is it me or does anyone else think that some of the led brake lights are just too bright, 2 examples both at night i was following an alfa romeo mito, and it hit the brakes it has round ring style lights, i coulndnt see anything for about 2 mins except 2 red rings burnt onto my retinas, new impezza the brakes were so bright that i could barely see its indicators flashing.

they are good in daylight you can see them very well , but at night they are too bright i think unsafely bright, " why didnt you stop at the roundabout sir", " i was temporarily blinded by the car in front brakelights".

IS IT JUST ME!

even though you have been dissing (modern down with the kids term Simbo:rofl:) me in other forums on this site i have to agree with you. It seems to be drivers of Audis who like to drive up the chuff just in case you didn't already know that their overpriced hunk of German metal had LED lights......they are usually 2.0tdi's as well:rofl:

VW rear lights are jut as bad too. Indicator almost invisible.

Especially when the ****head drivers sit there in stationary traffic with their foot on the brake! Grrrr...

Agree to this also.

VW rear lights are jut as bad too. Indicator almost invisible.

Especially the older (MKIV?) golf with the little tiny light in the middle of the ring brake light!

There are also some quite descreet and not too bright LED brake lights I have seen like on new Renault Scenic's. They are just the same size as the normal lights and aren't too blinding but still nice and bright to be seen/noticed.

Phil

Going back many years, I remember the manufacturers were going to incorporate a system to dim the brake lights and indicators when the car lights were on. I never heard any more. I suppose it went the way of the dim-dip headlights that most cars had about 15 years ago.

But it's not just the brake lights. What about those bright daylight running lights, especially on a lot of new German cars and Fiat 500s. they aren't too bad in bright sunlight but in any sort of dull weather they may as well have their illegal fog lights on because they are almost as dazzling. Some years ago when I drove one of the first Volvos with daylight running lights, I put dipped headlights on as soon as the light levels dropped then the running lighs went out.

I suppose it went the way of the dim-dip headlights that most cars had about 15 years ago.

Am I right in thinking that this is where it would turn the main (dipped) beam on at a lower voltage with the sidelights on? If so my old citroen had those on and my partners current Pug 306 does this... it looks ****! :P

A bit O/T I know, but,

Anyone come accross the flashing brake lights during heavy braking yet? I was following a new vauxhall (vectra replacement) and he wasn't paying attention to the traffic ahead, I'd already been braking for several seconds when he finally realised everyone was stopping, he jammed, on the brakes emergency stop stle and his brake lights were flashing... I'd read about this feature on some new cars, brake lights will flash under emergancy braking to better alert the drivers behind,, but never seen it before... cant say it made any difference to me.....

:iagree:

Especially when the ****head drivers sit there in stationary traffic with their foot on the brake! Grrrr...

No, it's not just you....

I must be the biggest ****head of them all then for holding my foot on the brake in stationary traffic, would you rather I let my car propel itself into the one in front?

We dont all drive manuals:thumbdwn:

VW rear lights are jut as bad too. Indicator almost invisible.

The same also applies to many of the recent front indicators - placed inboard of the headlights or so close that they cannnot be seen when the headlights are on. the only saving grace is those cars that have repeaters in the door mirrors that makes them visible.

Am I right in thinking that this is where it would turn the main (dipped) beam on at a lower voltage with the sidelights on? If so my old citroen had those on and my partners current Pug 306 does this... it looks ****! :P

Yep - Looks even worse on an MX5 where the pop-ups come up as well and glow dimly at the same brightness as the sidelights! I keep meaning to pull the dim dip relay on mine (or at least make it switchable) but keep forgetting.

I must be the biggest ****head of them all then for holding my foot on the brake in stationary traffic, would you rather I let my car propel itself into the one in front?

We dont all drive manuals:thumbdwn:

Put it in " N " + handbrake

Only joking no offence.

I must be the biggest ****head of them all then for holding my foot on the brake in stationary traffic, would you rather I let my car propel itself into the one in front?

We dont all drive manuals:thumbdwn:

Mine's automatic but I ALWAYS apply the handbrake when stationary, even at junctions unless I'm going to be able to move off immediately. Just like I always turn off the indicators at red lights or in a queue and turn them on again just before i move off.

Am I right in thinking that this is where it would turn the main (dipped) beam on at a lower voltage with the sidelights on? If so my old citroen had those on and my partners current Pug 306 does this... it looks ****!

Yes but at least it stops the idiots who drive round on parking lights. I've had cars with the feature but, as I always put dipped headlights in whenever lights are needed, it didn't matter for me.

... Just like I always turn off the indicators at red lights or in a queue and turn them on again just before i move off.

And that is just as annoying as well - I'd rather know what you are going to do when I come up behind you in a queue! If you were turning right from two lanes but not indicating I'd end up stuck behind you waiting when I could have been in the other lane and moving:( :rotz:

I was behind a luxury 59 plate AUDI yesterday and the lights on that were horrible. A ring of LED's were either painfully bright or excrutiatingly painfully bright depending whether the driver decided to hold their foot on the brakes. Inside the ring of LED's was a woefully dim and small indicator bulb that was totally lost in the overpowering LED ring.

The mix of LED and incandescent in the same light cluster is a recipe for disaster, the LED lights always drown out the poor little incandescent bulb trying to point out the fact the car is about to change direction

Something to consider if opting to upgrade to LED bulbs anywhere on the car.

At least being so bright there is no excuse for anyone who plows into the back of you!

Best set up rear LEDs are on the VW Passat and Golf Plus... the LED sidelight bulbs and turnsignal bulbs are the same ring and same LED just it alternates colour as its indicating... therefore no drowning out of indicators

Front LED DRLs on Audi's i really like as think they look as if they are part of the car's design... most horrid ones are on the F/L Octy vRS and Mercs where they look like a halfords add on down by the Fogs

Personally I don't like the Passat ones either.

I think the best ones have to be in the BMW 3 series (assuming they are standard fit), where the indicator is a massive seperate light to the brakes, and niether of them seem too bright.

But still prefer standard bulbs to LEDs if you're gonna get stuck behind them.

I must be the biggest ****head of them all then for holding my foot on the brake in stationary traffic, would you rather I let my car propel itself into the one in front?

We dont all drive manuals:thumbdwn:

Handbrake and Park or Neutral on the gearbox

You have to keep your foot on the brake? No handbrake? :confused:

Handbrake isn't sufficent in many, and with DSG you *need* the footbrake. Of course, te thing to do is use N + handbrake for a longer stop.

I don't believe every culprit drives an auto though!

Indeed not. They usually then roll back when they start moving.

Yes but at least it stops the idiots who drive round on parking lights. I've had cars with the feature but, as I always put dipped headlights in whenever lights are needed, it didn't matter for me.

I've long thought there should not be the option to drive on sidelights. I suppose that's one thing DRLs are meant to achieve?

And that is just as annoying as well - I'd rather know what you are going to do when I come up behind you in a queue! If you were turning right from two lanes but not indicating I'd end up stuck behind you waiting when I could have been in the other lane and moving:( :rotz:

In that particular situation I don't turn them off if there's no-one behind me, only if another vehicle stops behind me. If there is, then they will have seen my indicator before I stop. As in all driving situations you need to be flexible. It's a case of reading the traffic constantly so you don't sit there flashing in people's eyes behind you.

I've long thought there should not be the option to drive on sidelights. I suppose that's one thing DRLs are meant to achieve?

I believe in Germany and other countries it is illegal to drive on parking lights (I don't even refer to them as "side" lights. I wish we were the same. I even still see cars using them only in thick fog when you see the outline of the car befopre the lights.

Edited 17 November, 200916 yr by Calomax