Driving at night

[LoneCynic]

I was driving home from work tonight, and three different cars flashed their headlights at me. The first time I thought nothing of it, that perhaps there was a deer up ahead or "enforcement" out on patrol to watch out for, and it was a courtesy flash. The second guy just flashed me, then turned his high beams on me when he got close, blinding me, then the third guy later on flashed me twice on approach as if I had my high-beams on and wasn't doing the courtesy flip down to normal beams when approaching him.

I live out in the country, and as I get closer to home, there is less traffic. None of the times I was flashed, did I have my high beams on. The last guy flashed me twice, and when I got close, I put my high beams on for a second, then clicked back down, in an attempt to show him that I was indeed on standard beam and not highs.

My Camaro is a 1LS, with factory Halogens, are they really that bright that they are mistaken for high-beams? I can't imagine that is the case, but this has become an increasingly common occurrence when I drive my Camaro at night.

Does this happen to anyone else? It happens more when I turn my fog lights on too with standard beams, they angle out more and allow me to watch for deer easier. Although I was not running them tonight, so that wasn't a factor.

[Blue-J]

Brought up the same complaint at my dealership last week Had 30% of oncoming traffic on a two-lane one night flashing their hi-beams. Mine tested fine. They must just be extra bright. They are brighter than what I was used to.

[AztecCamaro]

They could be out of adjustment and aimed too high. That's the only thing I could think of. The blue "high beams light" on the dash comes on when the brights are used.

Maybe it's just beautiful women trying to flag you down because of your sexy car. True story

[13blackLS]

Maybe just coincidence that they couldnt see the road or were looking for a strret sign? Ive never been flashed high beams...not even after putting in hids....and I used to get it a lot in my other cars...

[LoneCynic]

Nah, it was happening on straightaways on back country roads. If they were out of alignment, the lighting patterns would look off I'd think. Normal beams, from inside the car, already looks like I can barely see in front of me as it is, so I doubt they are aimed too high. I've had the car for three years now, and I know when the high beams are on, and am also aware of the blue dash light that all my vehicles have that shows when they are on, thanks for the heads up on that though.

I guess they just must be extra bright. Guess I'll have to run the highs more often, and then flick down to the normals so they aren't mistaken as such. Just very odd to have it happen so much.

[AztecCamaro]

Hey ya never know with people these days. I worked at O'Reilly Auto Parts (Kragen/Checkers/CSK) and there was always someone who surprised me with their ignorance of cars. Have you ever replaced the headlight bulbs? Sylvania offers several different brightness in bulbs.

To test your headlight alignment, find a level place you can park and be at a right angle to a wall about 15 feet back. Do this around dusk/dark. Turn your lights on. The beams should be about waist high and even on both sides.

[Dizzy82]

I sometimes get a flash from folks who think I'm driving with highs on, I give them a good flash to let them know what highs are like.

[Airmaster]

I feel like I have this issue with other cars driving behind me quite a bit. Maybe automakers are making the lights too bright these days.... it SUCKS when someone is behind me with em. Although I gotta say, some of these people MUST have high beams on. It drives me crazy when driving on a LIGHTED highway....

[Blue-J]

Mine were tested at the dealership when I mentioned it. Tested fine. The night in question was pitch black on a country road. My hi-beams really brightened the area. Maybe these halo's are extra bright.

[LoneCynic]

Aztec, that is so very true. I know some people who never check the oil in their cars and think it is "normal" for them to die every few years and to have to buy a new car. Trying to explain to them how to get longevity out of their vehicle is like you're boring them with some old-fashioned way of doing things or something. I just shrug my shoulders and let them go about their way of doing things. They'll never have a vehicle last two decades like I have going about it that way, but there's no telling them otherwise.

I also overheard someone say the other day that they were running their pickup in "All wheel drive mode" and couldn't understand why the handling sucked so bad and it sounded like it was going to "blow up" when they tried to "get on it."

It is people like that who make me too scared to buy used cars anymore..

I again tried to tell that person FOUR wheel drive was intended for use in heavy snow or off-roading at lower speeds and was not the same as all wheel drive, and they acted like I didn't know anything about their truck and should shut up. Yeah, what do I know about them, right? I only own two 4x4 pickups, why listen to me?

But anyway, I used the smiley when responding to you the first time because I figured that was the reason for your response, and not because you were trying to be rude, just pointing out the obvious just in case I was one of "those people". I can most assuredly say, I am not. I'm no mechanic or car guru by any means, but I know my way around an engine bay, and how to properly maintain them with the basics, oil changes, tire rotations, spark plug changes, filter changes, basic bolt ons and stuff like that. I'm also getting decent at body work and painting. I consider myself an "amateur car guy".

Anything I don't know or need suggestions/advice on, I have this forum to lean on for information, it is the very reason I joined up in the first place.

Oh yeah, I also love the self proclaimed "manual drivers" who announce to me that they love driving a stick, because they find out all my vehicles are manuals. That statement, followed by a sob story about having to replace clutches every 26k miles and how unreliable they are, but still cheaper than having an auto transmission rebuilt, then asking me how many I've been through on my old truck. I just stare at them for a second, then say "Uh, one, and I replaced it when I did an engine rebuild just because it seemed like a good time to do it at 125k miles, not because it needed it."

If you're burning through clutches that fast, the problem is most likely to be found in the vanity mirror, I'm just saying.

Well, I'll stop there before I make this wall of text any bigger, but yeah, you're in like minded company with me. Come to think of it, the people who are flashing their headlights at me are probably some of "those people" anyway..

[SchfiftyFive]

Originally Posted by LoneCynic

Aztec, that is so very true. I know some people who never check the oil in their cars and think it is "normal" for them to die every few years and to have to buy a new car. Trying to explain to them how to get longevity out of their vehicle is like you're boring them with some old-fashioned way of doing things or something. I just shrug my shoulders and let them go about their way of doing things. They'll never have a vehicle last two decades like I have going about it that way, but there's no telling them otherwise.

I also overheard someone say the other day that they were running their pickup in "All wheel drive mode" and couldn't understand why the handling sucked so bad and it sounded like it was going to "blow up" when they tried to "get on it."

It is people like that who make me too scared to buy used cars anymore..

I again tried to tell that person FOUR wheel drive was intended for use in heavy snow or off-roading at lower speeds and was not the same as all wheel drive, and they acted like I didn't know anything about their truck and should shut up. Yeah, what do I know about them, right? I only own two 4x4 pickups, why listen to me?

But anyway, I used the smiley when responding to you the first time because I figured that was the reason for your response, and not because you were trying to be rude, just pointing out the obvious just in case I was one of "those people". I can most assuredly say, I am not. I'm no mechanic or car guru by any means, but I know my way around an engine bay, and how to properly maintain them with the basics, oil changes, tire rotations, spark plug changes, filter changes, basic bolt ons and stuff like that. I'm also getting decent at body work and painting. I consider myself an "amateur car guy".

Anything I don't know or need suggestions/advice on, I have this forum to lean on for information, it is the very reason I joined up in the first place.

Oh yeah, I also love the self proclaimed "manual drivers" who announce to me that they love driving a stick, because they find out all my vehicles are manuals. That statement, followed by a sob story about having to replace clutches every 26k miles and how unreliable they are, but still cheaper than having an auto transmission rebuilt, then asking me how many I've been through on my old truck. I just stare at them for a second, then say "Uh, one, and I replaced it when I did an engine rebuild just because it seemed like a good time to do it at 125k miles, not because it needed it."

If you're burning through clutches that fast, the problem is most likely to be found in the vanity mirror, I'm just saying.

Well, I'll stop there before I make this wall of text any bigger, but yeah, you're in like minded company with me. Come to think of it, the people who are flashing their headlights at me are probably some of "those people" anyway..

Sry for the bump, but hot damn i cant believe there are really people like this in the world. How on Earth do they have a job that can afford them the car when they're clearly a little messed up knowing how to take care of one. This kind of stuff really drives me bonkers!

[two_wheel_mayhem]

They are probably aimed a tad bit too high. I got that all the time in my first Camaro. Pulled up to the garage door and sure enough one of them was higher than the other so I just adjusted it down to match the other one and people quit bugging me about it.

[Dfault]

I've had people complain that my HID's are too bright and then they're surprised when I tell them it's factory bulbs.

It mainly bothers the older folks, but that's because they're used to the old headlights where it doesn't blind oncoming traffic and you're blind when you're driving on an empty road.

[two_wheel_mayhem]

Originally Posted by Dfault

I've had people complain that my HID's are too bright and then they're surprised when I tell them it's factory bulbs.

It mainly bothers the older folks, but that's because they're used to the old headlights where it doesn't blind oncoming traffic and you're blind when you're driving on an empty road.

HID is aging technology. Wait until everything has LED headlights. They blind you during the day.