Head Lights/ Low Beam = Pissed Drivers

mafd2 · January 20, 2020

16 minutes ago, tbarn said:

When the low beam headlamps are ON and the turn signal/multifunction switch is placed in the high beam position, ground is applied to the BCM through the high beam signal circuit. The BCM responds to the high beam request by applying ground to the high beam relay control circuit which energizes the high beam relay. With the high beam relay energized, the switch contacts close allowing battery voltage to flow through the high beam fuse to the high beam control circuits to there respective high beam solenoid actuators located within the headlamp assemblies. With the left and right high beam solenoid actuators active, the solenoid shutters open in each headlamp assembly exposing the remaining portion of the headlamp that was covered by the shutters illuminating the high beams at full intensity.

Ok, so we know there's shutters and projectors in the '14--'18's but there's no shutters or projectors in the T1 '19 Silverado.

OnTheReel · January 20, 2020

44 minutes ago, mafd2 said:

Ok, so we know there's shutters and projectors in the '14--'18's but there's no shutters or projectors in the T1 '19 Silverado.

Yup, the people posting a book’s worth of info about headlight shutters in this particular forum is totally useless.

The only real thing I’ve found at play is that many people in cars perceive truck headlights as “brights”, no matter what.

Personally, I think it’s such a busybody thing to do, flashing people. Even when I am 100% certain someone has their brights on, I don’t do it. But I damn sure reciprocate, probably around once a month.

Method2Madness · January 20, 2020

8 hours ago, tbarn said:

When the low beam headlamps are ON and the turn signal/multifunction switch is placed in the high beam position, ground is applied to the BCM through the high beam signal circuit. The BCM responds to the high beam request by applying ground to the high beam relay control circuit which energizes the high beam relay. With the high beam relay energized, the switch contacts close allowing battery voltage to flow through the high beam fuse to the high beam control circuits to there respective high beam solenoid actuators located within the headlamp assemblies. With the left and right high beam solenoid actuators active, the solenoid shutters open in each headlamp assembly exposing the remaining portion of the headlamp that was covered by the shutters illuminating the high beams at full intensity.

Ok??......But what does this have to do with anything? There are no shutters on the T1.

Edited January 20, 2020 by Method2Madness

Thomcat · January 20, 2020

2 hours ago, Method2Madness said:

Ok??......But what does this have to do with anything? There are no shutters on the T1.

OK! Here's a simple formula: Projectors = shutters. Formula holds true for any make/model of vehicle using them for main hi/lo headlamps.

If the T1 has projector lens hi/lo headlamps, it has shutters. Nothing magical, just simple physics. And, If you have projector beams and you don't hear the shutters activate when you trigger the high beam and see a visible cutoff of the top of the beam; it is not because the projectors don't have shutters - it is because it has broken shutters!

Think of using a magnifying (convex) lens to fry ants....the concave lens focuses light from the Sun to a single point to concentrate light and develop heat for ignition. Same for the projector lens but in reverse, takes a point source and passes it through a convex lens and spreads it out for diffuse lighting. So how do you create a high and low beam from a single point source i.e. tungsten filament or high voltage arc? You place an opaque block (raise a shutter) in front of the point source to mask the upper or lower portion of the diffuse beam being projected through the convex lens.

And that's why aftermarket LEDs substituted into projector lens housings do not reverse focus properly, multiple LED combos or circuit board assemblies do not contain a single forward pointing light source. They'll still produce light but the projector shutters will not effectively block only the upper portion of the beam. That's why the Silvys with stock LEDs use reflectors or as with the Traverse proprietary "D" lenses with a unique, expensive and complex way of creating an LED point source suitable for a vertical plane convex lens. As used in the new Traverse (love 'em), below is the only way to use a non point source LED with a convex lens......i.e. two separate lens assemblies, one for high and one for low....to bad they didn't migrate the tech to the Silvy, had to settle for 4 separate hi lenses and 2 separate low lenses.

Method2Madness · January 20, 2020

4 minutes ago, Thomcat said:

OK! Here's a simple formula: Projectors = shutters. Formula holds true for any make/model of vehicle using them for main hi/lo headlamps.

If the T1 has projector lens hi/lo headlamps, it has shutters. Nothing magical, just simple physics. And, If you have projector beams and you don't hear the shutters activate when you trigger the high beam and see a visible cutoff of the top of the beam; it is not because the projectors don't have shutters - it is because it has broken shutters!

Think of using a magnifying (convex) lens to fry ants....the concave lens focuses light from the Sun to a single point to concentrate light and develop heat for ignition. Same for the projector lens but in reverse, takes a point source and passes it through a convex lens and spreads it out for diffuse lighting. So how do you create a high and low beam from a single point source i.e. tungsten filament or high voltage arc? You place an opaque block (raise a shutter) in front of the point source to mask the upper or lower portion of the diffuse beam being projected through the convex lens.

And that's why aftermarket LEDs substituted into projector lens housings do not reverse focus properly, multiple LED combos or circuit board assemblies do not contain a single forward pointing light source. They'll still produce light but the projector shutters will not effectively block only the upper portion of the beam. That's why the Silvys with stock LEDs use reflectors or as with the Traverse proprietary "D" lenses with a unique, expensive and complex way of creating an LED point source suitable for a vertical plane convex lens. As used in the new Traverse (love 'em), below is the only way to use a non point source LED with a convex lens......i.e. two separate lens assemblies, one for high and one for low....to bad they didn't migrate the tech to the Silvy, had to settle for 4 separate hi lenses and 2 separate low lenses.

The WT/Custom T1 has Halogen H11's. LT and above have LED headlamps in prisms. I don't believe this applies.

Edited January 20, 2020 by Method2Madness

Thomcat · January 20, 2020

5 minutes ago, Method2Madness said:

The WT/Custom T1 has Halogen H11's. LT and above have LED headlamps in prisms. I don't believe this applies.

Correct, those are not projectors with shutters, more like reflector lenses.

Belo · January 20, 2020

not once.

mattsvtcobra · January 20, 2020

You need to lower them. It's a simple 30 second fix. If you are behind a car and the beam is hitting them in the head or rear view mirror, just lower it. If you are stopped and a car is turning in front of you so they are broadside to you, and it hits them directly in the face, lower them. Just because "it came that way" doesn't mean its right.

econometrics · January 20, 2020

22 minutes ago, mattsvtcobra said:

Just because "it came that way" doesn't mean its right.

And just because someone is driving some low-riding sedan doesn’t mean it’s right to object to an OEM setting. But it happens.

The bottom line here is the T1 LEDs are bright. So are most all the new cars. Sometimes I see the halogen lights of older cars and wonder how we even tolerated such crappy FOV with those headlights for so long.

As others said, you flash me and I’ll return the favor to show you how blindingly bright my hi beams on the T1 really are.

KARNUT · January 20, 2020

People get amusing sometimes. Sure I’ll do a quick flash if someone thinks I have my highs on, only to inform. Two cars crashing head on in a ditch blinded by high beams. That wouldn’t do anyone any good.

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aseibel · January 20, 2020

22 minutes ago, econometrics said:

As others said, you flash me and I’ll return the favor to show you how blindingly bright my hi beams on the T1 really are.

If an automobile driver is below the cutoff line of your head lights and you turn on the brights, it makes no difference. In the olden days there was a dimmer filament and a brighter one. Now, the light intensity is the same, but the top half of the "low" beams are just cut off.

You aren't helping the situation at all. Most people aren't that stupid. If they are flashing you, it means you are blinding them. check your headlight alignment.

econometrics · January 20, 2020

2 minutes ago, aseibel said:

You aren't helping the situation at all. Most people aren't that stupid. If they are flashing you, it means you are blinding them. check your headlight alignment.

I'm showing the driver who thinks my brights are on that they, indeed, are not. That's the point. Not to blind them.

aseibel · January 20, 2020

Just now, econometrics said:

I'm showing the driver who thinks my brights are on that they, indeed, are not. That's the point. Not to blind them.

And my point is: showing them your brights aren't on doesn't help the next car after them who is also getting blinded. Please check your alignment. People just don't flash you for the fun of it. They are pissed because your lights are in their eyes. Your lights should be angled downhill by a couple inches over 25 feet. If they are straight horizontal, you will continue to get flashed. Proving to each driver that your low beams are poorly aligned only demonstrates that you are the problem.

Thejet07 · January 20, 2020

My alignment is correct. The road is not always correct. Any bump, crater, hill, etc makes the front end bounce a bit or change viewing angle of my headlights making oncoming drivers believe they’re being flashed or highs are on. It’s annoying they don’t realize it’s not on level ground. Don’t get flashed on highway all the time when passing other cars.

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RaisedByWolves · January 20, 2020

On 1/18/2020 at 6:44 PM, Thomcat said:

Too many years driving and too much brains to do that. But keep doing it and someday you may run into someone with an equivalent amount of brains and driving ethics driving my my setup of 6 LED highs, plus 2x8" on the sports bar plus a 40" in the grille and find out who the real idiot is.

To be honest, if that happened Id probably giggle a bit.

Especially if there was a cop nearby.