Question about headlights
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 42
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From: wi
Question about headlights
Do they automaticly adjust for turns? Do they adjust when going up and down hills? When I first turn mine on, they move up. I'm just curious about this feature.
Lead Lap
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,189
Likes: 16
From: NY/NJ
2004 ls cl
Just for my 2004 LS CL I can speak for, I have the HID headlights and they adjust up and down when you first start engine and have the lights one. Then when you turn left and right above 17 mph, they turn with the steering wheel. They also auto adjust (thus the up and down when you first turn on car) up and down when doing up and down hills... but only by a few degrees and so it it's a super steep hill, then you might not see much anyway.
You can check/tell by turning your steering wheel to the left and then to the right-DO IT SAFELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can see the beam swivel
i wasn't aware that our lights went up and down as well. i know they turn side to side when turning and i know the auto level when you turn them on, but i don't recall hearing anything about up or down, can anyone quote a source for this??
Racer
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,358
Likes: 87
From: Delaware
a witness
It's not a whole heck of a lot though, maybe the line moves downwards several inches, but as we all know from geometry 101 about angles, several inches at 15' will turn into a much greater adjustment the further away you go from the headlights. Is that pythagoreans theory or something?
Where's our nuclear engineers-MIKE (AlexusAnja)-when we need them!? lol!I've never been at the bottom of a hill and noticed the lights adjust upwards. Not saying it doesn't/can happen, but I've just never had the opportunity to observe it...
Last edited by LS430inDE.; May 5, 2009 at 01:40 PM.
It is very responsive too, if you floor the car hard and make it squat down, the lights aim down, and if you brake really hard to make the car dive down, the lights aims up.
well the only reason that i questioned this so much (alexus) is cuz a couple weeks ago i took it upon myself to mess with my front height sensors (UL of course) to lower it manually even lower, even though i do have the controller... so i got the front about 1.5-2 inches even lower than the lowest drivable setting on the controller (the lowest setting on the controller is not drivable and will raise up apparently if you try to drive on it, even though i think i successfully drove on it a hundred yards to see if it would raise up and i didn't notice it raising up or any warning lights at all), and when i was driving my head lights were pointed at such a sharp angle down since i had lowered the front an additional 1.5 - 2 inches than the back i couldn't see anything more than like 60 ft. in front of my car (no street lights on this one road either). after driving to dinner and back i immediately raised it back up and vowed never to do that again. going up and down hills when it was that low was just awful and was the worst driving experience i have had in this ls so far. the lights did not adjust for me at that time, i really wish they had, but then maybe i wouldn't have put the height back up if they had....hmmm???
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Lead Lap
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
From: Ca
on 2001 and up, the head lights have auto level and will adjust up/down when the angle of the car changes up or down. They are pretty sensitive. If you park you car on a level surface with something parked in front of it, then press down on the rear trunk (right or left side) you can see the beam adjusting. Careful not to dent your trunk lid pushing down to hard on it. 
On 04-06, the head lights also swivel left and right. Only one light turns at a time. So if you are heading into left curve, your left light will turn but the right will stay pointed directly ahead. Reverse that for a right hand turn. The right hand head light has less travel then the left light. Noticably less.
On 04-06, the head lights also swivel left and right. Only one light turns at a time. So if you are heading into left curve, your left light will turn but the right will stay pointed directly ahead. Reverse that for a right hand turn. The right hand head light has less travel then the left light. Noticably less.
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Lead Lap
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,189
Likes: 16
From: NY/NJ
I can't quote a source to say that "it adjusts up and down as you drive" specifically from an owner's manual or online, but "auto leveling" for manufacturing means that the lights will adjust up and down (which is why it levels upon first start up) based on a floating adjuster (i.e. bubble level). Also, as someone has already noted, if you drive up or down a steep enough hill during a dark night, you will see the up and down adjustments also. You just have to observe carefully.
Hey, or you can do this, park about 30' from a wall, put the lights on and then jack up the your end and watch the light level slowly move up.
Hey, or you can do this, park about 30' from a wall, put the lights on and then jack up the your end and watch the light level slowly move up.
yeah i will have to try this raising of the car method when i remember and its dark and i find a good wall... i just don't recall mine doing this when i needed it most that one night i described earlier in this thread.
well the only reason that i questioned this so much (alexus) is cuz a couple weeks ago i took it upon myself to mess with my front height sensors (UL of course) to lower it manually even lower, even though i do have the controller... so i got the front about 1.5-2 inches even lower than the lowest drivable setting on the controller (the lowest setting on the controller is not drivable and will raise up apparently if you try to drive on it, even though i think i successfully drove on it a hundred yards to see if it would raise up and i didn't notice it raising up or any warning lights at all), and when i was driving my head lights were pointed at such a sharp angle down since i had lowered the front an additional 1.5 - 2 inches than the back i couldn't see anything more than like 60 ft. in front of my car (no street lights on this one road either). after driving to dinner and back i immediately raised it back up and vowed never to do that again. going up and down hills when it was that low was just awful and was the worst driving experience i have had in this ls so far. the lights did not adjust for me at that time, i really wish they had, but then maybe i wouldn't have put the height back up if they had....hmmm???
Last edited by BNR34; May 6, 2009 at 01:43 PM.
Lead Lap
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,189
Likes: 16
From: NY/NJ
Eyeball power
good catch. Like our eyes, you can only look up as far as you can and you can tilt all you want, but you can't up any more beyond your eyelids... unless you can roll your eyes all the way back. 