Leveling headlights, not level
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From: The hills next to Chino, Ca
My Ride: /// 2006 | 530I | Silver Gray Metallic | Sport / Prem / Navi / IPod | LCI EURO SPEC Tail's | LED Licence plate bulbs | LED side turn indicators | Roof Spoiler MORE TO COME!!!!
im gonna check out the pdf tomorrow or the next day to make sure its all lined up, thx guys, ill keep you posted
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Originally Posted by bimmerspeed' post='735362' date='Dec 1 2008, 02:06 AM
thats a bunch of BS.
However, you can manually adjust the lights on both sides, if you want. Just be careful when doing this. You don't want to blind the people that are coming in the opposite direction as you, especially if there's no divider.
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From: The State of Southern NJ!
Originally Posted by pgetsch' post='737126' date='Dec 3 2008, 04:05 PM
just let some air out of the tires on the passenger side....problem solved!
Driving and facing oncoming xenon headlights that are not properly focused can be really annoying ... I find the dipped BMW beams very friendly when I cross paths with another BMW on the road.
The worst offenders, IMHO, are full size Ford trucks with either pumped-up halogens or Xexon headlamps. Whoever engineered that lighting system wasn't thinking about oncoming traffic :thumbsdown: !
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From: San Antonio, TX
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Its not a bunch of BS, its true, they all have a cutoff.
Most low-beam headlamps are specifically designed for use on only one side of the road. Headlamps for use in left-traffic countries have low-beam headlamps that "dip to the left"; the light is distributed with a downward/leftward bias to show the driver the road and signs ahead without blinding oncoming traffic. Headlamps for right-traffic countries have low beams that "dip to the right", with most of their light directed downward/rightward. Within Europe, when driving a vehicle with RH-traffic headlamps in a LH-traffic country or vice versa for a limited time (as for example on vacation or in transit), it is a legal requirement to adjust the headlamps temporarily so that the wrong-side hot spot of the beam does not dazzle oncoming drivers. This may be achieved by adhering blackout strips or plastic prismatic lenses to a designated part of the lens, but some varieties of the projector-type headlamp can be made to produce a proper left- or right-traffic beam by shifting a lever or other movable element in or on the lamp assembly.
Because wrong-side-of-road headlamps blind oncoming drivers and do not adequately light the driver's way, and blackout strips and adhesive prismatic lenses reduce the safety performance of the headlamps, most countries require all vehicles registered or used on a permanent or semipermanent basis within the country to be equipped with headlamps designed for the correct traffic-handedness. North American vehicle owners sometimes privately import and install Japanese-market (JDM) headlamps on their car in the mistaken belief that the beam performance will be better, when in fact such misapplication is quite hazardous and usually illegal.
-wiki
Most low-beam headlamps are specifically designed for use on only one side of the road. Headlamps for use in left-traffic countries have low-beam headlamps that "dip to the left"; the light is distributed with a downward/leftward bias to show the driver the road and signs ahead without blinding oncoming traffic. Headlamps for right-traffic countries have low beams that "dip to the right", with most of their light directed downward/rightward. Within Europe, when driving a vehicle with RH-traffic headlamps in a LH-traffic country or vice versa for a limited time (as for example on vacation or in transit), it is a legal requirement to adjust the headlamps temporarily so that the wrong-side hot spot of the beam does not dazzle oncoming drivers. This may be achieved by adhering blackout strips or plastic prismatic lenses to a designated part of the lens, but some varieties of the projector-type headlamp can be made to produce a proper left- or right-traffic beam by shifting a lever or other movable element in or on the lamp assembly.
Because wrong-side-of-road headlamps blind oncoming drivers and do not adequately light the driver's way, and blackout strips and adhesive prismatic lenses reduce the safety performance of the headlamps, most countries require all vehicles registered or used on a permanent or semipermanent basis within the country to be equipped with headlamps designed for the correct traffic-handedness. North American vehicle owners sometimes privately import and install Japanese-market (JDM) headlamps on their car in the mistaken belief that the beam performance will be better, when in fact such misapplication is quite hazardous and usually illegal.
-wiki
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Originally Posted by C's Bimmer' post='736921' date='Dec 3 2008, 12:38 PM
Believe it or not, he's actually telling you the truth.
However, you can manually adjust the lights on both sides, if you want. Just be careful when doing this. You don't want to blind the people that are coming in the opposite direction as you, especially if there's no divider.
However, you can manually adjust the lights on both sides, if you want. Just be careful when doing this. You don't want to blind the people that are coming in the opposite direction as you, especially if there's no divider.
Thanks,
Barry
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From: Atlanta Burbs
My Ride: 08 550 Carbon Sport Almost everything factory, but no sound upgrades.
Originally Posted by mrfva' post='735618' date='Dec 1 2008, 12:49 PM
Yup that's normal, even with non-HID and halogen headlights. As far back as I can remember, it's always been like this.
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From: Halifax, NS
Originally Posted by bimmerspeed' post='735362' date='Dec 1 2008, 03:06 AM
Okay i have in issue, i took my car to the dealer and had them look at the alignment of the head lights, they are auto leveling, adaptive so they move in all directions. that being said.
the SA said that the left side (drivers side) is aimed lower on purpose, because it will not be in the eye of the oncomeing traffic. thats a bunch of BS.
this is not the first car i own with HID projectors, and its not the first car i have with leveling head lights.
this does not make any sense to me. why will one be lower and the other be higher.
the whole assembly looks lower, the DRL also looks lower, i can tell when i see the reflections from the car in front of me.
is this normal, left lower than the right?????????
if im not mistaking it should be leveled.
the SA said that the left side (drivers side) is aimed lower on purpose, because it will not be in the eye of the oncomeing traffic. thats a bunch of BS.
this is not the first car i own with HID projectors, and its not the first car i have with leveling head lights.
this does not make any sense to me. why will one be lower and the other be higher.
the whole assembly looks lower, the DRL also looks lower, i can tell when i see the reflections from the car in front of me.
is this normal, left lower than the right?????????
if im not mistaking it should be leveled.
_________/----------- Both the left and the right side have this shape. Both the left and the right hedadlights should have the lower horizontal line at the same height, and in turn the higher horizontal line will be at the same height...and the '/' should be at the same spot as well. They will split up when driving with the adaptive headlights on and will go back to look like one big light when the wheels are straight ahead...and when they are together the lights look like _______/---------- and as one light, not as two side by side. They are designed to project the light in that manner...they don't have to physically be at different heights. Your headlights are not alligned in the picture you posted with your drivers headlight visibly lower than the passenger.
I too took them to the dealer and told them they look weird, and friends even commented on my headlights being all messed up. The dealership said they were fine. I did it at home and they are perfect, and absolutely not in the eyes of other vehicles.