[bradleyland]

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There is a ton of misinformation in the original IIHS headlight test thread, so I figured I'd put together some more detail to explain the results that AutoBlog so poorly represented in their article. The IIHS tested many different configurations for each automobile they tested. In the BMW lineup, they tested two models with several different headlight configs:

2-Series
- HID
- Halogen

3-Series
- LED
- Halogen

They also tested with and without adaptive and high-beam-assist, where available. You can see detailed test results on the respective vehicle test pages; just click on "headlights" in the menu.

BMW 2-Series
BMW 3-Series

The best performer (by their rating system) was the Toyota Prius. I'm using this as the reference point.

There are some great charts on the IIHS site. The method used to build these charts was to use light meters to measure the amount of light produced by the car's headlights at a given distance. The low-end threshold (where the bar stops) they chose was 5 lux, which is roughly full moon light level. They performed the measurement just a few inches off the ground. On to some charts.

On the charts, the blue filled area represents the reach of the low beams, while the grey represents the high-beam reach:

LOW BEAMS
HIGH BEAMS

3-Series halogen
The halogens suck. Plain and simple. Everyone knows this though. With the IIHS reporting on headlight safety, I think the halogen headlamp's days are numbered.



3-Series LED adaptive
This is where things get interesting. If you look at the gray bars, you can see that the LED adaptive headlights actually outperform the "best in test" Prius, and by a good margin in some cases. The problem is that the low-beams are abysmal. Clearly the intensity of the lighting is plenty to light up the road, but the aiming of the low-beam setting severely limits reach. This lack of low-beam performance is called out specifically in the IIHS remarks as to why the 3-Series LED equipped models got a low rating.



Prius LED (for reference)


Hopefully this helps explain why BMW got dinged so hard in the new headlight test. It should also explain why everyone is so confused by the rating. The LED lights are very bright, but the low-beam setting is aimed such that the light is directed at the ground in front of the car, not down the road where you need to see.

[SakhirM4]

Thanks. Great info

[AIRPOWER]

This is actually a lot better than the other thread I read on the same subject.

Thanks for breaking it down the way you did.....very digestible.

Winner or not.....I still wouldn't be caught DEAD in a F-ing Prius (even at night with the better LEDs ), I don't even like to ride as a PAX in my friend's.

[Arcades]

And that is why Lups hates BMW's LED.

Mommy knows best apparently.

[GuidoK]

I dont understand. For me personally I'd rather have better low beam performance than good high beam performance.
I rarely use high beam. The roads around here are way to crowded to use those (maybe except in the middle of the night).
High beam performance for me is hardly important and almost always enough in the rare case I can use them.
So then the test verdict is imho right if the low beam performance is sub standard.
BMW should fix that.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by Arcades

And that is why Lups hates BMW's LED.

Mommy knows best apparently.

Oh hush, I just called them a waste of money and a dangerous one way to spend it.

Who would've thought someone on a bmw forum would be offended by that.

[bradleyland]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

I dont understand. For me personally I'd rather have better low beam performance than good high beam performance.
I rarely use high beam. The roads around here are way to crowded to use those (maybe except in the middle of the night).
High beam performance for me is hardly important and almost always enough in the rare case I can use them.
So then the test verdict is imho right if the low beam performance is sub standard.
BMW should fix that.

I agree completely

I made this thread because a lot of folks in the other thread believed that the "problem" was only with the halogens. They just dismissed the test with comments like, "Oh sure the halogens suck, we all know that." The truth is that all US market BMW headlight options have issues. Obviously the IIHS didn't test the new laser headlights, because our luddite regulations won't allow them here.

I did try to write it objectively and explain the facts though, so it may have come off as defensive. Some people will read this and say, "It's ok because the high-beam performance is fine." Like you, I'd disagree with them. The lights are bright enough, but BMW needs to address the way they aim their headlights from the factory.

[ashmostro]

Great post.

This is why I re-aim the headlights first thing once I take delivery. I even did this on my 335is and it made a huge difference. I plan to do the same with the F80 if it seems to have the same problem.

[Chez]

Originally Posted by ashmostro

Great post.

This is why I re-aim the headlights first thing once I take delivery. I even did this on my 335is and it made a huge difference. I plan to do the same with the F80 if it seems to have the same problem.

Fancy posting a DIY? lol

[IndotagSwizz]

nice way of saying they suck, doesn't matter if they are aiming low, that's how you get them when you buy the car

[Mr. Hankey]

Originally Posted by ashmostro

Great post.

This is why I re-aim the headlights first thing once I take delivery. I even did this on my 335is and it made a huge difference. I plan to do the same with the F80 if it seems to have the same problem.

+1...I pointed both of my LED headlights up...made projection down the road better, not great, but better. Although the high beams are probably the brightest I've ever seen on any car...

[ashmostro]

Originally Posted by Chez

Fancy posting a DIY? lol

Haven't done it on an F80 yet as mine is still being built, but on most cars it's a worm drive gear with a phillips head (basically just looks like a bolt) on the backside of the headlight assembly. There's usually two per bulb, so you have to be sure you are not changing the left-to-right sweep.

I aim the headlights on a flat surface having parked the car on a flat surface and move up both gradually until I get a setting I like on a test drive. Just make sure the horizontal lowbeam cutoff matches left to right and you are golden.

[Mr. Hankey]

Originally Posted by ashmostro

Haven't done it on an F80 yet as mine is still being built, but on most cars it's a worm drive gear with a phillips head (basically just looks like a bolt) on the backside of the headlight assembly. There's usually two per bulb, so you have to be sure you are not changing the left-to-right sweep.

I aim the headlights on a flat surface having parked the car on a flat surface and move up both gradually until I get a setting I like on a test drive. Just make sure the horizontal lowbeam cutoff matches left to right and you are golden.

+1 - on the LEDs theres a white plastic philips head worm drive...aimed mine up to where I thought they should be, went for a drive and got high beam flashed by 1 or 2 people, and came back and pointed them down a bit...no more flashing, better light projection...they were set at their lowest setting from factory on my car.

[ashmostro]

That's the way to do it!

Bulls--t laws that don't actually protect anyone...

[clbmw]

Thanks for this!

Halogens are last century. BMW would give up RWD before halogens ... Sad

[Brian_R]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

I dont understand. For me personally I'd rather have better low beam performance than good high beam performance.
I rarely use high beam. The roads around here are way to crowded to use those (maybe except in the middle of the night).
High beam performance for me is hardly important and almost always enough in the rare case I can use them.
So then the test verdict is imho right if the low beam performance is sub standard.
BMW should fix that.

I wonder if BMW simply didn't do anything to compensate for the Euro features having to be disabled for the US Market via coding for the adaptive lights.

[RobbyMack]

And for anyone who drives primarily in a urban environment this makes little difference. I honestly have yet to see any issue with the standard headlights. YMMV.

[openwheelracing]

Hopefully BMW can simply program the vertical slightly higher????

[dba1t]

Excellent information. Thank you for sharing.

The question is if the Prius headlights have the same sharp cutoff which are common in German headlights? This has a huge impact on low beam performance at distance. Perhaps this was mentioned elsewhere in the IIHS data, but I am guessing that the Prius also puts more light in the eyes of oncoming drivers.

[CanAutM3]

Thanks a lot for posting this.

Is it possible that the poor LED low beam performance is simply related to their programming to meet US regulation (not allowed to have intensity varying headlights)?

After I programmed the EU VLD on my M4, I found the low beam performance to be greatly enhanced. Actually, even the high beams improved even if I don't have NGHB.

[3M TAPE]

How come BMW doesn't make Headlight Adjustment system anymore.
I know E39s and E38s (which were over-engineered, greatest BMWs ever) had that low beam level adjusters.

[Fury Road]

One way or another they have to figure it out to make them better. Getting blinded by led headlights absolutely sucks.