LED main beam

Juicedrinker · September 6, 2023

Hi all,

Very pleased with my RC300H apart from two things.. the poor graphic quality sat nav which I may change but more importanlty the main beam!!!

I've never had LED lights before and was looking forward to them but whilst on main beam they are excellent on dipped they are atrocious and the worst lights I have had on a car since the mid 80's.

I realise that they are self levelling and it has a clean MOT and would have been tested for that but has anyone else thought the same or come up with a solution?

My fiances Yaris Hybrid and my MX5 dipped lights are far better.

I should highlight (pardon the pun) its not the brightness of the light its the throw that is shocking. I live and drive out in countryside / remote areas a lot and whilst main beam is great as soon as you have to knock back to dipped it is downright dangerous as very little view ahead.

DavidCM · September 6, 2023

You may find this is due to the auto setting for the main beam.It is a bit fiddly to set up but when they come on they are really good.

Juicedrinker · September 6, 2023

57 minutes ago, DavidCM said:

You may find this is due to the auto setting for the main beam.It is a bit fiddly to set up but when they come on they are really good.

Hello @DavidCM, thanks for the reply but no I have the auto high beam working that’s set up and when on high beam it’s brilliant - it’s the dipped beam that is appallingly bad / short throw.

I drove over 40k per year for 25 years on business and have had loads of cars and never any car since late 80’s has had such a poor distance when on dipped. If I’m on a National speed limit road with a car coming from other direction (and therefore high beam off) I have to reduce speed to under 35mph as can not see far enough ahead for safe driving. On same road which I use to drive home everyday from work can still safely do 50mph in both the Yaris and MX5 on dipped as the throw of their lights is far greater than that of the RC and my previous IS250!

DavidCM · September 6, 2023

I've not noticed it on the RC,but next time I'm allowed out after dark,I'll check it out and let you know.I did have an MX5 previously and the RC lights are far superior,dipped or full.

Is your RC the pre or post facelift?--2019 could be either.

rayaans · September 6, 2023

The lights should be adjustable. Yes they're self levelling but the parameters can be changed by the dealer hopefully. Some cars have the hex screws for adjustment.

Put them upwards on my Merc with no issues. It also has self levelling LEDs. Just spend some time under the bonnet

Juicedrinker · September 6, 2023

2 hours ago, DavidCM said:

You may find this is due to the auto setting for the main beam.It is a bit fiddly to set up but when they come on they are really good.

55 minutes ago, DavidCM said:

I've not noticed it on the RC,but next time I'm allowed out after dark,I'll check it out and let you know.I did have an MX5 previously and the RC lights are far superior,dipped or full.

Is your RC the pre or post facelift?--2019 could be either.

Hello… thanks it’s a post facelift model. The issue for me is that I spend a lot of time on country roads / away from any other forms of lighting (every day) which is great if on full beam but not great if cars on other side of road which they often are and I’m on dipped. Of course now the night are drawing in I am driving home on these roads when dark

Juicedrinker · September 6, 2023

46 minutes ago, rayaans said:

The lights should be adjustable. Yes they're self levelling but the parameters can be changed by the dealer hopefully. Some cars have the hex screws for adjustment.

Put them upwards on my Merc with no issues. It also has self levelling LEDs. Just spend some time under the bonnet

Thank you @rayaans, I assumed there would be adjustments under the bonnet but as it has only been MOT’d a few months ago assumed they would have checked however saying that as long as they are not too high or in wrong direction they may have left as was. My fiancé was shocked the first time I needed to sue them a few weeks ago she couldn’t understand how limited the distance lit was and said she would never drive it in the dark. I then drove her Yaris on the same route and couldn’t believe the difference with that car. Having said all this I actually haven’t looked at the lights when they are on myself thinking about it, as only recently serviced and MOT’d by Lexus never thought to. I will check them tomorrow as maybe one of the LED’s isn’t working!

rayaans · September 6, 2023

Just now, Juicedrinker said:

Thank you @rayaans, I assumed there would be adjustments under the bonnet but as it has only been MOT’d a few months ago assumed they would have checked however saying that as long as they are not too high or in wrong direction they may have left as was. My fiancé was shocked the first time I needed to sue them a few weeks ago she couldn’t understand how limited the distance lit was and said she would never drive it in the dark. I then drove her Yaris on the same route and couldn’t believe the difference with that car. Having said all this I actually haven’t looked at the lights when they are on myself thinking about it, as only recently serviced and MOT’d by Lexus never thought to. I will check them tomorrow as maybe one of the LED’s isn’t working!

The MOT will only really check if it's aligned and to ensure its not too high. If it's low they don't usually bother too much about it

Juicedrinker · September 7, 2023

12 hours ago, rayaans said:

The MOT will only really check if it's aligned and to ensure its not too high. If it's low they don't usually bother too much about it

@rayaansyes that is a really good point made! I will go to my friends MOT testing station and ask him to adjust if he can within the parameters allowed.

Jgtcracer · September 7, 2023

On 9/6/2023 at 10:06 PM, Juicedrinker said:

Thank you @rayaans, I assumed there would be adjustments under the bonnet but as it has only been MOT’d a few months ago assumed they would have checked however saying that as long as they are not too high or in wrong direction they may have left as was. My fiancé was shocked the first time I needed to sue them a few weeks ago she couldn’t understand how limited the distance lit was and said she would never drive it in the dark. I then drove her Yaris on the same route and couldn’t believe the difference with that car. Having said all this I actually haven’t looked at the lights when they are on myself thinking about it, as only recently serviced and MOT’d by Lexus never thought to. I will check them tomorrow as maybe one of the LED’s isn’t working!

My main and dipped beams are both really good, surprised you aren’t happy with them. Could be an alignment issue or something such as a fuse. The daylight running lights actually chuck a bit of light out at night, it’s not something daft like them not coming on is it??

If you can’t drive at 60mph as there isn’t enough light then something is wrong, they should be good.

Juicedrinker · September 8, 2023

16 hours ago, Jgtcracer said:

My main and dipped beams are both really good, surprised you aren’t happy with them. Could be an alignment issue or something such as a fuse. The daylight running lights actually chuck a bit of light out at night, it’s not something daft like them not coming on is it??

If you can’t drive at 60mph as there isn’t enough light then something is wrong, they should be good.

Hi @Jgtcracer thanks for the reply. I know my daytime running lights are operating as is my main beam (which is excellent). I will get them checked for alignment as it has only been MOT'd recently and a major service. Yep I can't actually drive at anything over 50mph safely as the range lit upfront is very poor. I am actually going to a out into the countryside tomorrow evening to look after a friends house and dogs for a few hours and am my fiance wnat me to drive her Yaris as last time I was in my RC I had to drive back at well under 40mph whenever a car came from the other direction and had to knock full beam off and she said it scared her how it went from extremely long to extremely short range of vision each time. The time before that we took the Yaris and I could safely see ahead to do 50mph.

DavidCM · September 21, 2023

On 9/6/2023 at 10:00 PM, Juicedrinker said:

Hello… thanks it’s a post facelift model. The issue for me is that I spend a lot of time on country roads / away from any other forms of lighting (every day) which is great if on full beam but not great if cars on other side of road which they often are and I’m on dipped. Of course now the night are drawing in I am driving home on these roads when dark

For the first time in ages I was out after dark.On nearing home,the lane approaching my house has no lighting,nor is there any for a few miles.The dipped headlights were perfectly bright and main beam like daylight.

You may have a problem with one of the LED cells.

Juicedrinker · September 21, 2023

11 hours ago, DavidCM said:

For the first time in ages I was out after dark.On nearing home,the lane approaching my house has no lighting,nor is there any for a few miles.The dipped headlights were perfectly bright and main beam like daylight.

You may have a problem with one of the led cells.

Thanks for the reply I will need

to make a special trip to a Lexus dealer

Mincey · September 22, 2023

15 hours ago, Juicedrinker said:

Thanks for the reply I will need

to make a special trip to a Lexus dealer

I'd get them checked out. I had these on my IS300h (I'm guessing they'd be the same on an RC? More than happy to be proven wrong!) and they would turn night into day:

poprock · September 25, 2023

Yeah, this sounds like a fault to me. I’m really happy with the dipped lights on mine, loads of clear vision ahead. And I live in the countryside too.

Juicedrinker · October 17

It turned out that they settings were lower than they needed to be for the dipped beam, my friend adjusted them at his MOT testing station and they throw much further ahead than before. I now don't have to engage main beam every chance that I get to be safe in the dark.

Jgtcracer · October 17

24 minutes ago, Juicedrinker said:

It turned out that they settings were lower than they needed to be for the dipped beam, my friend adjusted them at his MOT testing station and they throw much further ahead than before. I now don't have to engage main beam every chance that I get to be safe in the dark.

Good news. Any news what would have caused them to be out of alignment in the first place?

J Henderson · October 17

Had the car been lowered?

My headlights were aimed far too low after installing lowering springs.

Jgtcracer · October 17

3 hours ago, J Henderson said:

Had the car been lowered?

My headlights were aimed far too low after installing lowering springs.

That’s interesting, I had no such issues dropping the car on Swift springs…. Wonder why that is….

J Henderson · October 17

Well in my case, I've an IS250 not an RC, and the drop was quite significant (35mm), so not really comparing oranges with oranges.

I'm thinking maybe the level sensor connected to the suspension was already maxed out or something.

Juicedrinker · October 23

On 10/17/2024 at 12:31 PM, J Henderson said:

Had the car been lowered?

My headlights were aimed far too low after installing lowering springs.

No not lowered at all the car is as from the factory

Etyw · Sunday at 10:17 PM

On 10/17/2024 at 11:58 AM, Juicedrinker said:

It turned out that they settings were lower than they needed to be for the dipped beam, my friend adjusted them at his MOT testing station and they throw much further ahead than before. I now don't have to engage main beam every chance that I get to be safe in the dark.

Hi, I also find the dipped beam atrocious (happy with high beam).

Do you knowif your friend made the adjustment via screws under the bonnet or if it was something that needed programming/coding?

Juicedrinker · 2024-11-21T12:18:36Z

On 11/17/2024 at 10:17 PM, Etyw said:

Do you knowif your friend made the adjustment via screws under the bonnet or if it was something that needed programming/coding?

Hello @Etyw, Yes he put it in his MOT testing bay and made adjustments under the bonnet checking with his wall gauges that the beam was legal / would not be an issue for oncoming vehicles. As I was there he had me sit in the car (99% of time on my own) and also put some weight in the boot just to make sure no issue.