Issues with LED headlights...

Discussion in 'Hyundai Kona Electric' started by ericy, Oct 10, 2019.

To remove this ad click here.

  1. ericy

    ericy Well-Known Member

    I used the auto dim feature, and it seemed to reduce the flashing.

    Sent from my SM-G930V using Inside EVs mobile app
     
  2. To remove this ad click here.

  3. I got flashed a few days ago when driving home at night on non-lit road. I flashed back and that was the end of that. But seems like our LED dims must be pretty bright...
     
  4. I got tired of getting flashed by oncoming so finally took the time to adjust primarily my left headlight. I did several iterations until I stopped getting flashed. It took 5 full turns counter clockwise to fix the aiming. 20191224_111039.jpg 20191224_104316.jpg
     
  5. ehatch

    ehatch Active Member

    Thanks for taking a tool to the headlight issueo_ODoes it better aim onto the road itself? I hate not having fog lamps on streets that are dark,yet has some light so our LED isn't as effective. We may lower our LEDs ,but everyone else [Frod trucks F150,Escalade,GM trucks,18 wheelers...] will be in our vision. Why the factory doesn't adjust the level,or have an established beam level standard is beyond me. Headlights are a safety component of the vehicle.
     
    Dag Lindquist likes this.
  6. SkookumPete

    SkookumPete Well-Known Member

    Why would you think there is no standard? There's quite a complex one, as illustrated at https://www.led-car-light-manufacturer.com/good-headlight-beam-pattern-dot-ece/ .
     
    KiwiME likes this.
  7. To remove this ad click here.

  8. ehatch

    ehatch Active Member

    In your review of the standard,what beam pattern does the Kona EV LED have,where it's in compliance. If the Kona EV meets it,then why would: @Dag Lindquist ,or anyone else with a vehicle on the road like the Kona EV be high beamed by oncoming traffic; drivers blinded by LED in their line of sight[glare]...LEDO Auto summary for SAE/ECE " The keys to optimal performance are to be sure the light is focused in the proper position and it does not create glare or a safety hazard for oncoming traffic. "Based on the standard,a lot of vehicles should be recalled in North America alone because they appear to not meet the light beam pattern "standard."My Audi, Model X never gets high beamed like the Kona EV.
     
  9. I did the adjustments using my garage door and some painters tape for initial before/after comparisons. The top line of the low beams is pretty distinct and the left was oddly higher than the right. I ended up bringing the left beam down 5 turns CCW and the right just 1 turn. I'm happy with the illumination and oncoming traffic seems happy as well :)
     
    ehatch and dheatherly like this.
  10. Burnaby Tom

    Burnaby Tom Member

    Thanks Dag for taking the time to figure out how fix for this and post the pics for the rest of us! It's been pretty foggy here in Vancouver the last few nights & I could definitely see the beam from these LED headlights is aimed too high. I know what I'll be doing tonight after work. :)
     
    ehatch and Dag Lindquist like this.
  11. ehatch

    ehatch Active Member

    With your sanity check.I grabbed some post it tags,and placed them at the top of the beam against a brick wall ;)Did 3CCW full turns,and the light is lower now.Purposely drove in darker areas tonight. Oncoming traffic,I got 1 high beam back. I think they thought I actually had my high beams on versus being blinded.I find the beam pattern covers the road better now,minus having fog lights.THANKS again.
     
    Dag Lindquist likes this.
  12. To remove this ad click here.

  13. Dag Lindquist, ehatch, apu and 2 others like this.
  14. nigels

    nigels Active Member

    The Hyundai documentation explains how to adjust the headlights: https://www.hkona.com/head_lamps_repair_procedures-1490.html

    These instructions are a little difficult to decode, but the principle is simple, the headlights need to be angled downwards towards the road.

    According to the aiming procedure above, that's down 3.93" (100mm) over a distance of 32.8ft (10m), which is -0.57 degrees. I suspect the factory is installing the headlights level and not adjusting the angle at all.

    To set the angle according to the factory specs:
    1. Set the tire pressures of all 4 tires to the same values.
    2. Park the car 32.8ft (10m) away from a wall or garage door on level ground.
    3. Measure the distance from the ground to the center of the low beam bulb. On my car that was 24.5" (622m) without the driver. Curiously, the instructions give values of 26.1" (662mm) without the driver, and 24.1" (613mm) with the driver. TIP: The innermost high beam bulb is smaller and easier to find the center.
    4. Turn the headlights on. Make sure they're on low beam!
    5. Mark a line at the height of the driver's side bulb on the wall, centered horizontally on the brightest part of the light pattern. I used blue masking tape. As in step 2, that was 24.5" (622mm) from the ground for my car - yours might be different.
    6. Mark another line 3.93" (100mm) below the first line.
    7. Repeat (4) and (5) for the passenger side.
    8. Cover the passenger side headlight. This will make it easier to see the driver's side light and adjust it.
    9. Adjust the driver's side headlight until the top of the headlight pattern on the wall lines up with the bottom line on the wall. You'll probably be turning the adjustment screw (see Dag's post) counterclockwise from the factory setting. Note that the headlight unit moves up and down when you push on it, so release the screwdriver to see the true level. My headlights needed several rotations of the adjusting screw to get them aligned to specification.
    10. Repeat (7) and (8), covering the driver's headlight and adjusting the passenger headlight.
    11. After you've adjusted both headlights, uncover them and compare the height of the light patterns on the wall. Adjust so they're at equal heights.
    After you've set the headlight angle to the factory specs, test drive the car and make any fine tuning adjustments by following Esprit1st's video, turning both headlight adjusters a half turn at a time to get the angles right.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2020
    ehatch and electriceddy like this.
  15. Thanks for the detailed procedure.
    Small note: I tried the link provided but it takes me to some consumer tech sales report:confused:
    I think you meant to post this link
    https://www.hkona.com/head_lamps_repair_procedures-1490.html
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2020
    ehatch likes this.
  16. nigels

    nigels Active Member

  17. Those numbers sounds weird. I highly doubt that my car sits 5cm (almost 2 inches) lower with me in the car than without me. That's probably why they're all adjusted wrong from the beginning.

    Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk
     
  18. nigels

    nigels Active Member

    Depends how heavy you are ;) but I didn't notice any difference in ride height when I sat in the car.
     
    Esprit1st likes this.
  19. I suppose the South Koreans think all the buyers of their cars are, how shall we say, "gravitationally challenged" ;)
     
    nigels and Esprit1st like this.
  20. ericy

    ericy Well-Known Member

    I had kind of forgotten this - until this morning. I must have gotten flashed a half a dozen times this morning. I don't really have a suitable wall to use - I will eventually have someone properly adjust. But for now I will just turn the screws a bit to bring the beams down.
     
  21. Headlight alignment is part of the PDI. An inspection you paid for. If you suspect your lights are improperly aligned go back to the dealer and make them do it properly.
     
  22. I actually adjusted it only one half turn down. So far it looks good and I haven't been flashed at at all, but I was mostly driving in town, where it really didn't happen much anyways.
     

Share This Page