Arty101

I guess its not a legal requirement to have auto leveling with HIDs, although it may well blind on coming traffic.

unowned

No auto leveling is not the same as adaptive headlights as I stated above how Lexus describes their system from the manual.

To make the lights adaptive for dips and hills the car would need to scan the road ahead to determine if you are getting close to a hill or a crest or you could use a G sensor working in the altitude direction but that would be slower to respond. Side to side adaptive capabilities are much easier since you can use the steering angle to adjust the lights or activate a side light mirror.

Arty101

Now unowned, you've got me really confused. From what I've read on CL, I always thought HID auto leveling was for changes in grade or height of the car so not to blind on-coming cars, and adaptive lighting was the swivel of the headlights in the direction of the steering wheel.

Now you're saying adaptive lighting scans the road ahead, and what's this G sensor to do with this? Does Lexus use this technology, or what other car company use this adaptive scan technology? Man, now my heads spinning.

unowned

auto headlight leveling would only happen on initial startup or it could also adjust if say 3 people jumped in the back seat compressing the rear shocks a bit from the added 500-600 lbs.

You asked about automatically "adapting" the headlights for crests and dips in the road as you drive along.

For example by using G sensor on the "altitude" axis of your vehicle you can get the change of the altitude of the vehicle as it's driving over a crest (feeling the car go light) or driving into a dip (feeling the car get heavy) and you could adjust the headlights up and down based on that information.

Another method would be to have the some sort of road scanner similar to the Lexus "lane departure" capabilities but instead analyzing if the road is cresting of dipping.

I'm not sure who owns the patents on these kinds of technologies and whether or not Lexus/Toyota has licensed them for say on their flagship LS model. I'm pretty sure the newer Mercedes S class cars have this full capability with the headlights as you drive along (up, down, and side to side). The S class typically is the car to look at if you want to know what kind of toys will be fitted to cars in a few years time.

LexRuger

My dad had a 08 S550. I loved that car.

Arty101

Actually I was asking about the auto leveling feature, and if that changes to crest, dips and hills. So auto leveling doesn't adjust or change for these conditions? It's only good for extra passenger or weight loads? And the newer Lexus HIDs are more sophisticated that they don't have the bounce or sweep up and down as before during start up as a check? Well, I'm not too impressed with the Lexus HIDs anymore.

unowned

correct auto leveling doesn't change for road conditions. Only confirmation about the feature is that our 2013 ES model does not have this feature, from this post in another thread about self leveling HIDs https://www.clublexus.com/forums/7751217-post28.html

SW17LS

This is not accurate.

I've owned 6 Toyota/Lexus vehicles with HID headlamps. All have had auto leveling. The system does an up/down check at startup, and adjusts for load and for dips and rises in the road. When driving down a dark road, you can visibly see the lights adjusting for the grade of the road, there is no "scanning", its purely a level-meter thing.

My 2003 and 2010 ES's had HID headlamps with auto-leveling, the 2010 also had adaptive lighting.

If the 2013 does not even have auto leveling headlamps, which the ES has had since 2002, I think that is really sad.

Arty101

Thanks for that clarification. This makes sense.

In the other thread on Self Leveling HIDs, it does seem Lexus has left this feature off the 2013 ES HID lights. Probably another cost cutting measure. Hummm.

unowned

I never claimed to have known what technique toyota offically uses for adjusting the auto leveling. Now that you mention it, they probably use the rear shock load at all times to adjust the headlights which is definitely something I didn't think about at the time. It is definitely one of the easiest to implement but slowest in response as you have to wait for the car to pitch around before you get headlight adjustment data.

SW17LS

It works just fine, always has.

Really a shame the new ES doesn't have it. Glad I upgraded...

Arty101

Funny Lexus or Toyota would have a separate HID system.

unowned

It may have been a cost cutting measure, but the fact is you can buy almost any package ES without HIDs and if it costs $900-1000 HIDs with auto leveling than just $515 for what is offered now people would pay it if they really wanted HIDs. On a 40k car it's almost insignificant towards final price.

SW17LS

I'm sure its a cost cutting measure...

Arty101

I think you're right Steve.