poor headlight illumination

[DianeBill]

We recently purchased a new 2011 Toyota Camry LE. When we got around to driving it after dark, we were very unpleasantly surprised at the headlight illumination with low beams. Visibility through the windshield is cut off by a sharp blackness across the upper third or half. it is hard to see very far ahead, especially going down hills. Also, when making turns to the right or left, there is very limited visibility; there is simply not enough light to see where you are turning. It is fine on high beams, but we don't want to drive around with high beams all the time. My wife is afraid to drive after dark. We took it back to the dealer, whose service department made an adjustment to it, but it's not much better. We wouldn't have bought a Camry if we had known this (and our last two cars were Camrys, the most recent a '96). We saw nothing about this in any reviews, in spite of diligent research. Who would have thought you'd need to test-drive a car at night?! Is this typical of modern headlights? Is there anything we can do to fix this?

[cocoLatte]

upgrade the headlights? you can get HID (high intensity lights) or if you want to save the trouble, go to your nearest auto store and buy some sylvania silverstars?

[DianeBill]

Cocolatte - Thanks for your response. The problem is not that they are not bright enough, it's that they seem to be aimed downward with a sharp cut-off of light above a certain (too low) level.

[murph3699]

You can adjust the headlights. there is a screw on the back of the lights, 8 or 9mm I believe. That's what I used to adjust my retrofit

[sixsix]

That's just how projector beam headlights are. Nothing you can really do about that.

[Zembonez]

Modern headlights are brighter and have better reflector (or projector) designs. The downside of these brighter lights is the abrupt cutoff in the beam pattern. It's pretty obvious if you point them at your garage door at night. This is needed in order not to blind oncoming traffic with the better light.

Older lights had poorer reflector designs and basically flooded the light without much regard for cutoff. It's really just something you get used to over time.

[JohnGD]

+1. Headlights need periodic adjustments.

Originally Posted by DianeBill

Cocolatte - Thanks for your response. The problem is not that they are not bright enough, it's that they seem to be aimed downward with a sharp cut-off of light above a certain (too low) level.

[tengiday]

I thought that manufacturers nowadays try not to use a clear lense for a headlight. They try to make the cut-off a bit blurry. If you have ever driven cars with HID, you will be more unpleasant because the contrast is greater than with halogen.

[heartdisease]

I drove a 1991 Escort for my work car for 6 years. I put the Slyvania white star or whatever they are called in them. Awesome lighting.

I bought my 2009 Camry and I was amazed at how bad they were. I totally agree with your observations. I believe it is a combination of the sharp cutoff and the way the lights are set back from the front of the car along with how much more spacing there is between them. My solution was to install LED fogs in the empty spots for them. They are the spot pattern but they still have a good spread. I use them as driving lights most of the time and it has made it acceptable for me.

I started a thread on them and can post the link if you are interested although the camera doesn't do them justice. I have driven 30-40k a year for 16 years and have never hit a deer. A lot of that is luck but having good lights sure helps.

[kingnba6]

the first thing i do when i get a new car or bike i adjust the headlights. most of the time either they are too high or just all messed up. hids would solve your problem but if you want to stay like oem then get some sylvania silverstars. i really like having fog lights on my cars because then i am able to aim the headlights a little higher and then the fogs will be able to cover the bind spots. also fogs work great with highbeams.

[lenjack]

8 mm wrench. Tightening the screw will lower the beam and vice versa.

[william m dowd]

Sylvania just came out with new lights brighter than the super ultras they are in a blue package costing about $59.00 for the set I put them in my old 91 Lexus and they really light up the road I am using the HID type bulbs in my 2006 camry and now putting in the 3000k fog lights that are yellow the HID type bulbs will work in the projector type light your camry has and you might have to ajust them up a little shop around for the best price on HID type systems we can buy them here in Ca for about 100.00 for the complet kit

[touringcamry]

Originally Posted by Zembonez

Modern headlights are brighter and have better reflector (or projector) designs. The downside of these brighter lights is the abrupt cutoff in the beam pattern. It's pretty obvious if you point them at your garage door at night. This is needed in order not to blind oncoming traffic with the better light.

Older lights had poorer reflector designs and basically flooded the light without much regard for cutoff. It's really just something you get used to over time.

Unless you had sealed beams. The ones I had output what basically looked like a pencil beam -- very straight and narrow. There was no flooding whatsoever.

[touringcamry]

Originally Posted by william m dowd

Sylvania just came out with new lights brighter than the super ultras they are in a blue package costing about $59.00 for the set I put them in my old 91 Lexus and they really light up the road I am using the HID type bulbs in my 2006 camry and now putting in the 3000k fog lights that are yellow the HID type bulbs will work in the projector type light your camry has and you might have to ajust them up a little shop around for the best price on HID type systems we can buy them here in Ca for about 100.00 for the complet kit

It's an illusion because higher color temperature tricks you into thinking it's brighter without actually generating more lumens.

[touringcamry]

Originally Posted by tengiday

I thought that manufacturers nowadays try not to use a clear lense for a headlight. They try to make the cut-off a bit blurry. If you have ever driven cars with HID, you will be more unpleasant because the contrast is greater than with halogen.

I don't think the blurriness is to make the cutoff or transition less drastic, but rather it's necessary to output some light upwards to illuminate signs and such. I think this is required by DOT regulations. I think European headlamps do not have this but instead have a cutoff that goes diagonal on the non-drive side so it does not blind oncoming traffic.

Even with the headlights on Camry, there is some upward projection above the cutoff to illuminate overhead signs and such.

Most modern lamps I've seen tend to use multifaceted reflector and polycarbonate lens. My guess is that this is done to save weight and possibly better transmission of light. I don't know the cost to manufacture this type versus the older glass type so I don't know if that is a motive. (I have seen some vehicles still sold with sealed beams though.)

The older glass lens were heavier and looked frosted because the glass is a frensel lens that bends and shapes light to a usable pattern and the reflector was just parabolic. However, judging by the fact that there are people grounding their lenses smooth and clear, it's not fashionable I'm guessing. See the 3rd and 4th gen forum if you don't believe this...