Auto-dimming Headlights

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TaconicBear

Active member
1st Year Member
Jul 9, 2023
123
176
Stephentown, NY
Auto-dimming headlights have been around so long now that we all just expect them to work. On some vehicles, however, they also dim when slowing below 20mph or going around a tight curve. That perhaps is fine in urban situations, for us rural dwellers with long steep curvy driveways it's a real PITA. I want to see if the porcupine is warming his toes on the pavement, and which critters are having midnight snacks in my wife's garden. It is a multi step, multi switch process to get them to stay on high, and the same to get back to normal. Shouldn't be so difficult.

And in the same vein, there are times when the vehicle is a safe and effective blind for observing wildlife, we need the ability to achieve total darkness or at least 'red forward' conditions. Doing wildlife census sometimes long quiet sits on cold winter dawns, so having heat with total darkness would be super appreciated. And no fake or extraneous sounds, we only can identify the owls by their calls.
 
European VW has this (probably Audi and other brands) where high beam does not "dip" at all, but rather either a shutter system blocks light in certain areas (on coming traffic) or cycles LED/laser elements off to block light at very specific places (other drivers). Up to a point of course after which lights switch to a low beam pattern. I don't know if we don't get this in US because of DOT rules, but I have the auto headlamp thing and it is too aggressive at shutting off high beam.

but at slow speeds such as winding drive way fog lamps (with their wide spread) or the newer all weather lamps would do better than high beams pointed 200 yards away. If they work at 50 feet then there are other issues.

Jason
 
Auto dim headlights - love them. Don't understand why they would turn off at low speeds or around a turn - my wife's Mazda and daughter's KIA don't do that. I also want the ability to turn all the outside lights off. I can on my Cadillac (easily) but not the wife's Mazda, not sure about the KIA.
 
DOT regulations mostly. Gotta deep dive in lighting distances and illumination levels, but short story is low beam is enough for the low speed and high beam only activates at speed when you need to see beyond the what low beam lights up.

Jason
 
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