Headlights on 2006 Sonata
#61
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
Matt Whiting wrote:
> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>
>> The point of having the sharp cutoff on the left side of the beam is
>> to NOT blind drivers in the opposite lane. The right side of the beam
>> is not cut off, so it can illuminate road signs. Overall, this scheme
>> works pretty well. It's nothing new, as I had Hella headlights with a
>> similar pattern 25 years ago. Back then, they weren't street legal,
>> since they weren't sealed beams, which were still required by the DOT
>> at the time.
>
> I know the purpose of it, however, the assumptions aren't right for
> where I live. This sharp cutoff is only useful if you always drive on
> smooth, flat roads. Here in northern PA and upstate NY, either
> assumption is good on virtually any road I drive other than the
> interstates. And even then only on certain stretches.
>
> In the real world, a sharp cutoff is dumb and is very annoying as you
> now see a rapidly varying intensity from oncoming car headlights rather
> than the fairly steady intensity with the old sealed beams. Maybe the
> intensity was higher on average in the old days, but I much prefer that
> to the "flashing" affect of the newer light designs.
The alternative would be worse, which is having the full height beam
blinding you. At least with the cutoff beam, it only occasionally pops
up enough to be an issue. IMO, it's an advancement, as it allows
brighter headlights with minimal annoyance to other drivers. No, it's
not perfect, but there is no better alternative. Besides, there's
nothing you can do about it.
> Also, the right side of my Hyundai's pattern is cut-off pretty far to
> the right. It doesn't illuminate signs well on low beam, not as well as
> my 94 Chevy truck, and it makes the white background signs so bright on
> high beam that they nearly blind me!
I haven't experienced those problems. Perhaps your headlights are aimed
too far to the right. You can try bringing them back to the left a bit.
> The cutoff portion of the pattern
> extends clear across the road well onto the berm as I can't see the road
> ahead worth beans when going down into a dip.
That's what high beams are for. Switch to them or simply flash them if
necessary.
> I haven't pulled up to a wall yet to look at the pattern in more detail,
> but will try that some night to see if I can tell where the cutoff ends.
It's certainly worth a shot. You may find that the two beam heights are
not aligned or that one or the other is aimed off to one side. When
attempting to determine the aiming. I've found it easiest to stand on
the center of the rear bumper and look over the roof and hood.
> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>
>> The point of having the sharp cutoff on the left side of the beam is
>> to NOT blind drivers in the opposite lane. The right side of the beam
>> is not cut off, so it can illuminate road signs. Overall, this scheme
>> works pretty well. It's nothing new, as I had Hella headlights with a
>> similar pattern 25 years ago. Back then, they weren't street legal,
>> since they weren't sealed beams, which were still required by the DOT
>> at the time.
>
> I know the purpose of it, however, the assumptions aren't right for
> where I live. This sharp cutoff is only useful if you always drive on
> smooth, flat roads. Here in northern PA and upstate NY, either
> assumption is good on virtually any road I drive other than the
> interstates. And even then only on certain stretches.
>
> In the real world, a sharp cutoff is dumb and is very annoying as you
> now see a rapidly varying intensity from oncoming car headlights rather
> than the fairly steady intensity with the old sealed beams. Maybe the
> intensity was higher on average in the old days, but I much prefer that
> to the "flashing" affect of the newer light designs.
The alternative would be worse, which is having the full height beam
blinding you. At least with the cutoff beam, it only occasionally pops
up enough to be an issue. IMO, it's an advancement, as it allows
brighter headlights with minimal annoyance to other drivers. No, it's
not perfect, but there is no better alternative. Besides, there's
nothing you can do about it.
> Also, the right side of my Hyundai's pattern is cut-off pretty far to
> the right. It doesn't illuminate signs well on low beam, not as well as
> my 94 Chevy truck, and it makes the white background signs so bright on
> high beam that they nearly blind me!
I haven't experienced those problems. Perhaps your headlights are aimed
too far to the right. You can try bringing them back to the left a bit.
> The cutoff portion of the pattern
> extends clear across the road well onto the berm as I can't see the road
> ahead worth beans when going down into a dip.
That's what high beams are for. Switch to them or simply flash them if
necessary.
> I haven't pulled up to a wall yet to look at the pattern in more detail,
> but will try that some night to see if I can tell where the cutoff ends.
It's certainly worth a shot. You may find that the two beam heights are
not aligned or that one or the other is aimed off to one side. When
attempting to determine the aiming. I've found it easiest to stand on
the center of the rear bumper and look over the roof and hood.
#62
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
Bob wrote:
> "Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:gPjAf.230$Jn1.105@trndny01...
>
>>Bob wrote:
>>
>>>"GeoUSA" <GeoUSofA@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:1137766872.650735.49820@g47g2000cwa.google groups.com...
>>>
>
>
>>>I'm getting flashed with only the low beams - no driving lights - on. I'm
>>>going to submit it to NHTSA. I suggest all others that have the same
>>>problem do the same.
>>
>>What problem? That's the way headlights are now.
>
>
> The problem with them is that they bother oncoming traffic to the point that
> they turn their high beams on, subsequently negatively affecting my ability
> to see.
So flash your high beams back, so they know that you have your low beams
on and you're not being a jerk. If you educate other drivers, eventually
they'll get used to modern headlights like we all must do.
> Not all new car headlights are that way. The very worst ones are the
> HID headlights on the high end cars. The problem is that there is a
> significant amount of light being projected above the road surface from the
> lights in my car.
Of course there is. You need to be able to see down the road and also up
on the right side of the road to read signs.
Headlights are just brighter now, plain and simple. The only "fix" to
your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
> "Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:gPjAf.230$Jn1.105@trndny01...
>
>>Bob wrote:
>>
>>>"GeoUSA" <GeoUSofA@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:1137766872.650735.49820@g47g2000cwa.google groups.com...
>>>
>
>
>>>I'm getting flashed with only the low beams - no driving lights - on. I'm
>>>going to submit it to NHTSA. I suggest all others that have the same
>>>problem do the same.
>>
>>What problem? That's the way headlights are now.
>
>
> The problem with them is that they bother oncoming traffic to the point that
> they turn their high beams on, subsequently negatively affecting my ability
> to see.
So flash your high beams back, so they know that you have your low beams
on and you're not being a jerk. If you educate other drivers, eventually
they'll get used to modern headlights like we all must do.
> Not all new car headlights are that way. The very worst ones are the
> HID headlights on the high end cars. The problem is that there is a
> significant amount of light being projected above the road surface from the
> lights in my car.
Of course there is. You need to be able to see down the road and also up
on the right side of the road to read signs.
Headlights are just brighter now, plain and simple. The only "fix" to
your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
#63
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
Bob wrote:
> "Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:gPjAf.230$Jn1.105@trndny01...
>
>>Bob wrote:
>>
>>>"GeoUSA" <GeoUSofA@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:1137766872.650735.49820@g47g2000cwa.google groups.com...
>>>
>
>
>>>I'm getting flashed with only the low beams - no driving lights - on. I'm
>>>going to submit it to NHTSA. I suggest all others that have the same
>>>problem do the same.
>>
>>What problem? That's the way headlights are now.
>
>
> The problem with them is that they bother oncoming traffic to the point that
> they turn their high beams on, subsequently negatively affecting my ability
> to see.
So flash your high beams back, so they know that you have your low beams
on and you're not being a jerk. If you educate other drivers, eventually
they'll get used to modern headlights like we all must do.
> Not all new car headlights are that way. The very worst ones are the
> HID headlights on the high end cars. The problem is that there is a
> significant amount of light being projected above the road surface from the
> lights in my car.
Of course there is. You need to be able to see down the road and also up
on the right side of the road to read signs.
Headlights are just brighter now, plain and simple. The only "fix" to
your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
> "Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:gPjAf.230$Jn1.105@trndny01...
>
>>Bob wrote:
>>
>>>"GeoUSA" <GeoUSofA@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:1137766872.650735.49820@g47g2000cwa.google groups.com...
>>>
>
>
>>>I'm getting flashed with only the low beams - no driving lights - on. I'm
>>>going to submit it to NHTSA. I suggest all others that have the same
>>>problem do the same.
>>
>>What problem? That's the way headlights are now.
>
>
> The problem with them is that they bother oncoming traffic to the point that
> they turn their high beams on, subsequently negatively affecting my ability
> to see.
So flash your high beams back, so they know that you have your low beams
on and you're not being a jerk. If you educate other drivers, eventually
they'll get used to modern headlights like we all must do.
> Not all new car headlights are that way. The very worst ones are the
> HID headlights on the high end cars. The problem is that there is a
> significant amount of light being projected above the road surface from the
> lights in my car.
Of course there is. You need to be able to see down the road and also up
on the right side of the road to read signs.
Headlights are just brighter now, plain and simple. The only "fix" to
your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
#64
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
Bob wrote:
> "Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:gPjAf.230$Jn1.105@trndny01...
>
>>Bob wrote:
>>
>>>"GeoUSA" <GeoUSofA@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:1137766872.650735.49820@g47g2000cwa.google groups.com...
>>>
>
>
>>>I'm getting flashed with only the low beams - no driving lights - on. I'm
>>>going to submit it to NHTSA. I suggest all others that have the same
>>>problem do the same.
>>
>>What problem? That's the way headlights are now.
>
>
> The problem with them is that they bother oncoming traffic to the point that
> they turn their high beams on, subsequently negatively affecting my ability
> to see.
So flash your high beams back, so they know that you have your low beams
on and you're not being a jerk. If you educate other drivers, eventually
they'll get used to modern headlights like we all must do.
> Not all new car headlights are that way. The very worst ones are the
> HID headlights on the high end cars. The problem is that there is a
> significant amount of light being projected above the road surface from the
> lights in my car.
Of course there is. You need to be able to see down the road and also up
on the right side of the road to read signs.
Headlights are just brighter now, plain and simple. The only "fix" to
your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
> "Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:gPjAf.230$Jn1.105@trndny01...
>
>>Bob wrote:
>>
>>>"GeoUSA" <GeoUSofA@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:1137766872.650735.49820@g47g2000cwa.google groups.com...
>>>
>
>
>>>I'm getting flashed with only the low beams - no driving lights - on. I'm
>>>going to submit it to NHTSA. I suggest all others that have the same
>>>problem do the same.
>>
>>What problem? That's the way headlights are now.
>
>
> The problem with them is that they bother oncoming traffic to the point that
> they turn their high beams on, subsequently negatively affecting my ability
> to see.
So flash your high beams back, so they know that you have your low beams
on and you're not being a jerk. If you educate other drivers, eventually
they'll get used to modern headlights like we all must do.
> Not all new car headlights are that way. The very worst ones are the
> HID headlights on the high end cars. The problem is that there is a
> significant amount of light being projected above the road surface from the
> lights in my car.
Of course there is. You need to be able to see down the road and also up
on the right side of the road to read signs.
Headlights are just brighter now, plain and simple. The only "fix" to
your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
#65
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
"Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:OQuBf.15795$mj3.4433@trndny06...
> The only "fix" to
> your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
> we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
> it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
> less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
Hmmmmmm.... I never complained about the old headlights. They worked fine.
I have noticed that all of my cars that are in the 2000 plus vintage (2000,
2003, 2004) do a much worse job at lighting the road in up and down dips
than the older cars used to. High beams or low beams - makes no difference.
These new lights may have some benefits (though I have yet to put my finger
on what the benefits are), but they certainly have some drawbacks as well.
--
-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE@alltel.net
#66
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
"Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:OQuBf.15795$mj3.4433@trndny06...
> The only "fix" to
> your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
> we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
> it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
> less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
Hmmmmmm.... I never complained about the old headlights. They worked fine.
I have noticed that all of my cars that are in the 2000 plus vintage (2000,
2003, 2004) do a much worse job at lighting the road in up and down dips
than the older cars used to. High beams or low beams - makes no difference.
These new lights may have some benefits (though I have yet to put my finger
on what the benefits are), but they certainly have some drawbacks as well.
--
-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE@alltel.net
#67
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
"Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:OQuBf.15795$mj3.4433@trndny06...
> The only "fix" to
> your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
> we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
> it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
> less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
Hmmmmmm.... I never complained about the old headlights. They worked fine.
I have noticed that all of my cars that are in the 2000 plus vintage (2000,
2003, 2004) do a much worse job at lighting the road in up and down dips
than the older cars used to. High beams or low beams - makes no difference.
These new lights may have some benefits (though I have yet to put my finger
on what the benefits are), but they certainly have some drawbacks as well.
--
-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE@alltel.net
#68
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
Brian Nystrom wrote:
> Matt Whiting wrote:
>
>> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>>
>>> The point of having the sharp cutoff on the left side of the beam is
>>> to NOT blind drivers in the opposite lane. The right side of the beam
>>> is not cut off, so it can illuminate road signs. Overall, this scheme
>>> works pretty well. It's nothing new, as I had Hella headlights with a
>>> similar pattern 25 years ago. Back then, they weren't street legal,
>>> since they weren't sealed beams, which were still required by the DOT
>>> at the time.
>>
>>
>> I know the purpose of it, however, the assumptions aren't right for
>> where I live. This sharp cutoff is only useful if you always drive on
>> smooth, flat roads. Here in northern PA and upstate NY, either
>> assumption is good on virtually any road I drive other than the
>> interstates. And even then only on certain stretches.
>>
>> In the real world, a sharp cutoff is dumb and is very annoying as you
>> now see a rapidly varying intensity from oncoming car headlights
>> rather than the fairly steady intensity with the old sealed beams.
>> Maybe the intensity was higher on average in the old days, but I much
>> prefer that to the "flashing" affect of the newer light designs.
>
>
> The alternative would be worse, which is having the full height beam
> blinding you. At least with the cutoff beam, it only occasionally pops
> up enough to be an issue. IMO, it's an advancement, as it allows
> brighter headlights with minimal annoyance to other drivers. No, it's
> not perfect, but there is no better alternative. Besides, there's
> nothing you can do about it.
No, an alternative is to have more of a Guassian distribution with just
the tail going high enough to be seen by oncoming drivers. My Chevy
truck is close to this and it has great headlights, probably as good as
the Hyundai, and doesn't "flash" incoming drivers.
>> Also, the right side of my Hyundai's pattern is cut-off pretty far to
>> the right. It doesn't illuminate signs well on low beam, not as well
>> as my 94 Chevy truck, and it makes the white background signs so
>> bright on high beam that they nearly blind me!
>
>
> I haven't experienced those problems. Perhaps your headlights are aimed
> too far to the right. You can try bringing them back to the left a bit.
>
>> The cutoff portion of the pattern extends clear across the road well
>> onto the berm as I can't see the road ahead worth beans when going
>> down into a dip.
>
>
> That's what high beams are for. Switch to them or simply flash them if
> necessary.
I'm talking about the high beams. The cut-off is still rather
pronounced compared to my pickup.
>> I haven't pulled up to a wall yet to look at the pattern in more
>> detail, but will try that some night to see if I can tell where the
>> cutoff ends.
>
>
> It's certainly worth a shot. You may find that the two beam heights are
> not aligned or that one or the other is aimed off to one side. When
> attempting to determine the aiming. I've found it easiest to stand on
> the center of the rear bumper and look over the roof and hood.
Yes, definitely worth looking at when I get a chance.
Matt
> Matt Whiting wrote:
>
>> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>>
>>> The point of having the sharp cutoff on the left side of the beam is
>>> to NOT blind drivers in the opposite lane. The right side of the beam
>>> is not cut off, so it can illuminate road signs. Overall, this scheme
>>> works pretty well. It's nothing new, as I had Hella headlights with a
>>> similar pattern 25 years ago. Back then, they weren't street legal,
>>> since they weren't sealed beams, which were still required by the DOT
>>> at the time.
>>
>>
>> I know the purpose of it, however, the assumptions aren't right for
>> where I live. This sharp cutoff is only useful if you always drive on
>> smooth, flat roads. Here in northern PA and upstate NY, either
>> assumption is good on virtually any road I drive other than the
>> interstates. And even then only on certain stretches.
>>
>> In the real world, a sharp cutoff is dumb and is very annoying as you
>> now see a rapidly varying intensity from oncoming car headlights
>> rather than the fairly steady intensity with the old sealed beams.
>> Maybe the intensity was higher on average in the old days, but I much
>> prefer that to the "flashing" affect of the newer light designs.
>
>
> The alternative would be worse, which is having the full height beam
> blinding you. At least with the cutoff beam, it only occasionally pops
> up enough to be an issue. IMO, it's an advancement, as it allows
> brighter headlights with minimal annoyance to other drivers. No, it's
> not perfect, but there is no better alternative. Besides, there's
> nothing you can do about it.
No, an alternative is to have more of a Guassian distribution with just
the tail going high enough to be seen by oncoming drivers. My Chevy
truck is close to this and it has great headlights, probably as good as
the Hyundai, and doesn't "flash" incoming drivers.
>> Also, the right side of my Hyundai's pattern is cut-off pretty far to
>> the right. It doesn't illuminate signs well on low beam, not as well
>> as my 94 Chevy truck, and it makes the white background signs so
>> bright on high beam that they nearly blind me!
>
>
> I haven't experienced those problems. Perhaps your headlights are aimed
> too far to the right. You can try bringing them back to the left a bit.
>
>> The cutoff portion of the pattern extends clear across the road well
>> onto the berm as I can't see the road ahead worth beans when going
>> down into a dip.
>
>
> That's what high beams are for. Switch to them or simply flash them if
> necessary.
I'm talking about the high beams. The cut-off is still rather
pronounced compared to my pickup.
>> I haven't pulled up to a wall yet to look at the pattern in more
>> detail, but will try that some night to see if I can tell where the
>> cutoff ends.
>
>
> It's certainly worth a shot. You may find that the two beam heights are
> not aligned or that one or the other is aimed off to one side. When
> attempting to determine the aiming. I've found it easiest to stand on
> the center of the rear bumper and look over the roof and hood.
Yes, definitely worth looking at when I get a chance.
Matt
#69
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
Brian Nystrom wrote:
> Matt Whiting wrote:
>
>> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>>
>>> The point of having the sharp cutoff on the left side of the beam is
>>> to NOT blind drivers in the opposite lane. The right side of the beam
>>> is not cut off, so it can illuminate road signs. Overall, this scheme
>>> works pretty well. It's nothing new, as I had Hella headlights with a
>>> similar pattern 25 years ago. Back then, they weren't street legal,
>>> since they weren't sealed beams, which were still required by the DOT
>>> at the time.
>>
>>
>> I know the purpose of it, however, the assumptions aren't right for
>> where I live. This sharp cutoff is only useful if you always drive on
>> smooth, flat roads. Here in northern PA and upstate NY, either
>> assumption is good on virtually any road I drive other than the
>> interstates. And even then only on certain stretches.
>>
>> In the real world, a sharp cutoff is dumb and is very annoying as you
>> now see a rapidly varying intensity from oncoming car headlights
>> rather than the fairly steady intensity with the old sealed beams.
>> Maybe the intensity was higher on average in the old days, but I much
>> prefer that to the "flashing" affect of the newer light designs.
>
>
> The alternative would be worse, which is having the full height beam
> blinding you. At least with the cutoff beam, it only occasionally pops
> up enough to be an issue. IMO, it's an advancement, as it allows
> brighter headlights with minimal annoyance to other drivers. No, it's
> not perfect, but there is no better alternative. Besides, there's
> nothing you can do about it.
No, an alternative is to have more of a Guassian distribution with just
the tail going high enough to be seen by oncoming drivers. My Chevy
truck is close to this and it has great headlights, probably as good as
the Hyundai, and doesn't "flash" incoming drivers.
>> Also, the right side of my Hyundai's pattern is cut-off pretty far to
>> the right. It doesn't illuminate signs well on low beam, not as well
>> as my 94 Chevy truck, and it makes the white background signs so
>> bright on high beam that they nearly blind me!
>
>
> I haven't experienced those problems. Perhaps your headlights are aimed
> too far to the right. You can try bringing them back to the left a bit.
>
>> The cutoff portion of the pattern extends clear across the road well
>> onto the berm as I can't see the road ahead worth beans when going
>> down into a dip.
>
>
> That's what high beams are for. Switch to them or simply flash them if
> necessary.
I'm talking about the high beams. The cut-off is still rather
pronounced compared to my pickup.
>> I haven't pulled up to a wall yet to look at the pattern in more
>> detail, but will try that some night to see if I can tell where the
>> cutoff ends.
>
>
> It's certainly worth a shot. You may find that the two beam heights are
> not aligned or that one or the other is aimed off to one side. When
> attempting to determine the aiming. I've found it easiest to stand on
> the center of the rear bumper and look over the roof and hood.
Yes, definitely worth looking at when I get a chance.
Matt
> Matt Whiting wrote:
>
>> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>>
>>> The point of having the sharp cutoff on the left side of the beam is
>>> to NOT blind drivers in the opposite lane. The right side of the beam
>>> is not cut off, so it can illuminate road signs. Overall, this scheme
>>> works pretty well. It's nothing new, as I had Hella headlights with a
>>> similar pattern 25 years ago. Back then, they weren't street legal,
>>> since they weren't sealed beams, which were still required by the DOT
>>> at the time.
>>
>>
>> I know the purpose of it, however, the assumptions aren't right for
>> where I live. This sharp cutoff is only useful if you always drive on
>> smooth, flat roads. Here in northern PA and upstate NY, either
>> assumption is good on virtually any road I drive other than the
>> interstates. And even then only on certain stretches.
>>
>> In the real world, a sharp cutoff is dumb and is very annoying as you
>> now see a rapidly varying intensity from oncoming car headlights
>> rather than the fairly steady intensity with the old sealed beams.
>> Maybe the intensity was higher on average in the old days, but I much
>> prefer that to the "flashing" affect of the newer light designs.
>
>
> The alternative would be worse, which is having the full height beam
> blinding you. At least with the cutoff beam, it only occasionally pops
> up enough to be an issue. IMO, it's an advancement, as it allows
> brighter headlights with minimal annoyance to other drivers. No, it's
> not perfect, but there is no better alternative. Besides, there's
> nothing you can do about it.
No, an alternative is to have more of a Guassian distribution with just
the tail going high enough to be seen by oncoming drivers. My Chevy
truck is close to this and it has great headlights, probably as good as
the Hyundai, and doesn't "flash" incoming drivers.
>> Also, the right side of my Hyundai's pattern is cut-off pretty far to
>> the right. It doesn't illuminate signs well on low beam, not as well
>> as my 94 Chevy truck, and it makes the white background signs so
>> bright on high beam that they nearly blind me!
>
>
> I haven't experienced those problems. Perhaps your headlights are aimed
> too far to the right. You can try bringing them back to the left a bit.
>
>> The cutoff portion of the pattern extends clear across the road well
>> onto the berm as I can't see the road ahead worth beans when going
>> down into a dip.
>
>
> That's what high beams are for. Switch to them or simply flash them if
> necessary.
I'm talking about the high beams. The cut-off is still rather
pronounced compared to my pickup.
>> I haven't pulled up to a wall yet to look at the pattern in more
>> detail, but will try that some night to see if I can tell where the
>> cutoff ends.
>
>
> It's certainly worth a shot. You may find that the two beam heights are
> not aligned or that one or the other is aimed off to one side. When
> attempting to determine the aiming. I've found it easiest to stand on
> the center of the rear bumper and look over the roof and hood.
Yes, definitely worth looking at when I get a chance.
Matt
#70
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
Brian Nystrom wrote:
> Matt Whiting wrote:
>
>> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>>
>>> The point of having the sharp cutoff on the left side of the beam is
>>> to NOT blind drivers in the opposite lane. The right side of the beam
>>> is not cut off, so it can illuminate road signs. Overall, this scheme
>>> works pretty well. It's nothing new, as I had Hella headlights with a
>>> similar pattern 25 years ago. Back then, they weren't street legal,
>>> since they weren't sealed beams, which were still required by the DOT
>>> at the time.
>>
>>
>> I know the purpose of it, however, the assumptions aren't right for
>> where I live. This sharp cutoff is only useful if you always drive on
>> smooth, flat roads. Here in northern PA and upstate NY, either
>> assumption is good on virtually any road I drive other than the
>> interstates. And even then only on certain stretches.
>>
>> In the real world, a sharp cutoff is dumb and is very annoying as you
>> now see a rapidly varying intensity from oncoming car headlights
>> rather than the fairly steady intensity with the old sealed beams.
>> Maybe the intensity was higher on average in the old days, but I much
>> prefer that to the "flashing" affect of the newer light designs.
>
>
> The alternative would be worse, which is having the full height beam
> blinding you. At least with the cutoff beam, it only occasionally pops
> up enough to be an issue. IMO, it's an advancement, as it allows
> brighter headlights with minimal annoyance to other drivers. No, it's
> not perfect, but there is no better alternative. Besides, there's
> nothing you can do about it.
No, an alternative is to have more of a Guassian distribution with just
the tail going high enough to be seen by oncoming drivers. My Chevy
truck is close to this and it has great headlights, probably as good as
the Hyundai, and doesn't "flash" incoming drivers.
>> Also, the right side of my Hyundai's pattern is cut-off pretty far to
>> the right. It doesn't illuminate signs well on low beam, not as well
>> as my 94 Chevy truck, and it makes the white background signs so
>> bright on high beam that they nearly blind me!
>
>
> I haven't experienced those problems. Perhaps your headlights are aimed
> too far to the right. You can try bringing them back to the left a bit.
>
>> The cutoff portion of the pattern extends clear across the road well
>> onto the berm as I can't see the road ahead worth beans when going
>> down into a dip.
>
>
> That's what high beams are for. Switch to them or simply flash them if
> necessary.
I'm talking about the high beams. The cut-off is still rather
pronounced compared to my pickup.
>> I haven't pulled up to a wall yet to look at the pattern in more
>> detail, but will try that some night to see if I can tell where the
>> cutoff ends.
>
>
> It's certainly worth a shot. You may find that the two beam heights are
> not aligned or that one or the other is aimed off to one side. When
> attempting to determine the aiming. I've found it easiest to stand on
> the center of the rear bumper and look over the roof and hood.
Yes, definitely worth looking at when I get a chance.
Matt
> Matt Whiting wrote:
>
>> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>>
>>> The point of having the sharp cutoff on the left side of the beam is
>>> to NOT blind drivers in the opposite lane. The right side of the beam
>>> is not cut off, so it can illuminate road signs. Overall, this scheme
>>> works pretty well. It's nothing new, as I had Hella headlights with a
>>> similar pattern 25 years ago. Back then, they weren't street legal,
>>> since they weren't sealed beams, which were still required by the DOT
>>> at the time.
>>
>>
>> I know the purpose of it, however, the assumptions aren't right for
>> where I live. This sharp cutoff is only useful if you always drive on
>> smooth, flat roads. Here in northern PA and upstate NY, either
>> assumption is good on virtually any road I drive other than the
>> interstates. And even then only on certain stretches.
>>
>> In the real world, a sharp cutoff is dumb and is very annoying as you
>> now see a rapidly varying intensity from oncoming car headlights
>> rather than the fairly steady intensity with the old sealed beams.
>> Maybe the intensity was higher on average in the old days, but I much
>> prefer that to the "flashing" affect of the newer light designs.
>
>
> The alternative would be worse, which is having the full height beam
> blinding you. At least with the cutoff beam, it only occasionally pops
> up enough to be an issue. IMO, it's an advancement, as it allows
> brighter headlights with minimal annoyance to other drivers. No, it's
> not perfect, but there is no better alternative. Besides, there's
> nothing you can do about it.
No, an alternative is to have more of a Guassian distribution with just
the tail going high enough to be seen by oncoming drivers. My Chevy
truck is close to this and it has great headlights, probably as good as
the Hyundai, and doesn't "flash" incoming drivers.
>> Also, the right side of my Hyundai's pattern is cut-off pretty far to
>> the right. It doesn't illuminate signs well on low beam, not as well
>> as my 94 Chevy truck, and it makes the white background signs so
>> bright on high beam that they nearly blind me!
>
>
> I haven't experienced those problems. Perhaps your headlights are aimed
> too far to the right. You can try bringing them back to the left a bit.
>
>> The cutoff portion of the pattern extends clear across the road well
>> onto the berm as I can't see the road ahead worth beans when going
>> down into a dip.
>
>
> That's what high beams are for. Switch to them or simply flash them if
> necessary.
I'm talking about the high beams. The cut-off is still rather
pronounced compared to my pickup.
>> I haven't pulled up to a wall yet to look at the pattern in more
>> detail, but will try that some night to see if I can tell where the
>> cutoff ends.
>
>
> It's certainly worth a shot. You may find that the two beam heights are
> not aligned or that one or the other is aimed off to one side. When
> attempting to determine the aiming. I've found it easiest to stand on
> the center of the rear bumper and look over the roof and hood.
Yes, definitely worth looking at when I get a chance.
Matt
#71
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
Brian Nystrom wrote:
> Headlights are just brighter now, plain and simple. The only "fix" to
> your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
> we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
> it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
> less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
I believe I have both with my 1994 Chevy pickup, so I know it is possible.
Matt
> Headlights are just brighter now, plain and simple. The only "fix" to
> your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
> we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
> it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
> less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
I believe I have both with my 1994 Chevy pickup, so I know it is possible.
Matt
#72
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
Brian Nystrom wrote:
> Headlights are just brighter now, plain and simple. The only "fix" to
> your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
> we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
> it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
> less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
I believe I have both with my 1994 Chevy pickup, so I know it is possible.
Matt
> Headlights are just brighter now, plain and simple. The only "fix" to
> your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
> we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
> it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
> less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
I believe I have both with my 1994 Chevy pickup, so I know it is possible.
Matt
#73
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
Brian Nystrom wrote:
> Headlights are just brighter now, plain and simple. The only "fix" to
> your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
> we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
> it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
> less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
I believe I have both with my 1994 Chevy pickup, so I know it is possible.
Matt
> Headlights are just brighter now, plain and simple. The only "fix" to
> your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
> we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
> it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
> less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
I believe I have both with my 1994 Chevy pickup, so I know it is possible.
Matt
#74
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
Mike Marlow wrote:
> "Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:OQuBf.15795$mj3.4433@trndny06...
>
>
>>The only "fix" to
>>your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
>>we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
>>it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
>>less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
>
>
> Hmmmmmm.... I never complained about the old headlights. They worked fine.
> I have noticed that all of my cars that are in the 2000 plus vintage (2000,
> 2003, 2004) do a much worse job at lighting the road in up and down dips
> than the older cars used to. High beams or low beams - makes no difference.
> These new lights may have some benefits (though I have yet to put my finger
> on what the benefits are), but they certainly have some drawbacks as well.
I agree. The Sonata may be a little brighter than my Chevy pickup, but
I haven't parked them side by side to tell. You can't tell any big
difference going from one vehicle to the other from a brightness
perspective. The only difference is the truck is much better for
driving on hilly back roads.
Matt
> "Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:OQuBf.15795$mj3.4433@trndny06...
>
>
>>The only "fix" to
>>your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
>>we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
>>it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
>>less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
>
>
> Hmmmmmm.... I never complained about the old headlights. They worked fine.
> I have noticed that all of my cars that are in the 2000 plus vintage (2000,
> 2003, 2004) do a much worse job at lighting the road in up and down dips
> than the older cars used to. High beams or low beams - makes no difference.
> These new lights may have some benefits (though I have yet to put my finger
> on what the benefits are), but they certainly have some drawbacks as well.
I agree. The Sonata may be a little brighter than my Chevy pickup, but
I haven't parked them side by side to tell. You can't tell any big
difference going from one vehicle to the other from a brightness
perspective. The only difference is the truck is much better for
driving on hilly back roads.
Matt
#75
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Headlights on 2006 Sonata
Mike Marlow wrote:
> "Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:OQuBf.15795$mj3.4433@trndny06...
>
>
>>The only "fix" to
>>your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
>>we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
>>it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
>>less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
>
>
> Hmmmmmm.... I never complained about the old headlights. They worked fine.
> I have noticed that all of my cars that are in the 2000 plus vintage (2000,
> 2003, 2004) do a much worse job at lighting the road in up and down dips
> than the older cars used to. High beams or low beams - makes no difference.
> These new lights may have some benefits (though I have yet to put my finger
> on what the benefits are), but they certainly have some drawbacks as well.
I agree. The Sonata may be a little brighter than my Chevy pickup, but
I haven't parked them side by side to tell. You can't tell any big
difference going from one vehicle to the other from a brightness
perspective. The only difference is the truck is much better for
driving on hilly back roads.
Matt
> "Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:OQuBf.15795$mj3.4433@trndny06...
>
>
>>The only "fix" to
>>your complaint would be to go back to the older, dimmer headlights that
>>we complained about for not providing enough visibility. You can't have
>>it both ways. Yeah, sometimes it's irritating, but the alternative is
>>less visibility overall, which I don't see as an improvement.
>
>
> Hmmmmmm.... I never complained about the old headlights. They worked fine.
> I have noticed that all of my cars that are in the 2000 plus vintage (2000,
> 2003, 2004) do a much worse job at lighting the road in up and down dips
> than the older cars used to. High beams or low beams - makes no difference.
> These new lights may have some benefits (though I have yet to put my finger
> on what the benefits are), but they certainly have some drawbacks as well.
I agree. The Sonata may be a little brighter than my Chevy pickup, but
I haven't parked them side by side to tell. You can't tell any big
difference going from one vehicle to the other from a brightness
perspective. The only difference is the truck is much better for
driving on hilly back roads.
Matt