every single time. Here's a picture of the freeway:

I really hope it improves soon. Until then, it's pretty much useless in its current form.

 

[Nosken]

Auto High Beam was great on my AP1 car--and yes, it sucks on my AP2. Luckily we can get software updates, and frankly, I think the software team has other essential features that need improving first. I hope those of us without PUP get Daytime Running Lights also--after-all, the eyebrow lights are the Tesla signature. Looking forward to "Silky Smooth"

 

[andrewket]

AP1 auto high beam is definitely better than AP2, but I don't think it's terrible. Tesla will get it to parity eventually. We can thank the rapid decline of the Tesla/Mobile Eye relationship.

 

[croman]

@oktane in addition to menu pull turn signal stalk towards you two settings for manual highbeam and to middle position for off. One more away turns auto on.

I think the algorithm Tesla uses isn't very considerate of other cars. I don't use auto high beam unless I'm in a very remote area.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

But wait, it will all be "smooth as silk" soon... rotfl!

 

[MarcusMaximus]

Hmm maybe I need more data, but the one occasion I had to actually use it, it worked flawlessly. I had a long stretch of windy, two-lane freeway at night coming back from Point Reyes. Auto beams turned off the instant any car came in view and back on as soon as I passed it every time. Once I got on the full freeway(can't remember, I think 580?) filled with other cars they turned off and stayed off. Based on reports from AP1 I wasn't expecting much but was surprised at how perfectly they worked.

Anyway, you can turn them on/off in the same area of the menues as where you turn off/on headlights and the dome light. It should be the default screen that comes up when you pull up controls, on the bottom right.

 

[oktane]

Thank you all for your help in disabling this half-baked feature.

 

[plasmo]

Agree. My AP1 high beams work great. I haven't tried it on my AP2 Model S yet, but heard the same complaints.
It would be good to change the title of this thread to clarify it's AP2 high beams we are talking about... but not sure if changing it is possible

 

[Pruitt]

I don't like auto high beams even on my AP1 S. I turned it off almost immediately after receiving my car in March 2016, and never looked back again.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Funny -- I got my P85D in March... and turned off auto-high beams after a couple of days... it didn't really work well for me at all. It would stay in lowbeam mode much longer on dark back roads. I'm much happier with full-manual mode.

 

[croman]

Funny -- I got my P85D in March... and turned off auto-high beams after a couple of days... it didn't really work well for me at all. It would stay in lowbeam mode much longer on dark back roads. I'm much happier with full-manual mode.

Does your car have these deficient led lamps? Highbeam is necessary to see in dark back road stars like areas.

 

[Skotty]

Maybe it's better on some cars than others. I tried it on a loaner and it was so terrible I'll probably never try turning them on again even in a different car. Rarely ever can use high beams anyway. Luckily, I find most of the other automatic stuff works well (rain sense wipers, auto dimming mirrors, auto dimming display, climate control). It's just the auto high beams that I thought was terrible.