Headlights to bright, what can I do?

[path1]

F350 model year 2003. My headlights are too bright. Way brighter than they should to be. I took out the bulbs and exchanged the "super bright" for regular bulbs at Ford dealer. Helped some but still too bright. To many people giving me the high beam headlight flash. When stopping behind someone many flip their rearview mirror to avoid the lights. I've taken my 3/4 ton dodge and f 350 to grocery store to use their side of building in back and measured the lights they don't seem out of adjustment. It as I have a "search light". Wife and I passed on our street and wife made comment that they are still way to bright. One would think this is a good problem, but people flashing their high beams messing up my vision and knowing that I'm way to bright and would like to tune down, any ideas? The only good is reading street signs at night. Those new reflective signs really stand out. Wish I could complaint about to much fuel mileage, but that won't happen. Any ideas? Ford Dealer looked at them and said basically "lucky you".

[BenK]

path1 wrote:
OP here...Headlights ARE on "low beam" and headlights are that bright. On "high beam" I have a little sign in the dash and headlights are brighter (not much) and seem to reach out further. Thanks for all the input. Good advice here. Maybe the Ford dealer charged me and didn't do anything? Thanks for the link on how to adjust.
Didn't want to get into neighbors eye site and flashing lights at anybody on this post. Started one here on giving up your drivers license. http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27227276/p/1.cfm

Only one component of the system...yours are not aimed correctly

DOT limits the wattage for low beam and high beam (55watt/~1K Lumens
and 65watt/~1500 Lumens)

I know a bit, as have flashed a CHP (Cal Highway Patrolman) with my
2 seaters E-Code with 100Watt/2600 Lumens after he flashed me. Have
two of these 100Watt H1's and two 100Watt H3's. So unless you have
over watt bulbs...they are NOT too bright.

After telling him mine were better (and that my cousin was his boss)
took him to the nearest house and shined our lamps on the garage door

Showed him how mine were cut of and no dazzle above that cut off
and how his had dazzle up into oncoming eyeballs.

He let me go with a warning NOT to flash anyone

There is a DMV spec on the amount of drop from horizontal and wonder
if it varies from state to state.

Here is a link to the best headlamp site's HOW2 aim E-Code, which
is much brighter than American DOT headlamps

How To Aim Headlamps and Auxiliary Lamps

Now, you have a very tall vehicle and there should be more drop than
for a normal height vehicle. Check your state's DMV code book

[transamz9]

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:

transamz9 wrote:
The next time someone hits their bright lights at you , do the same to them. Then they will see the light.

Flashing your high beams will get you pulled over and maybe a ticket.

Don

So it's okay for them to flash me? When I flash them back, I'm just showing that they are on low beam.

[path1]

OP here...Headlights ARE on "low beam" and headlights are that bright. On "high beam" I have a little sign in the dash and headlights are brighter (not much) and seem to reach out further. Thanks for all the input. Good advice here.

[Hammerhead]

When you checked the alignment with the wall on the grocery store, how high up did the beam start to go dimmer? Here are are some of the legal requirements for headlights in Oregon.

Headlights shall be aimed in accordance with rules adopted by the department. If headlights provide only a single distribution of light and are not supplemented by auxiliary lights, the single beam headlights shall be so aimed that when the vehicle is not loaded, none of the high intensity portion of the light shall, at a distance of 25 feet ahead of the vehicle, project higher than five inches below the level of the center of the lamp from which it comes, or higher than 42 inches above the level on which the vehicle stands at a distance of 75 feet ahead of the vehicle.

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

fj12ryder wrote:

W.E.BGood wrote:

transamz9 wrote:
The next time someone hits their bright lights at you , do the same to them. Then they will see the light.

Brilliant! (no pun intended) That'll solve the problem. Go right ahead and do it, maybe he'll run across an LEO who can give him an extra incentive to FIX the problem.:R

Or maybe he was just suggesting that a flash back will show the individual that he doesn't have his brights on. I don't believe he was suggesting to leave the brights on. I've done this when someone flashes me and I don't have the high beams on, it just tells them that I don't. Big deal.

I did that and a OSHP officer pulled me over and was going to write me a ticket for Road Rage! Since he had his high beams on and decided the person he pulled over was not going to just roll over and play dead I did not receive one. The next morning I spent an hour at the Post filling a complaint against him.

Point being the simple act of flashing your high beam can get you a road rage ticket and at 6 points possible license suspension and or jail time not to mention the huge fine you will get, do you think its worth it.

My problem is with the motorcycle riders running around with four or six lights on their HD. Good way to get yourself killed, blinding someone with four wheels and tons of steel around them. When you only have two wheels and maybe a skid led is not a real smart idea.

Don

[wnjj]

fj12ryder wrote:

W.E.BGood wrote:

transamz9 wrote:
The next time someone hits their bright lights at you , do the same to them. Then they will see the light.

Brilliant! (no pun intended) That'll solve the problem. Go right ahead and do it, maybe he'll run across an LEO who can give him an extra incentive to FIX the problem.:R

Or maybe he was just suggesting that a flash back will show the individual that he doesn't have his brights on. I don't believe he was suggesting to leave the brights on. I've done this when someone flashes me and I don't have the high beams on, it just tells them that I don't. Big deal.

He got flashed because the lights ARE bright. I don't think the original flasher cares whether the switch is set to bright or not. If people keep flashing the OP, the problem is his truck and not all of those drivers' lack of knowledge about the switch. He knows this which is why he is on here asking.

I've have people flash me back when I flashed at their horribly bright lights and their high beams were actually less bright because they shot over my head. I'd rather they left them on bright.

[fj12ryder]

W.E.BGood wrote:

transamz9 wrote:
The next time someone hits their bright lights at you , do the same to them. Then they will see the light.

Brilliant! (no pun intended) That'll solve the problem. Go right ahead and do it, maybe he'll run across an LEO who can give him an extra incentive to FIX the problem.:R

Or maybe he was just suggesting that a flash back will show the individual that he doesn't have his brights on. I don't believe he was suggesting to leave the brights on. I've done this when someone flashes me and I don't have the high beams on, it just tells them that I don't. Big deal.

[path1]

Michelle.S wrote:
I have a question here: Is the problem all the time, or only when towing?? If only when towing it's because of the additional weight. If it's all the time they need adjusting. Ours are fine solo, but high with 4K of pin weight, so we generally don't tow at night.

Loaded all the time. 10,300 pounds, 24/7. (unable to unload)

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

transamz9 wrote:
The next time someone hits their bright lights at you , do the same to them. Then they will see the light.

Flashing your high beams will get you pulled over and maybe a ticket.

Don

[APT]

There are legal limits on vehicles sold in the US on how bright they can be. All designs (halogen, HID, LED) have the same output, within 10%. Aiming is the key, as Turtle said. This is one thing you cannot eyeball. Tapemeasure, fixed wall, etc. Plenty of instructions out there on how to adjust.

[Michelle_S]

I have a question here: Is the problem all the time, or only when towing?? If only when towing it's because of the additional weight. If it's all the time they need adjusting. Ours are fine solo, but high with 4K of pin weight, so we generally don't tow at night.

[harmanrk]

You could just wipe some mud on them. That will dim them. 🙂

[W_E_BGood]

transamz9 wrote:
The next time someone hits their bright lights at you , do the same to them. Then they will see the light.

Brilliant! (no pun intended) That'll solve the problem. Go right ahead and do it, maybe he'll run across an LEO who can give him an extra incentive to FIX the problem.:R

[the_happiestcam]

There are a LOT of vehicles out there now using the new brighter bulbs. The manufacturers even brag about their new bright bulbs. I don't even flash at anybody anymore - don't know if they are high or low beams. Makes me blind, though.

[pa_traveler]

I applaud your efforts in trying to fix them. Nothing worse then being blinded with too brite not adjusted lights. I don't think manufacturers care anymore,you see a lot of vehicles lights that aren't right. I wouldnt want everybody blinking me could cause a confrontation with a nut. Too many road ragers looking for any excuse.