i had cataract surgery in late July. i still need reading glasses but first time since i was about 8 (over 60 years) that i didn't need glasses to drive. surgery made huge difference in distance visions... but i actually haven't driven at night all year!
Are headlights too bright ?
- Thread starter john danson
- Start date
jujube
SF VIP
Those blue ones really hurt my eyes.
Lizzie00
😎
- Location
- Down South
Mat
Member
I hate these new plastic headlight buckets, altho I don't own a vehicle that has them. I have driven newer cars that were around 5 years or older and the plastic turns yellow really lowering the light level. All new Cars and Trucks will experience this and I am surprised they allowed them to use plastic lens, the bulbs are small not the same as the older cars of so many years. I bought all new headlamps for my 82 Truck and saved a ton of money. It cost me 47 dollars for two hi beams and two low beams. Some retailers are asking that much for one headlamp. I will keep the working three removed for spares. I don't drive at night any longer and the last time I did drive at night was July 4th 13 years ago making a trip to Houston some 350 miles from me. I left here at 1am and was in Houston at 6am and took care of business and was sitting here at 1:30pm same day. My eyes were never really great at night driving.
I think the problem is not the vehicle's height unless something changes the headlights.
After minor accidents, the headlights are not always adjusted properly. And people sometimes install bigger tires or modify the vehicle's suspension or shocks on trucks & SUV's, which raises the ground clearance, then they don't adjust the headlights to compensate.
I don't drive at night very often, well, not at all right now. I did notice the glaring bright lights when I did drive at night. At first I flashed my brights at them thinking they had their bright lights on but I now know that's how they just are now. Way too bright!
john danson
New Member
I agree, those jacked up trucks can be dangerous,not just because of their lights.Ford had to recall over 200,000 trucks this year because of too bright headlights.At work I drove a truck at night a couple years ago which was 4wd and sat pretty high and even some of the oncoming cars were blinding,but never the older trucks and cars.Some of the accessory lights in the bumpers are even brighter than brights .
Uptosnuff
Member
- Location
- Great Plains, USA
I just bought a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. We had to turn on the lights when it got dusk and discovered it has the harsh white/blue headlights, even on the low beam. I felt guilty just turning them on as I know how I feel when I'm approaching a car with those. Yikes!
If I could change one thing about that car it would be the headlights.
If I could change one thing about that car it would be the headlights.
my loyal Hyundai Sante Fe was 16 years old when it was FUBAR back in January. by then she was winning any beauty contests and had close to 200,000 miles on her odometer... BUT always started and ran just fine.... another story.
a few years ago, had just pulled into a Wawa (very popular convenience store chain here in NJ) and saw (in the glass) that one of my headlights was out. also heard that most police officers were NOT generous with warning on something like that... not with "little old ladies". so stopped at dealer ship to price things out. THEY said they needed to replace entire light... about $60 or so for part and then labor on top!
we have 2 car parts chains in the area... Advance Auto & Auto Zone. last place i stopped had best price so bought there. i mentioned bulb was original from when car rolled off lot in 2004. he suggested i change both bulbs... Murphy's Law and all. oh, and both of the "A" places replaced bulbs for FREE. so 2 new bulbs for less than $50.
is there any miracle cure for that yellowing of the lens??
thanks for info, but poor '04 was declared a total loss. was just wondering if there was any kind of effective "preventative"?
Maybe, but it wouldn't solve the problem on the inside of the lens.
Treacle
Senior Member
- Location
- Swindon Wiltshire UK
I do not drive at night time now but when I did I wore 'glasses' that had a yellow tint that would tone down the light from oncoming cars. I am interested to know why some cars have their lights on during the day even in summer light. Do they come on automatically when you start the car ?Always confounded me.
Where I took driving lessons, students were instructed to turn on their headlights, even in daytime. We do this, even now, and notice some other drivers also have them on in daylight.
DaveA
Senior Member
- Location
- Coastal Massachusetts, USA
When we get our annual inspection stickers (mandatory) your headlights are checked for proper alignment and are reset if necessary. The high mounted lights of these monster pick-ups are aimed properly but as you near them, their high mounting position still causes them to be more blinding, no matter if properly aimed height-wise.
They're called "Daytime Running Lights." Most cars made after 2012 have them. On most cars, they come on automatically. I think they're silly, except in rainy weather.
Treacle
Senior Member
- Location
- Swindon Wiltshire UK
Thank you @win231 for the information. Agree with you. I've never seen the point to have them on when the conditions are good and some of the headlights are quite strong even in daylight. Is there a purpose for 'daytime running lights' ?
Mat
Member
It cost more to have the headlights on all the time, it takes horsepower to turn a loaded alternator which in turn requires more gas. I wonder why the fossil fuel police haven't complained. You will buy a new alternator if you keep one of these new vehicles long enough, that is why I still like my 38 year old Truck, it is like the energizer bunny, it just keeps going and going and going.
The lights on my 2019 Altima are LED's (I think). The daytime running lights are not the same lights as the nighttime headlights. I know LED's use very little power & produce a lot of light. I average 30 mpg (in CA, even with all the emission-control devices). Over 40 mpg on the highway. Not bad for a mid-size car.
the only time i have ever turned on the headlights has been the FIRST time i drove it... and any time the car went in for service. seems about every car can be set to come on and go off automatically... i never have to touch them. BUT if i go in for any sort of service... fix a flat, oil change, etc... they ALWAYS turn the lights off?? i don't know for sure why, but some states require daytime lights. probably just easier to have lights-on as the first option??
OneEyedDiva
SF VIP
- Location
- New Jersey
I don't drive anymore due to visual issues. Haven't in 15 years, except to pull my husband's van around from the parking lot in front of the house. I stopped being able to drive at night a few years before I quit hitting the road because headlights seemed to spread across the road in a blinding fashion. Plus I have very poor night vision. It would have been dangerous for me to drive under those circumstances.