OE Vehicle Lighting That Makes You Go "Ugh"

[Alaric Darconville]

Why would I want AC like power in a car?

Considering our nominal 12V systems are very rarely ever 12V (usually, they're way higher than that, even to 14.5V), PWM is a way to control the voltage received by the lamps that are fed that way. Line spikes are eliminated, bulbs can get a "soft start", and such.

It also means it's easier for a single-filament bulb to have dual brightness, like a two filament bulb would have. This is particularly useful for a tail and stop lamp-- the voltage can rise from the lower "tail" function" to the "stop" function much more quickly-- and it eliminates the hard jolt of an off to full-on that a two filament bulb would see on the major filament.

In the daytime, with the tail lamps off, they can be driven to the point of just below incandescence, or perhaps to where it's only barely visible if you observe the bulb directly. Then at braking, the filament can again rise more quickly to proper temperature and intensity, but still with a softer start.

Repeat for sidemarkers, position lamps, and turn signals.

 

[-Virgil-]

Maybe this has been covered elsewhere, but I'd like to know what the purpose of PWM lighting is?

It is the most common strategy for varying the intensity of LED lamps to provide different functions. So you can have red LEDs produce a bright (stop) and a dim (rear position/tail) mode, for example, or white LEDs produce a bright (DRL) and a dim (front position/parking) mode. Persistence of vision means that above a certain frequency, a rapidly-flashing light appears to be a steady-burning light at lower intensity than if it were actually steady-burning. Varying the percentage of "on" time and the PWM frequency varies the apparent intensity. The strategy is also used with filament bulbs to produce a bright and a dim mode, as Alaric describes.

 

[don.gwapo]

Signal washout - our 11' Camry LED tail light over power the red turn signal. Hard to see when both, the turn signal and brake light are on at night.

 

[-Virgil-]

Signal washout - our 11' Camry LED tail light over power the red turn signal. Hard to see when both, the turn signal and brake light are on at night.

Yes, you're right about those. They merit a big "UGH". There's a very easy fix for that. Swap on a set of 2010-11 Camry Hybrid outer taillamp units. They have a clear turn signal lens (with amber bulb inside) instead of red, and they are a direct swap. You can find good used ones here.

 

[don.gwapo]

Thanks for the link Virgil. Yes, I'm gonna get the inner (reverse light) as well to match. I like the all clear tail light of the Hybrid plus the amber turn signal. I'm surprised the first time I saw it before when I'm behind it, you almost cannot see it not unless your really close.

 

[Fourinchdragslicks]

It is a common misunderstanding that a "projector retrofit" is an OK thing to do. That is not the case.

I was really thinking more like self contained kit that is designed as a retrofit. True, it is up to the installer to install it properly, and adjust the cutoff, but there is clearly a HUGE difference between PnP and a reasonably well done retrofit

 

[-Virgil-]

I was really thinking more like self contained kit that is designed as a retrofit. True, it is up to the installer to install it properly, and adjust the cutoff

No, sorry, that's still a "projector retrofit", and they're still not OK.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

True, it is up to the installer to install it properly, and adjust the cutoff, but there is clearly a HUGE difference between PnP and a reasonably well done retrofit

Narp.

The fact that the cutoff is installer-adjustable is but one flaw of many in your supposed "kit".

Reasonably well done? Uh, Uh.
There is no room on the road for anything but done right.

 

[Fourinchdragslicks]

No, sorry, that's still a "projector retrofit", and they're still not OK.

Narp.

The fact that the cutoff is installer-adjustable is but one flaw of many in your supposed "kit".

Reasonably well done? Uh, Uh.
There is no room on the road for anything but done right.

Moderator edit by Alaric Darconville

Disparaging comments about the forum and moderators, and complaints about how the forum is run, removed

 

[The Whispering Gallery]

With some late model VWs, I find it difficult to tell that the turn signal is on. I think the worst is the VW EOS, where the tail light is a circular ring, and the turn signal is a red circle inside the tail light, so it is difficult to see the turn signal under braking. I couldn't find a good picture, but I did come across this article on the VW Tiguan: http://jalopnik.com/the-vw-tiguans-us-taillights-are-princes-of-lies-1574321243.

 

[ven]

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[notaname]

In the daytime, with the tail lamps off, they can be driven to the point of just below incandescence, or perhaps to where it's only barely visible if you observe the bulb directly. Then at braking, the filament can again rise more quickly to proper temperature and intensity, but still with a softer start.

Repeat for sidemarkers, position lamps, and turn signals.

I've never considered this reason, how many cars do it? It's interesting that it's done since it adds complexity since electronics are not required for the traditional 21/5 combo stop/parker globes.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

So Ugh and ..........i guess possibly another Ugh......... :laughing:

Gee, whiz-- blacked out reflex reflectors and all.

At least with the factory one it just looked funky. The "ughs" we've been making have been at designs that really annoy. For example (was this mentioned before?) the earlier Saturns' high beams mounted very closely together and used as DRLs. Ugh!

 

[ven]

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[Alaric Darconville]

On the prodrive,the reflectors are per norm,just housed smaller

Well, I was referring to the blacked out reflex reflectors/side markers and the car as a whole, not really referring to the amateurcrash headlamps (which have no reflex reflectors). You can see the yellow ones plainly in the top photo, they become a glossy charcoal (oxymoron?) in the bottom one.

 

[ven]

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[-Virgil-]

On the prodrive,the reflectors are per norm,just housed smaller

No, the Prodrive lamps use Hella 90mm projector low beam and reflector high beam headlamp modules, and a Hella 55mm front turn signal module. Each of these are smaller than the car's original-equipment high/low beam common reflector and turn signal reflector. But that's not what Alaric was talking about; he meant the side marker light/side reflex reflector on the car, which somebody has thoughtlessly and foolishly changed on the car in these pics from the one and only legal and safe color (amber) to black/grey.

Beam wise is good,bit on cool side and sure they are H1

No, they're H7 in the halogen version or D2S in the HID version.

Yes i have changed the side reflectors ,many reasons,1st the dont serve much use(if they did all cars would have them)

I am sorry to have to be blunt, but this "logic" can only be called childish and ignorant and lame.

and 2nd they look awful imo

I have to think you're not listening to yourself and how you sound when you say things like this. What other pieces of anti-collision safety equipment "looks awful" on your car? Those ugly red brake lights, better spraypaint those black to go with the rest of the car. Those yucky amber turn signals, better install white bulbs instead so they look less "awful". Your car's lights and reflectors aren't fashion toys, they're life safety equipment. The adult thing to do is to treat them as such.

 

[ven]

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[ven]

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[Alaric Darconville]

Have to explain a little better please kind of lost in translation with the amateurcrash and reflex part.

"Amateurcrash" being a play on "Prodrive".

Yes i have changed the side reflectors ,many reasons,1st the dont serve much use(if they did all cars would have them) and 2nd they look awful

But they do serve a lot of use. What REALLY looks awful is a banged-up car and hurt people if the missing reflex reflector were missing or nonfunctional.

It's a "reflex" reflector because the light is thrown pretty much entirely back to the direction from whence it came. Someone driving will see the reflectors brightly shining back, but another observer way off to the side, not shining light, doesn't get an eyeful of glare.