Audi matrix LED headlights

[G-MAN]

Audi is set to introduce matrix LED headlights on their 2015 A8 model. These lights continuously change their beam pattern to adapt to road conditions and traffic to reduce glare for oncoming drivers, for cars you're following, and to put the most light possible down the road at any given moment. But guess what. Our great fed. govt. in their infinite wisdom will not approve the lights for the U.S. because our headlight regulations, which date back to 1968, can't account for headlights that have more than two modes, i.e., "low beam" and "high beam." These headlights represent a giant leap forward in night time driving safety, but our govt. in its infinite wisdom won't let the technology be used here.

Watch this video to see these amazing lights at work.

 

[wrcsixeight]

Wonder how much that system costs to replace when it inevitably becomes necessary.

I imagine what would happen if this type of adjusting light was legal here.

Like the influx of horrible and illegal HID retrofit kits into halogen reflectors, On the go Adjustable headlights would be bought up by the tuner type crowds and we will all be more blinded at night, than we already are, by those fools who think flooding the foreground with blue light helps them see better.

Perhaps instead of preventing well engineered lighting into the market, they should prosecute the people and suppliers of illegal HID lighting "upgrades".

Seekers of more light would be surprised at the increase in output on most vehicles, if battery charging voltages actually made it to the halogen headlight connector.

 

[geeman789]

Insurance companies are becoming increasingly opinionated on the price of certain parts, especially "consumables" , like these headlamps. When a very minor collision damages a headlamp... very common, and that single headlamp is thousands of dollars...more and more common, insurance companies start to refuse to cover , or charge "outrageous" premiums for these vehicles.

Are these lights BETTER, maybe... are they needed, not really... would you pay 50% more for insurance for a car with these headlamps...? Probably not, if you knew...

 

[FowVay]

haha,, we've been running E-codes illegally for years. People that truly want them on their cars will find a way to get them on there.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: FowVay
haha,, we've been running E-codes illegally for years. People that truly want them on their cars will find a way to get them on there.


Yup. In 1980, I put Cibie E-Code headlights in the first new car I ever bought: a 1978 Old Delta 88. Convinced my "sealed beams are good enough" dad with one ride in the dark, and he bought a set of 5-3/4" round Cibies to go in his 1972 Imperial and a set of 7" round Hellas to go in my mom's 74 Plymouth Valiant.

 

[simple_simon]

Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Perhaps instead of preventing well engineered lighting into the market, they should prosecute the people and suppliers of illegal HID lighting "upgrades".


And perhaps you should learn what "for offroad use only" means before calling something illegal and trying to prosecute for it.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: simple_simon
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Perhaps instead of preventing well engineered lighting into the market, they should prosecute the people and suppliers of illegal HID lighting "upgrades".


And perhaps you should learn what "for offroad use only" means before calling something illegal and trying to prosecute for it.


Uh, if you use a lighting system on the road that is branded "for offroad use only," and which is not DOT approved for "on road" use, the light may not be "illegal," but your use of it could be. That's the issue. If these rice-rocket jack*&#es want to stick 5-million candlepower blue bulbs in their headlights and turn their front lawns into "blue paradise," more power to 'em. But when they subject me to that blinding nonsense by "illegally" using those bulbs on the road, that's a different story.

 

[simple_simon]

Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Originally Posted By: simple_simon
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Perhaps instead of preventing well engineered lighting into the market, they should prosecute the people and suppliers of illegal HID lighting "upgrades".


And perhaps you should learn what "for offroad use only" means before calling something illegal and trying to prosecute for it.


Uh, if you use a lighting system on the road that is branded "for offroad use only," and which is not DOT approved for "on road" use, the light may not be "illegal," but your use of it could be. That's the issue. If these rice-rocket jack*&#es want to stick 5-million candlepower blue bulbs in their headlights and turn their front lawns into "blue paradise," more power to 'em. But when they subject me to that blinding nonsense by "illegally" using those bulbs on the road, that's a different story.


Um, we all know that. Perhaps you should try reading my post a few more times. I responded to the drongo who wanted to prosecute the people who SELL the HID kits.

 

[Volvohead]

Originally Posted By: G-MAN
. . . But when they subject me to that blinding nonsense by "illegally" using those bulbs on the road, that's a different story.


That's ultimately the real-world litmus test whether a headlight setup is going to get flagged on most state vehicle inspections: glaring oncoming traffic with grossly over-driven DOT pattern lamps. HID retrofits are the worst offenders. Dangerous from every perspective.

But wiring and heat concerns aside, I have no safety concerns running "off-road" higher wattage bulbs in a well-aimed e-code lamp. They're just inherently safer optics, and I've never heard of anyone EVER having an inspection issue with a good e-code setup, even if technically "illegal". Too bad most ricers aren't savvy enough to use them.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Too bad most ricers aren't savvy enough to use them.


No, they instead go for the "JDM!" headlamps. And unfortunately, sometimes they actually get the real thing, the Japanese Domestic Market headlamps designed for Left Hand Traffic.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: simple_simon
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Perhaps instead of preventing well engineered lighting into the market, they should prosecute the people and suppliers of illegal HID lighting "upgrades".


And perhaps you should learn what "for offroad use only" means before calling something illegal and trying to prosecute for it.


"Off road use only" isn't necessarily a get-out-of-jail-free card. Consider the following enforcement action, which ultimately compelled "Panda Power" to recall its junk products:

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles...l-noncompliance

Quote:
In their petition, Panda Power argues that the noncompliance is inconsequential to motor vehicle safety for the following reasons: (1) The HID headlamp kits were originally intended for sale to the agricultural community to be placed on tractors and combines, for off-road vehicles, and for exhibition purposes; (2) the HID bulbs that were sold with the kits in 2007 and 2008 are likely burned out by now and no longer functioning; and (3) Panda Power no longer sells the HID headlamp kits.


Quote:
NHTSA'S Analyses: Panda Power argues that the noncompliance is inconsequential to motor vehicle safety, primarily, because the kits were originally intended for sale to the agricultural community and to be placed on tractors and combines, or for off-road vehicles, or for exhibition purposes. NHTSA reviewed the Office Activity file for the original investigation with Panda Power. Excerpts from Panda Powers Web site, dated June 24, 2009, clearly indicate that these items are intended for motor vehicle headlamps. The site displays pictures of numerous passenger cars (e.g., Mercedes Benz, Lexus, Toyota, and Mitsubishi), references other motor vehicles (e.g., BMW), provides a link to Sylvania's replacement bulb guide for motor vehicles, and provides pictures of beam patterns as seen on roadways. It also provides troubleshooting tips for installations on motor vehicles containing daytime running lamps and how to stop lamp flicker when hitting bumps in the road. Because of this information, we find that Panda Powers claim that they sold these items for non-road use to be disingenuous.


My personal comment: I think it's laughable that a company who presumably wanted consumers to believe that it was selling legitimate and high quality products retreats, when faced with an enforcement action, to an argument of, "oh no, that was 5 years ago; our junk is long dead by now!"

 

[kschachn]

Reminds me of the products and devices sold in head shops back in the day. They were all marked "for use with tobacco only".

Originally Posted By: simple_simon
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Perhaps instead of preventing well engineered lighting into the market, they should prosecute the people and suppliers of illegal HID lighting "upgrades".

And perhaps you should learn what "for offroad use only" means before calling something illegal and trying to prosecute for it.

 

[DBMaster]

^LOL! I had a 1972 Pontiac Catalina during my college years (1983-1988). I replaced the outer (low/high beam) sealed beams with a pair of E-code Marchal H4 housings with standard 55/60W bulbs. The difference was HUGE. But, to be fair, I had one Wagner halogen sealed beam and on original tungsten sealed beam in those spots prior to the switch.

I did have one inspection station fail the car during the time period because the housing did not have DOT approval and lacked the raised glass nipples. At that point I just went to a different station that didn't care. The sharp cutoff produced less glare for oncoming drivers than the OEM headlights, for sure.

That type of headlight was "for off road use only" at the time.

 

[simple_simon]

Originally Posted By: kschachn
Reminds me of the products and devices sold in head shops back in the day. They were all marked "for use with tobacco only".

Originally Posted By: simple_simon
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Perhaps instead of preventing well engineered lighting into the market, they should prosecute the people and suppliers of illegal HID lighting "upgrades".

And perhaps you should learn what "for offroad use only" means before calling something illegal and trying to prosecute for it.


And notice how those shops are perfectly legal and still in business.

 

[Cujet]

Well, you can always do what the old folks here in South Florida do... Just leave the high beams on all the time!