Do you ever check that your dipped headlights do not dazzle the driver in front?
I find it very annoying to see my headlining lit up and light being directed from my mirror directly into my eyes. Even using the dipping feature of my mirror does not satisfy me as I cannot see much else than the offending vehicle as it reduces the light level considerably.
As my car is fitted with height adjustable headlamps, I try to make sure that my lights only occasionally cause a reflection from a car number plate. I think this is only being considerate.
Once I am on an open road I increase the level of the lights to get better visiblity. Adjustment is just under the speedo, just behind the wheel. I could also use the driving lights, but hardly ever do as it involves a stretch to hit the correct button to the left of the centre of the dashboard.
Do you have any pet ways of bringing to attention of other drivers that their headlights are set too high?
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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I agree, there are a lot of cars who have probably had a minor "no damage" parking bump but it has knocked the flimsy headlight out of alignment. Others I feel have replaced the bulb and it is not seated correctly. There are lots of cars with a headlight that shines right up like it's on main beam and shines the inside of your car up. It also dazzles you in the centre or driver's door mirror.
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Can live with that, it's the xenon lights that do my nut in. You can tell when you've got a car with them fitted behind you, and they're capable of dazzling from the other side of the motorway.
When I drive on motorways, I tend to wind the headlights down to the lowest setting anyway to avoid dazzling people.
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MOT test checks them at maximum height, unladen, as far as I know.So there should not be a need to lower headlights subsequently.I admit to doing it myself in dull daytime conditions to make more of a running light, and it keeps the motors free.
I'd be wary about lowering the headlights on the motorway- think of coming across debris in the dark at 69.99mph! you need the maximum visibility then.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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On the unlit sections of motorway around here headlights evean at full height adjustment wouldn't illuminate the road far enough ahead for you to react to anything 8-(
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I'm think that some people deliberately raise their dipped beams to give illumination approaching that of main beam.
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L\'escargot.
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This also must be related to how high the headlights are off the ground, a car's lights are lower than a 4x4's or van's, if one of these is behind you even with correctly adjusted beams it would dazzle you.
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I was unaware that the headlights could be adjusted! is this the case in a 04 mondeo
paul
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I was unaware that the headlights could be adjusted! is this the case in a 04 mondeo
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RTFM?
I would expect it to be fitted. I would guess a small edge on wheel with numbers 1-6 on it.
My 98 Mondeo has such a dash control.
I thought that all UK cars for a few years had to have them fitted.
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I was unaware that the headlights could be adjusted! is this the case in a 04 mondeo
The headlights of all cars are capable of being adjusted (with a screwdriver or Allen key etc.), both up/down and from side to side, to get the correct beam direction. Don't confuse this with some cars which are capable of being adjusted up and down to a limited degree from the driver's seat to compensate for abnormally high loads at the rear, such as might result from towing a caravan. My Focus Ghia has a little adjusting wheel sticking out of the fascia to the right of the steering wheel.
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L\'escargot.
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from the driver's seat to compensate for abnormally high loads at the rear, such as might result from towing a caravan. My Focus Ghia has a little adjusting wheel sticking out of the fascia to the right of the steering wheel.
The Mondeo has this unless it has Xenon lights where this control is absent due to Xenons being auto levelling.
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For the MOT test, The headlamp aim is checked as the vehicle is presented.
If the aim is too high, the vehicle fails.
If the aim is too low, the tester then has to raise the dashboard adjuster to the max. If this brings the aim into the tolerance range it passes.
On vehicles with headlamps fitted more than 850mm from the ground, the dip angle is greater. So even large vehicles shouldn't dazzle.
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Thought there was something about this in HJ's column in the DT on Sat, "Consequently, many cars are driven with headlights adjusted for a non-existent load, so the dip beams are too high".
Makes me think that the reverse would be the case, without the load the rear of the car woukd be higher so the dip beam would be lower. Of course if the car is loaded and the adjuster is not used then the dip beam will be to high.
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No naming and shaming please!
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Thought there was something about this in HJ's column in the DT on Sat, "Consequently, many cars are driven with headlights adjusted for a non-existent load, so the dip beams are too high".
I read it as well. It's not like HJ to be wrong, but he certainly was in this instance. If the headlight alignment meets MOT requirements, it's not possible to set the dipped beams too high under normal load conditions using the in-car adjuster.
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L\'escargot.
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There was a Brussels fudge to get rid of the very sensible
'dim - dip' set up that existed in the UK, all cars must be fitted with either an interior driver seat headlamp height adjustment button, or dim dip lamps. Most, if not all current cars now offer the headlamp adjustment option.
However, Xenons are except .... they MUST have automatic height adjustment, so the driver has no opportunity to adjust the height from inside the vehicle.
I recently purchased a car with Xenons, the improved light output is significant and makes night time driving safer. The headlamp alignment has been set by the (franchise) dealer, using the same items that are used for MOT testing - so they tell me!
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I think the headlamp adjustment from inside the car has been compulsory from the late 90's onwards on all new cars. It would be useful if people were told about them during driving lessons and the test, because a huge number of people just don't know what the adjustment knob is for, and how to adjust it dependant on load.
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Many thanks, have now found the knob and adjusted.
paul
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Many thanks, have now found the knob and adjusted.
Paul.
This thread has finally produced a result. One small step for man, but not mankind!
How can we educated all the other offenders?
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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The headlight levelers are the only essential control that is not covered in the driving test.
I would say put it in the driving test to make people aware of it.
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I wasn't aware of the requirement for the driving test to be taken in an up-to-date car? I took my test (ok, some years ago now) in my own (at the time 11 year old) car.
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i believe that to take a driving test a car now must have both drivers and passenger side mirrors, and also front head restraints as well as seatbelts for the front. Which is sort of "up to date". On top of that, many cars don't have front fogs (and some pre '80's cars don't even have rear fogs), yet you still have to learn when you are allowed to use fogs and when not.
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www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?cat=103
here's a link showing the minmum requirements
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That rules out a lot of fairly modern vehicles- especially the need for a dual scale speedometer and passenger headrest.
Ought the Mini convertible be on sale if it is thought to be that dangerous? The current trend to very thick windscreen pillars may also rule certain cars out.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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What's "an interior mirror for the examiner's use"? - the mirror on the inside of the glove compartment flap, so that he can powder his nose?
If it means a proper adjustable interior mirror exactly like the driver's, that would seem to rule out all cars except those belonging to driving instructors.
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I think it means you have to buy an extra one and stick it on the windscreen.
BB
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I would regard it as a tool of the trade and they should buy their own...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Thats right. When ex MrsW took her test last year her instructor forgot the extra mirror. As she was using her 9 year old Punto instead of his car a mad dash to Halfords was required so that the test could happen on time. She passed anyway.
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This is one of my pet hates and usually the worst offending cars are those such as the 1 serices and the M5 fitted with zenons had one behind me tonight (the headlights are the same height as my wing mirrors, I regularly check mine infact I have gone as far to park the car on a flat carpark walk in front 25feet to check the height of the beam and just look at the dazzle effect. This used to be the old way of checking the lights using a garage door, I think for a car the beam can be level but taller cars vans have to have it dipped.
Anouther problem is that because the lights can see 75mtrs + a road hump further back generates a flash in the mirror which I find more distracting.
I have the legal Osram Siver 50% more light the only difference I have noticed is the whiter light and possibly that it sees further.
cars that use auto levelling are pointless here in the westcountry since there is hardly a level surface around.
Two things strike me s dangerous about having the beams of the dipped near to the same output as mainbeam 1 is you will always annoy the person in front not to mention the person approaching you. 2 most cars have a combined headlight and indicator approaching a junction sometimes the indicatior is obsured by the overpowering headlamp, which is made worse by having a white front indicator (removing reflectors or not having a orange coated bulb)
I think we need to bring back dim dip and force it's use in built up areas which would drasticaly reduce accidents in town centres.
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dim dip wired into the ignition.... always on if the engine is running .... and a bulb failure warning light on the dashboard, on the same binnacle as the high beam blue light, not stashed away in some unseen corner.
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Surely every car has dim-dip. What are you thinking of bringing back?
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Surely every car has dim-dip.
Nope. Dim dip was dropped sometime around 1993. Dim dip was a system that let your dipped headlights illuminate at half brightness when only side lights were switched on in conjunction with the ignition.
It was to prevent you from driving on side lights only.
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