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2019+ BMW 3 AND 4-SERIES FORUMS (G2x Generation) General G20 Sedan / G22 Coupe / G26 Gran Coupe Discussions G20 US spec headlights compared - LED (base), Adaptive LED (ZCV) and Laser

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      01-11-2019, 09:14 PM   #67
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jlin101 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by timmahh View Post
Hopefully the law is changed, if it hasn't been already.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...-idUSKCN1ML2UW


Adaptive = Adjusts up/down/left/right

Selective Beam = I use the term VLD (Variable Light Distribution), is what does the magic with high/low beams and diverting light / creating light tunnels for vehicles you're following or vehicles that are approaching you. The gov. also refers to them as matrix lighting [specific to certain headlights/manufacturers it seems] or Adaptive Driving Beams (ADB).

RE: Hardware, it depends on the equipment the vehicle has. In the G30 for example, the base is Adaptive LED and the upgrade is Iconic [Adaptive] LED with high beam assist. Since it's the same hardware + camera used where the feature is permitted, it is simply disabled via coding for the US. It can be manually enabled.

Hopefully what the revised law means is a) going forward, we get to enjoy these features, and b) hopefully a simple update from BMW will enable it for models where it was turned off via software.
That announcement or news is a bit "deceptive," especially for those of us pining for adaptive/matrix-type headlights. It merely stated that DOT was "moving to approve" the new headlights, meaning DOT was receptive to "approving" them. The next phase would be 12-18 months of soliciting public feedback/opinion on such lights (not sure how that's possible when no such lights exist in the U.S.), after which the agency makes the final decision.
Hopefully G20 laser's anti dazzle can be coded. I coded my MY2016 f32 with adaptive LED. It wasn't too hard.
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      01-11-2019, 10:23 PM   #68
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stvding View Post
Hopefully G20 laser's anti dazzle can be coded. I coded my MY2016 f32 with adaptive LED. It wasn't too hard.
I would be more interested in restoring the US-spec Laserlights to the full brightness like EU-spec cars.
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      01-11-2019, 10:28 PM   #69
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jlin101 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by stvding View Post
Hopefully G20 laser's anti dazzle can be coded. I coded my MY2016 f32 with adaptive LED. It wasn't too hard.
I would be more interested in restoring the US-spec Laserlights to the full brightness like EU-spec cars.
Why not both
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      01-12-2019, 02:08 AM   #70
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I believe that selective beam was recently put up for adoption with the NHTSA. Toyota initiated it from my understanding. This was specifically for matrix adaptive beams which seems to be selective but correct me if I'm wrong. It's no longer open for public reply but it was.

Here's the link: https://www.regulations.gov/document...RDOC_0001-2008

Hopefully this gets adopted so we're in unison with the rest of the world.
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      01-12-2019, 02:56 PM   #71
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These look like they have a "projector" in them which is nice to see. My 2017 LED headlights look cheap in my opinion without the projector.
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      01-12-2019, 03:35 PM   #72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SpenceRx View Post
These look like they have a "projector" in them which is nice to see. My 2017 LED headlights look cheap in my opinion without the projector.
+1

I'm not a fan of the current reflector style LEDs. I had a F30 with projector style HID and it had better light output.
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      01-12-2019, 08:38 PM   #73
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alex2364 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpenceRx View Post
These look like they have a "projector" in them which is nice to see. My 2017 LED headlights look cheap in my opinion without the projector.
+1

I'm not a fan of the current reflector style LEDs. I had a F30 with projector style HID and it had better light output.
I agree. I had a 2013 F30 with HID and I prefer it over these new LED headlights on the 2017.
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      01-14-2019, 07:39 AM   #74
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LemonOne View Post
Can you weaponize that laser by coding?
I believe you can 😉, also never been a fan of DRL's
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      01-14-2019, 10:38 AM   #75
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Is LED is base? Though LED has always sucked. So we aren't getting anti dazzle? Just auto high beams.
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      01-15-2019, 11:09 AM   #76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bimmer456 View Post
Is LED is base? Though LED has always sucked. So we aren't getting anti dazzle? Just auto high beams.
At this point, that is correct.
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      01-15-2019, 11:59 AM   #77
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SpenceRx View Post
I agree. I had a 2013 F30 with HID and I prefer it over these new LED headlights on the 2017.
Check the actual IIHS tests on the headlights. If you look at the results on the 2016 3-series (the closest model year to your 2013), even the "upgraded" adaptive LEDs were pretty lousy - earning a "Marginal" rating. The LED reflector base headlights were rated "Poor." It wasn't until the adaptive LEDs on the 2017s that the headlights actually started performing well, earning an "Acceptable" rating. The standard LEDs are still rated as poor though.

So if both your 2013 and 2017 had the base headlights, they both are pretty lousy. If you had the adaptives on both, the 2017 is significantly better.
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      01-15-2019, 02:06 PM   #78
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Influence View Post
Check the actual IIHS tests on the headlights. If you look at the results on the 2016 3-series (the closest model year to your 2013), even the "upgraded" adaptive LEDs were pretty lousy - earning a "Marginal" rating. The LED reflector base headlights were rated "Poor." It wasn't until the adaptive LEDs on the 2017s that the headlights actually started performing well, earning an "Acceptable" rating. The standard LEDs are still rated as poor though.

So if both your 2013 and 2017 had the base headlights, they both are pretty lousy. If you had the adaptives on both, the 2017 is significantly better.
Uh, the F30 LCI in 2016 completely changed headlight design. 2012-2015 F30 had a different headlight design than 2016+.
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      01-15-2019, 03:04 PM   #79
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alex2364 View Post
Uh, the F30 LCI in 2016 completely changed headlight design. 2012-2015 F30 had a different headlight design than 2016+.
Absolutely get the LCI change in 2016 (also the first year IIHS started testing headlights) but there is more to this:
Look at the tests, even the Adaptive LEDs in the optional "lighting package" for 2016 models only scored a "marginal" rating. As of 2017, those same headlights scored a good. Clearly something changed with the actual design/implementation of the Adaptive LEDS in the lighting package between 2016 and 2017, otherwise they would have scored the same.
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      03-19-2019, 04:41 PM   #80
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JayPichardo View Post
There will be 3 different headlights available for G20: LED (base), Adaptive LED (ZCV) and Laser.
any chance we can get the first two pics with the lights on?
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      03-20-2019, 04:03 PM   #81
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skeewiff03 View Post
any chance we can get the first two pics with the lights on?
hope this will help
Attached Images
        

Last edited by Cobra86; 03-20-2019 at 04:09 PM..
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      03-21-2019, 11:33 AM   #82
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Influence View Post
Absolutely get the LCI change in 2016 (also the first year IIHS started testing headlights) but there is more to this:
Look at the tests, even the Adaptive LEDs in the optional "lighting package" for 2016 models only scored a "marginal" rating. As of 2017, those same headlights scored a good. Clearly something changed with the actual design/implementation of the Adaptive LEDS in the lighting package between 2016 and 2017, otherwise they would have scored the same.
There were no adaptive LEDs in the pre-LCI cars. What the pre-LCI cars had were the adaptive HIDs (bi-xenon) which were the best headlights for all F30 cars. Adaptive LEDs on the later F30s were 2nd best. Both the base LEDs and halogens for LCI and pre-LCI cars were pretty bad.
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      03-21-2019, 11:46 AM   #83
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Quote:
Originally Posted by upsidedownfunnel View Post
There were no adaptive LEDs in the pre-LCI cars. What the pre-LCI cars had were the adaptive HIDs (bi-xenon) which were the best headlights for all F30 cars. Adaptive LEDs on the later F30s were 2nd best. Both the base LEDs and halogens for LCI and pre-LCI cars were pretty bad.
Correct, Adaptive LEDS first showed up for 2016, which were tested by the IIHS and found to be inferior to the adaptive HID/Xenons available for 2016. However, what I was pointing out was that IIHS tested again with 2017 models and there was a category level improvement of the Adaptive LEDS' performance, so BMW must have made some sort of change to the adaptive LEDs as of 2017 to improve their performance. This doesn't mean that they were any better than the Adaptive Xenons, just that the performance of the Adaptive LEDs improved with the 2017 model year.
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      03-21-2019, 11:48 AM   #84
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Influence View Post
Correct, Adaptive LEDS first showed up for 2016, which were tested by the IIHS and found to be inferior to the adaptive HID/Xenons available for 2016. However, what I was pointing out was that IIHS tested again with 2017 models and there was a category level improvement of the Adaptive LEDS' performance, so BMW must have made some sort of change to the adaptive LEDs as of 2017 to improve their performance. This doesn't mean that they were any better than the Adaptive Xenons, just that the performance of the Adaptive LEDs improved with the 2017 model year.
Interesting, as I have a 2016. I wonder what the changes were? I guess I'm returning my 2016 soon so it's a moot point. I just didn't realize this.
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      03-21-2019, 04:04 PM   #85
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Influence View Post
Correct, Adaptive LEDS first showed up for 2016, which were tested by the IIHS and found to be inferior to the adaptive HID/Xenons available for 2016. However, what I was pointing out was that IIHS tested again with 2017 models and there was a category level improvement of the Adaptive LEDS' performance, so BMW must have made some sort of change to the adaptive LEDs as of 2017 to improve their performance. This doesn't mean that they were any better than the Adaptive Xenons, just that the performance of the Adaptive LEDs improved with the 2017 model year.
What you say is confusing. You said this in response to someone who was saying they liked their HIDs better:

Quote:
Check the actual IIHS tests on the headlights. If you look at the results on the 2016 3-series (the closest model year to your 2013), even the "upgraded" adaptive LEDs were pretty lousy - earning a "Marginal" rating.
Which seems to imply that you think their 2013 was similar to the 2016 adaptive LEDs. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding, but why would you try to contradict someone saying they prefer their HIDs over any adaptive LEDs, if you now are saying that the HIDs in fact might have been better.

Probably just a misunderstanding. The Adaptive HIDs are visually better for the F30. I'm sure they've figured things out by now for the G20 generation since there certainly are very good LED headlights in production with other cars now.
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      04-03-2019, 05:43 PM   #86
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I've noticed a couple of US-spec cars that have the Adaptive LED headlights (S5A4A) without the convenience package. Examples:
  • WBA5R1C58KAJ99382
  • WBA5R1C51KAK08052

Any ideas on whether this is simply a fluke or something that can be ordered?
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      04-03-2019, 09:33 PM   #87
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dallas TX Wes View Post
I've noticed a couple of US-spec cars that have the Adaptive LED headlights (S5A4A) without the convenience package. Examples:
  • WBA5R1C58KAJ99382
  • WBA5R1C51KAK08052

Any ideas on whether this is simply a fluke or something that can be ordered?
I may be incorrect, but I thought Adaptive LED's are also included in the M Sport Package/Trim.
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      04-04-2019, 03:18 AM   #88
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I may be incorrect, but I thought Adaptive LED's are also included in the M Sport Package/Trim.
That is correct since the contents of the convenience package is included in the M-Sport package. These two builds are Sport line, though.
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