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New headlights are a major problem

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Pete Sharp, Mar 12, 2016.

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  1. Pete Sharp

    Pete Sharp Junior Member

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    I just bought a brand new 2016 Prius 2 a few weeks ago and I just returned from a long road trip. While the car as a whole is magnificent, the headlights are problematic. First, what's the deal with the parking lights and reduced intensity headlights (it seems that the DRLs come on along with the yellow parking lights. You can't just have the yellows on) rather than just parking lights? I just want parking lights! But the bigger issue is that when night comes the battle with frustrated drivers begins. I was constantly flashed by other drivers when I was in fact using my dim lights. Consequently, I was trigger ready to defend myself by flashing them back to prove that I wasn't just being lazy and not turning off my brights. It was stressful knowing that my headlights were disturbing other drivers. And often they would just keep flashing me as though saying "Yeah, they still are too bright". Sure, the dims are great when I'm on the road alone but this is a problem that must be addressed. I cannot drive my car at night constantly anxious and on guard about angering others. The car was relatively empty--little to no extra weight in the rear to force lights higher in the front.
     
    #1 Pete Sharp, Mar 12, 2016
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2016
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  2. 'LectroFuel

    'LectroFuel Senior Member

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    Are you sure the auto high beams aren't on? That happened to me once.
     
    #2 'LectroFuel, Mar 12, 2016
  3. Pete Sharp

    Pete Sharp Junior Member

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    Yeah I know how high and low beams work.
     
    #3 Pete Sharp, Mar 12, 2016
  4. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Seems like you should adjust the lowbeam aim down. If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, have the dealer do it.
     
    #4 xliderider, Mar 12, 2016
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  5. Pete Sharp

    Pete Sharp Junior Member

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    Right. But don't you think that a company that built such a great car as the Prius could figure out how to design a headlight system that plays well with others? I shouldn't have to take time to have this addressed myself.
     
    #5 Pete Sharp, Mar 12, 2016
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  6. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    I agree, but do you want some cheese with that w(h)ine? J/K ;) :D
     
    #6 xliderider, Mar 12, 2016
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  7. Pete Sharp

    Pete Sharp Junior Member

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    Very funny. It may seem a minor complaint about an otherwise stellar car but I'm just surprised and disappointed that something like this was allowed to happen. And I'm selfish with my time. I'm hoping that it's an easy adjustment.
     
    #7 Pete Sharp, Mar 12, 2016
  8. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Toyota seems to make pretty simple aimers, they just turn with a Phillips screwdriver. It was hard for me to find them on my Gen 1 because there was only one sort of puzzling diagram in the repair manual. Last time I was at my dealer, I sat in a Gen 4 and thumbed through the owner's manual and saw that they actually have the aiming instructions in there now, you don't need the repair book. And while I was looking under the hood I noticed they even label the adjust locations really clearly now.

    -Chap
     
    #8 ChapmanF, Mar 12, 2016
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  9. ATHiker

    ATHiker Senior Member

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    When you are parked, the parking lights are just the red lightening bolt at the back corners and the orange lights at the front corners and your plate lights.

    Are you saying that the "reduced intensity headlights" go on when you are driving with the parking lights on?

    image.png
     
    #9 ATHiker, Mar 12, 2016
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  10. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    That wasn't at all clear in the original post, where you used the terms 'bright' and 'dim' and 'reduced intensity headlight' rather than 'high beam', 'low beam', and 'DRL'. Some of the folks using the former terms don't understand the later.
     
    #10 fuzzy1, Mar 12, 2016
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  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome to priuschat! congrats on your new car. you will find, much to your dismay, that the prius isn't perfect. this is only the beginning of your problems. i hope it works out for you.(y)
     
    #11 bisco, Mar 12, 2016
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  12. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    The reduced intensity highbeam DRLs on my Camry go on with the parking lights (parking brake off) when the switch is in the parking light position. I understand that there is a way to change this setting to on or off via techstream.
     
    #12 xliderider, Mar 12, 2016
  13. Pete Sharp

    Pete Sharp Junior Member

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    Thanks Chap. That's great info. I'll take a look.


    merged




    There are four headlights of sorts: 1. DRL 2. parking lights (the headlights come on at a reduced intensity on this setting. It seems that the parking lights setting is DRL plus the front and rear yellows). 3. Dims and 4. brights/high beams



    merged.



    There are four headlight settings on my Prius gen 4. They are as follows:
    1. DRL (no parking lights) just weak headlights
    2. Parking lights (yellow parking lights along with the DRL headlights) There is no isolated yellow "parking lights"
    3. Low beams/dims
    4. High beams/brights
    I understand how reduced intensity was confusing. But I know the difference between high and low beams which is my major issue with the headlight configuration.
     
    #13 Pete Sharp, Mar 12, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 12, 2016
  14. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    I am confused why they are flashing back, I guess you are saying it is blasting light in their eyes. I thought maybe you were saying so dim they could not see you had lights on.
     
    #14 wjtracy, Mar 12, 2016
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  15. ATHiker

    ATHiker Senior Member

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    Unless the car is off, of course. Given what I just learned, the parking lights should really be called "Parked Lights" :)

    image.jpeg
     
    #15 ATHiker, Mar 12, 2016
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  16. Pete Sharp

    Pete Sharp Junior Member

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    Is that photo taken from the manual of a 2016? If so, it's not accurate regarding the parking lights.


    Merged





    They flash me because they think I'm driving with my brights/high beams on. But I'm not. I flash them to tell them that 'oh yeah, you thought that those were my brights? Sorry buddy, these are my brights. I bet you wish you hadn't done that'. Then sometimes they still flash me again to say 'regardless, you lights are still too bright. Get them checked or else you're a jerk to keep driving with them on'. So that's why I'm here on Prius Chat. I'm not a jerk and want to exist in harmony. If they were telling me I didn't have lights on, they would momentarily turn off their lights to indicate that to me. Or at least that's what I do to help others out. Have you never heard of this communication method??
     
    #16 Pete Sharp, Mar 13, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 13, 2016
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  17. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The instrument cluster and steering wheel in that diagram do look 2016-ish, no?

    It would probably be a great way to focus this thread so everyone knows what it's about, to describe exactly how the manual isn't accurate.

    -Chap
     
    #17 ChapmanF, Mar 13, 2016
  18. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    If nothing else is wrong, misaimed headlights are a problem, but hardly a "major problem."
     
    #18 CR94, Mar 13, 2016
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  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i still haven't gotten around to adjusting mine. i figure, it's a prius. most owners think their headlights aren't bright enough.
     
    #19 bisco, Mar 13, 2016
  20. zak.kapoor

    zak.kapoor Junior Member

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    Pete,

    Could you park your car 15 to 20 feet from a wall on a flat surface in the evening, switch on the head lights on low beam, and take a picture of the wall. This will show if the lights are misaligned or if they are just too bright.

    PS: A picture with high beam on for comparison would be helpful.

    Zak
     
    #20 zak.kapoor, Mar 13, 2016
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