Xenon lights in the rearview

[Ibizahoo2]

Is it just me or do the newest xenon lights shine exceptionally brightly, been in front of a new BMW and range rover recently and with my glasses on I was almost blind, especially with the rangey being so high it was level with my eyes,

Anyone else have this problem, and dont you think manufacturers should tone it down a bit before it causes an accident?

[R26Andy]

I have autodimming mirrors and it still nearly blinds me. The new mercs are the worst. I was getting blinded by one from approx 1km behind on the motorway. had to slow down and let it pass.

[Mazdarese]

Ibizahoo2 said:

Is it just me or do the newest xenon lights shine exceptionally brightly, been in front of a new BMW and range rover recently and with my glasses on I was almost blind, especially with the rangey being so high it was level with my eyes,

Anyone else have this problem, and dont you think manufacturers should tone it down a bit before it causes an accident?

Fiver says you weren't.

[kazman]

I find the same when 4x4's are approaching. One of the reasons i sold my last car was because it was low slung, which exagerated the issue. I think i was blinded by 75% of traffic when it was pitch black outside. I even ended up buying glasses with anti reflective coating on (did not help).

[GTIR]

Yes they are brighter and it seems auto dimming rear view mirrors don't seem to work.

09 and onwards seems to be the problem. Really annoying.

[LuS1fer]

Get it a lot through the local lanes. Exceptionally bright lights. Dip the mirror but it's still very distracting.

[jsg612]

I tend to find Xenons fine on the motorway at night. It's the people who fit the aftermarket 'HID light kits' to old cars with no real light focus, (projector style lamps) like most factory/OEM Xenons have.

[Ibizahoo2]

kazman said:

I find the same when 4x4's are approaching. One of the reasons i sold my last car was because it was low slung, which exagerated the issue. I think i was blinded by 75% of traffic when it was pitch black outside. I even ended up buying glasses with anti reflective coating on (did not help).

Know what you mean, mine have anti glare and all it seems to achieve is smear everything when you attempt to clean them :@

[Ibizahoo2]

Its almost as annoying as them people that insist on high beams at all times, and the ones who don't turn off the high beam when your approaching them on country lanes...

[Yodafone]

The Range Rovers are are really bright but I find only a problem when they tail gate.

I had this down a single track lane, I was doing 30 and it was raining he decided that was too slow so he thought he'll blind me by sitting a few inches from my bumper.

The auto dimming did not really dim enough to stop it being blinding.

[Gun]

I do find these sort of lights on X5s or Range Rovers quite annoying when they're behind you, especially if you're in a low car. My pet hate with these type of lights though are the ones that have a real blue tint to them, they tend to be the aftermarket type and not factory fitted ones.

I've lost count of the number of times I've seen a glimpse of these blue lights in my rear view mirror and though it was an emergency services vehicle approaching behind me.

[aka_kerrly]

Range Rovers in particular have incredibly bright lights which due to the height at which hey are mounted means they do shine right throught the back window of most cars.

I find it bizare that there doesn't appear to be a specific law that limits how many lumins or how intense the light can be on a road car. It seems unfair that a brand new range rover can have incredibly bright headlights from the factory but im not legally allowed to fit a HID kit to my car due to its age.

[vescaegg]

It's so bad on a country lane when there is no other light sources around. It really is like looking at the sun for a few seconds the way it kills your sight. Once past it's a bit like 'hope there isn't anything right in front of me!' for the few seconds it take for your sight to return.

I don't remember this happening and certainly not as badly, before xenons came onto the scene.

[Ibizahoo2]

Agreed although I do think most older cars halogens ( post 2002) are still mega bright on high beam!

[fatboy b]

I think also that the lights are being set too high, so that they are "flicking" between dipped and main. I had a A5 like mine behind me the other day, and his lights were higher up signs than mine were.

[Davel]

I've had a few cars with factory fitted xenons on them and, especially in my RR, can understand how you feel.

Dropping back a bit doesn't always work either because, if you're on a bendy or up and down bit of road, you still tend to blind the poor driver in front.

As the xenons are, I understand, not adjustable - I'm not sure what else you can do.

I have to say though, that they are brilliant lights if you're not following anyone.

[Ibizahoo2]

fatboy b said:

I think also that the lights are being set too high, so that they are "flicking" between dipped and main. I had a A5 like mine behind me the other day, and his lights were higher up signs than mine were.

I think that's the adjustability of them, my lights are possible to have them almost level with the bottom of someones rear windscreen about 5 metres ahead, so any further its right in their eyes, i tend to set them quite low, streetlights make it pretty visible most of the time anyway.

[aizvara]

I don't find it too much of a problem when being followed; the mirror auto-dimming appears to work for me. I do find that sometimes I basically can't see the road markings ahead, though, when meeting the particularly bright (or perhaps mis-aligned?) headlights of an oncoming car.

[joebongo]

Same as the motorbikes who think they're better off giving it full beam all the time. Yes I see that there's a bright light but I am unable to determine the vector of travel/distance very well due to being blinded.

And cycle super heroes who set their flashing lights upwards to eye level.

Off topic I know but I fancied a rant-ette.

Oh and ing arsemonkey bd wker for good effect.

[Reedy156]

aka_kerrly said:

Range Rovers in particular have incredibly bright lights which due to the height at which hey are mounted means they do shine right throught the back window of most cars.

I find it bizare that there doesn't appear to be a specific law that limits how many lumins or how intense the light can be on a road car. It seems unfair that a brand new range rover can have incredibly bright headlights from the factory but im not legally allowed to fit a HID kit to my car due to its age.

Age has nothing to do with it (look early BMW's, Omega's and some US cars) - you can legally retrofit HID's to any car - as long as the whole system is type approved, so the wash system, light units and self levelling system all have to be approved for use with HID burners....

All OEM HID's have correct beam patterns and cut off, or they would not pass the regulations to ne manufactured, more light on the road for a driver means more safety for them and the people around them, but if you are in a low car with a 4x4 behind you it can be irritating for sure....