Automakers Are Cheating Again! - The Carmudgeon Show w/ Jason Cammisa & Derek Tam-Scott - Ep 140
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- Опубликовано: 7 апр 2024
- If you've noticed that headlights are blinding, you should know it's because automakers are cheating on lighting standards, just as they've cheated about emissions and safety. Jason calls it Lighting-Gate!
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The dim-witted U.S. Government has blocked automakers from installing Adaptive Matrix Lights, which are a quantum step forward in lighting technology, because it worries about them blinding oncoming traffic.
Which they're specifically designed to avoid.
Meanwhile, the automakers have been blatantly cheating on lighting standards by installing "dark pixels" so that their cars pass the ill-written letter of the law but entirely not the spirit. And the government hasn't noticed - they've probably been blinded by those headlights.
And worse, at the same time, they've allowed cars to be driven without a single light on their exterior - but a fully illuminated, dimmed instrument panel.
And ALSO, allows red turn signals, when amber turn signals have been demonstrated to reduce rear-end collisions by a FOURTH.
We have an epidemic of bad automotive lighting in America, and the automakers need to be held accountable.
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There was no clap starting off the episode. If Derek does not clap, has this episode truly started?
No clap, no song, barely a Hagerty plug, this is a very long intro. Not an episode. I'm thinking intentional plausible deniability so they have a loophole when Sylvania sues them.
Are they filming back to back now?? 😂
@@Vattiis_Happonnen They often do.
That's because the episode REALLY starts when a lawsuit is filed against the automakers for the cheater headlights
And no Click and Clack either. (OK, wrong era)
As someone with astigmatism, driving in a Miata surrounded my Medal Model 3s with poorly aimed headlights (and seemingly high beams all the time) I agree with all of this. And the amount of cars that drive around at dusk with no lights on because their instrument cluster is fully illuminated is maddening. It seems as though the general is too stupid to be trusted to manage headlights, so mandate that they are always on when needed and if you want to be able to bypass that, then you should have to long press or confirm you're disabling your lights.
I switch between driving and BMW Z4 and focus st I can barely drive that roadster at night. Because anything that is taller than ACU v is blinding. The focus is only a little better and it looks like a monster truck compared to the Z4.
As a motorcyclist, I wonder why cars can't run the same way - front and rear lights on all the time with a switch for highbeams. Done.
Beyond that, ban Class 2 laser headlights. Seriously, how is this a thing
Interestingly in my opinion this was less of a problem years ago where there was no auto light function in cars, so people had to switch them on manually every single time, and when the dashboard would only light up when the lights were on.
Both the auto function and the constant dashboard light due to the switch to LCD instrument clusters have worsened that.
It's like too much "automatic functions" are making people less able to do stuff.
I have a habit of always leaving my lights on... Being a motorcyclist (dad taught me to always make yourself as visible as possible) and having spent a large part of my working career in the mining industry where it's mandatory at all times on pretty much all sites just taught me it makes sense to.
All my cars are new enough now that they turn themselves off once you lock the doors anyway, so it's not something I ever have to think about. Set them to on and forget about them.
@@Vattiis_Happonnenindeed... My older motorcycles don't have them hardwired to the on position, but my newer bikes do and I always turn them on whenever I ride anyhow.
My old man taught me lots of good habits. Lights, as well as NEVER sitting in the middle of the lane when you're in stationary or slow moving traffic, sit in-between the lanes. For obvious reasons.
We're allowed to lane split here too though.
The worst thing about sharing a brake light and a turn signal is during an emergency stop, if the driver is smart enough to hit the hazard light button, they’re actually turning off 2/3 of their brake lights temporarily. It makes absolutely no sense.
Lmao been there. I quit doing it
During an emergency stop, you should 100% be devoted to maintaining control of the car, not thinking about hitting your hazards.
Glad I'm not the only one who thinks it's insane how bright headlights have gotten! The highbeams of older style headlights are even more dim than the "daytime running lights" of most new cars. Also I think they should mandate that the rear lights are always on because too many drivers hop in their dark grey cars when it's pouring rain and don't have their headlights on so you can barely see them through the mist.
Grey during the rain and fog, white during the snow, black at night. I tell ya as a truck driver I really dislike grayscale cars.
@@LOVE-VIBES-X-PROJECT-CARS Don't forget tan/sandy colored cars in desert states. They just disappear in the background.
They’re not ”bright” they are ”not dipped” which they should be.
Totally agree. I don’t know why headlights and taillights shouldn’t be on all the time.
that's just standard bay area things.
One thing that I have noticed is that on top of headlights being overly bright, people with trucks lift them without adjust the headlights amplifying the issue even more.
@user-hg4li3zx1x You don't lift a truck for the lights, you lift for ground clearance. The issue is the CAFE rules require newer trucks to be absolutely massive and manufacturers place the light buckets as high as possible for crash reasons.
Even better are the ones who do that and then have a trailer attached, squatting the back of the truck.
A dude we work with put a 3" front end leveling kit on his F-150 and slapped LED's in the headlights. He blinded the fuck out of every one all the time. We gave him shit every day until he at least leveled the lights back down some. The dimming mirrors in my F-150 would be full dark when he was behind me... at least we finally did away with squatted trucks.
@f1y7rap the issue is the people that level the front end for looks bc they don't use a truck as a truck and they don't like the rake, and then don't aim their headlights back down. Lifting is one thing. Leveling is bullshit. One is functional, the other is visual.
that's a big problem jeeps are the worst
I AM SO HAPPY. Finally we are addressing the single most INFURIATING thing about driving!
Glad they addressed this too. Just wondering, have they addressed how increasingly worse visibility is getting in newer cars?
@@aleppo1Agreed! It drives me mad that car makers spend more time making interior lighting and non-essential gizmos than fundamentals like being able to see out of your car!
As a Canadian, I can surely say that, despite the mandatory auto headlights and non-illuminated dash while the lights are off, I still regularly see people (2-3 per day) driving without any lights on when it’s dark out. Truly frightening.
On the QEW or 400 series?
@@BrimHawksadly, can confirm :(
They only just fixed the regulations in the past year, it'll be years before all the ghost cars evaporate.
Remember it doesn't apply to the millions of cars that existed before the law :)
@@BrimHawk Anywhere between Toronto and Kingston… very widespread among southern Ontarians.
Also DRLs, whether it's an LED strip or just the headlight a bit dimmer (like a current Corolla pre facelift), and they're so bright so the driver thinks the lights are on but I'm driving behind them and their rear lighs aren't on, but they have no clue
Every Nissan Rogue owner on the road. Never turns on their lights becasue the LED DRLs are so bright they think their lights are on.
my car lights turn on automatically when it gets dusk, dark, mist or rain.
@@Cajun1978Nissan tech here. These Rogues don’t have a “DRL” mode on the switch. The switch is either off-park-on OR, off-auto-park-on. There is no DRL mode. Those DRL LED lights are illuminated EVEN IN THE OFF POSITION. That’s the issue. They don’t flick that switch into the on position and since their gauges are lit up at all times and those DRLs are bright on their own, the driver is none the wiser.
@@PigglyWigglyDeluxe ah thats bad. On my VW the drl is on all the time, but when it gets dark outside, the gauges in the dashboard is not illuminated anymore, until you turn on the headlights, so it easy to spot.
@@AndrewTSq yep VW is smart about it.
As a Canadian on the west coast -- the amount of people I see driving around at night, in the rain, without lights is spooky. Completely oblivious to my incessant flashing, they continue driving, angry at me for flashing them, road rage follows in complete darkness. I have given up to altering others to their situation.
The darkness rage is haunting.. lol. People need to learn how to communicate on the roads.. WITH LIGHTS! God, 30 under the speed limit, throw the 4 ways up, no lights on the car coming at you, flash the lights, what about how you say thank you to the car behind you, double or triple tap the brake lights or tap the 4 ways. Meh, I gave up long ago.
Canadian road are yoo well lit.
Here in Ontario at night you can drive without your lights on and not know... even with LED lights.
Thank you for bringing this up. Driving at night, especially in the rain, is terrifying now.
I'm definitely feeling it in my lowered Miata
these two are probably some of the very few ppl who can make a podcast about headlights and make it interesting.
You'll also love the channel Technology Connections' videos on headlights and taillights.
I’ve screamed at people to turn on their lights in traffic, several of them legit screamed back “no”
I swear there is some kind of phycological thing with people... "hey I don't think your lights are on" is well received but "turn your lights on" can cause a fight.
That kind of tact/gentle approach is probably a good idea in general 😂
Ahhh... guilty
@@S8ER I agree. In the moment I get heated so indeed I could learn from this too
@@PigglyWigglyDeluxe I am guilty as well 😂
That's so bizarre. Maybe they saw it as a lesser evil than blinding everyone else on the road. :D
Also, who the HELL thought it was a good idea for super duty ford trucks to have FOUR LOW BEAMS
And now Honda is doing the same thing with some of their cars
@@heavenleigh111 civics are the WORST now. Accords too.
and don't forget Toyota, Tacoma & Tundra.
Wall of light. It’s bullshit. W/ fogs on as well, there are 6 lights on, which is expressly against my states laws.
The CHMSL is definitely a life saver around these parts because so many cars seem to have both normal brake lights burnt out/inoperable, that often times the CHMSL is the only brake light working.
ALSO. The Civics with the high beams! I feel so validated because I complain about this on a weekly bias. Thank you Jason.
brake light is another problem!, many hybrids and ev's do not turn on brake lights when using regen.. so they brake like they used their brakes, but no signal to other cars at all. The people in charge of the laws....
Thank you for not only having this important discussion but doing it in a well-educated and researched manner. It's why I enjoy this podcast so much. We need more journalists to bring this up and get the legislation changed ASAP.
Hi. Guy from Canadia here. The law that went into order in 2021 you were referring to (the "Phantom Vehicle Law") specifies a vehicle has to have at least 1 of the 3 following characteristics :
- Rear lights that illuminate automatically with DRL's (which are, as you correctly mentioned, mandatory over here);
- Automatic lights for the front, sides and rear;
- No dash lights when headlights are turned off.
That being said, I am not aware of any passenger car sold in the Canadian market without automatic lights for the 2024 MY.
EDIT : I almost forgot! This law is also applicable to motorcycles and semis.
Derek Jason love the show. Keep it up. Here’s my story with a Honda. The wife was rear-ended last summer. So while her 300 S was in the shop getting fixed. I had no choice but to take a 2022 Honda Civic four-door as a rental. I had the headlight switch in automatic mode. And while driving through the city with ample street lights. In between the street lights, the highbeams would flicker on and off. I thought this was kind of weird so I took it out of the city. As soon as I got out of the city, the headlights automatically came on. To get around this, I actually had to turn them from automatic to on so the highbeams would not automatically come on. I went through all the menus in the entertainment center and everything else and I could not find a way to turn that off. As a truck driver that drives from London Ontario to Toronto twice a day. I would have to say that 90% of the vehicles that have their highbeams on are a Honda. I wish Honda would do an update where you could go into the settings, like most other vehicles and turn the automatic highbeams off. Cheers 🍻
"I wear my sunglasses at night.
So I can, so I can.
Keep track of the visions in my eyes."
When I bought an s2000 after years of not having a low car, I couldn’t drive the car at night. So many cars had these bright lights and I couldn’t see a thing every 3 blocks or on the highway. I had to invest in anti glare rear and side mirrors, polarised sunglasses, and tint the back window to limo tint just to survive at night. It wasn’t like this at all back in 2016
I was born and raised in Thailand. Amber turn signals were just a normal thing. So I was surprised when I came to U.S. for the first time and saw that a lot of cars have red turn signals or even worse; a combined brake lights and turn signals.
It's ridiculous.. I used to see it in old American movies and just assumed it was an outdated thing
I was a delivery driver for nearly 10 years. One time I repeatedly flashed a Fiat Cherokee to turn their lights on. They were traveling in my direction in front of me all through town. They never got the hint. I eventually got back to my restaurant and they followed me back to my store and FIGHT ME. Dead serious. “Stop flashing me! You got a problem?” He got all in my face and I just said dude your lights were off. “Oh… sorry” then he left with his tail between his legs.
no way seriously
@@nooooooooooo6uoki67 yup. Thats honestly when I stopped doing food delivery. Idiots are multiplying
Here in the Province of Ontario Daytime running lights have been mandatory since 1989.
Same in US since 2011. People are creative though.
Could the government force a recall on these unsafe lights. I wish it could happen.
No. They want everyone's driving experience to suck.
DT-S .. "as long as you don't drive past the same donut shop".. sly.... 😂😂
5:45 😂The intensity of that answer sent me😂😂
Me too 🤣
Headlight Gate! Yessss!
I live in Western WA where in addition to comatose vehicle operators, we are likely 2nd in line to CA for Tesla (and Subaru) operators per capita. I think its the Model Y that is particularly scorching, but difficult for my retinas to recover quickly enough to be sure, but definitely Tesla's in general. I've been triggered to insanity at times and as a result often fire up the high beams on my '07 Toyota truck every time I get blinded. 🤯 🤷🏻♂️
As for design, in my Toyota, if you leave the headlight switch in the on position, it turns the lights off after you kill the engine and open the door and turns them on automatically when you start the engine, functioning similarly to DRL. Howerver, not without the flaw of running down the battery should you kill the engine and NOT open the door while taking a nap at a rest stop. 😉😅 Been there.
Like Jason, I've thrown in the towel on the unilluminated vehicles with dashboards a blazing. WTF.
THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS EPISODE! I will be sharing this without reservation. 🙏🤗 God bless sometimes dumbass America. 🇺🇲
Tesla Model 3 and Y are both horrific!
I like the way my Saab 9-3 deals with auto headlights: there’s no way to turn them off. There’s 3 settings: auto, parking lights, and on. And it yells at you if you put the parking lights on when it wants the lights on (the car also has amber rear turn signals). Also, the new Chevy Colorado has its lights as a option in the touchscreen, which many people complain about. But it has auto headlights…I’ve never had a time where I’ve needed to touch my lights at all because it’s auto.
Thank you!!!! As a truck driver who drives exclusively at night I can attest that everything discussed here NEEDS to be addressed. #headlightgate
I’m so sorry for your family friend Jason. Glad they made it. A few years ago I was leaving my dark tree lined neighborhood on a rainy night, stopped at a stop sign looked both ways didn’t see anything. I started to clutch out and turn left, but I heard the tell tale noise of water on tires coming from the right so I slammed on my brakes, a black shadow whooshed by ahead inches ahead of me. A few moments later the headlights on their car came on and a flat black car appeared where there was nothing Be safe out there and remember to check your headlights are on.
As a euro (UK) driving around in a golf I don’t think matrix really works, I seem to get dazzled all the time! Minis BMWs and Teslas seem to be the worst culprits! With BMW can see the matrix trying to work sometimes I swear
06 civic owner here. There’s no reason why these cars should have their high beams on. There’s a very obvious blue high beam indicator on if their high beams are on. They are simply ignoring it.
Some people honestly think that the blue light is just for telling them that they have their headlights on 🤦🏼♂️
@@heavenleigh111I don't remember which car it was that I drove, older Toyota Yaris maybe? Anyway, the blue indicator illuminates at a lower brightness with the DRLs. So there is always a blue light on the dash. And the initiated probably can't tell the difference. This could be widespread and I wouldn't know because I mostly drive old cars.
@@bluetoes591 not a Yaris. I have a Yaris. Yaris doesn’t do that. Hondas do, my civic does. When the lights of off, you have the high beam bulbs on at half voltage, the you can BARELY see the high beam indicator on in the dash, also at half voltage. It’s a weird design.
@@bluetoes591 my Yaris in DRL mode will shine low beams at full voltage brightness though. My headlight switch on my Yaris has 4 modes. On, DRL, park, on. In that order.
@@PigglyWigglyDeluxe off?
As someone who commutes more than an hour to get home at night, I agree something has to be done about brightness, aim, and just plain getting people to turn them on. I don’t dare drive on a one lane highway at night unless I absolutely have to. All the oncoming traffic lights are too bright.
the automatic hazards-during-heavy-breaking is an underrated point - my non-car friends are always amazed when I reach over and hit the hazards in a panic stop situation, much to my amusement. Having it be required would absolutely help reduce rear-end crashes
It gets interesting with EVs which can slow dramatically without the driver hitting the brake pedal (which of course can also happen with downshifting) - I like the idea that the car could illuminate the brake lights automatically in response to G-forces, flashing them when it's more extreme.
Not having the ability to turn off automatic headlights when parked is maddening to me. When my wife and I go out we like to get food and sometimes eat in the car. We are always blinded by the people who park across from us because they can’t turn their headlights off! The only way to turn off the automatic headlights in a 2010 Toyota Corolla is to turn the car off, pull the handbrake up 1 click, and then restart the car. Only then do you have the ability to turn off the automatic headlights when the car is on and in park.
Trucks with the Carolina Squat and multiple LED light bars + crazy bright headlights are my favorite
I was connecting with my inner Jason driving on a Pittsburgh back road tonight no more than 20 minutes ago. Subaru Outback, CVT I'm sure, no lights and 10 under on in 35... As I approached, flashing my highbeams, trying to get some sort of response in the positive direction towards proper motoring, I noticed a perfectly square dent matching the size of the F350 I was in. The Ford oval was practically embossed in the sheet metal. Someone has been in my situation before and did what we all wanted to do.
Am I the only one that would rather have a 911 S/T than a GT3? 🤔 (Ok, I'll admit, the GT3 Touring is great as well)
Yet another topic that boils my blood. Thanks for getting me worked up today gentlemen. Greats discussion.
I am a tow truck driver on the east coast and I work nights and this is 100% accurate. The statement about 2000s era Civics with high beams on is uncanny. My guess is that the lenses become cloudy more than other cars maybe but I get blinded multiple times a night. It is truly enfuriating and sometimes if there are no other cars Ill turn my work lights on to try to send a message.
I too belive this is a major contributing reason for those older cheap cars.
As a professional driver this is a huge deal to me. You also forgot to mention model X and Audi users not understanding what rear fog lights are for and blinding everyone in both directions of travel
These people turn on everything they've got to look "cool". I drive an Audi and in 5 years, I think I turned the foglights on twice. The rear fog aims right at you, it doesn't come on automatically. I think on A5 and down it might be linked to the front fogs, but on the more expensive models it is separate which makes it way more difficult to turn on by accident. The "look at me" age and demographic that drives these things will never stop until they get tickets. If you are a professional driver, then you'd know the newer drivers do way more dangerous things like suprise U turns, stopping in a lane for no reason, using the wrong signal for the wrong direction, cutting across all lanes and then going back across all lanes because they changed their mind again and the list goes on. Rear foglight seems like a pittance compared to the stupidity you see daily.
Piechasode 😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮
One of my most shameful driving memories is still getting high-beam checked by a Tesla for not having my headlights on. Never again, always on Auto.
My Buick LaCrosse (and presumably most GM products) with automatic headlights is constantly monitoring and if I have the headlights off while I'm driving and the car determines that I should need them, it shows a message that says "HEADLIGHTS SUGGESTED", it boggles me that this isn't a standard.
GM backup lights that turn on when car is unlocked. Makes vehicle appear to be in reverse, causing drivers to stop in the street and wait for the car to backup, but its not. There should be an immediate recall to disconnect the backup light from that convenience lighting circuit.
As a dude that mainly rides at night ,the amount of newer cars running around without lights at night is shocking and dangerous. I don’t need any more help playing frogger irl.
I have been noticing for the past few years the high #s of late model cars [less than 6 years old] running down the freeways at night w/ no taillights. So many. And I can't figure out how they're doing this all the time w/o the CHP pulling them over to give them a fixit ticket...
I flick my highbeams constantly for people that dont have their car lights on and wow some/most people are so zoned out
Sadly, that's about all you can do. Mthe desired action for the 'dark' car.y Accord can't turn OFF all the lights on the front, so after I pass them I turn my stalk down to the minimum - which is fully dark at the Rear. Sadly, rarely does it cause
CVT WRX makes no sense, it should not even be a thing
My 2018 wrangler JL had no DRLs. This vehicle was the same grey as an overcast. I had to have the headlights on in the middle of the day because I felt invisible. I also programmed in the flashing brake lights.
This episode speaks to me. It is 90% of my road rage these days.
The '69 Dodge Polara had one of the first modern projector beam lamps - only one - as an optional extra, called the Super-Lite. It's astounding to see a full-size C-Body barge with a single headlamp from the future just chilling in the grille.
I'm glad these issues are being talked about. Jason is right on 100%. The blinding lights problem needs government action right away before hundreds of thousands more of them get added to our roads each year. On a 2-lane road at night I spend a lot of time looking intently for the white line to my right in order to make sure I'm staying in my lane (because I can't look forward against the mighty power of a billion lumens per square inch aimed my way), and praying the oncoming car isn't drifting into my lane because there's no way I'd be able to tell if they were.
As for CARB, cleaner air and well-maintained cars are a great thing. Their methodology needs a serious look especially for pre-OBD2 fuel injected cars. If they're lowering the acceptable particulate limits below what the cars originally had to pass, they need to allow for those cars to be updated with more modern sensors and computing technology. But no, CA lumps that all under "tampering." Right to jail.
Let’s not forget the gm cars with their dumb reverse lights on when you are not in reverse
I remember seeing the rectangular 4x6 headlights appear in 1975, just so happens my Dad's 75 Pontiac Catalina came with the 4 separate round headlights but the same model year Grandville had the rectangular headlights. When that car became mine in 1985, I was 16. I hated the lack of illumination and went and bought replacement Hella assemblies with H4 inserts. The beam pattern was a HUGE improvement , not brighter but I could actually see more of the road. Those headlights are still available and still labeled as "off road use only"
such a good topic !!!! thanks guys for putting it together !!! its a really big deal !!! Super informative as always (:
This. All of this. I've been ranting about this for years.
But i do have concerns about the costs of those miracle adaptive headlights. Get in fender bender and youre out $15k in lighting equipment.
When I bought my GR, I went with the base model because the premium came with headlights the dealer had listed for $1800/each.
Several car models I looked at have the adaptive headlights and it was kind of a deal breaker when I looked at replacement costs. You can't just buy a bulb when your headlight burns out, you need to replace the whole unit. I don't care if they say these new LED lights last 50k, 100k, 200k hours. I see tons of cars with non-working headlights, and even if the tech is different, I have LED light bulbs in my house burning out just as often as incandescent bulbs (new fixture, old fixture or LED only fixture, on a power conditioner, doesn't matter, a few a year have issues).
Running ECE sealed-bean replacement housings was an absolute game changer. It actually changes where the beam shines from low to high, and spreads light to the side, as opposed to having a dim spot in the middle of its bean turn into a slightly less dim spot.
A little random thing, my Golf Alltrack (with auto lights) turns the dash lights off when you turn the lights to “off” or “running” at night so if I can’t see anything inside the car, I can’t see outside either
A new(ish) car with old school mentality. Including the stock halogen REFLECTORS (smh). I upgraded them now but yeah
Also I just spent $1300 on euro tail lights for said Alltrack… and then I have to code it in… 😒
The fronts were literally plug and play. Why do automakers do this to us?!
Excellent! It needed to be said and needs to be acted on.
I love this raw discussion and passion 😂 Keep it up!
53:20 @Derek's comment on older European cars having red lenses for the US and amber for Europe, I believe this is down to styling preferences.
All-red lenses look cleaner and different/more exotic to our European eyes, so the designers of those vehicles (E-type, 911, R107 SL, etc.) probably chose to have distinct lenses for US export cars.
It's probably also why the industry as a whole moved away from amber lenses (even outside of the US) in the 80's/90's to red/white/smoked lenses, but still used an amber bulb to meet regulation.
As someone that has worked for UK-based auto manufacturers, we still have market-specific taillights for the US that have red turn signal bulbs (just because they look cooler!) and then another set of taillights for RoW (rest of world) with amber bulbs. The German brands clearly also derivatise their rear clusters for the US market for the same reason.
But I agree with the fundamental point that they are less safe.
The thing that is counterintuitive about shrinking the Emissions Standards is that, environmentally speaking, it is a far better option to drive a poor emissions car until it stops working, than to buy a whole new car and run that marginally more efficient car. These are resources that have already been exhausted for the old car. Each new car requires emissions to manufacture, especially EVs. So choking emissions down on old cars is just forcing people to drive and buy new cars, keeping the demand up, and forcing tons and tons of emissions from making so many new cars to replace the ones that don't fit standards. This is great for keeping the car industry growing and demand up, but terrible for environmental impact.
Being in the UK the headlight isn't an issue here, what irks me is DRL's which leads people to think their lights are on when they aren't
Also, as a former 9th gen Civic driver, there is nothing tricky at all about the high beams in that car. I do notice that it always seems to be those with super oxidized lenses living with their high beams on.
fix the light truck loophole and limit the height of headlights too.
You know the lower the lights are the easier it is for them to shine up into our eyes when out of adjustment or there's a load in the rear of the car? Plus as they're coming up over the top of little rolling hills and even bumps in the road
@@heavenleigh111 you know with lower lights when I'm in my VAN at a stop light the idiot in the truck behind me will have his l lights below my mirrors rather then directly in them. If your lights are effected that much by the weight in the back you bought the wrong tow vehicle.
Tall modern pickups aren't work vehicles, they are badly finished overpriced minivans for insecure men.
Make them Auto-Adjusters!
Thank you for this! Exactly what I've been shouting for years!
I live in BFE and it gets dark as all get out. I have an aftermarket headlight harness straight to my battery and off-road halogen bulbs in aftermarket e-code housings. The light output is so much better than the stock sealed beams, but they arent laser beams.
I aimed my headlights properly and i never get flashed by people passing me at night. I get passed by new cars and their headlights wash mine out because they are so much brighter. It's pretty crazy.
So many things to point out on this one, having been in the wholesale dealer world for a decade. Things like the "required" middle seat head restraint circa 2006 or 2007, but the 2017-ish Equinox and Silverado didn't have them (as examples). Then there are the required back-up cams, which I can assure you not all Chargers and Challengers had in that time window. Then there's the lack of a CHMSL on my parents 1987 Ford Ranger which probably lacks it because "it's not a passenger vehicle." So much slips by....
I like how many GM's (though not all) have the feature that when turning the headlights off, it springs automatically back to auto... that is most appreciated.
As for the auto/DRL thing (like the Soul) I've noticed that as well. I work at a wholesale dealership, and it's amazing how many modern cars still don't have the DRL's come on in auto. I was also amused to see a late Canadian Tacoma without an "off" feature on the stalk-- it started at auto, and had parking lights and on.
I also recall my dad's 2006 Corolla S would turn the lights on automatically if they weren't turned on. It would move maybe three feet and do it... again, something that should just be a thing.
Regarding Hyphen and the "higher trim" amber rear signals, I think that's Ford. A number of Super Dutys we've had tend to have amber signals in higher trim, but plain reds in lower, but that's been changing in the newer years.
A concern I have for modern European light clusters is simply the technology and maintenance. We have to depend on it to stay in working order, and lets be honest... people suck. Again, working in wholesale, I get to see modern vehicles with not even 4,000 miles having hissy fits or malfunctioning features. We had a 2020 Supra during Covid (obviously, new Supra with only 2,000 miles) where it was fine aside from an inoperable horn. Now just imagine the 80,000 mile Altima's and Sentra's we get coming through here for reconditioning. The radar cruise for a number of vehicles can be disabled simply by having a windshield put in that has the wrong thickness or lamination, and/or not being calibrated. A small bump to a Tacoma or Tundra rear bumper end can throw the entire blindspot monitoring through a loop. Poor front end alignment can send stability management out the window... and people won't (or can't) fix this stuff, and lose their precious nannies.
We also have to give some of the blame to the drivers. How are you driving at night with only your instrument cluster lit and no other interior lights on at all, without realizing that your headlights (and taillights) aren't on? It's insane.
Been waiting years for someone to talk about this. Thought it was just me. Thanks!
I feel like Zack on smoking tire was just talking about this a month ago. Bmw's with all 4 lights on, teslas blinding people, or cars with auto high beams not working correctly. I live on the country twisty roads in FL ( yes there are some curves and hills here) its pitch black then behind a curve i can see some ones headlights adjust several times before they even make it to the curve...lol
Its amazing to me how many people i have seen driving with no lights on because the person thinks their light are on due to the dash lights and running lights being so bright
The ones that's been driving me nuts lately is cars that have swapped in LED high beams.
Many cars undervolt the high beams for DRLs, but LEDs go full output at half voltage, so they're driving around blinding everyone else in daylight. My auto dim rear mirror doesn't change over in daylight which makes it extra annoying.
Annnnd somehow the worst offenders seem to be Subarus. 🤷♂️
The “dark spot” engineering makes so much sense now. I always wondered why the light output on my F15 X5 is so wildly, horribly, inexcusably blotchy and uneven. Now I know.
I have a Kia Stinger GT and have had the headlight issue several times. One was after I left the dealership and later at night I thought everyone were being total assholes until the police pulled me over to ask why I had no lights on. The dealer had turned off the automatic lights and I did not notice as I was driving in an urban area with plenty of light. Absolutely an issue.
Literally was sitting here the other day thinking that my desk job is ruining my vision because driving at night is now so stressful (it never was 10ish years ago). Glad to hear that it’s not just me 😂
Oh wait, so it’s not me? I’m 20 and for the last year or so I’ve been seriously worried about my eyes because I kept being blinded by “low lights” 😅
PLEASE people if you are one of the people like Jason and Derek stop using your hazards during hard braking (or in the rain) UNLESS you have amber turn signals or at the very least turn the hazards back off once a car or two has stopped behind you. Leaving your hazards on without having the ambers causes your brake lights to be overridden by the hazard signal leaving you with just the high mount brake light for brake signaling.
Derek’s look at the end of the show is him contemplating all his life choices
Drove a 2004 Civic for 8 years and I can comment on the high beam situation. The left stalk when engaging high beams doesn't move forward very far at all and takes basically no effort, so when using turn signals (assuming that is a normal practice to the average driver of a 20 year old Honda Civic...) it is challenging to notice the difference in reach to the stalk. In my experience with the car when getting in, I often accidentally hit it without noticing. Additionally, the actual blue high beam indicator in the gauge cluster was noticeably dimmer than every other car I've owned and driven which made it really difficult to notice. In all trims below the EX, the rest of the gauge cluster was the same shade of blue as the light, further hiding the indicator. Also... the headlights truly sucked in that car, and upon adjusting the bulbs, I noticed that they were set very low, and to my knowledge that adjustment hadn't ever been tweaked. It's possible that because the low beam bulbs suck so much and are adjusted very low, that some folks knowingly use their high beams just to see at night. Most likely people accidentally hit the stalk forward and don't notice-- as Jason so elegantly touches on right at the end, the average American driver is pretty out of touch with the state of their lights, among other things.
Also all these euro cars that have amber turn signals but because they're sequential and US requires a certain amount of light on the very first Hz of light, so Audi or whoever just cans the amber sequential and just makes a red turn signal with the brake light with their sequential
A year ago I got the chance to drive a family members 2022 Nissan leaf at night. As soon as I got in I found the light switch and thought I turned on the lights. Instead the DRLs we're bright enough that I thought they were the headlights.
(I was driving a 2012 Chevrolet Volt with dim halogen lights at the time)
In Sydney it’s an absolute epidemic of drivers with no lights on, but the dash is lit up like Christmas tree and those stupid day light lights are on. So dangerous the damn things like a void that you don’t want to encounter. It’s all new cars as well, had a MB W203, left the lights on in auto all the time, and always had lights when needed didn’t touch that dial since new. Can’t fathom why the new cars don’t have that automated, transition between DRL and normal lights or an actual indication that your lights are not on. 😡
Owner of 2002 Honda Civic here: Its a combination of the lenses being so hazy that the low beam doesn't do anything so they switch to high beam all the time, and because of the new cars having two of saurons eyes attached to the front of their cars, the civic owners keep them on High to 'counter-act' the brightness of the others. Also something to note is the Age of the owners, the owners of these older Hondas are also old themselves, so their old shitty eyes require more light to see. But its an awful recipe since they wont know to replace their hazy headlights anyway.
Another thing that's most irritating about them lowering the emissions value over time when testing is, that bigger vehicles(over a certain amount of lbs) are allowed to have more emissions. like how does that make sense? if its gas powered it should be all tested under the same regulation.
One of my most terrifying drives was on the Merrit Parkway in rain, spray, and fog at night. Illuminated spray, bring corners and stone bridges inches from the road.
Much more in depth convo about the history of headlights... i didnt know some of those factoids...well done boy's
I've been waiting for a lighting episode! New lights are absurd. Bright lights need to be projected (no reflector lenses), rear turn signals must be amber, always-on DRLs should include front and rear lighting or none at all, low beam should not be higher than a pedestrian's waist height, brake force display (a la BMW), and allow modern technologies (adaptive matrix). It would also be great if states would actually require headlight aim to be adjusted on safety inspections.
I think I had first noticed Hyundai with the Kona and then other vehicles as well as other OEMs including Tesla with the Cybertruck that they’ve moved the low beams to a much lower point on the front end which has been much appreciated on higher vehicles.
Though that doesn’t help if the beam pattern is too high or they have their high beams on.
Quite a number of years ago (as in over 20 years ago), a friend in his '94 Toyota Tercel was flashing his high beam and decided to indicate. I think something in the column mechanism broke then because afterwards it occasionally triggered to high beam on its own like when you pull on the column to flash. I remember it was quoted to cost more to fix that than what the car was worth at the time. I suspect this is the cause for why so many older Japanese cars seem to run with high beams on. I also suspect it is more of a hassle (and/or complicated) than it is worth to fix.
6:30 - I saw a 911 turbo S cab today, 992, and it looked amazing from the front. just stunning.
It’s ironic that for decades we’ve complained that headlights are too dim. I remember an article said if you took the avg headlight and lit it in a room you’d barely have enough light to read by. The problem isn’t that LED and Laser headlights are too bright. The problem is the lenses need better optics to direct the light away from oncoming traffic. The lenses need better design.
I can attest to Hondas having poor high beam indication, because I drove around in one with them on once. In the 2004 Civic I drove, not only was the indicator off to the side of the cluster, it would illuminate when the high beams were on OR when the lights were OFF. Clearly this was intended as a "lights off" warning like Jason said would be useful, but without any prior experience with the car, that implementation made me assume the indicator was stuck on. The first time I drove that car at night, I went all the way across town with my high beams on because they had been left on by the previous driver and I ignored the light. Newer Civic don't seem to do this, but the indicator is even further off to the side and small.
Great episode I see cars with no ligths ON every single day
I blame the switch (OFF ON Auto) bc people are clueless !
I see a newer outback every morning on my commute, and it's part of the oncoming traffic. Those lights will reshape your retina and those are only low beams.
Tell Congress to fully fund NHTSA, and we can have good regulation and enforcement.
You know something is wrong when your first teary eyed thought is "Why is the full power of the sun pointing at me"
Driving my touring back from Denver, I got stuck in traffic in LA with a collapsed sun behind me (aka a modern SUV). It was so bad that I pulled my door mirrors in and turned my rear view all the way dow, as even dipped it was still blinding me. 10/10 for driver fatigue.
In Arizona (Specifically Pima county) , the cutoff year for no emissions testing is 1966 (it never changes, it's a hard point in time), anything newer needs to be tested. The only way around doing emissions is to register the vehicle as a classic/antique. This requires specific insurance that will restrict your "miles used" each year (depending on the insurance company). If you decide to register an older car as a "normal use" vehicle, you have to have all of the ORIGINAL equipment (smog pumps, cats, etc.) and have a full exhaust out the back (tailpipes). I have a 1968 Dart (that is modified) and my exhaust "dumps" down just short of the rear axle. I have no choice but to register as a classic and have reduced available mileage each year. Forget passing any California laws...lol.
As for taillights, the only car I own that has amber signals is my E39 540i. Also the only car I've owned that had fender markers/signals (behind the front wheel).
To your question about why some manufacturers changed amber to red for the US, I believe it’s due to illuminated area. So if their EU amber area was insufficient, combining that area (in red) with the tail/brake area (red), it would meet the area requirement.
Love the rant at the very end of this episode 😂
I have Holley RetroBrights in my 1971 Corvette. Makes a massive difference and still look period authentic.