Adaptive Headlights?

[Mr. Flibble]

Now that NHTSA has finally allowed adaptive headlights:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-release...dlights-new-vehicles-improving-safety-drivers

Will we see these on the Ford Lightning like the F-150s in Canada that have them? I think Adaptive Headlights are great, and it is a shame it has taken so long for them to arrive in the US.

Sponsored

 

[GDN]

This will be very interesting to watch as the Lightning has a very different headlight than the ICE version. So who knows what their capabilities are. We know that some US owners have been able to enable theirs using the Forscan SW.

The killer to this news - Ford just issued a bulletin, I believe they are changing the lights or at least are removing the functionality of the adaptive headlights in the US in April (reported in another thread on this forum). I don't think anyone knows exactly what it means just yet - is it a supply chain issue or other issue.

So I'm hopeful for the Lightning Headlights, but just watching what is happening on the ICE is not too encouraging.

 

[RickLightning]

Now that NHTSA has finally allowed adaptive headlights:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-release...dlights-new-vehicles-improving-safety-drivers

Will we see these on the Ford Lightning like the F-150s in Canada that have them? I think Adaptive Headlights are great, and it is a shame it has taken so long for them to arrive in the US.

The Lightning comes with "Dynamic Bending Headlamps"

 

[Ryan091]

The adaptive headlights suck, I turned them off after first time driving at night.

 

[dirtdiver]

The ford adaptive headlights rotate when you go around a turn? Or what?

 

[Mr. Flibble]

The adaptive headlights suck, I turned them off after first time driving at night.

What is bad about them? As far as I am aware they greatly limit car crashes compared to old style headlights (because they don't blind oncoming drivers) and throw more light to the right hand side (not the left where traffic is) when enabled. No more traffic, and they go back to being. hi-beams.

Thats the idea anyways. Haven't had a car with them myself yet.

 

[EaglesPDX]

Best adaptive would be being able to aim lower when towing. Always get flashed towing as people think you have high beams on and that means it is in their eyes and limiting their vision, not safe.

 

[vandy1981]

Interesting, I didn't realize that Ford had built adaptive beam pattern (ADP) AKA matrix lights into the F150. They call them "anti-glare" lights and they're currently activated in Canada.

You can enable them on some ICE models using Forscan. I would be surprised if they weren't incorporated into the Lightning since ADB approval by the NHTSA was imminent when it was being designed.

 

[Ryan091]

What is bad about them? As far as I am aware they greatly limit car crashes compared to old style headlights (because they don't blind oncoming drivers) and throw more light to the right hand side (not the left where traffic is) when enabled. No more traffic, and they go back to being. hi-beams.

Thats the idea anyways. Haven't had a car with them myself yet.

They flash on and off when you drive by a house that has outside lights on, it’s like that on my 2020 f150 anyways, girlfriend has a equinox and it doesn’t turn on and off as much as mine.

 

[BLoflin]

They flash on and off when you drive by a house that has outside lights on, it’s like that on my 2020 f150 anyways, girlfriend has a equinox and it doesn’t turn on and off as much as mine.

Your not talking about what is referred as Adaptive.

There 3 things possible on 2021, on upper level trims.

1. Automatic High Beam - I believe this is what you are referring to. When you are driving above 32mph and no oncoming traffic and no cars in front of you, it will go to high beam. Driving in a neighborhood at 30mph it will not change. You can turn this function off in Sync.

2. Adaptive Front Lighting - It "skews" the lighting toward the turn angle when you are driving on a curve. This also can be turned off in Sync

3. Glare Free Lighting - though the headlamps can perform this function, it is NOT enabled in US (it is in Canada, among other places). Thru ForScan you can enable this function. When above 32mph the headlights stay in High Beam, but detect oncoming vehicles and vehicles in front of you, and don't project in a rectangle around them so they do not see High Beams.

 

[greenne]

Best adaptive would be being able to aim lower when towing. Always get flashed towing as people think you have high beams on and that means it is in their eyes and limiting their vision, not safe.

FWIW these are called self leveling and they do exist. I have them on my Buick Regal TourX (aka Opel Insignia/Vauxhall station wagon). They "level the lights based on angle due to vehicle load, up hills, etc. Great lights.

They also have limited adaptive like features--they bend slightly with steering wheel and will also raise slightly depending speed to see further down the road. The shoulder light is slightly higher than the driver side light. (you can change this in the vehicle settings for different markets since this is a global car)

Glad we are getting cool European headlights..the Regal headlights are much, much better than I've ever had before. The sad--strange thing-- is they totally disabled the "adaptive" dimming feature and thus don't even have auto hi beams. Crazy.

The adaptive the NHTSA just approved allows for the driver side beam to go to low beam or dim pixals that would "blind" an oncoming driver but leave the other side(that doesn't impact oncoming drivers) at full high beam.(#3 above)

(They also have true adaptive glare free lights in the European version of this car..but that functionality is disabled on the American version. ).

 

[GDN]

Did some reviewing today now that we have window stickers available for the Lightning. Indeed the headlights are listed as "LED Projector w/ Dynamic Bending". From the description these have been available for the last year on other F-150's. They are LED Projectors, but the only thing fancy they appear to do is the bend - when cornering.

There were some videos and descriptions of the lights last year, I found a few while Googling.

So the "Bad" news, if you call it that, they are not the matrix fully Adaptive lights. No Glare reduction type lights. Simply auto bright/dim and bend when cornering.

In another post this week a new Order guide was posted and it looks for the ICE versions the truly Adaptive lights may be gone there too. So I'm guessing supply chain issue perhaps or just a cost cutting measure, who knows.

 

[greenne]

Did some reviewing today now that we have window stickers available for the Lightning. Indeed the headlights are listed as "LED Projector w/ Dynamic Bending". From the description these have been available for the last year on other F-150's. They are LED Projectors, but the only thing fancy they appear to do is the bend - when cornering.

There were some videos and descriptions of the lights last year, I found a few while Googling.

So the "Bad" news, if you call it that, they are not the matrix fully Adaptive lights. No Glare reduction type lights. Simply auto bright/dim and bend when cornering.

In another post this week a new Order guide was posted and it looks for the ICE versions the truly Adaptive lights may be gone there too. So I'm guessing supply chain issue perhaps or just a cost cutting measure, who knows.

Since these are new and primarily US vehicles I doubt Ford thought about putting the capability for Matrix headlights since they were illegal(in the US) at time of development. They may start to offer that as a feature on new/redesigned vehicles over the next few years. I imagine for vehicles sold globally you'll see in first as the hardware is likely already there(like the regular f150). It will take awhile to see these on US market exclusive vehicles since it suddenly became legal in the past few months.

 

[GDN]

Since these are new and primarily US vehicles I doubt Ford thought about putting the capability for Matrix headlights since they were illegal(in the US) at time of development. They may start to offer that as a feature on new/redesigned vehicles over the next few years. I imagine for vehicles sold globally you'll see in first as the hardware is likely already there(like the regular f150). It will take awhile to see these on US market exclusive vehicles since it suddenly became legal in the past few months.

I'm with you to a degree, but it's kind of hard for me to believe that Ford and the big guys didn't know the NHSTA was about to finally approve them. I do feel lucky that Ford seems to be supporting the Lightning and building these trucks when all other models are suffering, I just wish they'd had the fully Adaptive lights included. I know what Forscan is.

 

[vandy1981]

In another post this week a new Order guide was posted and it looks for the ICE versions the truly Adaptive lights may be gone there too. So I'm guessing supply chain issue perhaps or just a cost cutting measure, who knows.

This is from the Canadian 2022 F150 ICE order guide and confirms removal of glare-free lighting for Job #2. Glare-fee lighting is not listed in the most recent Canadian Lightning order guide, so I doubt that they'll have them.

There's still a chance that the hardware will be there and it can be activated via ForScan--this seems extremely unlikely.

Sponsored