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My bad.... Not being a medical person a correct diagnosis of damage to the left eye because of some kinda strain I will not attempt... I DO know.. I required medical care for pain and damage to my left eye attributed to strain while driving at night my C5 in the Mojave on a two lane back road... at night, a short cut back road from Las Vegas to Palm Springs, Ivanpah Road, lovely route... perfect for a daytime sprint in the C5. Look it up.
Sorry to hear about your eye issue but WOW, that area is so gorgeous for a drive!
I apologize for my typo. I know what what OEM stands for, and it is clearly what I meant to type. I have edited my original post. However, since we are being super specific, I referred to headlights in cars from the 90's (as the headlights did not change from the original car released in 1997). You are correct that they changed on the C6 partly to improve the headlight, and partly because the gov't said that the flip up lights were hazardous to pedestrians. However, you can't blame GM for not using adaptive headlights, as they have actually been illegal in the US until about a month ago.
Among 1997 model year cars, C5 headlights are God awful. I'm not too sure what you want to compare it to. My 1999 Toyota 4runner has (mind you it's not world class but then again it's a CUV & was designed in 1995!! ) better OEM lighting than my 2002 C5
Pick a 1997, 2 seater car, any car. They all had better headlights. How bout Acura? Even the NSX had pop up projectors and later in the model cycle went to fixed projector headlights. 1997 Vipers had body mount projectors.
FWIW only the European Gov't nations said flip up headlights were" hazardous", not ILLEGAL and still OK in U.S. and you're right I don't blame GM for using adaptive headlights but I absolutely think they are losing customers by putting cheaply made and below average standard headlights in A LOT of their cars specifically the C5
I tried to flash the high beams without any success. As I was surfing the 'net, I have found a few projector type lights with bulbs. I was wondering what would happen if I used the projector headlight lens to replace the stock one? I would also use a stock type bulb. I have included a link to one example. Thanks
Our Bi-LED ACA headlights have a dual-function (low and high beam) projector and supplemental LED reflector high beam. Our newest generation LED Projector is 15% brighter (measured by Lux at TDC hot spot in low beam) than the last version.
Is it just taken with an older cellphone or why is both sets of patterns H/L look to be a quite narrow width?
Are the headlights improperly aimed? Low beam is shining on the top of the near opposite side road sign
Why do the high beams not extend distance past the low beam and only seem to light up higher tree branches?
Why is the HUD all fuzzy and its image in the middle of the windshield?
That’s for $695 plus tax aand shipping ?
Is it just taken with an older cellphone or why is both sets of patterns H/L look to be a quite narrow width?
Not sure. These were photos from a customer. It appears they are properly aimed though the car may be on a slight incline. The width is the widest in the industry. Keep in mind this road is pitch black and the only light source are the headlights
Originally Posted by Hary Gahtoe
Why do the high beams not extend distance past the low beam and only seem to light up higher tree branches?
The high beam function on these lights is not to "extend" throw, but to illuminate objects above the cutoff of the low beam. The hot spot of the low beam is what provides the long range vision. It is only partially blocked by the cutoff shield. If properly aimed, the low beam hot spot will provide ample distance illumination. When the shield moves, the rest of the pattern is projected including a small part of the hot spot that was previously obscured. No additional light will be projected on a level road by the projector even though the hot spot will be more exposed. High beam is really only needed for driving on roads with a lot of geography (curves/hills) or to better see off-road hazards (pulled over vehicles, animals etc) single projector only.
Originally Posted by Hary Gahtoe
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Why is the HUD all fuzzy and its image in the middle of the windshield?
My guess is that the HUD was out of focus (in preference to the range of the headlight pattern)
If the patterns are factual they don’t seem to compare well with quality lighting standards especially the high beam output. Also in the customers car both High and Low patterns are unusually high. I would be interested to see the lights shown on a height measured test pattern. A lower output light can be advantaged by raising the pattern above normal limits which could be verified as true and safe or not
Notice the wide and much lower pattern in an example below
Also, the test pattern high beam example does omit a higher level of light but looks unfocused and blurry instead of clear and controlled and in the Customers photos only seems to illuminate an unnecessarily small high area not really needed
It’s difficult to trust cell phone photos but there are systems that provide quality light patterns out there that makes it easier to see like the pattern below which illuminate much cleaner, wider and seemingly at proper heights
Given the choice; which pattern would you choose ?
Last edited by Hary Gahtoe; Dec 20, 2021 at 12:10 PM.
If the patterns are factual they don’t seem to compare well with quality lighting standards especially the high beam output. Also in the customers car both High and Low patterns are unusually high. I would be interested to see the lights shown on a height measured test pattern. A lower output light can be advantaged by raising the pattern above normal limits which could be verified as true and safe or not
Notice the wide and much lower pattern in an example below
Also, the test pattern high beam example does omit a higher level of light but looks unfocused and blurry instead of clear and controlled and in the Customers photos only seems to illuminate an unnecessarily small high area not really needed
It’s difficult to trust cell phone photos but there are systems that provide quality light patterns out there that makes it easier to see like the pattern below which illuminate much cleaner, wider and seemingly at proper heights
Given the choice; which pattern would you choose ?
The patterns you have posted appear to be more along E-code T-84 headlights for the C5. While the E-code lights do have a noticeable cutoff, pattern is incredibly narrow especially compared to a modern projector. In addition, you are still required to use halogen bulbs which have limited output on factory wattage.
Objective tests using our previous generation LED projector shows the following at 20'
Top Dead Center: 1120 Lux
10 degrees off-center: 138 Lux
Settings F5.0, 1/20" ISO 400
A single projector was easily able to illuminate an 8" wide tree at 475ft distance
Countless high-end vehicles come from the factory wit Bi-function projector optics. The high beam creates a combo spot flood pattern which given the substantial hot spot produces subjectively uniform illumination irrespective of distance. Compare that to the "blob" of light from the E-code headlight pattern which has so much foreground glare as to be irritating. There is a reason even e-code reflectors have fallen out of favor. The vast majority of luxury auto makers use HID or LED projector optics for this reason.
Factory Low Our kit Low Factory Low Our kit Low
If you need more "throw" our "Stealth light cannon V3" projectors use the same projectors main, but in a fixed headlight configuration. The Bi-LED projector in the outer position but have a supplemental dedicated high beam projector. At 25ft, the hot spot from the Bi-LED and projector combo is over 2000 Lux. Measurement taken at the central tape mark.
Single tree is 475 ft away. The Tree line is 100ft away.
You question my response? to the subject? Well, ok... precisely; night driving this C5 has damaged my eyes permanently.
Can you explain to us idiots how night driving a C5 damaged your eyes...i'm sorta lost here. I do maybe 1% of my driving at night so i do not need all that wonderful expensive crap headlighting...been driving my C5 for the past 18 years ...sometimes at night... with no problems......and i bet there are many C5 owners who feel the same way...
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Can you explain to us idiots how night driving a C5 damaged your eyes...i'm sorta lost here. I do maybe 1% of my driving at night so i do not need all that wonderful expensive crap headlighting...been driving my C5 for the past 18 years ...sometimes at night... with no problems......and i bet there are many C5 owners who feel the same way...
MERRY CHRISTMAS
My best guess is eye strain, however this should not result in permanent eye damage.
There was a time that a heavy somewhat shaky old school projector style light system presently being used would have been enough. An older gen glass lens light purposely made for HID/halogen will never illuminate well using an LED light source; period. Not to mention the dangers of higher heat levels. With today’s mini jewel eye style technology my vote is with the Knight drive setup.
I’m patient and the lighter, simpler and cleaner light output from a true built from scratch mini jewel eye style will be better.
Can’t wait to see the new updates coming from Knightdrive
You've been completely blinded by cars that you have no idea what they're running, LEDs or HIDs, and if they were poorly aimed even with halogens then the bulb isn't to blame.
Light does come from the same point. The light spread is different as you mentioned, but what- they paint halogen tips where LEDs don't have that problem. Not sure what the point was there.
My VW came from the factory with projectors and halogens. LEDs don't 'belong' in a projector housing any more than a halogen doesn't. Projector housing and non projector housing being different? yeah, undeniable because that's an obvious statement. Has nothing to do with the bulb.
there’s a guy that sells the brighter bulbs with painted tip, so they will work with the stock housing. That painter bulb tip is what makes it not scatter the light
there’s a guy that sells the brighter bulbs with painted tip, so they will work with the stock housing. That painter bulb tip is what makes it not scatter the light
Old antiquated or just less accurate devices rolled into one don't equal good lighting.
Even if a portion is shielded a higher wattage halogen bulb can actually make a worse vision field. The fluting on a stock headlight lens is a major source of shadows and blurred or fuzzy (unfocused) areas. Increasing the intensity (brightness) will never help give a clear area view that aids driving. You can actually make vision worse by overfocusing light on one small area and having other areas a lot less visible making night driving more dangerous.
Point missed here is glare. If you throw out an enormous amount of raw light the glare you get back off of that ruins your field of vision making things distant much harder to see than if you merely have a quality and accurate light source that makes it easier to focus on all depths of vision.
Last edited by Hary Gahtoe; Jul 8, 2022 at 11:20 AM.
Reason: corrected text
Can you explain to us idiots how night driving a C5 damaged your eyes...i'm sorta lost here. I do maybe 1% of my driving at night so i do not need all that wonderful expensive crap headlighting...been driving my C5 for the past 18 years ...sometimes at night... with no problems......and i bet there are many C5 owners who feel the same way...
MERRY CHRISTMAS
You drive a C5 Corvette a whopping 1 percent at night... For 18 years, wow a real C5 expert, you and 4 other idiots are.. So tell us how you managed seeing anything the other 99 percent!... Or did you "stay in bed with covers over your head"? HAPPY NEW YEAR 😠
Old antiquated or just less accurate devices rolled into one don't equal good lighting.
Even if a portion is shielded a higher wattage halogen bulb can actually make a worse vision field. The fluting on a stock headlight lens is a major source of shadows and blurred or fuzzy (unfocused) areas. Increasing the intensity (brightness) will never help give a clear area view that aids driving. You can actually make vision worse by overfocusing light on one small area and having other areas a lot less visible making night driving more dangerous.
Point missed here is glare. If you throw out an enormous of raw light the glare you get back off of that ruins your field of vision making things distant much harder to see than if you merely have a quality and accurate light source that makes it easier to focus on all depths of vision.
I didn’t even know I had inadequate lighting until I read some of the posts on the forum. LOL…
Well, sides Gators though you probably don't have need for a whole lotta light in Fl. LOL
But get behind the wheel of almost any enrty level Toyota and you'll swear GM robbed a junkyard for the C5 headlights. Hell C4's allow you to replace the entire headlight with a high grade aftermarket set! C5's was all about flip up styling. Lighting was just an afterthought.
Regional areas also play a big part of lighting concerns as well. In the PNW, we have a major amount of driving time where the conditions are extremely poor. Long hours of darkness, uneven shoulders, people walking without reflective materials, cold and constant rain that saps the effectiveness out of most good high end factory headlights. It gets so wet/cold people drive around with a layer of road film on their headlights which makes vision harder to see anything clearly so it does help to start off with a headlight that doesn't already have shadows or blurry spots that doesn't blind oncoming traffic or leave you chest pressed against the steering wheel because you can't see squat
you need projectors, with a good HID/LED bulb, I do 90% of my driving at night.
stock headlights had to go
I have some non-popup lights that I bought in 2018 and installed. I'm not super happy with the kit and I see that you have a setup up as well. Can you direct me to the kit you bought and installed and do you like it? My headlights just randomly quit working a couple of weeks ago. The outer rings still light up, but my HIDs and high beams no longer come on. They just buzz for a second and do nothing. Thanks for any insight or help you can provide!!!
I have some non-popup lights that I bought in 2018 and installed. I'm not super happy with the kit and I see that you have a setup up as well. Can you direct me to the kit you bought and installed and do you like it? My headlights just randomly quit working a couple of weeks ago. The outer rings still light up, but my HIDs and high beams no longer come on. They just buzz for a second and do nothing. Thanks for any insight or help you can provide!!!
LOL
