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Automatic high beams, safe use and options

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by frederw1701, Sep 20, 2024.

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  1. frederw1701

    frederw1701 New Member

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    As background, the IIHS has some unflattering things to say about the low beams ("inadequate"). and hints that the automatic high beams are the way to compensate. It's on their web site, which the forum software is not allowing me to mention.
    They made a bad first impression. The environment was suburban twilight with plenty of streetlights. Twice in a single ten mile trip I manually dimmed it because there was traffic oncoming and I was getting uncomfortable.
    Searching the forum for "automatic high beams" turned up similar experiences in the Prius V section going back to 2018, which is my model year. The consensus seemed to be that eventually the system will dim the headlights, and nobody reported other drivers acting offended. But still.
    Are there environments where they work better?
    Has Toyota offered a software fix?
    When I was young, and a lot has changed since then, if you thought your vehicles headlights were inadequate you could replace them with aftermarket ones. Is that an option any more?
    Is the AHB behavior better than it looks? The dimming wasn't happening on my schedule for sure, but is it in a safe range?
     
    #1 frederw1701, Sep 20, 2024
  2. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    2018 is an early generation of the system (TSS-P). Mine is the same year. It does not work well in my opinion. I can usually react faster than the "automatic" mode which is crazy because computers should work almost instantly. Sometimes it doesn't let me turn on the high beams at all. And sometimes it just behaves erratically.

    The LED low beams on the Prime seem pretty good. I don't think IIHS specifically tested them. They only tested the regular Prius which has different lights.

    The high beams on the Prime are extremely bright, and I don't want to subject other drivers to that (except in the rare case that they deserve it).

    There are so many ways they could make it better. I guess federal regulations keep us from having adaptive headlights.

    Another improvement could be to imperceptibly pulse the vehicles headlights in sync with the camera. For example turn the lights off for 1 millisecond and have the camera save a frame. Anything that goes dark is a reflection, and anything that stays light is an external light source. As long as it's fast enough not to be visible to human eyes, you wouldn't notice it.

    Has anyone driven a car with TSS 3.0? With a couple generations of improvements does it work better?
     
    #2 m8547, Sep 27, 2024 at 5:55 PM
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    our 2024 hycam works exceptionally well. tss2.5 not perfect, but turns the high beams off when you want them occasionally, but always turns them off with oncoming traffic.
    seems like a sensor issue.
     
    #3 bisco, Sep 27, 2024 at 6:21 PM
  4. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    Mine will always eventually turn them off for oncoming traffic, but it takes a second or two. It should be close to instant for me to really trust it. Two seconds is plenty of time to blind the other driver.
     
    #4 m8547, Sep 27, 2024 at 6:23 PM
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    agreed. as soon as you see them, the sensor should sense them and turn off the hi beams.
     
    #5 bisco, Sep 27, 2024 at 6:37 PM
  6. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    I don't know which TSS is in our 2018 c model, but the auto hi beams work great. I mean, I've caught a mistake here and there but most of the time it does what it says on the tin.
     
    #6 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Sep 27, 2024 at 7:20 PM
  7. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    It might depend on the roads. Around where I live, winding back roads are the only ones with low enough traffic to use high beams at all. Speed limit is usually 35-55. The automation might work better on a straight highway where oncoming traffic is coming straight at you.
     
    #7 m8547, Sep 27, 2024 at 7:24 PM
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