Full Beam - not so great

[EdmundBlackadder]

Last night I had my first drive in the dark down country lanes. This meant that I could use my full beam for the first time. I think the dipped lights are pretty good so I was expecting a police helicopter style effect when it came to the full beam. I was a little disappointed with the strength of the light but I could not work out why. After a while it struck me. When the full beam goes on the dipped are switched off, in past cars the full beam has always complimented the dipped. I double checked this when I arrived home and this is the case. The downside of this is that the area 10-15 metres in front of the car goes into semi darkness as the full beam is pointing horizontally out.

This seems an odd way for the full beam to work. Is it possible for the dealer to alter this so that the dipped stays on alongside the full beam? This would give a much better spread of visibility.

I am interested to hear what people think of this who live in the deepest darkest parts of the countryside where street lights are not an issue. I know we have a few from N.Wales, Scotland and the Yorkshire moors where good lights, full beam a necessity, is very important.

[The Plumber]

Hi,

the problem is that the bulb for dipped and high are the same bulb :S

Interestingly I've noticed the new Fabia II FL has gone back to separate high and low beam lamps, as I believe some criticised the high beam on the original Fabia II. So you might have to wait about three years for the Yeti FL

However changing to a better quality bulbs might help such as My link there are other brands too which I sure someone could recommend.

Regards,

TP

[Macdemon]

Also on Edmunds Yeti he only has the halogen bulbs not the bi-xenons so that might have something to do with it.

If you get some of those Nightbrealer bulks TP mentioned then WOW

Edited 27 October, 2010 by Macdemon

[bilun777]

Check out last weeks Autoexpress.They did a test on all the latest bulbs.Also check out your local Halfords as they had a buy one get one free offer, on their own brand of uprated bulbs ,which always score highly in tests.

[EdmundBlackadder]

It sounds as though that is the way to go. I had hoped the dealer could plug the car in and sort it but a bulb upgrade could be the thing. Now for the handbook to see how to change a bulb.............

[jeep]

I replaced my headlight bulbs with Osram Nightbreakers and although these are an improvement over the bulbs it came with, I'm still not wowed with the quality of the illumination from the dipped headlights, it seems too diffused to me, compared to other cars I've owned that seemed to light the road ahead in a more concentrated and focused way, so it must be down to the lens and reflector design.

Edited 27 October, 2010 by jeep

[Jock]

A few weeks back, I had to leave early in the morning (about 04:00) which meant I was driving in the dark.

I got into the SM, seat belts on, driving glasses on, key into the ignition, start the engine, switch on headlights and off I drove.

This was the first time I'd really driven the Yeti in the dark, but in the past I do remember the headlights being pretty good, however as I drove, I found myself thinking, "I really could use some extra illumination here."

I drove on and I began to think, "Actually these headlights are pretty crap!"

I'd driven about forty miles and the performance of the poor headlights was really beginning to niggle.

Then I realised that, when I'd put on my driving glasses, I'd selected my sunglasses by mistake! I felt a right twit!

The headlights on my Yeti are some of the best I've ever used!

[EdmundBlackadder]

Jock - Thank you for that, it brought a hearty chuckle. What do you think of the full beam? Do you notice the dark spot where the dipped lights would normally light the road up?

[900000]

Then I realised that, when I'd put on my driving glasses, I'd selected my sunglasses by mistake!

Love that. I have a pair of polarised sunglasses in the exact same frames as a pair of my normal glasses. But have yet to make this mistake!

[Dr Phibes]

Last night I had my first drive in the dark down country lanes. This meant that I could use my full beam for the first time. I think the dipped lights are pretty good so I was expecting a police helicopter style effect when it came to the full beam. I was a little disappointed with the strength of the light but I could not work out why. After a while it struck me. When the full beam goes on the dipped are switched off, in past cars the full beam has always complimented the dipped. I double checked this when I arrived home and this is the case. The downside of this is that the area 10-15 metres in front of the car goes into semi darkness as the full beam is pointing horizontally out.

This seems an odd way for the full beam to work. Is it possible for the dealer to alter this so that the dipped stays on alongside the full beam? This would give a much better spread of visibility.

I am interested to hear what people think of this who live in the deepest darkest parts of the countryside where street lights are not an issue. I know we have a few from N.Wales, Scotland and the Yorkshire moors where good lights, full beam a necessity, is very important.

Hi Edmund,

I live in the middle of the Scottish countryside and had exactly the same reaction as you when I first drove our Yeti in the dark. The dipped beams are excellent and main beam does a good job of lighting up the way ahead but there's a dark mottled area just in front of the car which is a bit off-putting at first. I'd be interested to know if more powerful bulbs reduce this effect though I am getting used to it.

Phibes.

[lee67]

as u found out dipped beam okish..main beam is crap, my vespa has a better spread of light....use your front fogs, now there good lights .....might see about fitting 2 big spots'

[EdmundBlackadder]

Phibes, You make a good point that it may just be an issue of getting used to it. Ironically my last car had rotten dipped lights but great full beam. It may well be that once I change my expectations then I will be okay with it. Last night was my first time with them but once the clocks change this weekend then I will be using the full beam quite a bit on my way home. It may be that, like yourself, I just get used to it.

I tried Osram Nightbreakers on my last car but the way the reflectors were set up in it they did not improve matters much. Someone has made a similar point on this thread so I am tempted to be slightly cowardly and wait for another Yeti driver to try them out. My wife was not impressed when I "wasted money on a stupid car" last time and I do not want to repeat that again unless I know it works. Wives, they just don't get our need to fiddle with cars

Incidentally, the lights were not poor, just a 6 out of 10 when I am so used to the rest of the Yeti being 8 +.

[EdmundBlackadder]

as u found out dipped beam okish..main beam is crap, my vespa has a better spread of light....use your front fogs, now there good lights .....might see about fitting 2 big spots'

Oh my word - Lee67 you have dared to mention using front fog lights. Stand back and await the wrath of the forum. It is like standing in the middle of the Kop at Anfield and suggesting that Alex Ferguson is a decent chap.

PLEASE can we not turn this thread to a pro and anti fog light punch up.

[Agerbundsen]

It sounds as though that is the way to go. I had hoped the dealer could plug the car in and sort it but a bulb upgrade could be the thing. Now for the handbook to see how to change a bulb.............

A software upgrade to sort it is not likely possible. I suspect that bulb will not handle the extra heat from having two filaments on at the same time.

[Jock]

Jock - Thank you for that, it brought a hearty chuckle. What do you think of the full beam? Do you notice the dark spot where the dipped lights would normally light the road up?

A few years ago (actually, quite a few years ago!) I was at a rally forum which included the great Stig Blomqvist.

Someone asked Stig, "I've noticed you only have two extra lights on the car and they always seem to be set quite high - why do you do that?"

Stig asked, "How do you set your lights?", to which the questioner replied, "Well, I have a bank of four lights, two are set on the horizon and two are set to flood the road in front of me."

Again, Stig asked, "What happens if you see a log on the road in front of you?" "Well, I try to avoid it - slow down if I have to."

Then Stig said, "I have already seen it long ago and taken action, I do not need to see it again. ... but then, I win rallies!"

[EdmundBlackadder]

Wise words from Confucius Stig. However I am not Stig and need the road in front lit up. I do get the point he is making, and I am sure all advanced drivers would make as well, but when going around windy country lanes your eyes have to be everywhere not just on the horizon. The fact that Stig can do this is why he is a fantastic driver and why I am a normal one. I now feel insignificant in my ineptitude.

[Llanigraham]

Typically Blomqvist, short, sharp and accurate!!

I have been driving either to or from work in the dark now for a while, and to be honest I don't find the lights (nonHID) that bad, although I will be fitting uprated H4 bulbs soon. Certainly in the back lane from work this morning main beam was perfectly adequate. Yes there is a "hole" directly in front of the car, but so what? If you are driving and observing correctly you shouldn't be looking that close to the car anyway!!

Just thinking back to how I had the lights set-up on the last car. I had the beams readjusted so that they were "normal" at setting 1, so that they were actually "high" at 0. This gave me extra range but also left a "hole" directly in front of the car.

Oh, and if you approach me with the fog lights illegally on, and I do get dazzled, you'll get my full beam straight at you!

[Trevorminor]

Oh, and if you approach me with the fog lights illegally on, and I do get dazzled, you'll get my full beam straight at you!

And if the retaliation results in a collision or you are spotted by a jam sandwich doing this, you could similarly face prosecution. Two wrongs do not, in these circumstances, make a right - however irritating incorrectly used fog lights may be. I take it that you would not 'retaliate' if you saw a car with cornering fog lights as fitted to my Elegance.

I'd suggest the OP using the front fogs to fill in the gap on quieter roads but then to 'dip' them by flicking them off if a car approaches.

[Jock]

I really can't say I'd noticed the gap EdmundBlackadder mentioned (it's bad enough driving at night with sunglasses on ) however, thinking about it, when I drove through a rally stage recently at about stupid o'clock in the morning, I did switch on the fog lights and was very impressed how well they filled the gap (that I didn't notice was there in the first place!)

[ju3]

Try this

When you switch to fullbeams turn on foglights also.

Foglights will fill the part in front of the car that fullbeams skip.

I think that they supplement each other really good.

Anyway this 'setup' made HUGE difference in my dark night dark road driving.

I see now somebody already mentioned this. Must read first must read first

Edited 27 October, 2010 by ju3

[bahnstormer vrs]

Try this

When you switch to fullbeams turn on foglights also.

Foglights will fill the part in front of the car that fullbeams skip.

I think that they supplement each other really good.

Anyway this 'setup' made HUGE difference in my dark night dark road driving.

I see now somebody already mentioned this. Must read first must read first

I agree, but would additionally suggest just putting the front fogs on 'period' on quieter dark roads. Due to their wide, flat beam they will improve vision of the verge. You can always turn them off when there is more light/traffic around.

The other point, as already, is to get some uprated, halogen bulbs. Personally I prefer Phillips extreme or PIAA Extreme white plus.

[Llanigraham]

Payday tomorrow, so my order for these will be going:

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/search.php?mode=search&by_title=Y&by_sku=Y&including=all&substring=osram+night+breaker+plus

[EdmundBlackadder]

Payday tomorrow, so my order for these will be going:

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/search.php?mode=search&by_title=Y&by_sku=Y&including=all&substring=osram+night+breaker+plus

Please let everyone know how they work in the Yeti once fitted. It seems to be that the lens/reflectors are as important as the bulbs themselves (why is life so complicated) so the fact that a bulb works well in one car does not mean they will work as well in another.

[Yeti-RS]

Would someone be able to tell me what bulbs come with the stock yeti?.

I want to upgrade the yellow lights to more 'whiter' ones, trying to order but im unsure what type of bulb they are.......

[Llanigraham]

If you don't have HID's they are H4 bulbs.