Acura RL'ing it!

Hey guys new to the site and liking it so far. I'm also loving my RL. Just a question about the headlights when turning on the car on at night. When you start your RL do both headlights move from side to side? On my car only the right headlight moves, and I though that was weird. Should'nt both of them do the same thing?

getakey

only the passenger side moves during startup
you are seeing normal behavior

Chas2

It should also be in the owners manual. The left side does not swivel because if you are parked, you could blind on coming traffic, assuming most of the time you are parked with your passenger side to the curb.

getakey

Which sort of begs the question: why bother to swivel the right side during startup?

neuronbob

To prove to you that the system is active?

In any case, WELCOME TO AZ! Great user name.

getakey

but there's a warning light that comes on if it is not working
I guess it is similar to the ding, ding, ding when you open the door and lights are in auto, i.e., not necessary

Ballinger

The passenger side light swivels upon startup so that the driver experiences "gadget giddiness" and continues to love his/her car. Works on me, every time.

Chas2

Here are some pieces of info from Honda on the AFS
http://www.hondanews.com/categories/757/releases/2722

In the Active Front Lighting System, the left low-beam unit can swivel left, and the right low beam can swivel right, to improve illumination while cornering, or to illuminate around the corner of an intersection. This allows the driver advance warning if a pedestrian, object or animal is in the way. Each light can swivel up to 20 degrees outboard, with the amount determined based on the vehicle speed and steering input.

The system uses the following components:

* Steering angle sensor
* Vehicle speed sensor
* Reverse switch (cancels AFS when car is backing up)
* Control switch (turns off AFS at driver's discretion)
* Instrument panel warning light (illuminates when AFS is turned off)
* Control unit swivels the headlight low beam projector unit via a gearbox and step motor

AFS swivels either the left or right headlight (not both together) when the following conditions are met:

* Steering angle is over 12 degrees
* Vehicle speed is 5 mph or higher (left-hand turns only)
* Right-hand headlight will swivel even if vehicle is stopped
* Swivel cancels when speed drops to 3 mph (left-hand turns only)


...and from the manual

At a stop, the right headlight turns right when you turn the steering wheel to the right. But the left headlight does not turn left when you turn the steering wheel to the left. This prevents the left headlight from pointing at oncoming traffic.

And I think Bob is right, the right light turns to indicate the system is working.

I think the 3 mph left turn cancel parameter is because they assume you may be stopped or nearly stopped, making a left in busy intersection, and again you do not want to blind on coming traffic.

It is sort of fascinating all the thought that car company engineers put into car features....

Acura RL'ing it!

Thanks for the input to all, specially Chas2. Neuronbob thanks for the welcome (cool avatar). I'm coming from Maxima.org and already I can tell that the members here are gonna be a great source for info on my RL. Thanks again, now I will appreciate knowing that nothing is wrong with the AFS.

037

That explains why I can't catch my left light swiveling when parked..

sleepinxlionhart

lol, exactly!

Texas05RL

By the way, it doesn't "beg the question". http://begthequestion.info/

gcook

yes mine do that..