Unilateral AFS (Adaptive Front Lighting System) ?
 

I noticed tonight driving home in the fog that my headlight AFS (Adaptive Front Lighting System) is much more noticeable on the left than the right side. Turning left will aim the headlight significantly left, but turning right yields much less light to the right. I assume the system works by raising a small mirror to reflect more light to the side as one turns.
1) Has anyone noticed such an AFS imbalance?
2) I was leaving AFS on all the time since it's very handy for driving at night. Or is AFS something that can wear out easily, and should only be turned on when needed?

It's normal, not an imbalance. AFS System is designed that way.

In a left-hand turn, the left headlamp will pivot up to 15 degrees (the right-hand headlamp remains pointed straight ahead) and in a right-hand turn, the right headlamp will pivot up to 5 degrees (the left-hand headlamp remains pointed straight ahead).

If I remember correctly you can turn it off but it will reactivate above 15MPH I believe. I would have to check the manual but its in there

Thanks Dave and Booyah!
 

Thanks Dave -- I am still trying to understand the logic of having lower deflection for turning right than left.

Thanks Booyah -- as I recall with AFS on, it will activate at higher speeds; but with it off I think the lights stay straight ahead. My question is if leaving AFS on all the time puts inadvisable wear and tear on the mechanism.

Loook in the manual--Im sure if you turn them off they will reactivate themselves--go look it up:)

Just leave them on, you are not hurting anything

im not positive, but logic tells me it does it that way because of beam pattern cutoffs. someone else?

Charley

i believe they stay off actually if you push the button.

what happens is the bulb actually turns with the wheel. Im sure using and using it will cause wear and tear, but it doubt its enough to notice. I leave mine on all the time, and they seem to be working.

Those Adaptive lights are designed where if they failed...like stuck to either side, coverage is still within the spec....just another item to consider on the FMEA, Failure Mode Effects Analysis.

My 05 330 does exactly the same and that is normal, as others have stated. In addition, this topic is covered fairly well in the manual.

Is the ability to turn off the AFS something that was NOT available until after 2005? When we bought our car new, we both read the novel (way to big to be a manual ;) ) and even spent time in the car, learning switches and such. I have no recollection of an on/off switch for the AFS.

Gary

its near the buttons for adjusting your outside mirrors, near the trunk auto lid open/close button, and the gas cap button. basically, its on that panel. lol. my 2004 has it

Cool. Thank you for that. I will look that one up and impress my wife, who claims to know more about this car than me! :D Oth, this is her car; mine is a new BMW 328.

This is the AFS switch on 07/08 RX

There you go, sama's done it again!

dont worry about turning them off until you reach 50K lol

The reason the lights deflect more to the left is that you are crossing a lane of traffic if you are turning left on a two way street. When you make a right turn you don't cross any lanes of traffic so less deflection and illumination is needed.

I wonder if the 15 and 5 degree deflection is reversed in the UK, Hong Kong and Japan, since they drive on the "wrong" side of the street in those places.