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Didn't GM come up with this auto-dim for the high beams before? I think it was on Cadillacs. Can anyone confirm?
You're right! GM offered the "Autronic Eye" from 1952 into the mid sixties on Cadillacs and briefly on Buicks and other GM products (although it was rare outside the Cadillac line). It was a streamlined pod a bit smaller than a golf ball that resided on the dashboard to the left of the instrument cluster, where it could peer down the road in search on oncoming headlights.
The forward-facing end of the pod was a lens that focused light from a rather narrow angle on a photocell which, using a black box full of vacuum tube circuitry and a relay under the hood to automatically dim the headlights when the light level from straight ahead exceeded a threshold value set by the driver with a **** on the back of the pod. It actually worked pretty well, but was failure prone - as vacuum tubes and paper capacitors were unhappy in the underhood environment. My uncle had them on several of his Caddys and as a kid, I thought this was pretty cool technology. Still do.
I hope this is a technology whose time has finally come . . . back!
Didn't GM come up with this auto-dim for the high beams before? I think it was on Cadillacs. Can anyone confirm?
Again I believe it was Lincoln (although caddy may had done it as well) to do this I think it was an option on their 197? Mark??? I just remember seeing this thing on the hood next the A pillar and being told what it was.
You're correct. Lincoln was the first brand to use HID in their 1995 Mark VIII. A good three years ahead of lexus and in terms of technology, 3 years is a long time. However, the original ballasts and bulbs were bulkier and dare I say weirder
Actually, BMW was the first brand to offer xenon headlights. It was an option available for the E34 7-Series.
gah you're right. the 7-series were the first to use HID, but the Lincoln was the first to use DC HID.
What would be cool is if there was a dark intersection on a country or such, the headlights would spread out to illuminate the sides of the intersection then after you passed the intersection, it can narrow down to its original beam pattern.
You are absolutely right. I completely forgot about the Tucker. Somehow that center light was connected to the steering and when you turned the wheel it would turn the light. Good eye
Yeah. It was somehow connected to the steering wheel, aiming the center light along with the turning of the wheels. I love the story behind the Tucker!
Nope, "sort of" beat to the punch by Audi in the A8, it's DTRL's are LED
Originally Posted by sleeper408
Doesn't the new Audi R8 have full LED headlights?
The Lexus LED will be a revolutionary system. The LED will actually be used for low beam duty. Making an LED DRL isn't a challange as you can do it with standard surface-mounted LED if you wanted to. However, the LED low beam in the LS600h will be the next HID. Most DRL only has to light up enough light to let the other driver know the car is moving. The LS600h's low beam will have to project actual light output onto the road at a longer distance.
