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2019+ BMW 3 AND 4-SERIES FORUMS (G2x Generation) General G20 Sedan / G22 Coupe / G26 Gran Coupe Discussions Very disappointed with the LED headlight output

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      02-12-2020, 02:43 AM   #45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pauleebe View Post
I accidentally enable my high beams all too often on my G20. Most times I also didn't notice they were on, so I guess I agree they don't seem particularly powerful vs. low beams.
Leave the HBA (standard in UK with the Laserlights) on all the time and never get flashed.
Agonised long and hard about whether to pay for the package but glad I did. Had HBA on both my last 3 cars and to be truthful that was the deciding factor not the light output. Having read of the various opinions I am glad I did settle for Laserlights in the end.
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      02-12-2020, 04:30 AM   #46
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sussex_G20 View Post
Leave the HBA (standard in UK with the Laserlights) on all the time and never get flashed.
Same here so I assume they are doing their job. I will need to have a decent journey in the passenger seat to see if I can notice them doing what they do. I have & do however sometimes go in places that have very poor to almost no lighting & the length & breadth of light cast from the LL is very noticeable.
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      02-12-2020, 04:50 AM   #47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sussex_G20 View Post
Leave the HBA (standard in UK with the Laserlights) on all the time and never get flashed.
Agonised long and hard about whether to pay for the package but glad I did. Had HBA on both my last 3 cars and to be truthful that was the deciding factor not the light output. Having read of the various opinions I am glad I did settle for Laserlights in the end.
You're talking about different things here! Pauleebe is refering to non-LASER high beams, and without HBA. He's in the U.S. where legislation limits the power of the high beams, and he's saying that they're so weak you can leave the high beam on all the time and never get flashed.

What YOU'RE referring to are LASER lights and the HBA where it selectively illuminates the road so as to not dazzle other drivers.
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      02-12-2020, 05:41 AM   #48
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There must be a difference in models for the European market.
I have a standard 330e M Sport set up and the LED lights are plenty bright in all modes.
This is my 6th BMW having mainly 5 series with Xenon adaptive in the past.
There is (to my mind) no down side to the LED’s in my G20. They’re super.
Laser full beam on Euro models must be amazing?
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      02-12-2020, 06:20 AM   #49
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My 330e with standard LEDs seem to be good enough, better than my brother's Audi A6 2016 with upgraded LEDs.

Is it possible the EU and US standard spec is different in light output? NCAP doesn't really test headlights so it's hard to have a definitive test...
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      02-12-2020, 07:05 AM   #50
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Quote:
Originally Posted by joselrl View Post
My 330e with standard LEDs seem to be good enough, better than my brother's Audi A6 2016 with upgraded LEDs.

Is it possible the EU and US standard spec is different in light output? NCAP doesn't really test headlights so it's hard to have a definitive test...
The principle throw distance for all Laser headlights are the same for all regions, when active. I read the entire technical manual, which applies to technology, just to confirm this.

The only difference is the US-spec headlights had decoded the Anti-Dazzle feature, so both beams shut off completely, when it sense a vehicle ahead, while the RoW version used to a camera to possible shape around and avoid glaring oncoming vehicles.


https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/g...hts/1VnYXWwmIb


https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/g...ant/1VnYvsyHu7
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      02-12-2020, 09:12 AM   #51
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Personally I've only been in one brand of a vehicle with amazing LED projector headlights and it was Lexus (a Lexus NX to be exact). My 340s LEDs are seemingly adequate for nighttime city driving but on rural roads, they are pretty much useless and my car has the Adaptive (and Auto High Beam) Option. Also including the fact that BMW used reflectors instead of projectors just makes it worse but it's whatever now. The worst LEDs I've ever experienced have to be on my wife's Model S those things are god awful and Tesla also decided to go from Projector Xenons to LED reflectors. I mean LED headlights look cool but Id much prefer practicality over the aesthetics.

Lexus LED headlights can't be beaten IMO they are perfect.

I can rank our car's headlights in order:
Q5 Projector Adaptive HIDs, Optima's Projector Adaptive LEDs, 340s Adaptive LEDs, Model S "Adaptive" LEDs
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      02-12-2020, 10:50 AM   #52
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Laser lights at least in México are in full capacity. Are completely another level, I had an F30 before and the difference is big. Now with these optional laser lights, I am delighted with the performance of these units.
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      02-12-2020, 01:01 PM   #53
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TL;DR

-The US spec base LED's are very poor in low beam and high beam.
-The US spec adaptive LED's are OK in low beam and very poor in high beam.
-The US spec lasers are OK in low beam and great in high beam* (except extremely restricted and can't be manually turned on: Only above 40mph+ with no forward light detected)

-The Europe spec base LED's are very poor in low beam and high beam.
-The Europe spec adaptive LED's are OK in low and very poor in high beam.
-The Europe spec lasers are OK in low beam and have the unrestricted, full capacity laser high beams which are great.


Consensus- We have digressed. Adaptive Xenons had better coverage and range than adaptive LED's. Laser high beams are incredible but extremely limited in USA but look promising if tech progresses to incorporate low beam usability.
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      02-12-2020, 03:23 PM   #54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alpinewhite3 View Post
TL;DR

-The US spec base LED's are very poor in low beam and high beam.
-The US spec adaptive LED's are OK in low beam and very poor in high beam.
-The US spec lasers are OK in low beam and great in high beam* (except extremely restricted and can't be manually turned on: Only above 40mph+ with no forward light detected)

-The Europe spec base LED's are very poor in low beam and high beam.
-The Europe spec adaptive LED's are OK in low and very poor in high beam.
-The Europe spec lasers are OK in low beam and have the unrestricted, full capacity laser high beams which are great.


Consensus- We have digressed. Adaptive Xenons had better coverage and range than adaptive LED's. Laser high beams are incredible but extremely limited in USA but look promising if tech progresses to incorporate low beam usability.

For the record, the US & ECU Laser lights are identical in operation, where in both regions they cannot be manually switched on, until when the computer allows it in speeds above 40mph:
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      02-12-2020, 04:27 PM   #55
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
For the record, the US & ECU Laser lights are identical in operation, where in both regions they cannot be manually switched on, until when the computer allows it in speeds above 40mph:
That’s a deal breaker for me. What do you do below 40 on a dark back road ? We have so many here in NC. What if you need to flash your lights ?
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      02-12-2020, 06:54 PM   #56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alpinewhite3 View Post
That’s a deal breaker for me. What do you do below 40 on a dark back road ? We have so many here in NC. What if you need to flash your lights ?
You can still flash your brights.
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      02-13-2020, 06:40 AM   #57
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Burrcold View Post
You can still flash your brights.
So a U.S. car with laser lights still has the LED brights and uses them below 40mph? Then when the car goes above 40mph the laser lights come on? Is that how it works?
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      02-13-2020, 07:49 AM   #58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alpinewhite3 View Post
I have the adaptive LED's and thought this was in my head but I confirmed it via IIHS testing. The headlights are not as bright as the old xenon's in my F30. (Hence the marginal rating from IIHS). The highbeams don't even get close to the 500 feet threshold required by IIHS testing.

I shudder to think how bad the standard LED headlights are. (Given a poor rating and even less bright)

Question - can the output be changed via future programming or is that wishful thinking ?

Anyway, wish I had known, would have opted for Lasers. Esp on NC backroads. But why should I have to pay for lasers ? what is BMW's reasoning for the piss poor LED's ? Surely they know about IIHS testing? Why does a Toyota Corolla have better LED output ?
My F36 xenon low beam are weaker and shorter than VW Golf halogen headlights. BMW has generally terrible lights.
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      02-13-2020, 12:16 PM   #59
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Patgilm View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Burrcold View Post
You can still flash your brights.
So a U.S. car with laser lights still has the LED brights and uses them below 40mph? Then when the car goes above 40mph the laser lights come on? Is that how it works?
Yes. All cars. Laser lights are only supplemental to the LED lights.
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      05-09-2020, 10:07 AM   #60
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Quick follow up to to this thread- can LED intensity be changed/altered via software coding or programming ? I know it's extremely unlikely to next to impossible that BMW would ever do this but just wondering if it was possible.
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      05-09-2020, 10:51 AM   #61
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alpinewhite3 View Post
Quick follow up to to this thread- can LED intensity be changed/altered via software coding or programming ? I know it's extremely unlikely to next to impossible that BMW would ever do this but just wondering if it was possible.
There is nothing to alter, when you VO code, it changes the vehicle set region and deletes all the supposed blockages (8S4) & (5AP) that might of been implemented, to disable the headlight output, in the US.

If nothing changes after VO coding GFHB, the light output is what it is and nothing is going to change that, short of purchasing another vehicle.
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      05-10-2020, 03:19 AM   #62
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My G20 with Adaptive LEDs (mid tier lights) is way better then my previous E90 with Xenons. However, even if you change the Xenon HIDs you still have burned out parabolic mirrors and lenses inside those headlights, thats what kills Xenons slowly over time, unless you replace whole projector you ain't gonna get mint performance with new HIDs. Thats why your views might differ, comparing new and old xenons to new LEDs. We will see how LEDs are gonna compare to Xenon burnout.
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      05-10-2020, 12:24 PM   #63
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VipinLJ View Post
The low beam is the same for the adaptive LEDs as well as Laser lights. It’s only high beams that are different.

Low beam is really good even with the adaptive LEDs. High beams not so much.
It's not the same. With laser lights both segments are working - with adaptive LEDs only one. On both sides, of course.
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      05-10-2020, 03:59 PM   #64
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Delija View Post
It's not the same. With laser lights both segments are working - with adaptive LEDs only one. On both sides, of course.
It is the same...in the USA at least.
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      05-10-2020, 04:50 PM   #65
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Laser:




Adaptive LED:
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Last edited by Delija; 05-10-2020 at 04:56 PM..
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      05-10-2020, 10:43 PM   #66
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Off topic:

Have they cracked the code yet for turning on tunneling for the m340i lasers in the States?
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