ES Owners: Do You Realize How Powerful Your Headlights Are?

Rabbers · January 17, 2023

The other night I was driving along a familiar stretch of straight country road where oncoming headlights become fully visible at about 5-600m. Fearing that I was about to be dazzled by an approaching car with lights on full beam I instinctively flashed it a couple of times before realizing to my embarrassment that its lights were actually dipped. When the car passed I was amazed to see it was an ES !!!!

e-yes · January 17, 2023

1 hour ago, Rabbers said:

The other night I was driving along a familiar stretch of straight country road where oncoming headlights become fully visible at about 5-600m. Fearing that I was about to be dazzled by an approaching car with lights on full beam I instinctively flashed it a couple of times before realizing to my embarrassment that its lights were actually dipped. When the car passed I was amazed to see it was an ES !!!!

Might as well have been on the Auto Adaptive mode where the high-beam was indeed turned on but the Adaptive system placed a shadow in your path to not dazzle you.

If it was a 2022 build ES then those come with the BladeScan 3-LED which are even more complex.

Mine has the older 3-LED from 2021 and even on motor way I notice the Blue High Beam symbol illuminated but don't seem to bother oncoming or following traffic due to the adaptive darkening of the high beam.

Julncamp54 · January 17, 2023

I have a 2022 build with the blade scan headlamps . They are nothing less than awesome. Not aware of any oncoming traffic being dazzled but system auto illuminates the LHS and picks out road signs and pedestrians and bicycles with ease.

fabulous Japanese Lexus technology…..

mng70 · January 17, 2023

1 hour ago, Julncamp54 said:

I have a 2022 build with the blade scan headlamps . They are nothing less than awesome. Not aware of any oncoming traffic being dazzled but system auto illuminates the LHS and picks out road signs and pedestrians and bicycles with ease.

fabulous Japanese Lexus technology…..

I agree they’re awesome but i’ve been flashed a couple of times when on dip beam.

Rabbers · January 17, 2023

2 hours ago, mng70 said:

I agree they’re awesome but i’ve been flashed a couple of times when on dip beam.

Glad to hear that. I was worried about being considered a lone flasher.

Mincey · January 18, 2023

I've been flashed once when I've had the adaptive system on. The oncoming driver was lucky that Betsy hadn't got her main beam on, otherwise his retinas would still be burning.

The other day we were pootling along an A road behind a white van. For some reason, the adaptive system kicked in and flashed the van. I quickly switched the system off because the van had been displaying some rather odd behaviour in the run up to the incident and I thought discretion was the better part of a good kicking.

e-yes · January 18, 2023

12 hours ago, Mincey said:

I've been flashed once when I've had the adaptive system on. The oncoming driver was lucky that Betsy hadn't got her main beam on, otherwise his retinas would still be burning.

I haven't been flashed at so far however I do know that the lights are B R I G H T !

Maybe that's what catches some of the oncoming drivers ?

I was in a situation where I flashed my 3-LEDs at someone because I had the right of way, cars parked in the opposite lane however invisible to the enthusiastic driver in that very lane, had to wake that fellow up... the reaction on the drivers face was clearly visible and he was unpleasantly surprised to have the entirety of the inside of his car bathed in heavenly white light.

I do however refrain from flashing since then. Might make the situation worse.

NemesisUK · January 18, 2023

21 minutes ago, e-yes said:

I haven't been flashed at so far however I do know that the lights are B R I G H T !

Maybe that's what catches some of the oncoming drivers ?

I was in a situation where I flashed my 3-LEDs at someone because I had the right of way, cars parked in the opposite lane however invisible to the enthusiastic driver in that very lane, had to wake that fellow up... the reaction on the drivers face was clearly visible and he was unpleasantly surprised to have the entirety of the inside of his car bathed in heavenly white light.

I do however refrain from flashing since then. Might make the situation worse.

What you did is the only legitimate reason to flash headlights

This is rule 110 of the Highway Code. The rule states: Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not use your headlights to convey any other message, or to intimidate other road users.

A message, I fear, is lost to the majority of drivers...

Julncamp54 · January 19, 2023

I feel there is a tiny flaw with the adaptive system in such that when it activates you have on the info screen the green headlight symbol with the A in it. And the blue beam warning light comes on to.

now if you switch to main beam the same blue light remains on and if you forget to dip the lights you are LED to think that the adaptive system is still on as the headlight pattern from adaptive to main Beam is a subtle change.

perhaps a blue headlamp with an A and a normal Blue would solve the issue to distinguish between the two systems.

One time I forgot I was on main beam and this huge SUV from Bavaria flashed me as I illuminated his being. Not apologising as his SUV headlamps were just at my eyeball height in my ES…….

probably saw me mouthing something about his parentage. Ha ha ha

Fatts · January 19, 2023

On 1/17/2023 at 4:54 PM, Julncamp54 said:

I have a 2022 build with the blade scan headlamps . They are nothing less than awesome. Not aware of any oncoming traffic being dazzled but system auto illuminates the LHS and picks out road signs and pedestrians and bicycles with ease.

fabulous Japanese Lexus technology…..

I have similar blade scan on my 2022 RX and they work faultlessly . They don’t dazzle on coming cars and are very bright.

Marko89 · January 24, 2023

Absolutely love the main cannons on the ES, I reckon they can light up signs to the guts of a mile ahead. Have been flashed a couple of times, the system gets a little tripped up by the long dusks in Scotland mainly by drivers with halogens. Although once darkness properly sets in they are tremendous.

Cs150 · January 24, 2023

With the adaptive system enabled when a car is coming head on sometimes the blue light is active on the dash showing full beam. Is this that the camera has missed the other vehicle do other owners know? Or is the system somehow protecting the other driver from being blinded?

NemesisUK · January 24, 2023

15 minutes ago, Cs150 said:

With the adaptive system enabled when a car is coming head on sometimes the blue light is active on the dash showing full beam. Is this that the camera has missed the other vehicle do other owners know? Or is the system somehow protecting the other driver from being blinded?

Have a read here

https://www.lexus.co.uk/discover-lexus/safety/adaptive-high-beam-system

Ala Larj · January 24, 2023

The disclaimer is interesting!

Mincey · January 24, 2023

1 hour ago, Cs150 said:

With the adaptive system enabled when a car is coming head on sometimes the blue light is active on the dash showing full beam. Is this that the camera has missed the other vehicle do other owners know? Or is the system somehow protecting the other driver from being blinded?

I may be wrong but doesn't the blue light indicate that the adaptive system is operating (as opposed to switched on and ready). I've never witnessed the system being as bright when in operation as when the main beam is switched on pulling the stalk towards the wheel.

Rabbers · January 25, 2023

14 hours ago, Cs150 said:

..... Or is the system somehow protecting the other driver from being blinded?

The beam of the headlights of the ES that prompted my OP did not change in height or intensity during the time it was fully in my sight. It is possible that the headlights had been dipped manually or by conventional Auto High-Beam in anticipation of my approach but I think not. Given that I would have expected a flash in response to mine by way of demonstration that its lights were actually dipped, my pretty firm guess is that the ES was driving with an adaptive system enabled. Since I was ultimately not made dangerously uncomfortable by the beam but merely surprised by its strength, albeit sufficiently so as to be deceived into initially thinking it was erroneously set high, I can only conclude that whichever of the systems I encountered, AHS or Bladescan, meets Lexus' effectiveness claims.

beyond the blue · January 26, 2023

On 1/17/2023 at 4:54 PM, Julncamp54 said:

I have a 2022 build with the blade scan headlamps . They are nothing less than awesome. Not aware of any oncoming traffic being dazzled but system auto illuminates the LHS and picks out road signs and pedestrians and bicycles with ease.

fabulous Japanese Lexus technology…..

I'm assuming your ES is the next level up from the Premium Edition as I'm sure my 2022 model only has the automatic hi-beam system and not the adaptive hi-beam system?

Marko89 · January 27, 2023

On 1/24/2023 at 7:27 PM, Mincey said:

I may be wrong but doesn't the blue light indicate that the adaptive system is operating (as opposed to switched on and ready). I've never witnessed the system being as bright when in operation as when the main beam is switched on pulling the stalk towards the wheel.

I'd say about 90% of the time our adaptive system doesn't give the full field, typically the upper quarters on either side seem to be dipped. Not really sure the exact scenario required for the main beam to be fully engaged as ours will occasionally give everything on adaptive, however more often than not you can see the difference by flicking the stock.

NemesisUK · January 27, 2023

This Lexus-tech.eu doc gives some detailed info on how the system works. It's for the RX but I imagine it's very similar across the model ranges. Some of the different modes are not available on UK models (I have asked...)

LIGHTING SYSTEM CONTROL ADAPTIVE HIGH-BEAM SYSTEM (AHS).pdf

Julncamp54 · January 29, 2023

Thanks for that download. Now I understand how it all works and how the light pattern changes with speed.

Marko89 · February 9, 2023

On 1/27/2023 at 3:10 PM, NemesisUK said:

This Lexus-tech.eu doc gives some detailed info on how the system works. It's for the RX but I imagine it's very similar across the model ranges. Some of the different modes are not available on UK models (I have asked...)

LIGHTING SYSTEM CONTROL ADAPTIVE HIGH-BEAM SYSTEM (AHS).pdf 347.03 kB · 26 downloads

Cheers for the share, makes perfect sense now with regards to speed.