Adaptive Headlights Pointing Too Low?

[schitzo1978]

Hi,

ihave the 250 with adaptive xenon headlights.

i find that they point a little bit too much towards the ground and dont illumiate objects and people well enough.

my neighborhood doesnt have any street lights and i find that i have to hit the highbeams in order to see people walking at night.

essentially they dont allow me to see far enough for me to feel safe (and by safe i mean i dont wanna hit a lady taking a stroll at night).

can the dealer adjust the lights so that they points a few degrees or so more upwards??

has anyone else felt this same issue?

thanks,

s.

[bartkat]

They can be adjusted. They have a standard height template to focus the lights from a given distance.

[bartkat]

Here's the setup and the adjustment procedure. I've done this myself with good results.

http://my.is/forums/attachments/f126/8403d...adlight-aim.pdf

[LEXUS IS250 AWD]

While in drive with my foot on the brake i've tried turning the steering a full left/right to see the movement of the adaptive headlights, but I don't see any response. & yes i'm sure AFS is turned on

[NicLX470]

While in drive with my foot on the brake i've tried turning the steering a full left/right to see the movement of the adaptive headlights, but I don't see any response. & yes i'm sure AFS is turned on

It only works above 6mph.

[EnginePassion]

AFS is useless, JMHO. I did not benefit from it. It rather harmed me, in Feb 06 I almost had a crash because this headlight that does not shed farther than 50 feet. I went to the service manager with this issue. They checked it and said" we calibrated it and it's fine". I shut up. Six months later the same service manager told me he drove another IS at night and he noticed the same problem. He added they can not do anything, this is the way it was meant to function.

[NicLX470]

AFS is useless, JMHO. I did not benefit from it. It rather harmed me, in Feb 06 I almost had a crash because this headlight that does not shed farther than 50 feet. I went to the service manager with this issue. They checked it and said" we calibrated it and it's fine". I shut up. Six months later the same service manager told me he drove another IS at night and he noticed the same problem. He added they can not do anything, this is the way it was meant to function.

I'm confused. Are you saying the headlights in general almost made you wreck?...or was it while the AFS was swiveling the light that you almost wrecked? Please explain the situation.

[bartkat]

The OP was that the headlights were pointing too low. It doesn't matter whether adaptive or not, they can be adjusted to the proper level on the vertical axis.

As for turning, I know a person who travels on a road with lots of tight turns and switchbacks. She complained that the lights often pointed off in the trees because of the tight turns. I told her how to turn the feature off and she was happy with that.

[EnginePassion]

I'm confused. Are you saying the headlights in general almost made you wreck?...or was it while the AFS was swiveling the light that you almost wrecked? Please explain the situation.

The whole set up makes it uneasy to see farther ahead when I drive on curvey dark roads.

[EnginePassion]

The OP was that the headlights were pointing too low. It doesn't matter whether adaptive or not, they can be adjusted to the proper level on the vertical axis.

As for turning, I know a person who travels on a road with lots of tight turns and switchbacks. She complained that the lights often pointed off in the trees because of the tight turns. I told her how to turn the feature off and she was happy with that.

Bartkat, do you know any rationale that makes Lexus set it in the way it's aiming so short?

If I have to turn it off to have a better view of the road ahead then IT'S USELESS.

[bartkat]

The OP was that the headlights were pointing too low. It doesn't matter whether adaptive or not, they can be adjusted to the proper level on the vertical axis.

As for turning, I know a person who travels on a road with lots of tight turns and switchbacks. She complained that the lights often pointed off in the trees because of the tight turns. I told her how to turn the feature off and she was happy with that.

Bartkat, do you know any rationale that makes Lexus set it in the way it's aiming so short?

If I have to turn it off to have a better view of the road ahead then IT'S USELESS.

I have no idea. My halogen lights were too low even when i got the car and that's why I learned how to adjust them. I kinda think the low aim really isn't related to the adaptive lights but they may set them all low from the factory.

[smooth1]

I see this on alot of forums, especially forums that focus on cars with HID set ups. I think because the light tends to be whiter, so it seems brighter to on coming traffic, and so I think some regulator came along and set it up to aim HID's a degree or two lower. But as Bartkat said, it's easy enouph to go adjust them.

[LEXUS IS250 AWD]

I agree, I think AFS is totally useless (for me anyway). I don't notice a difference in headlight aim from any of the non-AFS vehicles I have driven previously

[smooth1]

I agree, I think AFS is totally useless (for me anyway). I don't notice a difference in headlight aim from any of the non-AFS vehicles I have driven previously

I laughed at AFS equiped BMW's a long time ago. But whatever, it's gadgety enouph to impress all the friends that don't know any better how cool your car is. :)

[IS_Willie]

Funny... I noticed the low level too, and all this time I thought that it was just kind of an 'eyebrow' effect from the way the lights are mounted under the hood and fenders. I'll have to make the adjustment to mine too.

[EnginePassion]

Here's the setup and the adjustment procedure. I've done this myself with good results.

http://my.is/forums/attachments/f126/8403d...adlight-aim.pdf

Bartkat, this link does not open the PDF file, it requires registeration with http://my.is/. Can you or anyone ellse make the file downloadable from lexusownersclub.com/

Thank you.

[bartkat]

Here's the setup and the adjustment procedure. I've done this myself with good results.

http://my.is/forums/attachments/f126/8403d...adlight-aim.pdf

Bartkat, this link does not open the PDF file, it requires registeration with http://my.is/. Can you or anyone ellse make the file downloadable from lexusownersclub.com/

Thank you.

Headlight_aim.pdf