Random musings, 4 low beams?

[Mike W.]

As I'm sure everyone knows, auto headlights are the wild west these days with everyone doing it differently and some just f'ing blinding straight out of the factory. Other times people put in stuff that's blinding. There are some good ones too.

But, Ford started it (that I saw) with their big pickups with clearly 4 low beam headlights. All sorts of vehicles have all sorts of combinations of lights now. I suspect most of it is just for appearance, but especially with LEDs, many are running 4, even 6 light sources on low beams. Maybe more.

Now I haven't done it, I don't have an appropriate car these days to do it to, but I'm nearly certain, and I mean 99.9% sure, all you would have to do to correctly mount a high/low in the high spot would be file a notch for the locating nipple. A bit of wiring and a relay, but that would be really easy. For you guys back east with inspection to deal with, I bet all you would have to do is pull the relay, I mean I don't think they'd examine the bulb to see if it has 1 or 2 filaments in it. There would be no glare issues as long as you aimed them correctly, but you would have twice as much light going out the front on low beams. You wouldn't get much further reach, but a lot more light where it is lit.

This would i of course not work on euro headlight cars, but on US spec headlight cars it might be a nice upgrade.

[turbodan]

No reason you couldn't, though I find the illumination provided by the usual pair of headlamps to be perfectly fine.

Modern headlights are genuinely awful. Even the best designed reflectors and auto leveling systems can't prevent blinding traffic coming over a hill. Ford deserves a special place in hell for having four headlamps on all the time, high up off the ground where they cannot be aimed in a way that avoids focusing light directly into your mirrors at stop lights, unless you're also driving a humongous, lifted six thousand pound vehicle.

[Mike W.]

Funny, while not giving the Fords a pass, I find the Chevy's much more obnoxious. For close to 20 years or so now they've been mounted very high with as far as I can tell zero downward cast to them. On foggy mornings it's very clear that the beams are going straight out, I mean as straight out as I can tell without putting a level on them. And bright, 65 watt low beams I believe.

But it was just a curious thought I had about putting 4 lows in.

[vinceg101]

I think Land Rover should be right there next to Ford in that special circle of hell.
The LR2/3 headlights are particularly egregious given the hight, angle and intensity. Every time I happen to be on the receiving end of one, it makes want to shoot them out.

[Shawn D.]

Holley sells a 4-headlight harness adapter for use with its Retrobright LED headlights

This would've course not work on euro headlight cars, but on US spec headlight cars it might be a nice upgrade.

No reason it couldn't be done on a Euro.

[Mike W.]

No reason it couldn't be done on a Euro.

I thought they used BMW specific housings with probably an H1 bulb, likely with high beam fluting in the lens.

Never had my paws on them though.

[Shawn D.]

I thought they used BMW specific housings with probably an H1 bulb, likely with high beam fluting in the lens.

That's all correct, but I wasn't saying to wire it in just as is. You can modify the buckets and put in a standard low/high headlight.

[jyl]

You would replace the inner hi-only H1 lights with a second set of hi+lo H4 lights? Since the H4 bulb needs a light with two reflectors, and the H1 light only has a single reflector. It seems like an idea worth trying.

[1st 5er]

Would splicing into the original low beam harness overload that circuit?

[Mike W.]

You would replace the inner hi-only H1 lights with a second set of hi+lo H4 lights? Since the H4 bulb needs a light with two reflectors, and the H1 light only has a single reflector. It seems like an idea worth trying.

Dual filament, single reflector, which is probably what you meant.

Would splicing into the original low beam harness overload that circuit?

Probably as at least with H4 bulbs they're 55 watts and the original was for 35 watt sealed beams. Set things on fire overload, doubtful. Reduce voltage, likely.

[jyl]

Relays and thicker wires for the headlights are a good idea in any event. That’s a project on my list.

[jyl]

“auto headlights are the wild west these days”

It is crazy. Yes, my night vision is deteriorating. No, it hasn’t gotten that much worse. I’ve had to go through all my cars and upgrade the headlights. Oncoming traffic still blinds me but when they pass, better headlights at least let me regain vision more quickly.

[Foonfer]

Hi all- I opened a separate thread, wanted to discuss a LED conversion I recently stumbled upon. I'm a bit on the fence on this topic, in my opinion it has become an issue of self-preservation. We are surrounded by newer cars with increasingly powerful lighting systems - even the H1/H4 conversion (which were quite an improvement over the sealed-beam "candlelights"), doesn't really seem able to keep up with the intensity and power we see from LED-equipped cars.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=161177

[Mike W.]

“auto headlights are the wild west these days”

It is crazy. Yes, my night vision is deteriorating. No, it hasn’t gotten that much worse. I’ve had to go through all my cars and upgrade the headlights. Oncoming traffic still blinds me but when they pass, better headlights at least let me regain vision more quickly.

Hi all- I opened a separate thread, wanted to discuss a LED conversion I recently stumbled upon. I'm a bit on the fence on this topic, in my opinion it has become an issue of self-preservation. We are surrounded by newer cars with increasingly powerful lighting systems - even the H1/H4 conversion (which were quite an improvement over the sealed-beam "candlelights"), doesn't really seem able to keep up with the intensity and power we see from LED-equipped cars.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=161177

Truth, from both you guys. Now I'm of the opinion that mounted, focused and aimed correctly, you can have very good headlights without blinding people. But the automakers don't seem to care, I believe they self certify that they meet whatever regs there might be, but if they don't care in the first place, why should they care if do in fact meet the regs. Ah, there I go again, tilting into the wind, joust in hand.

[Galahad]

I upgraded my car (euro headlights) to LED projectors and changed it to 4x low and high beams, it made a huge difference. Great cutoff, not blinding people, less likely to hit a deer, and I don't feel like I'm going to get run over by someone in a hummer because they don't see me

[Panici]

Modern headlights are brutal. Doubly so in a small car like my Miata.

Driving to work before the sun rises, I frequently fold in at least the driver's side door mirror to stop light being reflected into my eyes.
I just pretend I'm in a doorless jeep with no side mirrors.

[Shawn D.]

Modern headlights are brutal. Doubly so in a small car like my Miata.

Driving to work before the sun rises, I frequently fold in at least the driver's side door mirror to stop light being reflected into my eyes.
I just pretend I'm in a doorless jeep with no side mirrors.

Or you could use a better adjustment method:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/f ... method.pdf

[Panici]

Or you could use a better adjustment method:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/f ... method.pdf

Interesting! I'll have to try this out.
Thank you.