Fancy Indicators
Discussion
Anyone else noticed the fairly recent trend of manufacturers dicking about with how their LED indicators flash?
I think Audi were first to tread this path with their sweeping ones a few years ago… quite a few marques use them now, some more successfully than others. However, clearly aiming to be different, my car anorak brain has made a mental note of a couple of other approaches.
Mazda have ones that light up instantly but then fade out much more slowly, while BMW has gone for what seems to be the opposite of that; they build up to full brightness quite slowly and then quickly extinguish.
Still think the normal flashing ones are the most visible, though at least we don’t use the silly red ones many US-model cars are afflicted with.
I think Audi were first to tread this path with their sweeping ones a few years ago… quite a few marques use them now, some more successfully than others. However, clearly aiming to be different, my car anorak brain has made a mental note of a couple of other approaches.
Mazda have ones that light up instantly but then fade out much more slowly, while BMW has gone for what seems to be the opposite of that; they build up to full brightness quite slowly and then quickly extinguish.
Still think the normal flashing ones are the most visible, though at least we don’t use the silly red ones many US-model cars are afflicted with.
Super Sonic said:
This has been a thing long before Audi. I think the Fird Thunderbird was the first car to have sequential indicators back in the sixties, then the Mercury Cougar, even the Toyota Crown and Nissan Cedric iirc
Not familiar with these ones but now you mention it, I think US market Mustangs had sequential ones around 15 years ago.Heathwood said:
It’s the solution to a problem that didn’t exist.
Same as the 6000K full-width lights rear and front(!!), combine those with random indicator flashes or permanently "dim but on" front indicators favoured by some chavs and then add in s
t winter visibility.Yeah, really helps. I thought lights were there for safety.
David87 said:
Mazda have ones that light up instantly but then fade out much more slowly, while BMW has gone for what seems to be the opposite of that; they build up to full brightness quite slowly and then quickly extinguish.
The ones which light up fully and fade away are preferable (to me) than the ones which do the opposite. Turning on and off completely is preferable. There's no need to eke out a story about how you're going to turn in whatever direction - I can tell by the side of the car the light is on which direction you're planning to go and I'd like to know sooner rather than later if it happens to be when you're merging in close proximity to my front quarter...!Whilst i have no real desire to have fancy indicators, I also don't understand the problem some people have with them. If they flash orange and let you know where the car is going, I don't see the issue.
Excessively bright headlights mounted quite high I can understand as they can dazzle, but softly fading or scrolling indicators seem fine to me.
Excessively bright headlights mounted quite high I can understand as they can dazzle, but softly fading or scrolling indicators seem fine to me.
Maybe the idea behind fancy indicators was to get more drivers to use them (especially of the German marques).
My theory for this is that the more fancy the indicator pattern/sequence is, you’re more likely to use it to show off to other drivers with their single halogen amber bulb or non-scrolling design (look at me my car does this)
My theory for this is that the more fancy the indicator pattern/sequence is, you’re more likely to use it to show off to other drivers with their single halogen amber bulb or non-scrolling design (look at me my car does this)
I like the ones that turn the headlight off so you can't see where you are turning. Just adds a nice frisson of excitement to an otherwise dull evening commute.
The ones on the door mirrors that wrap around so that when you're indicating you can't use your mirror, those are cool as well.
The ones on the door mirrors that wrap around so that when you're indicating you can't use your mirror, those are cool as well.
All these fancy lights are LED and will last forever*.
- forever being a surprisingly short time in LED reality. MOT centres counting working diodes is already a thing with many failed high level brake lights. Some HLBL require rear windscreen removed. Most LED clusters require a whole cluster change. Repairing is becoming increasingly possible, but skilled to do it properly.
DonkeyApple said:
I like the ones that turn the headlight off so you can't see where you are turning. Just adds a nice frisson of excitement to an otherwise dull evening commute.
The ones on the door mirrors that wrap around so that when you're indicating you can't use your mirror, those are cool as well.
Got any examples of these?The ones on the door mirrors that wrap around so that when you're indicating you can't use your mirror, those are cool as well.
I know the driving lights switch off during indicating, but surely driving lights are about others seeing you, not a replacement for headlights at night.
Not sure about the mirrors.
The Audi-esque swooping indicator bring out the grumpy old man in me. Why? Because manufacturers bigged up the fewer microseconds that a LED would take to illuminate over incandescent bulbs and then they've gone against that by having indicators that aren't in full view until the complete sweep has occurred.
Add to the fact that the majority of drivers of cars with fancy indicators will already have started the manoeuvre before indicating means you need as much notice as possible.
Add to the fact that the majority of drivers of cars with fancy indicators will already have started the manoeuvre before indicating means you need as much notice as possible.
xstian said:
Got any examples of these?
I know the driving lights switch off during indicating, but surely driving lights are about others seeing you, not a replacement for headlights at night.
Not sure about the mirrors.
I can give you my 340 with regards to the door mirrors. I stopped using it in London and ultimately resorted to taping over the repeater return as it disabled the ability to do mirror checks when turning. Other designs manage the job without also blinding the driver. I know the driving lights switch off during indicating, but surely driving lights are about others seeing you, not a replacement for headlights at night.
Not sure about the mirrors.
Re the first issue it's just something becoming more common to see. One presumes of the system only functions when DRLs are on that this is an extension of the asinine DRL design oversight?
MikeM6 said:
Whilst i have no real desire to have fancy indicators, I also don't understand the problem some people have with them. If they flash orange and let you know where the car is going, I don't see the issue.
Cognitive load. It sends my brain down a pathway where it has to consciously think; what the fk is that weird distraction, oh its just trying to indicate, why is it doing that instead of acting like a normal indicator, I thought that was a solved problem since - I wonder when, I wonder what the regulations say is acceptable, I can't see the individual LEDs there must be some diffusion, does that manufacturer do it to all their cars, I don't want one of those, what sort of a tt buys a car like that, probably everyone these days...Whereas I don't even need to think about a normal indicator, it's just automatic.
DonkeyApple said:
xstian said:
Got any examples of these?
I know the driving lights switch off during indicating, but surely driving lights are about others seeing you, not a replacement for headlights at night.
Not sure about the mirrors.
I can give you my 340 with regards to the door mirrors. I stopped using it in London and ultimately resorted to taping over the repeater return as it disabled the ability to do mirror checks when turning. Other designs manage the job without also blinding the driver. I know the driving lights switch off during indicating, but surely driving lights are about others seeing you, not a replacement for headlights at night.
Not sure about the mirrors.
Re the first issue it's just something becoming more common to see. One presumes of the system only functions when DRLs are on that this is an extension of the asinine DRL design oversight?
No headlight is dimmed when using the indicator. Running lights do, but the headlight itself does not dim. Why would running lights dimming be an issue?
xstian said:
DonkeyApple said:
I like the ones that turn the headlight off so you can't see where you are turning. Just adds a nice frisson of excitement to an otherwise dull evening commute.
The ones on the door mirrors that wrap around so that when you're indicating you can't use your mirror, those are cool as well.
Got any examples of these?The ones on the door mirrors that wrap around so that when you're indicating you can't use your mirror, those are cool as well.
I know the driving lights switch off during indicating, but surely driving lights are about others seeing you, not a replacement for headlights at night.
Not sure about the mirrors.
https://youtu.be/mS-pq2-ft38?t=56
MikeM6 said:
How did it stop you using the mirror?
No headlight is dimmed when using the indicator. Running lights do, but the headlight itself does not dim. Why would running lights dimming be an issue?
Because clearly some people are still driving around in the evening just on drls. No headlight is dimmed when using the indicator. Running lights do, but the headlight itself does not dim. Why would running lights dimming be an issue?
How did a bright light shining in one's face prevent one from using the mirror as efficiently?
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