Does Adaptive Lighting work for anyone?

[HX_Guy]

The Premium Package includes Adaptive Lighting, which if I understand it correctly should have the headlights turn slightly when making a left or right turn, correct?

I have this feature activated in the Setting but from what I can tell, it is currently not functioning? I cannot see any turning of the headlights in the slightest.

Is this a similar experience for others? Is it possibly related to other "missing" features at the moment with the software changes or something I should take the car into service to look at?

 

[HebrHmr]

I don't see turning. It looks to me like a side light gets activated at a certain point in the steering. I'm on HW2 so I'm not sure if it's fully functional yet.

 

[HX_Guy]

I don't see turning. It looks to me like a side light gets activated at a certain point in the steering. I'm on HW2 so I'm not sure if it's fully functional yet.

Per the description and illustration, they should turn.

 

[DarkMatter]

No, they don't turn. On sharp enough turns they add some light in the turning direction. I've owned a car with adaptive lights, and the Tesla lights don't have the hardware to change the beam angle side to side, but are almost as good as the one with turning lights was.

 

[ev-now]

Is this a similar experience for others? Is it possibly related to other "missing" features at the moment with the software changes or something I should take the car into service to look at?

Find a location with a wall where you can make a 90 degree turn close enough to see light on the wall - just to be sure it's not working. You will not see the beam 'swing' - you'll just see more light 'appear' in the direction of turn.

 

[Lloyd]

I had a loaner in November with adaptive lighting. It worked fine. It was also an Ap1 car.

 

[HX_Guy]

No, they don't turn. On sharp enough turns they add some light in the turning direction. I've owned a car with adaptive lights, and the Tesla lights don't have the hardware to change the beam angle side to side, but are almost as good as the one with turning lights was.

Find a location with a wall where you can make a 90 degree turn close enough to see light on the wall - just to be sure it's not working. You will not see the beam 'swing' - you'll just see more light 'appear' in the direction of turn.

Are you guys certain that it's not supposed to literally turn? The description clearly says "turning lights", and Lloyd one post up said he drove a car that had them, but it was an AP1 car.

 

[Blu Zap]

Could be the new 8.1+ software will enable AP2 lights to rotate. Not sure if that is in the plan. AP1 headlights illuminate fixed side pointing lights when the steering wheel is turned to a certain point. i.e. winding road.

 

[ucmndd]

Are you guys certain that it's not supposed to literally turn? The description clearly says "turning lights", and Lloyd one post up said he drove a car that had them, but it was an AP1 car.

They definitely don't "turn" on AP2 cars. If you turn the wheel enough then you'll see some illumination in the direction you turn. It's binary - either on or off. "Cornering lights" might be a more accurate description.

From what I can see the "three positions" are basically forward, additional left illumination, or additional right illumination.


Can't comment on earlier vehicles.

 

[HX_Guy]

Hmm, looks like this is probably me misinterpreting what they mean. I thought "turning lights" meant that the lights turned, vs they probably mean lights for turning. The graphic is a bit deceptive at is hows the light beam actual turns from the original position.

 

[Snowstorm]

Has it always been his way or did it change with AP 2?

 

[whitex]

They do not physically turn - different additional LED's turn as you turn the steering wheel. A slightly more fancy cornering lights, instead of having separate lights in the corner as older Tesla's did, there are separate LED's inside the lights, and there are 3 of them in each direction instead of just 1 corner light. When you park, they all turn on. Have someone take a video with your cell phone as you turn your wheel left to right in a dark, you can see the additional lights turn on and light up some more of the ground in front of the car. I had a Lexus before with actually turning lights, Tesla's are not it.

 

[Xminus6]

Yes, if you watch their Model X Holiday Easter Egg video that someone posted in a foggy environment, it's clear that some of the LEDs are meant to point outward to illuminate through a turn. It was actually surprising to me how far to the side this beams went. My non-AP Model S had a turning light that was clearly visible whenever you turned the car. My new Dec-delivery Model X with PUP does not seem to have the turning lights activated yet. I was specifically looking for it when I got the car and I have to suspect that it's just not turned on yet.

 

[Saghost]

The Premium Package includes Adaptive Lighting, which if I understand it correctly should have the headlights turn slightly when making a left or right turn, correct?

I have this feature activated in the Setting but from what I can tell, it is currently not functioning? I cannot see any turning of the headlights in the slightest.

Is this a similar experience for others? Is it possibly related to other "missing" features at the moment with the software changes or something I should take the car into service to look at?

As others have said, three lights on each side. I find them pretty helpful. Note the setting to enable/disable.

 

[P85DBeast]

When you turn the wheel the only lights that should activate are the 3 LED "Cornering Lights" Located inside the headlights and you also get the LED cornering light in the fog lamps. The "Classic Nose" Model S car's had this as the "Cornering Light". (The LED fog cornering light)

 

[Spidy]

Per the description and illustration, they should turn.

The image is very misleading and I'm surprised it's still on the website. Looks like zero communication between engineers and marketing.

This is what it really does as you can see in the video @Saghost linked @4:30.

 

[zambono]

Per the description and illustration, they should turn.

I can see how the image might be misleading, but the text does not say they turn.
Some LEDS on the side are illuminated when making turns. Driving in a neighborhood you can tell.

 

[MickC]

Don't compare them with adaptive lights of other brands. If I compare them with the adaptive LED lights from a new Mercedes S-class, than Tesla is way behind (but are catching up slowely)

The new adaptive headlights from Audi, BMW, Mercedes,... turns and change the light bundle on each situation. Even the high beam lights don't blind upcomming cars which is very cool to see.
Only those lights are real adaptive headlights imo.

But don't misunderstand me, I'm still happy with the LED lights in my Tesla.

 

[DarkMatter]

My previous vehicle was a Touareg with the adaptive lights that actually refocus the optics to follow the steering. It's the same module as used on Audi and Porsche. They are nice but I actually find the Tesla turning setup to be just about as good. The Tesla headlights have a flatter field to the sides so they don't need to do the little turns of the beam as much, and the side lights are better than the side lights were on the Touareg. That setup would just turn on one of the fog lights which was neat but didn't get much light in the important direction.

 

[hingisfan]

They are called 'turning lights' , not to mean 'lights that turn' . Sort of like how fog lights don't emit fog.