The new civic is the first vehicle that i have seen that splits the low beam into 2 sections and has the high beam placed in the middle. Makes for an interesting and immediately recognizable light pattern at night but i was just curious how it meets regulations. The regulations state that "The upper beam shall be provided by the most inboard headlamps" which the civic doesnt seem to comply with. Anyone got any info on this?
2022 Civic headlamps
- Thread starter Magio
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The '22 Civic headlamp can be seen here in low-beam mode. That's an interesting setup, looks like a bunch of motorcycles with two low beams flanking a single central high beam. But I haven't yet examined one of these cars, so I'm not sure if this is actually low beam from the inner and outer sections and high beam from the middle section, or if it's low beam from the outer section, high beam from the middle section, and the inner section is a fog lamp.
No, the regulation (FMVSS No. 108) states as follows:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
S6.1.3.5 Headlamp beam mounting
___S6.1.3.5.1 Vertical headlamp arrangement
______S6.1.3.5.1.1 Where multiple headlamps with single light sources are installed in a vertical orientation the lower beam must be provided by the uppermost headlamp.
______S6.1.3.5.1.2 Where headlamps with two vertically oriented light sources are installed the lower beam must be provided by the uppermost light source or by all light sources.
___S6.1.3.5.2 Horizontal headlamp arrangement.
______S6.1.3.5.2.1 Where multiple headlamps with single light sources are installed in a horizontal orientation the lower beam must be provided by the most outboard headlamp.
______S6.1.3.5.2.2 Where headlamps with two horizontally oriented light sources are installed the lower beam must be provided by the outboard light source or by all light sources.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keep in mind, "multiple headlamps" doesn't necessarily mean what it looks like. There are systems that look like 4-lamp systems, but they're actually 2-lamp systems with 4 bulbs ("light sources"). And the language is outdated enough to be creating new loopholes. Look at the last provision in each subsection (S6.1.3.5.1.2 and S6.1.3.5.2.2). It puts a design constraint on headlamps with two light sources...doesn't say anything about headlamps with three, or five, or nineteen light sources. And it goes by light sources, not lit compartments or sections or chambers.
So assuming the '22 Civic's headlamp works the way it looks like it works (outer & inner low beam, middle high beam), that could be Honda going "Is this a headlamp with two horizontally-oriented light sources? No, it's got (four, six, seven, whatever), so rules about lamps with two light sources don't apply. Is this a system of multiple headlamps? No, as per the definitions in FMVSS No. 108, there's only one headlamp on each side of the car, so rules about multi-lamp installations don't apply."
No, the regulation (FMVSS No. 108) states as follows:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
S6.1.3.5 Headlamp beam mounting
___S6.1.3.5.1 Vertical headlamp arrangement
______S6.1.3.5.1.1 Where multiple headlamps with single light sources are installed in a vertical orientation the lower beam must be provided by the uppermost headlamp.
______S6.1.3.5.1.2 Where headlamps with two vertically oriented light sources are installed the lower beam must be provided by the uppermost light source or by all light sources.
___S6.1.3.5.2 Horizontal headlamp arrangement.
______S6.1.3.5.2.1 Where multiple headlamps with single light sources are installed in a horizontal orientation the lower beam must be provided by the most outboard headlamp.
______S6.1.3.5.2.2 Where headlamps with two horizontally oriented light sources are installed the lower beam must be provided by the outboard light source or by all light sources.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keep in mind, "multiple headlamps" doesn't necessarily mean what it looks like. There are systems that look like 4-lamp systems, but they're actually 2-lamp systems with 4 bulbs ("light sources"). And the language is outdated enough to be creating new loopholes. Look at the last provision in each subsection (S6.1.3.5.1.2 and S6.1.3.5.2.2). It puts a design constraint on headlamps with two light sources...doesn't say anything about headlamps with three, or five, or nineteen light sources. And it goes by light sources, not lit compartments or sections or chambers.
So assuming the '22 Civic's headlamp works the way it looks like it works (outer & inner low beam, middle high beam), that could be Honda going "Is this a headlamp with two horizontally-oriented light sources? No, it's got (four, six, seven, whatever), so rules about lamps with two light sources don't apply. Is this a system of multiple headlamps? No, as per the definitions in FMVSS No. 108, there's only one headlamp on each side of the car, so rules about multi-lamp installations don't apply."
Multi-die LED arrangements seem a convenient method to drastically alter headlamp design then. Perhaps full-width "lightbar" arrangments ala the cybertruck could be argued to be legal. I suppose then that each component lamp would need at least a two die arrangement per optic/reflector combo so that the single lihhtsource language could not be applied.
Consider me a skeptic. The list of Cybertruck illegalities in plain view is pretty long even by the relatively lax standards in effect in the USA; even longer in most other countries of the world, and I bet it gets even longer with detailed scrutiny. Not that I expect that to stop Elon Musk from putting it on the market (that is, if it's a real product and not vaporware).
Both the previous model year ('21) and the '22 model year civic LED lamps recieved a "Good" rating from IIHS. While not a test of the exact lamps being discussed here, a comparison and test of the 2016-2021 civic OEM halogen (IIHS rated "Poor") and LED headlamps is available here.
Post #5776. While this test does include an LED-retrofit type bulb in the test, as has been the result of nearly every other headlamp tested with a multitude of such bulbs, the results always show the significant inferiority of led retrofit bulbs in direct comparison to both standard/long-life halogens, and high performance bulbs offered by various legitimate manufacturers, and I'd ask, futily as usual, that my link not be removed due to the correct result of actual comparison testing being useful to back up statements made about the issues of such bulbs for anyone stumbling across this thread later.
The newer model lowbeam is rated for less glare than the previous model, but appears to have much less reach to the right hand side of the roadway/shoulder. The '22 highbeam also has shorter reach straight ahead by about 20m. Without knowing how correctly/incorrectly each lamp was aimed, we're left speculating if the newer headlamp is significantly worse... It wpuld be ever-so-helpful if IIHS would conduct these teats with both untouched and then re/verified-aimed lamps, to nudge the OEMs to begin ensuring optimal/correct aim from the factory, as their current method, while realistic in one sense, does lead to the possibility of skewing results that people are looking to make comparisons of.
Post #5776. While this test does include an LED-retrofit type bulb in the test, as has been the result of nearly every other headlamp tested with a multitude of such bulbs, the results always show the significant inferiority of led retrofit bulbs in direct comparison to both standard/long-life halogens, and high performance bulbs offered by various legitimate manufacturers, and I'd ask, futily as usual, that my link not be removed due to the correct result of actual comparison testing being useful to back up statements made about the issues of such bulbs for anyone stumbling across this thread later.
The newer model lowbeam is rated for less glare than the previous model, but appears to have much less reach to the right hand side of the roadway/shoulder. The '22 highbeam also has shorter reach straight ahead by about 20m. Without knowing how correctly/incorrectly each lamp was aimed, we're left speculating if the newer headlamp is significantly worse... It wpuld be ever-so-helpful if IIHS would conduct these teats with both untouched and then re/verified-aimed lamps, to nudge the OEMs to begin ensuring optimal/correct aim from the factory, as their current method, while realistic in one sense, does lead to the possibility of skewing results that people are looking to make comparisons of.
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