[Closed] dipped headlights that aren't that dipped

check theyre fitted properly again. Ive done it before, nearside bulb wasnt seated in the back of the reflector properly so was pointing up a bit.

Was it actually dark when you had your lights on full rather than side lights?

I move my mirror when car have the lights on full and its not dark or even dim as i find it distracting [ as well as pointless]

When did we change to putting our lights on full according to season rather than light conditions?

If none of this applies and drivers on the other side are not flashing you then they are fitted correctly

you can doa manual measure against a wall to check beam aim - sure there will be some instructions on Google

Sorry, Junkyard, but I'm a big fan of using low beams even during the day. Perhaps it came from Canada, where I had to drive many two-lane highways on which long, uninterrupted straights could deceive a driver into missing on-coming vehicles. But I see them as no less helpful here, where the ambient light is almost always grey.

That said, in response to the OP's issue, does that little adjuster on the dash that raises and lowers the beam not make a difference? Or is that adjuster just a VW and Volvo thing?

Or is that adjuster just a VW and Volvo thing?

Peugeot's have it too (well, mine does), so probably more general?

I'm a big fan of using low beams even during the day

Me too. Be safe, be seen.

Dipped main beam at dusk for sure!

The problem with headlights on during the day is that it's an escalating war - motorbikes and cyclists will then have to have lights on to be spotted amongst all the car headlights.

I think police cars have theirs like this as standard. Got pulled a few weeks back and while he was just driving behind me (without blues and full beam) his standard driving lights were blinding.

Bit naughty really as i thought it was some tool with brightlights hanging of my bumper so was just about to boot it, then saw police on on bonnet and thought better of it.

When did we change to putting our lights on full according to season rather than light conditions

New cars have them on all the time, and everyone else just copies? Or this time of year most people probbaly start their commute in the dark.

Dunno though, it's just a force of habit for me. Started on motorbikes, then had a MG midget which was barely visible to normal cars in trafic so every little helped, then I started doing stupidly long comutes on a friday/sunday night so it was always dark. Now it's as natural as turning the radio on or taking the hanbrake off before setting out.

That said, in response to the OP's issue, does that little adjuster on the dash that raises and lowers the beam not make a difference? Or is that adjuster just a VW and Volvo thing?

Sidelights should be renamed parking lights.

I run dip headlights too if the visibility is poor. Its the idiots running round with sidelights in the fog , riain , and snow thinking we can see them that are the irritating ones.

Also , many cars now have an auto setting , none of mine do but hire cars ive had do , seems to make my ldip headlights run most of the time.

Bulb alignment can vary. Had an ancient old Renault Five once and it had little screw adjusters on the back of each headlight - pretty much everytime I changed a bulb I had to reset the sods.

Not sure if this is the case with modern motors - but probably worth a look.

The problem with the dash adjusters is it does both lamps - so if one is pointing skyward and you adjust it down the other will become a bit useless.....

but I'm a big fan of using low beams even during the day

Low beam is to enable you to see the road not me to see you - use sidelights for me to see you

If I cannot se the large metal box you are in I should not be on the roads.

Its the idiots running round with sidelights in the fog , riain , and snow thinking we can see them that are the irritating ones.

use sidelights for me to see you

]These days a lot of sidelights are quite poorly designed - they used to be a separate small light/lens so that you had point of light. Now they are often a little bulb floating around in big enclosure so you just get a dull smear of light. Parked at night thats fine but driving in daylight in grey dirty winter conditions they don't show up at all.

In daylight base your decisions about whether to use your lights on what you can see out of your wing mirror (not your rear view). Its not the oncoming cars you need to concern yourself with its trucks and commercials who can only see you in their wing mirrors through salt, crud on road spray and low sun. If you are driving a grey car (all cars are grey no matter what colour you think they are) on a grey road amongst grey skies behind a vale of grey spray then you might want to put your lights on.

If you are finding dipped lights a distraction your problem more likely stems from how clean your windscreen is (inside and out) how good your wipers are and how old the screen is - I find screens are usually on their way out at about 70k miles - lots of little pits that cause flare in low light

[i]Low beam is to enable you to see the road not me to see you - use sidelights for me to see you[/i]

Balls. Given that most sidelights are the lighting equivalent of a tea light in a jam jar, they are useless as a 'be seen' device unless parked up on a dark road. Hence the more apt term 'parking lights'.

My landy has separate "sidelights"

Ive seen cyclists with no lights look more visible than the defenders sidelights.

I never use side light for anything

Parking lights?
I'd have to go and check but I'm pretty sure my current car doesn't allow the side lights to stay on without me having the fob in my pocket so not a lot of use for most parking situations

I seem to habitually turn the side lights on always. If nothing more than to light up the dials in the binnacle.

You said 'Binnacle'. Nice.

jota - leave your indicator stick in left or right when you leave the car and the corresponding parking light should stay on. its for indicating the outside of a stationary obstacle parked on an unlit road.

Isn't there some new EU legislation on "running lights" all new cars must have them etc... started in scandinaviannna.

Do think the LED running lights make difference but, yes could cause problems for us bikies.

I put my dipped headlights on when it's dull out.

Other drivers seem to know that I'm a cyclist, so when I'm in the car they treat me as such and I get loads of SMIDSY/SMIDGAF pull outs. 🙄 Lights seem to reduce this.

It's all well and good saying people who would fail to spot a car without lights shouldn't be on the road, but plenty of them are.

Edit: And I was told by a paramedic (so a trained blue light/advanced driver) that she was taught that the vast majority of sidelights are pointless. If you're going to put your sidelights on then just put your headlights on.

Parking lights vary by car. Mine come on when I turn the light dial (Focus) to 'P'.

The dash adjusters are just there to compensate for a full load in the back, normally they can just lower the beams a little to prevent dazzling people in front.
There is still a manual adjuster on the headlights that allow hte beams to be aimed differently.

I have my dipped beam on most the time, what is the problem?

As a total automotive lighting nerd, I always found [url= http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/lights.html ]this guy's work[/url] both interesting and helpful. He writes from a North American perspective, but when I first moved to the UK 10 years ago, I got in touch with him to ask a question about my car lights, and he was very helpful.

[i]If you're going to put your sidelights on then just put your headlights on.[/i]

This

[i]I have my dipped beam on most the time, what is the problem? [/i]

There isn't one.

I have my dipped beam on most the time, what is the problem?

FWIW it does advise dipped lights in low visibility [ surprised me that bit tbh I thought it was side lights] or with half an hour of dawn and dusk - I assume this is not most of the time your drive?

Some pissed on Junkyard's weetabix this morining eh?

I drive a gigantic dark grey estate that makes a noise like the engine's full of cutlery. If anyone doesn't see or hear it coming, then no amount of lights (or airraid sirens, or men walking in front with a red flag) will fix that.

Though I have to say that on the motorbike, using the headlight on dip does genuinely seem to help a lot, and I don't see that there's a downside. And the only downside I've seen for cars doing the same is that it makes it harder to see motorbikes.

surprised me that bit tbh I thought it was side lights

Now you've discovered your wrongness, does that mean you're dropping your "drive with parking lights on" thing?

Wipers on = Lights on, regardless of the time.

I believe in Finland (Maybe Sweden?) the law is lights on 100% of the time due to their harsh winters or something - I heard thats the reason why all (newish) Volvo's have lights on all the time.

Could be bollox tho

Low beam is to enable you to see the road not me to see you - use sidelights for me to see you

But they're rubbish

Balls. Given that most sidelights are the lighting equivalent of a tea light in a jam jar, they are useless as a 'be seen' device unless parked up on a dark road. Hence the more apt term 'parking lights'.

Couldn't agree more, sidelights are next to useless for making you 'seen'.

I'd also bet that folk that stick their fog lights on when there is a teeny bit of fog at night are they same one that only use sidelights when it's dingy in the day.

FWIW it does advise dipped lights in low visibility [ surprised me that bit tbh I thought it was side lights] or with half an hour of dawn and dusk - I assume this is not most of the time your drive?

So pretty much six months of the year in Scotland then as I'm only on the roads at morning and evenings. Plus dull days (which covers most of the other six months)

Does it really matter who has what lights on at any given time, as long as a) you aren't dazzling someone, b) you can see/be seen when needed?

Jeez - you lot really do get het up about some really insignificant things that have zero impact on either yours, or anyone elses wellbeing.

My headlights are always on auto, apart from the odd time driving conditions are a bit poo and they haven't kicked in.

My truck has seperate sidelights, but I only use these when I just want my fogs on.