hi guys
can any of you be kind enough to take some pics of your headlight cut off against a wall.

also please post if using different bulbs, lenses, etc

 

Why?

 

because, he wants to see if you can improve the lighting.
Ceb, I've shown you what we can do with the 3G TL, improving the projectors that provide a crisp sharp cutoff that doesnt affect other drivers.

 

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-tsx-2009-2014-143/diy-headlight-clearing-clear-lens-swap-projector-color-mod-los-pictures-860474/

 

And we will continue to disagree. I've forgotten more about lighting than the entire board combined will ever learn. That's not arrogance - that's my life.

See post #5

It is very simple. Manufacturers spend millions in research designing lighting units. Some get it right, some don't. You can't fix the "didn't get it right" lights by simple mods because the failure lies is the housing design.

Taking your headlamp apart by "baking" it is idiotic. You will never be able to get the unit back together is in the factory alignment and you will introduce moisture and debris. You also will have affected the alignment and you surely have added more glare.

Finally, you've ended up with an illegal lighting unit that may (or may not) get you a ticket but will certainly blind oncoming drivers.

The TSX is known to have one of the best lighting units available - why do you want to ruin it?

 

ceb, do you mind going into a little more detail. I am interested in this.

The cutoff looks better to me in the "after" picture in the DIY link I posted. Is it not better because of glare, or what? The light also looks more evenly spread out.

Also why is adding color "better"? Is this color you speak of what you see when you look at your headlights at an angle above the car outside the beam?

 

The cutoff to me looks slightly better, although that glare is ridiculous.

 

I'm glad you asked. Let me go in reverse order.

I have clue why adding "color" would be better. The OP in the link said it was better - I didn't.

We cannot draw many conclusions between the before and after photos as they are taken from different angles with the car (apparently) at different distances from the building. In the "after" photo it is evident that yellow fogs are on - that certainly wouldn't affect the color now, would it.

We "think" that brighter is better but in reality there is a fine line between "brighter" and "glare." Glare causes the brain to focus on the light and not on the surrounding objects.

The problem is that we can only do one thing at a time. That is how our brains are wired. In normal day-to-day activities we think we are multitasking but in reality we are doing one thing, "going on autopilot for that activity", doing another task, "autopiloting", and so on.

Park in a safe place and start reading a book. Turn your radio on very loudly and you'll note that you cannot concentrate on the book. Your mind keeps wandering back to the noise.

The same is true for glare. One sense at a time, one task at a time.

I've attached a few (not always on point) links that you may find interesting.

Human factors

Eye/brain physiology

NIH

 

Wow...... i just wanted a photo.
Headlights have clear lenses and cbi bulbs , everything else stock.
I wanted to compare outputs to adjust if needed.

 

Corrected one of the many typos

 

Right and sorry you were the recipient of this discussion.

Headlighting design is extremely complex and walks so many fine lines.

How can we put the appropriate amount of illumination down the road while keeping glare for oncoming drivers at a minimum?

Where do we want the most illumination? Since we know that the eye is drawn to the brightest point, lighting manufacturers determine what part of the roadway in front of the car should be lit. You will always find an area directly in front of the car to be dark. We don't want you looking there, we want you looking ahead - that is why it is bad to drive with fogs on as fogs light the area directly in front of the car.

Does this lighting unit meet the laws of all markets? Can it be adjusted to meet those (or many) markets?

Does the color temp coincide with how the brain processes light? Are there conflicting light sources like side marker lamps that may confuse oncoming drivers?

In some markets, what steps are taken to assure visibility if a headlamp burns out?

Physically, does the lighting unit meet the environmental resistance requirements (2 years without discoloration or hazing in the US). This must be an actual time test - not accelerated - of the housing in outdoor environments subjected to 4 seasons.

and a zillion others

For purposes of this thread, however, suffice it to say that manufacturers spend lots of time and money developing lighting units and no small company or individual can do a better job using (often illegal) aftermarket lights and baking the lights like an apple pie. The end result may be a "brighter" light but it sure isn't better.