How do I know if my car has adaptive headlights? (2024)

How do I know if my car has adaptive headlights?

Start by checking your vehicle's manual or specification sheet, which usually lists this feature under the lighting section. For those who prefer a hands-on approach, observe the headlights' behavior while turning corners; adaptive LEDs swivel in the direction of the steering wheel to improve visibility.

Technology that can do both at once — known as adaptive driving beams — has been used in Europe since 2012, according to automakers, and today it is available in cars sold in every major automotive market worldwide, except the U.S.

Unlike traditional headlights, which are in a fixed position and only capable of illuminating directly in front of you, adaptive headlights are not in a fixed position at all times. These headlights use electronic sensors that can detect your steering angle to swivel based on the direction your car is heading.

This feature is designed to provide convenience and ensure that the headlights are always activated when needed. On the other hand, adaptive headlights are a more advanced lighting system. Adaptive headlights can adjust their direction and intensity based on various factors.

Every headlight is designated with a bulb size. For a bulb installed in your car, you can find the number stamped or printed on the side of the bulb. It's also listed in the service manual and in an auto bulb guide. Only the correct bulb size will fit in the headlamp housing and connect to the factory wiring.

Take Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 for example, which legally prevents high-beam and low-beam headlight elements from operating at the same time. That may have seemed like an issue in 1967 when the rule arrived, but it has somehow managed to keep adaptive headlights out of the U.S. for nearly two decades.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a final rule today allowing automakers to install adaptive driving beam headlights on new vehicles.

Headlights with adaptive driving beams, not to be confused with curve-adaptive headlights, are similar to high-beam assist. However, rather than switching between high and low beams, they continuously adjust the high-beam pattern to create a shadow around other vehicles.

Do you know if it is possible to adjust the beam angle on adaptive headlights? Check for white adjustment screws on the housing, probably towards the back and bottom of the headlight housing. Most cars I've had with some type of auto-adjusting headlights have manual screws for setting the baseline.

Why are my adaptive headlights not working?

There are several possible causes of adaptive headlight failure, including burnt-out bulbs, loose electrical connections, and a damaged control module. In some cases, the problem can be resolved quickly and easily by replacing a bulb or tightening a connection.

Adaptive Headlight Module

Since this is a control module, if it gets wet, it may stop working. The car owner needs to be careful about what kinds of liquids get near the module. Dropping your coffee on it or even heavy rain and flooding can get into the module and cause the adaptive headlight to malfunction.

Adaptive headlight systems pivot in the direction of travel when steering around curves or corners. Simply put, they swivel around curves in response to steering input.

Are adaptive headlights worth the cost? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that adaptive headlights could help prevent up to 90 percent of nighttime curve crashes. Insurance companies see a 5 to 10 percent reduction in crashes for the automobiles that have them.

If you buy them aftermarket, it could cost you close to $1,000. As more manufacturers begin to make adaptive headlights a standard item in new vehicles, the cost should come down and become more prevalent.

Adaptive Headlights

Adaptive driving beams were first demonstrated by Audi in 2006. A small camera behind the rear-view mirror detects oncoming traffic and redirects (and reshape) the headlight beam away from oncoming vehicles and more onto the road.

And they probably won't come cheap. On the cars that AAA tested in 2019, the ADB-compatible headlights cost $3,400 to $6,600 more than traditional headlights. Some manufacturers, including Audi, told us that vehicles they've already sold in the U.S. have had hardware for ADB installed; it just needs to be activated.

Most headlight controls will be marked by a standard headlamp indicator symbol. Look for this symbol on the side of the control dial. The standard headlamp indicator symbol looks like a sun or upside-down light bulb. On many headlight control dials, there will also be an enclosed circle next to this indicator symbol.

How do I know if my car has xenon headlights?

Make sure your car is pointing towards a flat surface such as a garage door or wall and turn your lights on. If the light flicks on quickly and remains a constant yellow beam, it is likely that you have halogen headlights fitted. If the light flashes a white-blue, it is likely to be a xenon or HID headlight.

Porsche has unveiled innovative new headlight technology that it will introduce to its range in 2023. The new HD matrix LED technology functions for both the low and high beams through two light sources in each assembly.

Headlights of any color other than white, or amber if it is a turn signal, are illegal.

Unlike the crisp, white-blue light of xenon HID, white/blue halogen bulbs are simply just lights that have been tinted. In most cases, these are not road-legal. As a rule of thumb, any halogen bulb with a colour temperature over 4200K is most likely non-road legal.

Most lights that meet legal requirements are labeled “DOT Approved” or “DOT Compliant”. If you find products labeled “super bright” or with lumen or candela measurements beyond the legal 3,000 level, you should probably avoid purchasing those lights.