Has anyone experimented with improving lighting for night time driving?

I notice the projector power on the Jag is not as powerful or perhaps as focused as the Lexus I traded in. With highs on, the Lexus really reached out the distances with minimal side scatter. The Jag does the opposite. I see lots of vertical scatter lighting up the trees in a nice arc, but forward range is just not what I have enjoyed in the past.
Being a used car, I have not had the headlights aligned, but the beam alignment looks fine to me for both high and low. Nor have I pulled a bulb to make sure a prior owner has not changed temps, but they seem white with maybe a hint of blue at the fringe of the low beam cut-off lines.

I've gone out looking at the bulb differences (D1S vs the Lexus D4S) and saw no difference in lumins.
So..... Anyone else notice or looked into improving intensity?
I see a new(ish) 50watt D1S out there vs the OEM 35Watt unit...But heat output goes up another 40 or so degrees. I wonder if both wiring, and reflector shell can hold up to the extra load?

Driving lights.... On only with low beam (and if like the Lex, controlled via the CAN buss, rather than simply wired?)... anyone adapt these for use otherwise?

Other hints?

Thanks...
Vince

To add on a question, have the projectors gone through any revisions since the 2007 model intro? thx

 

I wonder if part of the issue is that the drivers side headlamp is factory aimed in the European fashion, with more emphasis on avoiding glare for oncoming drivers, meaning the beam is lower.

 

Personally I think the lights are OK now that I have adjusted them slightly. Compared to my Infiniti G35 and my 2006 GS300 they are comparable. Never driven an IS. I actually like the arc created on high beam.

My issue was the cut-off on the drivers side was way too short and the delta between the driver and passenger side cut-off was too big. I simply lifted the drivers side. Took about 1/2 a turn to be just right. I still have a sharp cut-off step between the 2 sides - just greater throw. I'm sure you've worked out where the adjustment screw is.

Also what's the deal on start up when the lights do an up and down routine but I dont have the adaptive lighting option. I also don't see them compensating when driving steep uphill or downhill grades but this action would suggest some form of self levelling. Am I missing something? Anyone got an explanation or is this just a start up gimmick.

Steve

 

The up down motion is part of the auto leveling system and I am sure you are just seeing the self test function. It is my understanding that all cars sold in Europe with HID systems are required by law to have auto-leveling... Perhaps one of our European brethren can clarify that to be sure.
Sadly the US has no such laws, so we get to be blinded by teens that think it is "cool" to adapt HID to US spec cars.
Adaptive lighting is different as it swivels according to steering wheel input and speed.

I don't particularly like the high "arch" effect... I see it as wasted and miss-directed light instead of placing it where it needs to be (down range).
I really liked the reach of the Lexus system although its "adaptive" system was nowhere near the equal of the Jag or my Audi.

V

 

I have the adaptive lighting package, but I'd say the XK has the best headlights of any vehicle I've ever owned. It's comparable to my truck that has 4 PIAA offroads up front. The light is clean, consistent throughout the range, and the high beams are amazing.

Maybe there's a difference in age? Do HIDs go dim with age? They are, after all, still a filament based light are they not?

 

??? Came back to see half my post missing...... (Hope I remember what I wrote!) ???
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Age may be part of the issue, but my Lex was older still. I also recall being amazed when I got the Lex over how much better the Lights were compared to my Audi with HIDs. Might just be one of those areas that Lexus is just a step ahead.

HIDs are not filament based bulbs. They use high voltage to arc through a conductive gas....a simplistic comparison would be to say they are more like a florescent tube.

A side thought hit me I had never thought about when talking about "projector" headlamps... I wonder if any were made that could be focused, much like the projectors we use in business meetings.... (not talking about the up/down or side to side adjustments)

Still wonder about the D1S 50 watt unit.... or bumping (or swapping out) the driving lights in up watts and making them work with the high beams?

I have seen younger enthusiasts in the past forums upgrade wattage's, only to melt down the light housing, so I know this idea should be approached with extreme caution...

 

In Europe it's mandatory for HID lights to be auto-levelling and have headlight cleaning.
This doesn't stop people converting their standard lights to HID though!

You can adjust the lights if they are out of alignment. I had to have this done at my last MOT test.

 

The "driving lights" as you call them are actually foglights. If you put on the parking lights the fogs can be switched on and you will see that they have a wide, flat-topped pattern typical of foglights. This wide pattern means that they are not really suitable for giving you increased range regardless of what bulbs you put in them. Also, you need to be careful of your local regulations when messing with lights. In the UK I know that the only lights allowed at low level are foglights. Auxiliary lights to aid the high beams MUST be relayed to go on/off with the high beams and mounted above a certain level that I cannot recall just now. In the US I am less sure of the DoT regs and then there is the opinion of each state. Good luck unraveling that mess.

The low beams do show a blue fringe at the cutoff on my car, too. I suspect it is a feature. I have no real complaints about the beam pattern on low or high. What you describe with lots of upward scatter could be explained by a previous owner setting the lights TOO HIGH. I have had a similar experience with an SUV where LOWERING the lights drastically improved both low and high beams.

I can back up Graham on the requirement for HID self leveling in Europe. It has been that way for quite a while.

 

Thanks, and my apologies on the mis-termed Driving Lights vs Fog. I'm usually pretty quick to correct others on this very same topic... Kinda funny I goofed myself. Gettin old kinda stinks....

As for regulations, I can only dream of the day we actually see law enforcement enforce lighting laws (Along with noisy exhausts) here in the US. Not enough money to be made writing tickets vs the time, training and equipment required to prove a case. An officer can write several $200 - $300 speeding tickets in the time it takes to pull you over and give you a $25 "fix-it" ticket that nets their department no cash. Exhaust citations are even harder because it requires a calibrated DB meter and measuring tape (certain volume at X distance) to enforce. Grrrrr

It's getting very bad here in the US in these areas.

Was driving with a buddy yesterday into the early evening, him in his Audi S4 Avant, and me in my Jag.... His adaptive lighting was leaps ahead of the Jag. in intensity and tracking...

V

 

HIDs do become dimmer as they age (colorshift). It usually takes several years (tens of thousands of hours of runtime) to reach a significant drop in output, but if your bulbs are several years old you might get a noticeable increase with new bulbs. I'd recommend 35W versions from a reputable manufacture (Philips, Osram, GE).

 

Lexus and Honda are known to be the best HID's.