After market HID/Xenon headlights

[sludgeguts]

I think the reason foglights dazzle oncoming traffic is partly down to how they are adjusted.
Dipped lights point down to light a portion of the road ahead of the car, the reflector is designed to capture stray beams and point them forward and down - so when you drive towards them, they don't look too bright.

Fogs are designed to throw a beam forward and almost paralell to the road's surface, they are also placed slightly to the sides in order to cast light on the edges of the road as well (essential to see road edges in extreme conditions). The light is supposed to be intense in order to cut through bad weather - without the bad weather, this intense beam isn't diffused for oncoming traffic.
One of the main problems with modern cars is their susceptibility to the slightest dink - it's the only thing I can think of to explain the huge volume of cars out there spending all night directing aircraft!

 

[Andymacselespeed]

My citroen C5 had self levelling suspension, but in had full hydraulics. I think most systems are rear only. I had an Old Mercedes 190 Cosworth that had self levelling rear shocks and if memory serves they had shocks which had a pipe coming from them to a pump that 'inflated' them to sort ride height at the back end. On mine they didn;t work, and had been repalced with regualr shocks, but the original ones were in the boot when I bought it.

Assume most systems would be of a similar setup. The back tends to be the bit that really dips when the car is loaded up.


(I could load 30 packs of wood flooring in my C5 which filled the load bay pretty much to the roof with the back seats down and the ride height stayed the same. Ride was okay as well!)

 

[Andymacselespeed]

One of the main problems with modern cars is their susceptibility to the slightest dink - it's the only thing I can think of to explain the huge volume of cars out there spending all night directing aircraft!

For an MOT test your dipped beams get tested for pattern and aim, your fogs don;t, they are an optional part, you don't have to have them, so no check! Could point to the moon and not be a problem.

On the beam dazzling people with HIDs debate, I installed a set of 6000K 35w HIDs on the Mk 1 Alfa 156. It had simple reflector lenses and past an MoT with HIDs installed, but when I drove to the train station to pick up her indoors, she said they were really dazzling, and when following a friend, he said the same. The pattern was legal, the certificate showed they were within the rules for Halogen lights, but I felt I was putting other people at risk by having them installed so I removed them. Also, as previously said, they are technically illegal, and as we all now live in a Police State, in the event of an accident, whether you're fault or not, having them installed can invalidate your insurance and leave you without cover which is bad!

As an aside, they seem to work better in headlights with projector beam style units.

You can also now by HID torches which are deeply funky and stupidly bright.

 

[Andy Monty]

I always thought that you could use the front fog lights in reduced visibility (fog, rain, mist, etc), but the rear ones only for fog? I think I read that in a car's manual of all places.

I think that used to be the case TBH

You can also now by HID torches which are deeply funky and stupidly bright.

I pissed a van driver off with my HID bike light a couple of years ago as he came out of a pub car park without his lights on so i flashed him with it (placed hand over lense and removed several times) he had a bit of a go when we stopped outside another pub having a pint

HID's are on the way out the newer P7 Cree LED's are coming on in leaps and bounds

 

[karbineftw]

Why's that

They weren't that bright at all...

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

the newer P7 Cree LED's are coming on in leaps and bounds

Arn't they just :devil: :slayer:

You wait until they're making headlight out of them. If they're set-up incorrectly your fooked

Not many things with the capability of still blinding you with even you eyes shut :devil: