Euro-Spec Headlights

[Irishfan04]

So, driving the other day behind my friend, he mentioned that my headlights seem uneven in terms of brightness. Having just aligned the lights, I know that they don't need adjustment...it's gotta be his line of sight hitting below the "V" on the driver's side light and above the "V" on the passenger's side light.

Now, my question is, in the interest of having the lights *appear* even, should I pull the shade lever on the driver's side light? Both lights? Neither? I know (from reading the Sandsmuseum's alignment tips) that the "V" is actually beneficial in terms of light output. However, I don't think it's necessary, as the HID's put out lots of light as it is...Opinions?

[Ground Loop]

I did flatten my driver's side light cutoff. And the passenger side too.
Then I carefully aligned them. Now it's a more even fan-out of light, and it reaches far and wide without blinding/bothering anyone.

I like it much better this way, even though I know it was Lotus's intent, infinite in genius, to bring us the cocked "|/|/" pattern from Europe.

[peck555]

leave'm alone,the "V" on the right side is so you light up signs and cars at the side of the road.

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by peck555

leave'm alone,the "V" on the right side is so you light up signs and cars at the side of the road.

Yep. That's why they are designed that way...

[Tyger]

Originally Posted by peck555

leave'm alone,the "V" on the right side is so you light up signs and cars at the side of the road.

AND switchable to the left side in case you bring your car into the UK or Ireland!

[Irishfan04]

From what I'm hearing, maybe I should instead worry about aligning the V's, rather than flattening them out. When I point the lights toward a wall from about 6 ft away, the V's are a good distance apart...should I try to get the V's to overlap better (adjust them laterally instead of vertically)?

[Tyger]

Originally Posted by Irishfan04

From what I'm hearing, maybe I should instead worry about aligning the V's, rather than flattening them out. When I point the lights toward a wall from about 6 ft away, the V's are a good distance apart...should I try to get the V's to overlap better (adjust them laterally instead of vertically)?

I had my Lotus tech adjust them during my after-sales service and I went from "almost blind" to "just fine". I think he used a special machine to aim them.

[Icedog_16]

Originally Posted by Irishfan04

From what I'm hearing, maybe I should instead worry about aligning the V's, rather than flattening them out. When I point the lights toward a wall from about 6 ft away, the V's are a good distance apart...should I try to get the V's to overlap better (adjust them laterally instead of vertically)?

I wouldn't. I had mine re-aimed by the dealership and that is the way they are supposed to be. Before the re-aiming, I couldn't even see people's license plates in front of me. I have heard similar comments regarding the relative brightness from a friend I was following. I think that the issue is the fact that the cutoff is so sharp and that the car is so low relative to others. I never noticed it until I got the Elise, but my TT also had the __/ __/ pattern. The cutoff is more diffuse than on the Elise.

[ChrisB]

Originally Posted by Irishfan04

From what I'm hearing, maybe I should instead worry about aligning the V's, rather than flattening them out. When I point the lights toward a wall from about 6 ft away, the V's are a good distance apart...should I try to get the V's to overlap better (adjust them laterally instead of vertically)?

If by "aligning the V's", you mean converging them so that there is a single V, you definitely should not do that. Depending on the distance at which they converge, they will be either mildy or severely "cross-eyed".

[Irishfan04]

Good point. Maybe I should just leave it be...

[Ground Loop]

This ain't voodoo or magnetic therapy -- you can see for yourself what gives you the best visibility of the road. If you feel, as I did, that you can't drive faster than 10mph in the dark, and constantly reach for the high beams --- that's a clue that you're not getting enough illumination.

I tried to say that I know the _/_/ pattern is intentional, but I still didn't like it. I want it flat. Besides, the right side of the road isn't just roadsigns, it's often other cars at an intersection, houses, etc. I didn't see the need to flood the light so far upward.

To each their own.. You're the one that has to drive it.

[Irishfan04]

Well fist me sideways.

It finally happened.

As I was putting the finishing touches on my second alignment (shutters closed, if anyone is curious, the HID's are enough to light what I need to see w/o the V's) and a number of times turning the lights on and off....You guessed it, I blew the driver's side fuse.

Ground Loop, I know you're running 15A's in the dip beams...could you please tell me which size fuse these guys take? I know there are two different sizes...I'm going to stop by the Autozone right near the train station on foot tomorrow, and I don't feel like taking apart the fuse panel tonight just to dig out a sample. Thanks a lot!!



edit: While I was taking out the bottom headlight screw after the fuse blew, it accidentally fell in a hole to the side of the oil cooler...after a good 5 minutes of blaspheming the screw's mother and imagining the service charges of removing the front clam to get the screw out so as it wouldn't find its way into the oil cooler, I came to my senses, found a circular doughnut-shaped magnet, tied it to a shoelace, jammed it down the hole, and pulled out the screw! Not that this is a novel idea, but thought this method might come in handy for anyone else digging for hard to reach (and magnetic) objects lost in the car. That, and I just wanted to bitch/moan to a more sympathetic audience than the girlfriend.