People with Xenon lights

[jimmy156]

I bought a car (MINI) with Xenon lights a few months ago and I have noticed that I am being flash by other drivers much more often. Pretty much every time I drive at night and sometime 5 or 6 times in a 20 minute journey.

The self levelling works, you can see the beam of the headlights isn't (normally) in the eye-line of oncoming drivers. So why am I being flashed so much. The car looks totally 'normal' with the lights on (no blown bulbs/bits hanging off etc) I can only think that other drivers are thinking I have full beam on.

Do other drivers find this in a car with factory fitted Xenon lights?

[Patrick Bateman]

Yes sometimes. I can find it myself occasionally when another car with xenons approaches.

[kambites]

I certainly find many factory HiDs rather blinding. I don't flash at them though, I'm usually too busy trying to work out where the road goes.

[Fox-]

jimmy156 said:

Do other drivers find this in a car with factory fitted Xenon lights?

Nope, never been flashed.

[matchmaker]

Flashed once in 10 years/110,000 miles.

[A.J.M]

Yep, I get it as well.

Mine are adjusted properly, they auto adjust on startup and are self levelling.

They are just good headlights. Nothing you can do about it.

[jimmy156]

Fox- said:

Nope, never been flashed.

Does your MINI have HID's? Or are you referring to another of your cars.

Kambites - I find that when a car fitted with them goes over a bump so they are momentarily pointing upward they can be a bit dazzling, but not under 'normal' circumstances

[kambites]

jimmy156 said:

Kambites - I find that when a car fitted with them goes over a bump so they are momentarily pointing upward they can be a bit dazzling, but not under 'normal' circumstances

I don't know where you live, but 'round here bumps and hill crests are normal circumstances and this is neither a particularly hilly area nor one with particularly poor quality roads.

[BFG TERRANO]

I've been flashed going over the brow of a hill or on a bend. I think some people don't understand headlight alignment and think I'm on full beam.

[northandy]

Bmw 1 series with xenons, never been flashed and I do about 25k a year

[Fox-]

jimmy156 said:

Does your MINI have HID's? Or are you referring to another of your cars.

Sadly not, no, the MINI has regular halogens. My 530d has factory HID's and I retrofitted HID's into the OEM projector housing in my 530i and I've not been flashed in either.

[JQ]

jimmy156 said:

Do other drivers find this in a car with factory fitted Xenon lights?

I've had a MINI with factory fitted xenon's for 18 months and never been flashed.

[jimmy156]

Sounds like BMW's have got their lights sorted then! They must have forgotten that when they built the MINI's

[Spare tyre]

I find modern Marc's really bad for this

[hondansx]

It happened occasionally when xenons were fairly new on the scene. Nowadays, it never happens to me.

[AndrewD]

Get that a lot in my wife's range rover. A flash back makes them realise we weren't driving on full beams

[jimmy156]

AndrewD said:

Get that a lot in my wife's range rover. A flash back makes them realise we weren't driving on full beams

I tend to give an extended flash back, to say 'thanks for reminding me to check my lights are on'

[MC Bodge]

A.J.M said:

Yep, I get it as well.

Mine are adjusted properly, they auto adjust on startup and are self levelling.

They are just good headlights. Nothing you can do about it.

The thing is, HIDs are just not necessary for a dipped beam. The answer to a problem that doesn't really exist. Good filament bulbs with decent wiring are perfectly adequate.

Ps. I have a set of HID driving lamps on my car for increased throw of
Light on dark roads so I know how bright they can be.

[AntiguaBill]

The halogen headlights on my civic are hopeless compared to my integra. I bought 'decent' bulbs in a vain attempt to improve them and I could barely tell the difference. I get flashed at in the integra rather often.
Do you drive on dark country lanes often?

[jimmy156]

AntiguaBill said:

The halogen headlights on my civic are hopeless compared to my integra. I bought 'decent' bulbs in a vain attempt to improve them and I could barely tell the difference. I get flashed at in the integra rather often.
Do you drive on dark country lanes often?

Yes, my commute is pretty much entirely on unlit, single carriageway roads. But it never happened in the alfa, although the headlights on that were about as good as a wind up torch!