Headlights too high?

Is your car a 2016 or 2017 Gen 4? I have only seen reports of the 2016 cars getting flashed excessively.

 

I get flashed a quite a bit, especially on my own road I live on (2 way semi busy street) with a 2016. Its not too bad once i get on a major median road. Interestingly enough, one day I got flashed by another prius 2016 or 17 (saw the tail lights in the rear view mirror). The other prii's lights were bright but I was pretty sure he wasn't running high beams so I didn't flash him.

 

IIRC, I had to lower my US-spec 2016 4 headlights about 3 to 4 'flats' of the adjuster bolt-screws (a little more than a half turn). Problem solved. I've had zero flashing from on-coming traffic since.

BTW, 10 months in, and I'm still lovin' this car.

 

Perhaps the other Prius was just saying "Hi.". This was discussed on PC back along, but most folks on stateside felt that we not a popular idea, but there weren't many Gen 4s on the road back then. Who knows, it may catch on among Prii enthusiasts... if not Uberistas.

 

Good point but I doubt he could see me as it was at 4AM

 

Some people flash the same model car not necessarily because of the people inside.
My first reaction was they would have seen you if your headlights were on.

 

Hmm! Maybe he could recognise your lamp configuration and thought, hey, that's another Prius. Or was wearing NVGs.

 

2018's on the Prius C are aimed too high as well. I bought the car 3 days ago and I already got flashed about 5 times by the incoming traffic. I noticed they were too high when I test drove the vehicle.

 

I just turn the dial on the stalk and it lowers the led headlight output. Forgot which setting, but you can check it in front of a white wall. One setting is extremely bright and the other is slightly dimmer. I'm not referring to high beam either.

SM-N960U1 ?

 

You are referring to daytime running lights that do not light the tail lights.

 

The dealer needs to fix that under warranty. I think checking is part of the pre-delivery inspection.

 

That's what I first thought it was. Its something that does light up the tail light. I checked the back lights were also on.

SM-N960U1 ?

 

DRL + parking lights?

 

Possibly. I also recall the amber markers are also on when the headlights are on with this setting. But generally speaking at night the setting has a lower led headlight output, yet still effective and also comfortable for other road users.

SM-N960U1 ?

 

Not sure about legality though. I know they changed the headlights for 2017 to reduce the glare in test results.

 

I remember back in the late 90s and early 2000s when BMW and some others introduced xenon lights . Many folks also thought they were too bright as they were not used to the technology at the time. Thus owners got a lot of other road users flashing their headlights at them.

SM-N960U1 ?

 

2016 test



2017 test

 

That is what happens on both my 2012 Prius Liftback and on my Subaru, when turned down a single notch. It takes a turndown of 2 notches to get DRL without parking lights. Of course, neither of these vehicles have LED headlights, so it is not a strictly comparable situation.

I suspect it is illegal in nighttime conditions requiring headlights, but legal in daylight when DRLs are acceptable. DRLs simply don't have a legal low-beam pattern.

 

Around here seeing more-and-more "ghost" cars, not the traditional undercover cops, rather someone driving at night with just their daytime running lights, no other lights. Kinda maddening. I can't understand why they wouldn't clue in, notice their dash is dark, but apparently some of the latest model cars, you always see dash lights??