6 hours ago, TheWanderer said:

It seems an increasing number of drivers don't like LED headlights which are far superior to traditional filament bulbs

brighter=/= "superior".

I've never had an MOT fail due to lights in 30 years of cars and bikes and with this adjustment the lights went down and left, so away from any fail zones. TBH I do realise that I may have adjusted without recalibrating the matrix system, so that's now possibly out of kilter. However, it was hopeless before, so I reckon I'm still ahead of my starting position 🙂

 

@TheWanderer - totally agree it's amazing how many inbreds will drive around in really poor visibility with no illumination. Pre-dawn, dark car under the trees... moments like that I fell entitled to forget to flip off main beam...

11 hours ago, TheWanderer said:

Just a thought...

 

IF you have misaligned it through fiddling and it goes on a MOT test it'll fail. That means you'll have to take it to a dealer to have it realigned to the correct standard which costs £££'s.

 

I just don't worry about it, I used to get flashed by numpties who didn't like the headlights on the last car and they definitely didn't like it when I put it on full beam either. 

 

It seems an increasing number of drivers don't like LED headlights which are far superior to traditional filament bulbs and last longer too. So if you don't like LED headlights perhaps you shouldn't drive at night or should even consider giving up your licence. 

 

And as a lot of imbeciles these days drive around in poor weather conditions or during twilight or dusk without any lighting on at all I would strongly suggest the latter. 

I do agree that there's a risk of fiddling and I also dislike those who don't put lights on when it's dark.
My Mk3 Octavia doesn't illuminate the instrument panel unless the lights are on so it's a big clue if I can't read the dials that I need to switch lights on. I'm not sure all cars are like this though?
(How do fancy all-digital instrument panels behave?)

But for the OP's Matrix lights - I thought the whole point was that they automagically change the beam pattern so they don't dazzle people when it detects headlights coming the other way?
Which should be better than normal LEDs. For example when you meet someone over the crest of a slight hill which is normally a guaranteed dazzle with normal LED lights. 

So if you're dazzling people when you have Matrix LEDs in normal conditions then it does seem that something is worth checking out?

Edited 25 February, 20242 yr by DavidY
Clarify

Yes. But get it done at a dealership, where they have the correct calibration machines that can do job accurately. 

 

Don't be fobbed off by them, that it doesn't need to be done, insist on it if you're getting flashed. 

7 hours ago, DavidY said:

OP's Matrix lights - I thought the whole point was that they automagically change the beam pattern so they don't dazzle people when it actually 'sees'  headlights coming the other way?

Also @TheWanderer Edit inline, underscore and italic.

 

I dip conventional headlights when I see the loom of oncoming headlights rather than waiting until I see the actual luminaires.

I just activate the beam until it goes Blue & A on the dashboard and let the car deal with it, that's what that system is there for. 

32 minutes ago, TheWanderer said:

I just activate the beam until it goes Blue & A on the dashboard and let the car deal with it, that's what that system is there for. 

To me that means you've happy to have an inconsiderately late dip?

I've never had the problem with maybe just one or two, the car seems to do it in good time, so I see no reason to change it. 

17 minutes ago, TheWanderer said:

I've never had the problem with maybe just one or two, the car seems to do it in good time, so I see no reason to change it. 

Does the car actually dip "automatically" before you can see oncomer? Yes or No.

Almost instantaneously 

I don't have matrix headlights so can't say how effective they are but the multiple posts I read of those that do have this feature being flashed do not instill much faith in their effectiveness - the automatic system seems flawed if oncoming drivers feel the need to flash you as they are being dazzled? Personally, one thing I hate is oncoming drivers, or drivers behind you, who don't dip their headlights in good time.  The moment I detect an oncoming car headlights, often by their beam reflecting on an approaching corner or the beams being visible over the brow of a hill, and long before they are straight ahead of me, I dip my lights so there is no chance of dazzling them - it's just common courtesy and considerate driving.

Really interesting debate. I find the matrix lights work really well. They don't dip before the sensor can see the actual headlights from oncoming cars, but they do quickly adjust. People tend to flash because they think they will be dazzled as the beams are so bright in my experience. 

 

My issue isn't with the matrix full beams though, it is with the dipped headlights. You may have noticed that the dipped beam pattern adjusts according to your speed. Once above about 30 or 40 mph I notice that the beam at the kerbside goes quite high. Road signs illuminated, cats,  dogs , children on the pavement etc. but this can dazzle oncoming traffic when on a left hand bend or overtaking on dual carriageway or motorway. I think this is the adaptive front light functionality- I can't seem to find anything definitive to tell me whether it's meant to go so high kerbside or not. But I think it's a fault as it does seem to be too high. Will try to get a photo. 

 

When stationery close to a wall the beam pattern is fine and pretty much level across. 

 

I get more flashes from the dipped beam issue than the matrix lights which seem to be fine tbh. 

6 hours ago, Ado12345 said:

They don't dip before the sensor can see the actual headlights from oncoming cars

As upthread I actually do (at least try) to dip before I can actually see oncoming. I also dip as soon as I have visual contact with one I am following.

21 hours ago, spcdust said:

the automatic system seems flawed if oncoming drivers feel the need to flash you as they are being dazzled

No, system works well if lights are properly calibrated.

There's been few examples here where car been taken to calibration and flashing stopped.

So system is not flawed, it's just drivers don't know how it works and that it needs calibration if they are being flashed. That's it.

If your car is not handling properly you take it for wheel allignment, and not say tarmac/tires/suspension if flawed, right? So same thing here - if one is being flashed, means system needs calibration. As easy as that...

12 minutes ago, Felix2021 said:

No, system works well if lights are properly calibrated.

There's been few examples here where car been taken to calibration and flashing stopped.

So system is not flawed, it's just drivers don't know how it works and that it needs calibration if they are being flashed. That's it.

If your car is not handling properly you take it for wheel allignment, and not say tarmac/tires/suspension if flawed, right? So same thing here - if one is being flashed, means system needs calibration. As easy as that...

So are cars coming off the production line with un-calibrated headlights - if so that would seem a major flaw?  Also, finding a dealership that accepts calibration is required and has the necessary equipment seems a more hassle.  How often do the headlights need re-calibrating and, once out of warranty, at what cost (I’m guessing hefty dealership prices).

 

I don’t know, flicking the dip and full beam switch yourself seems a lot easier and you can be more confident you are doing it in good time and not dazzling other road users.

2 hours ago, spcdust said:

How often do the headlights need re-calibrating and, once out of warranty, at what cost (I’m guessing hefty dealership prices).

Had conversation with mine regarding that. They checked if there are any errors logged associated with lights and if lights are set in correct level. Since they haven't found anything, further investigation is not covered by warranty if there is no problem. If I put it on a calibration stand and actually there will be a problem discovered, warranty will cover the cost of recalibration. If no problem found, they charge hourly rate for checking it, so like 15-20 minutes of work.
Still didn't go to check mine since I rarely drive at night, however planning to do so. I sometimes have cars flashing me but hard to say what the issue is. Many people perceive modern LED lights as super bright and are angry even if they are not really dazzled, including myself. And I never use high beam, people flash when I drive with dipped beam.

Edited 27 February, 20242 yr by Edela

There is certainly some discussion to be had regarding the brightness of Xenon / LED headlights.  I do a fair amount of driving at night and in recent years I increasingly find myself being dazzled more often than previously by headlights.  Initially, you think that the driver has them on full beam but actually I think more often or not they are dipped, it's just the sheer brightness of them.  LED bulbs are certainly the way forward for lights but they don't need to be so bright and intense that they could light up a football pitch.  As far as the Matrix array lights, in theory, it sounds like a good idea and maybe they do work in the main but people seem to blindly rely on the technology, I guess as they paid for it, despite "feedback" from other road users suggesting that they are not functioning as expected.

I still think it's because light designs are becoming very compact and more like point sources, so more lumens shone in an initally narow beam. Nobody has trouble looking at a bright clear sky but try looking directly at the sun.

 

Matrix lights are a collection of point sources with tiny mirrors.

 

With intense narrow beams comes problems with diffraction and deflection caused by imperfect and dirty optics and housings.

 

And having experienced it I'm sure matrix light control is often flawed. What happens if the windscreen in front camera is dirty or has rain droplets on it?

It might be, but as I regularly wash my screen I don't have any problems. 

6 hours ago, spcdust said:

So are cars coming off the production line with un-calibrated headlights - if so that would seem a major flaw?

No, cars are not coming off un-calibrated. However in some cases calibration is wrong or missed, but it should be considered as any other manufacturing flaw, that can be fixed under warranty. But definately it's not so, that all cars are un-calibrated, it's probably a small percentage that has some issue.

6 hours ago, spcdust said:

Also, finding a dealership that accepts calibration is required and has the necessary equipment seems a more hassle.

That's another story, but it's down to how distributors in different countries work. AFAIK VAG requires all dealerships to have proper equipment, but i have no idea why in some countries they tolerate ones, that don't have it...

6 hours ago, spcdust said:

How often do the headlights need re-calibrating and

They don't, unless you remove either one of the headlights or windscreen. Otherwise they don't need re-calibration.

Calibration is just about telling computers what is relative position of each LED segment against it's camera in the windscreen. Once this is done, it doesn't really change unless one of the system compenents is physically moved (changes position).

6 hours ago, spcdust said:

I don’t know, flicking the dip and full beam switch yourself seems a lot easier and you can be more confident you are doing it in good time and not dazzling other road users.

Well, seems it's not for you, fortunately we have a choice for now

I prefer matrix headlights now, that i have them. They are great.

But i do observe if i'm not dazzling others. If i would see that, i would take car for calibration right away.

1 hour ago, xman said:

What happens if the windscreen in front camera is dirty or has rain droplets on it?

If it's dirty system should refuse to work, same way as i.e. front assist, which also relies on the camera. Haven't checked however, as i keep my camera clean, and only times when i'm getting front assist warnings are during the day (caused by moisture in the morning), so cannot really check main beam than

If it's raining, droplets will not cause issues. Camera will see light in the bigger area, so will disable more segments, so still no dazzling.

Edited 27 February, 20242 yr by Felix2021

I live in regional Australia and I travelled about an 1.5 hours from Albury to Wagga Wagga and I was flashed by at 6 or 7 drivers.

I was watching the beam pattern change and the segments dim etc... I came to the conclusion that the system was taking too long to react or that the distance in which it's calibrated to recognise a car and dip the beam is too far.

One particular problem I have, is if I'm over taking a truck, I get to about the back of the cab before it re-illuminates the left-most section dazzling the truck driver. It doesn't happen every time, but enough that I've been flashed - which is particularly nasty if they have reverse/revenge flashers.

 

I also wonder how the wheel alignment calibration factors into how effectively light assist works. I ask because I had my wheel alignment done by a tire shop about three months ago and they struggled to calibrate the steering angle sensor.

12 hours ago, aaaaplay said:

I also wonder how the wheel alignment calibration factors into how effectively light assist works. I ask because I had my wheel alignment done by a tire shop about three months ago and they struggled to calibrate the steering angle sensor.

 

Hmm, I may be wrong, but I think I recall some discussion that changes e.g. wheel alignment or windscreen replacement, may require ADAS calibration. This could also apply to matrix lights. Which might be a reason not to buy a car with it.

There is an option in one of the menus regarding "Vehicle", that adjusts the sensitivity of the sensor and mine is set to high sensitivity, so that's why it responds quickly. 

 

As for windscreen replacement then Autoglass have a machine that does the calibration. 

Car is in the dealers today for service, some recall work and headlight calibration. I will update on here if the kerbside high illumination issue is sorted.

Following - similar issues . Going in on Wednesday to Marshall Letchworth.