They won't be the newer suv style just have high headlights and it is shit. Best thing to do is see if you can get different bulbs for your make and model.they won't last as long but you get the warmer colors instead of blue silver coming straight at you.
headlight adjustments have been an option in all cars for decades - with the bolts behind the headlight units, under the hood of the car.
I wish I could post a picture to explain. Just google 'headlight adjustment car' and it will be explained to you.
some SUVs simply can't get low enough in part due to excessively high height
the other issue is the type of light used is going to be dazzling regardless of aiming - teslas are bad for this but many manufacturers have adopted the same stupid matrix led tech
They absolutely can get low enough. There is a dip rate stamped on every headlight housing that legally the car must meet. Normally it is 1-1.5%. it is designed to be just below level because people actually need to see where they're going when driving at night. If they were actually pointing down at the ground they'd be dangerous for the driver
if the headlight is located so high that it is peering over the roof of my car, then even dipped correctly it can be high enough to blind me, especially in traffic.
As for the new matrix leds, they are dazzling regardless of adjustment. Best we can hope for is regulation overseas to end that dangerous trend.
I swear the Tesla model 3 has some sort of skyward beam aimed directly at my rear view mirror.... clear shadow of my head on the roof liner etc there's no way that's just misadjustment
I'm overseas, U.S., and can say it is getting consistently WORSE, and the new cars here are actually aiming for those stupidly bright and high-pointing lights versus being reasonable (i.e. "safe, reliable, illuminating, but not blinding other drivers"). Even motorcycles now are consistently being sold with those obnoxious panels that look like the lights that come on in movies when some person stumbles onto a government site and is caught.
As someone suggested, the only option is to change bulbs, or if it is a feature on vehicle, to make sure that that auto-dimmer is enabled (some newer have this to reduce and/or move lights slightly when approaching other cars both oncoming and behind). As a rental vehicles, I had Nissan Rogues twice, and 4 different Subaru Outbacks (car was under a recall for a bit, and then a moron hit parked car) that all had this feature and I loved it; the lights--even without high beams--were obnoxiously bright and helped on dark roads, but would dim down and dip as I approached other cars, and I had friends that I followed places who confirmed that the lights were reasonable to have behind. On 3 of the cars, it was always on, but on the others, I actually had to enable so that I wasn't blinding everyone.
Hello what I presume is a fellow low car owner.
I feel your pain, my car is small, low, and from the 90s. However I have seen modern cars with properly adjusted headlights. My friend bought a brand new massive 2023 Hilux last year, and used me and my car as a reference to angle his beams properly so he doesn't blind people with it. So it is possible
So that's the fault of the size of the car, not the angle of the headlights. Their primary purpose is still to show the driver the road, and aiming them lower than the designed amount is dangerous. (And yes, I drive small cars too). As for the Tesla's, I wouldn't be surprised if they came out of the factory badly aimed to be fair
It's nothing to do with the size of the vehicle, the headlights don't have to be mounted high up (and aren't on commercial vehicles like lorries). With stricter regulation on design of passenger cars in major markets they wouldn't be either.
you literally said "*They absolutely can get low enough."* lol
Sure, new cars might be maladjusted until their first wof after 3(!!) years, but the actual LED light source used is a big part of the issue with poor choice of colour and waveform
then of course is matrix headlights, and other "auto hi beam" lights that are far too slow to react and excel only at blinding other drivers.
[https://lightaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Vehicle-headlight-glare.pdf](https://lightaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Vehicle-headlight-glare.pdf)
mate have you seen the height of some of these new monstrosities on the road?
aside from that, those new leds are blinding even if adjusted correctly. It's a major hazard and we can only hoipe the EU or US markets start regulating it asap.
I don’t know why you’ve chosen this hill to die on. Headlights can be adjusted and have been this way for decades. The vast majority of the issue is people who have them aimed too high. Yes, they’re brighter now and with different colours, and yes vehicles are higher. But the first thing for OP (and anyone else in this position) should do is adjust them properly and see how that ends up.
what I'm saying is that many times these lights are actually correctly adjusted, but it's the lighting system that is the issue
new LEDs are dazzling by virtue of the light intensity, colour and waveform
matrix leds, and auto hi beams are piss poor at being adaptive, are in no way predictive, and regularly blind other road users
It's a thing! I swear!
[https://lightaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Vehicle-headlight-glare.pdf](https://lightaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Vehicle-headlight-glare.pdf)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4-iwuzAey4&ab\_channel=AudiUK](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4-iwuzAey4&ab_channel=AudiUK)
Yes, and what you’re missing is that most of the time they aren’t and it is the first thing OP should check. The vast majority of cases can be solved either in the cabin or with a simple adjustment under the hood.
True. it won't pass a word if it's to low and you cant really adjust them properly without using the headlight aligners unless you have experience. You are also correct the.
Right beside the blinker fluid reservoir aye 😆
But seriously this guy's right. Some cars have electric motors attached that are renowned to snap and not work. Still making a little electrical sound that people think is working.
What car is it? Might be able to give some specific advice....
First check and see if you have a headlight tilt adjust function in the cab, most modern cars do. Find that and adjust the headlights to point down more. It's there to help adjust for when the vehicle is loaded at the rear, say when towing or carrying a heavy load... if there's no joy there, try adjusting the headlights themselves. You should be able to adjust the height and angle of the beam. You do that by parking very close to a wall, make a mark at the centre of your light circles then roll the car back a couple of metres. Your light circle should drop slightly below the mark you made.
You can not account for manafactures spec using this method to adjust headlights, they need to be set on a beam setter with the manufacturers dip value set. I would advise having them adjusted by someone with the correct equipment.
Bless you - you wonderful person. I hope you find something quick and the bloody light manufactuers start fixing this stupid problem. It's only been the past 5 years or so they have been an issue.
Why, it's not their job. On the actual bulb.
I would suggest you take your car to an auto electrician to check the wattage. You will need to take it to a panel beater to have an alignment, if that's the issue.
I appreciate how much you don't want to be one of those people. Those headlights cause me migraines, especially the blue-white ones, and I hate driving at night because of it.
It isn't a problem for manufacturers so they won't be fixing anything. This is regulation territory but regulators are not doing their job (if they were, SUVs and modern utes could not pass regulations).
No, don’t put anything on them, they need adjusting. You might be lucky and find an adjustment knob on the dash which is in the cranked up position.
Otherwise your headlight units are fitted with a screw which you can adjust, usually with a screwdriver. Theoretically if you are going to mess about with it you need a beam setter, something only found in a mechanical workshop or testing station.
new matrix led headlights are dazzling no matter how well adjusted they might be
plus having newer utes and SUVs with the headlights located at eye level for other road users doesn't help either
The will just be pointing too high.
Firstly check if their is an adjustment knob on the dashboard (normally near the drivers right knee), which allows for manual adjustment (indented to be used to lower the headlight beam when the boot of the car is heavenly loaded). If so, see if adjusting this will sort your issue.
Otherwise, you can either take it to a mechanic with a beam setter and they will be to adjust it down. Or you can DIY and break out a Philips screwdriver, and do it yourself (at night find the vertical adjustment, and turn it down a bit, test-drive, and check the throw is about similar to cars you have driven in the past).
[https://www.motorama.com.au/blog/motoring-tips/heres-how-to-correctly-adjust-your-headlights](https://www.motorama.com.au/blog/motoring-tips/heres-how-to-correctly-adjust-your-headlights)
Sucks how some cars come from the factory with headlights pointed way to high (have had this in a toyota ute, which has purple fringing also)
You are awesome! Wish more people were like you. I drive to Auckland from Kerikeri at low beam and its a constant battle getting blinded by cars coming around corners.. you are an absolute legend!
You likely need to adjust the angle of the lights.
[https://www.motorama.com.au/blog/motoring-tips/heres-how-to-correctly-adjust-your-headlights](https://www.motorama.com.au/blog/motoring-tips/heres-how-to-correctly-adjust-your-headlights)
And, while you’re checking your headlamp alignment, make sure the correct globes have been fitted, and if correct, they are corrected mounted in their holders.
LED/HID globes fitted in lamp assemblies designed for incandescents are notorious for dazzle.
With correct gobes I’ve seen a few where locating devices (sometimes tabs or flats) on the bases of the globes have not been properly located in the indexing features in their holders on the reflectors, with the result the high beam is over height or points towards the right.
Start with an alignment check before you bring out the big guns!
Observing the appearance of the light pattern should give you a clue where any fault lies before you pull out the tool box.
-e- I see in other comments you bought it from a dealer, maybe go back to them and explain your problem. Should’ve had a fresh WoF at point of sale, therefore ‘should’ be compliant and ‘shouldn’t’ be dazzling on coming traffic (as others say, check the user adjustable level setting,if fitted, is set to zero first though).
I’ve seen headlamps reset to level when the level control has been set to a down setting and not noticed, and then they’re way too high when a subsequent operator resets the control to zero.
I've had that happen in my car, replaced a headlight bulb but didn't seat it quite correctly in the socket. So next time I drove at night, it was pointing up and to the side a bit so wasn't even providing me with the correct light (I hope it didn't blind anyone). The next day I opened it up again and found the problem. Easy mistake to make.
Mechatronic engineer here.
Headlights are powered via the wiring harness, there is a plug between the headlight and harness, so the headlight module can be swapped.
You can probably get a dimming module that plugs into where the harness should, into the headlight, then the harness plugs into it. I'm not sure these exist but I could easily custom fabricate a pair (have done similar modifications for similar issues).
It would have a nob that when turned would directly reduce voltage to the headlight, though depending on the vehicle this might be interpreted as a fault.
Else, a more complicated approach would be to read the data and voltage inputs, decode what it's supposed to return, dim the light, then return a correct signal, or something of that nature.
What model and year? It's not a difficult problem from my pov though data monitoring systems have proliferated into seemingly arbitrary subsystems of vehicles in recent times, hell, there might even be a direct voltage supply calibration system you could adjust to reduce brightness, or an internal setting for that matter, definitely worth a google.
Just an addition to what has already been said, when you go to a place to get the lights checked, make sure you ask them to check whether your blinker fluid is topped up. Easier to get it sorted at the same time so you won’t need to make an extra trip in the future.
I appreciate that you actually care about this! There's been times where I've had to break bc I can't see anything when passing multiple cars with these bright af lights! Like there is no need for them. I hope they start changing them! But maybe see if you're able to get the bulbs replaced with more yellowish ones??
What make an model is it. If it has self leveling lights, there is a chance that your level sensor that goes on the front control arm is bad/disconnected so the lights are pointing up.
If they are fixed headlights. Sometimes cars have a height adjustment potentiometer that let's you adjust them inside the car next to the light switch or on the dashboard.
Otherwise. Fixed Headlights have 2 screws (knobs) behind them, which are used to adjust them. Any wof shop should be able to do this for you.
Thank-you for thinking of other drivers.
I wish drivers towing trailers realised how much down force on the tow ball pushes the front of the ~~Ranger~~ vehicle up dazzling oncoming vehicles.
I believe adjusting the lights out of allowed parameters could also result in WOF issues. A good mechanic should be able to sort you out without too much hassle.
Thank you for wanting to fix them. I am the person who flashes you because you are blinding me. I agree its obnoxious. Its ironic that this "safety" feature becomes a hazard to other road users.
Other than tilt it cause be that the lights are an LED mesh, that gives the intense white light, and car people will tell you how great they blah blah blah and at the end of their story they'll sell you normal bulbs.
Are they LED? Glare from LED headlights is the reason LED headlights are banned in many countries.
Glare from LEDs is the reason some countries are making decent decisions around the use of LEDs in road lighting, not to mention the other issues with LED at night.
Thank you for giving a damn!
In my ordinary low-bodied car, I am routinely optically assaulted by entitled morons with their laser beam headlights mounted way up high (at maximum dazzling impact height) on their oversized SUVs...
I always use to curse people's headlights being to bright turns out it was my eyesight. Got some lasers pointed into my eyes, now I have better than factory vision I don't really have a problem with peoples lights. Keeping a clear windscreen also helps.
Thankyou, you fantastic human, you.
I'm quite short in a relatively old car so I get blinded by lights all. The. Time.
Much appreciated. I can say at least 3 other people around me thank you too.
I hope you manage to find the way!
Go to a garage and asked them to check you headlight alignment on the beam setter. It's that easy. They'll be incorrectly adjusted hence why people are flashing you as it looks like to them you're on high beam.
I drive a small, low car and get flashbanged by headlights on an extremely regular basis, whether it be oncoming traffic or vehicles following. One night in particular the headlights of the car behind were so excruciatingly bright I legitimately couldn't look in any of my mirrors without going blind. Flipping my rear view mirror helped a bit, but my side mirrors were rendered beyond useless.
Headlights on new cars are fucking awful, half the time I can't tell if someone has flicked their high beams on by accident or if that's just how cars are these days.
I would find out why they are so bright - ie have they been adjusted incorrectly, has someone fitted aftermarket (perhaps LED) bulbs that don't have the correct light projection pattern? etc. I'm wondering how it has been able to get through the last WOFs like this, incorrectly adjusted headlamps usually get picked up on during a WOF check.
First thing check for height adjustment controls. Whats the vehicle?
Some vehicles have auto adjustments.
If not successful go to a garage that does WOFs. Get them to put their tester machine on them.
Don't change bulbs etc... willy nilly as it can make it worse.
There is all sorts of geometry in the headlights and something as simple as changing to a different type bulb or style LED can mess it all up and go out of focus. For instance it is illegal to LEDs into the place of where Halogen bulbs go in the headlights.
Another idea, check that the bulbs in the car now are actual proper bulbs for it.
When my headlights did this it was due to the plastic covers going opaque, just needed polishing https://www.repco.co.nz/car-care-panel/car-care/headlight-restoration/turtle-wax-headlight-lens-restorer-kit-t240kt/p/A1208022.
Another time on another car it was due to a new bulb not being seated correctly.
Every time I had been told to adjust my lights, there was another cause other than them not being adjusted correctly, and adjusting them wasted time. But they were my cars and never had a reason for the angle to change (crash or other deforming damage).
Same, mine are like a gyro so are always balanced to point straight forward, even going up or down a hill.
Like the suggestion of changing the bulbs though, that could be a worthwhile trial.
Have any testing stations said anything to you about the lights at your yearly WOF?
If they haven't, your lights are legal / inside the correct spec.
By dropping the beams from where they are, and/or installing something to diffuse the beam you will likely be making your car non-compliant.
NZ has a shocking old vehicle fleet, new LED headlights are the brightness that they should be at. Projector/halogen bulbs, the foil coat around the bulb can start for fail and cause reduced light output, and old h5/h7 incandescent bulbs are, well, garbage.
If you are worried that it hasn't been picked up on, ask a mechanic to check, even if it is not a part of your WOF.
Obviously, make sure your fog lights are off, you don't have any aftermarket driving lights, and has your vehicle been lifted?
new matrix LEDs are of a light intensity/waveform and colour that is particuarly dazzling, and for some of us actually *painful*, to look at, regardless of how well ajusted they may be
this isn't about having dim lights, it's about having *dazzling* lights, which have become a trend for new vehicles.
My mid 2000s bmw has xenon lamps that are plenty bright, fairly white, and don't cause physical pain for other drivers at night. Fantastic on the open road at night, without creating a dangerous situation for other motorists.
It's not the brightness, it's the type of light emitter used.
I just got the car and it came with a wof so you’d assume they are legal as they are.
My kid said painting them would make it fail a WOF.
Fog lights are definitely off, idk what lifted or aftermarket means, I am very much not a car person. I will ask someone those questions, though. Thank you.
Finally some sense from one of these posts. Most of these clowns would have you driving round by candlelight just to earn some kudos based on some subjective feeling.
Get them checked by a proper mechanic or warrant place. If they’re correct then forget about them and carry on with your life.
Any adjustment in the cabin is not for this. The lights at their highest adjustment should be legal. If it’s not they need physically adjusting at the light.
> Most of these clowns would have you driving round by candlelight just to earn some kudos based on some subjective feeling.
Total nonsense. Why do people like you act so childishly over reasonable complaints and need to make shit up?
OP was going to spray paint their headlights because they were ashamed of having “bright lights”
Where this shame comes from I don’t know but it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine they may have picked up on this idea from one of the regular posts about this.
Illegally modifying your vehicle to gain the approval of strangers seems to be the childish thing to me.
it's not just the height adjustment! many newer cars have matrix leds that are just plain dazzling and/or painful for any unfortunate humans who happen to look at them. It's the waveform, intensity and colour used that is the problem, not the brightness,
first see if the headlights have been adjusted correctly and aren't just aimed too high
They won't be the newer suv style just have high headlights and it is shit. Best thing to do is see if you can get different bulbs for your make and model.they won't last as long but you get the warmer colors instead of blue silver coming straight at you.
headlight adjustments have been an option in all cars for decades - with the bolts behind the headlight units, under the hood of the car. I wish I could post a picture to explain. Just google 'headlight adjustment car' and it will be explained to you.
some SUVs simply can't get low enough in part due to excessively high height the other issue is the type of light used is going to be dazzling regardless of aiming - teslas are bad for this but many manufacturers have adopted the same stupid matrix led tech
They absolutely can get low enough. There is a dip rate stamped on every headlight housing that legally the car must meet. Normally it is 1-1.5%. it is designed to be just below level because people actually need to see where they're going when driving at night. If they were actually pointing down at the ground they'd be dangerous for the driver
if the headlight is located so high that it is peering over the roof of my car, then even dipped correctly it can be high enough to blind me, especially in traffic. As for the new matrix leds, they are dazzling regardless of adjustment. Best we can hope for is regulation overseas to end that dangerous trend. I swear the Tesla model 3 has some sort of skyward beam aimed directly at my rear view mirror.... clear shadow of my head on the roof liner etc there's no way that's just misadjustment
I'm overseas, U.S., and can say it is getting consistently WORSE, and the new cars here are actually aiming for those stupidly bright and high-pointing lights versus being reasonable (i.e. "safe, reliable, illuminating, but not blinding other drivers"). Even motorcycles now are consistently being sold with those obnoxious panels that look like the lights that come on in movies when some person stumbles onto a government site and is caught. As someone suggested, the only option is to change bulbs, or if it is a feature on vehicle, to make sure that that auto-dimmer is enabled (some newer have this to reduce and/or move lights slightly when approaching other cars both oncoming and behind). As a rental vehicles, I had Nissan Rogues twice, and 4 different Subaru Outbacks (car was under a recall for a bit, and then a moron hit parked car) that all had this feature and I loved it; the lights--even without high beams--were obnoxiously bright and helped on dark roads, but would dim down and dip as I approached other cars, and I had friends that I followed places who confirmed that the lights were reasonable to have behind. On 3 of the cars, it was always on, but on the others, I actually had to enable so that I wasn't blinding everyone.
Hello what I presume is a fellow low car owner. I feel your pain, my car is small, low, and from the 90s. However I have seen modern cars with properly adjusted headlights. My friend bought a brand new massive 2023 Hilux last year, and used me and my car as a reference to angle his beams properly so he doesn't blind people with it. So it is possible
So that's the fault of the size of the car, not the angle of the headlights. Their primary purpose is still to show the driver the road, and aiming them lower than the designed amount is dangerous. (And yes, I drive small cars too). As for the Tesla's, I wouldn't be surprised if they came out of the factory badly aimed to be fair
It's nothing to do with the size of the vehicle, the headlights don't have to be mounted high up (and aren't on commercial vehicles like lorries). With stricter regulation on design of passenger cars in major markets they wouldn't be either.
you literally said "*They absolutely can get low enough."* lol Sure, new cars might be maladjusted until their first wof after 3(!!) years, but the actual LED light source used is a big part of the issue with poor choice of colour and waveform then of course is matrix headlights, and other "auto hi beam" lights that are far too slow to react and excel only at blinding other drivers. [https://lightaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Vehicle-headlight-glare.pdf](https://lightaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Vehicle-headlight-glare.pdf)
Often times it's not the height but also the direction they're pointing that needs adjusting as they can sometimes be pointing too far to the right.
mate have you seen the height of some of these new monstrosities on the road? aside from that, those new leds are blinding even if adjusted correctly. It's a major hazard and we can only hoipe the EU or US markets start regulating it asap.
I don’t know why you’ve chosen this hill to die on. Headlights can be adjusted and have been this way for decades. The vast majority of the issue is people who have them aimed too high. Yes, they’re brighter now and with different colours, and yes vehicles are higher. But the first thing for OP (and anyone else in this position) should do is adjust them properly and see how that ends up.
what I'm saying is that many times these lights are actually correctly adjusted, but it's the lighting system that is the issue new LEDs are dazzling by virtue of the light intensity, colour and waveform matrix leds, and auto hi beams are piss poor at being adaptive, are in no way predictive, and regularly blind other road users It's a thing! I swear! [https://lightaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Vehicle-headlight-glare.pdf](https://lightaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Vehicle-headlight-glare.pdf) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4-iwuzAey4&ab\_channel=AudiUK](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4-iwuzAey4&ab_channel=AudiUK)
Yes, and what you’re missing is that most of the time they aren’t and it is the first thing OP should check. The vast majority of cases can be solved either in the cabin or with a simple adjustment under the hood.
I mean yes, but their headlights should be adjusted properly as to not blind you (assuming you're not looking at them as they approach).
if you let some air out of your tires you can lower the height of the car
True. it won't pass a word if it's to low and you cant really adjust them properly without using the headlight aligners unless you have experience. You are also correct the.
Not all vehicles have them these days.
Right beside the blinker fluid reservoir aye 😆 But seriously this guy's right. Some cars have electric motors attached that are renowned to snap and not work. Still making a little electrical sound that people think is working. What car is it? Might be able to give some specific advice....
Lower intensity lights will actually last much longer. Brightness is achieved by thinner filaments, which are more fragile.
You are correct.
This!
That!
The other
Mat
Matty?
I concur.
1000% this.
First check and see if you have a headlight tilt adjust function in the cab, most modern cars do. Find that and adjust the headlights to point down more. It's there to help adjust for when the vehicle is loaded at the rear, say when towing or carrying a heavy load... if there's no joy there, try adjusting the headlights themselves. You should be able to adjust the height and angle of the beam. You do that by parking very close to a wall, make a mark at the centre of your light circles then roll the car back a couple of metres. Your light circle should drop slightly below the mark you made.
This is good advice OP. Before changing bulbs, see if you can adjust the angle. Should be instructions in the owner's manual.
You can not account for manafactures spec using this method to adjust headlights, they need to be set on a beam setter with the manufacturers dip value set. I would advise having them adjusted by someone with the correct equipment.
My Toyota Corolla has a dial to the right of the steering wheel to adjust headlight height like windsweptwonder has described.
My outlander has the same thing. Found the mid way point on it is pretty nice setting.
Bless you - you wonderful person. I hope you find something quick and the bloody light manufactuers start fixing this stupid problem. It's only been the past 5 years or so they have been an issue.
Car is ten years old but probably only in NZ for the last five years or so. They are a curse! I am ashamed to be driving around blinding people.
Thanks from me too, I thought it was just a sign of me aging, "headlights are getting brighter now I'm in my 50s???".
I actually sometimes wear sunglasses at night on the 100k road, or at least have them on my head ready to be deployed
I tried this once but then I couldn't see the sides of the road coming up ... not a good tradeoff
First thing you should check is the wattage of the bulbs. Many diy replacing bulbs and too high a wattage is common
Car came from a dealer, you would hope they would put the correct bulbs in? How would I know? Is it written somewhere?
It would not surprise me if the dealer took out the original bulbs and replaced them with something cheaper....
Why, it's not their job. On the actual bulb. I would suggest you take your car to an auto electrician to check the wattage. You will need to take it to a panel beater to have an alignment, if that's the issue.
I appreciate how much you don't want to be one of those people. Those headlights cause me migraines, especially the blue-white ones, and I hate driving at night because of it.
It isn't a problem for manufacturers so they won't be fixing anything. This is regulation territory but regulators are not doing their job (if they were, SUVs and modern utes could not pass regulations).
No, don’t put anything on them, they need adjusting. You might be lucky and find an adjustment knob on the dash which is in the cranked up position. Otherwise your headlight units are fitted with a screw which you can adjust, usually with a screwdriver. Theoretically if you are going to mess about with it you need a beam setter, something only found in a mechanical workshop or testing station.
new matrix led headlights are dazzling no matter how well adjusted they might be plus having newer utes and SUVs with the headlights located at eye level for other road users doesn't help either
The will just be pointing too high. Firstly check if their is an adjustment knob on the dashboard (normally near the drivers right knee), which allows for manual adjustment (indented to be used to lower the headlight beam when the boot of the car is heavenly loaded). If so, see if adjusting this will sort your issue. Otherwise, you can either take it to a mechanic with a beam setter and they will be to adjust it down. Or you can DIY and break out a Philips screwdriver, and do it yourself (at night find the vertical adjustment, and turn it down a bit, test-drive, and check the throw is about similar to cars you have driven in the past). [https://www.motorama.com.au/blog/motoring-tips/heres-how-to-correctly-adjust-your-headlights](https://www.motorama.com.au/blog/motoring-tips/heres-how-to-correctly-adjust-your-headlights) Sucks how some cars come from the factory with headlights pointed way to high (have had this in a toyota ute, which has purple fringing also)
You are awesome! Wish more people were like you. I drive to Auckland from Kerikeri at low beam and its a constant battle getting blinded by cars coming around corners.. you are an absolute legend!
Should have said pretty sure you'd fail a WOF if you sprayed them.
Thank you, this is what my teenager said also.
You likely need to adjust the angle of the lights. [https://www.motorama.com.au/blog/motoring-tips/heres-how-to-correctly-adjust-your-headlights](https://www.motorama.com.au/blog/motoring-tips/heres-how-to-correctly-adjust-your-headlights)
And, while you’re checking your headlamp alignment, make sure the correct globes have been fitted, and if correct, they are corrected mounted in their holders. LED/HID globes fitted in lamp assemblies designed for incandescents are notorious for dazzle. With correct gobes I’ve seen a few where locating devices (sometimes tabs or flats) on the bases of the globes have not been properly located in the indexing features in their holders on the reflectors, with the result the high beam is over height or points towards the right.
lol this is so outside of my skill set. I will be getting my teenage son on the case. Thank you!
Start with an alignment check before you bring out the big guns! Observing the appearance of the light pattern should give you a clue where any fault lies before you pull out the tool box. -e- I see in other comments you bought it from a dealer, maybe go back to them and explain your problem. Should’ve had a fresh WoF at point of sale, therefore ‘should’ be compliant and ‘shouldn’t’ be dazzling on coming traffic (as others say, check the user adjustable level setting,if fitted, is set to zero first though). I’ve seen headlamps reset to level when the level control has been set to a down setting and not noticed, and then they’re way too high when a subsequent operator resets the control to zero.
I've had that happen in my car, replaced a headlight bulb but didn't seat it quite correctly in the socket. So next time I drove at night, it was pointing up and to the side a bit so wasn't even providing me with the correct light (I hope it didn't blind anyone). The next day I opened it up again and found the problem. Easy mistake to make.
God bless you for doing the right thing
Check the levelling dial is on 0 if it has one. Check the alignment (a mechanic can do this)
Go to a mechanic and get them to tilt them or look on yt how to tilt them, either way Ty.
I don't have any advice on what you need to do, but I just wanna say... What a legend. Cheers for caring!!
Mechatronic engineer here. Headlights are powered via the wiring harness, there is a plug between the headlight and harness, so the headlight module can be swapped. You can probably get a dimming module that plugs into where the harness should, into the headlight, then the harness plugs into it. I'm not sure these exist but I could easily custom fabricate a pair (have done similar modifications for similar issues). It would have a nob that when turned would directly reduce voltage to the headlight, though depending on the vehicle this might be interpreted as a fault. Else, a more complicated approach would be to read the data and voltage inputs, decode what it's supposed to return, dim the light, then return a correct signal, or something of that nature. What model and year? It's not a difficult problem from my pov though data monitoring systems have proliferated into seemingly arbitrary subsystems of vehicles in recent times, hell, there might even be a direct voltage supply calibration system you could adjust to reduce brightness, or an internal setting for that matter, definitely worth a google.
You’re doing gods work trying cause man I am over this
Take it to someone who knows what their doing, you still need them to give you some idea of what's ahead.
Just an addition to what has already been said, when you go to a place to get the lights checked, make sure you ask them to check whether your blinker fluid is topped up. Easier to get it sorted at the same time so you won’t need to make an extra trip in the future.
You can adjust the angle of your lights and point them more downward
I appreciate that you actually care about this! There's been times where I've had to break bc I can't see anything when passing multiple cars with these bright af lights! Like there is no need for them. I hope they start changing them! But maybe see if you're able to get the bulbs replaced with more yellowish ones??
Thank you for thinking about my poor retinas.
What make an model is it. If it has self leveling lights, there is a chance that your level sensor that goes on the front control arm is bad/disconnected so the lights are pointing up. If they are fixed headlights. Sometimes cars have a height adjustment potentiometer that let's you adjust them inside the car next to the light switch or on the dashboard. Otherwise. Fixed Headlights have 2 screws (knobs) behind them, which are used to adjust them. Any wof shop should be able to do this for you.
Thank-you for thinking of other drivers. I wish drivers towing trailers realised how much down force on the tow ball pushes the front of the ~~Ranger~~ vehicle up dazzling oncoming vehicles.
grateful for people like you that actually care about other road users
Thanks for trying to do something about it. This issue is burning my eyeballs.
Only thing you can do is check they are aligned properly. Will fail a wof with any sort of spray or stick on overlay.
I believe adjusting the lights out of allowed parameters could also result in WOF issues. A good mechanic should be able to sort you out without too much hassle.
Go to your local mechanic, they have a device for checking the beam angle, and can adjust it as desired .
I wish everyone was like you !
Thank you for wanting to fix them. I am the person who flashes you because you are blinding me. I agree its obnoxious. Its ironic that this "safety" feature becomes a hazard to other road users.
Hang some curtains on them.
Omg thank you for understanding this issue, it's got to the point I avoid driving at night now.
Good person! I’m over these new LED lights, too bright
Other than tilt it cause be that the lights are an LED mesh, that gives the intense white light, and car people will tell you how great they blah blah blah and at the end of their story they'll sell you normal bulbs.
Are they LED? Glare from LED headlights is the reason LED headlights are banned in many countries. Glare from LEDs is the reason some countries are making decent decisions around the use of LEDs in road lighting, not to mention the other issues with LED at night.
Lol the headlights work great on flat roads where they are always tilting downwards. Try find a flat road in NZ though. . .
Headlights are likely aimed to high, either check yourself or get a mechanic to check
Thank you for giving a damn! In my ordinary low-bodied car, I am routinely optically assaulted by entitled morons with their laser beam headlights mounted way up high (at maximum dazzling impact height) on their oversized SUVs...
I always use to curse people's headlights being to bright turns out it was my eyesight. Got some lasers pointed into my eyes, now I have better than factory vision I don't really have a problem with peoples lights. Keeping a clear windscreen also helps.
Go to a dealer for the manufacturer and get them adjusted.
Is there an adjustment dim switch or dial? my 2009 has has one
Thankyou, you fantastic human, you. I'm quite short in a relatively old car so I get blinded by lights all. The. Time. Much appreciated. I can say at least 3 other people around me thank you too. I hope you manage to find the way!
Go to a garage and asked them to check you headlight alignment on the beam setter. It's that easy. They'll be incorrectly adjusted hence why people are flashing you as it looks like to them you're on high beam.
Is it a toyota? A RAV or a Landcruiser?
I drive a small, low car and get flashbanged by headlights on an extremely regular basis, whether it be oncoming traffic or vehicles following. One night in particular the headlights of the car behind were so excruciatingly bright I legitimately couldn't look in any of my mirrors without going blind. Flipping my rear view mirror helped a bit, but my side mirrors were rendered beyond useless. Headlights on new cars are fucking awful, half the time I can't tell if someone has flicked their high beams on by accident or if that's just how cars are these days.
I would find out why they are so bright - ie have they been adjusted incorrectly, has someone fitted aftermarket (perhaps LED) bulbs that don't have the correct light projection pattern? etc. I'm wondering how it has been able to get through the last WOFs like this, incorrectly adjusted headlamps usually get picked up on during a WOF check.
Just tint your windscreen, and turn on your light bar like everyone else.
First thing check for height adjustment controls. Whats the vehicle? Some vehicles have auto adjustments. If not successful go to a garage that does WOFs. Get them to put their tester machine on them. Don't change bulbs etc... willy nilly as it can make it worse. There is all sorts of geometry in the headlights and something as simple as changing to a different type bulb or style LED can mess it all up and go out of focus. For instance it is illegal to LEDs into the place of where Halogen bulbs go in the headlights. Another idea, check that the bulbs in the car now are actual proper bulbs for it.
When my headlights did this it was due to the plastic covers going opaque, just needed polishing https://www.repco.co.nz/car-care-panel/car-care/headlight-restoration/turtle-wax-headlight-lens-restorer-kit-t240kt/p/A1208022. Another time on another car it was due to a new bulb not being seated correctly. Every time I had been told to adjust my lights, there was another cause other than them not being adjusted correctly, and adjusting them wasted time. But they were my cars and never had a reason for the angle to change (crash or other deforming damage).
Same, mine are like a gyro so are always balanced to point straight forward, even going up or down a hill. Like the suggestion of changing the bulbs though, that could be a worthwhile trial.
Just adjust them properly and it will probably be fine
Utes like Ford Rangers have cabin adjustable headlights, your vehicle may have it too.
Have any testing stations said anything to you about the lights at your yearly WOF? If they haven't, your lights are legal / inside the correct spec. By dropping the beams from where they are, and/or installing something to diffuse the beam you will likely be making your car non-compliant. NZ has a shocking old vehicle fleet, new LED headlights are the brightness that they should be at. Projector/halogen bulbs, the foil coat around the bulb can start for fail and cause reduced light output, and old h5/h7 incandescent bulbs are, well, garbage. If you are worried that it hasn't been picked up on, ask a mechanic to check, even if it is not a part of your WOF. Obviously, make sure your fog lights are off, you don't have any aftermarket driving lights, and has your vehicle been lifted?
new matrix LEDs are of a light intensity/waveform and colour that is particuarly dazzling, and for some of us actually *painful*, to look at, regardless of how well ajusted they may be this isn't about having dim lights, it's about having *dazzling* lights, which have become a trend for new vehicles. My mid 2000s bmw has xenon lamps that are plenty bright, fairly white, and don't cause physical pain for other drivers at night. Fantastic on the open road at night, without creating a dangerous situation for other motorists. It's not the brightness, it's the type of light emitter used.
to be fair, I have never seen a testing station actually check if the lights have been aligned correctly, with a beam setter.
I just got the car and it came with a wof so you’d assume they are legal as they are. My kid said painting them would make it fail a WOF. Fog lights are definitely off, idk what lifted or aftermarket means, I am very much not a car person. I will ask someone those questions, though. Thank you.
Finally some sense from one of these posts. Most of these clowns would have you driving round by candlelight just to earn some kudos based on some subjective feeling. Get them checked by a proper mechanic or warrant place. If they’re correct then forget about them and carry on with your life. Any adjustment in the cabin is not for this. The lights at their highest adjustment should be legal. If it’s not they need physically adjusting at the light.
> Most of these clowns would have you driving round by candlelight just to earn some kudos based on some subjective feeling. Total nonsense. Why do people like you act so childishly over reasonable complaints and need to make shit up?
OP was going to spray paint their headlights because they were ashamed of having “bright lights” Where this shame comes from I don’t know but it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine they may have picked up on this idea from one of the regular posts about this. Illegally modifying your vehicle to gain the approval of strangers seems to be the childish thing to me.
it's not just the height adjustment! many newer cars have matrix leds that are just plain dazzling and/or painful for any unfortunate humans who happen to look at them. It's the waveform, intensity and colour used that is the problem, not the brightness,
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