Dim to Blinding - A History of The Automotive Headlight!

[@user-surly]

Some of the modern migraine-inducing offerings need to be outlawed. They blind other drivers. It bewilders me to think that this obvious safety risk would escape government safety regulators.

[@jaedenceron1127]

Agreed. And misadjusted headlights and misused high-beams need to be stopped. There was a time where one got a verbal/written warning from a cop by having either of those.

[@ohioplayer-bl9em]

Most of those are idiots that install aftermarket bulbs, the others are huge trucks that the bulbs should be placed closer to the bumper but for some reason they are not and are at the exact levels a standard sedans rear view mirror. They should have to lower the placement of those for sure.

[@THEANIMALGUY]

Well it didn't it's just that these new regulations pretend to care unlike the older days

[@22trident45]

And the cataract type plastic lensing that clouds over time.

[@Thingstest-rl8xu]

One huge problem is Illegal Headlight "Upgrade" that *Does Not* meet DOT or ECE requirements that flooded people with this garbage on Amazon, Ebay, and more. HID and LED "upgrades" in Halogen Headlamp assemblies do not focus the output and blind other drivers. You can get Legal LED Sealed Beams but expect to pay $200 - $300. Cheap LED Sealed Beams "upgrades" are Illegal but Amazon etc hinds behind Section 230 and other laws allowing them to take money from illegal dangerous products.

[@davinp]

LED lights have many advantages over Halgeon lights - brighter, last longer and don't burn hot as Halgeon does. The only problem is that they can be too bright and blind you

[@PickupsAreNotTrucks]

And too cold to melt snow and ice off of. At least up here in the frozen tundra of hell.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

I have serious questions about actual OEM LED modules outlasting halogen lights. If the thermal management is (deliberately?) not good, they will burn out quickly.

[@PickupsAreNotTrucks]

@ I don’t own anything new enough to have OEM LEDs but, I don’t find LEDs any more long lasting than halogen. The actual LED itself may very well last forever but the electrical circuit inside always falls. Water eventually ingresses in and it’s game over. I own a semi truck and deal with LED lights failing constantly. Even very expensive ones. Maybe if the companies start actually making the case of the light 100% dust/waterproof, they’d last longer. LEDs also tend to draw more corrosion to the wiring. Idk why this is but it has to do with the lesser amp draw. I switched from halogen headlights to LEDs and I know have to replace the headlight harness yearly because the copper wires just rot away and turn to dust. Next time I’ll just go back to halogens.

[@davinp]

Now automakers used plastic lens and the problem with that is they can get cloudy/yellowish over time

[@jumpinjehoshaphat9075]

Yes and it takes quite a bit of both repair and maintenance know how to keep them usable. My first car that took a replaceable insert bulb was a 1988 Olds 98. It had a glass housing. Although it could be damaged by rocks off the road, it never got yellow or hazed. Very preferable. And although the reputation of American cars is they weren't quiet up to par on quality, efficiency and handling, this one in fact got 30 miles a gallon in a large comfortable vehicle and very reliable when sold with 300,000 miles on it- and had good headlights! The respected 3.8 V6. I would do it again.

[@johncarync]

Thank you for researching this! I remember watching a KZbin video of a designer who worked on the early Toronados. He explained why Toronados went from hidden headlights in 1969 to exposed in 1970. US regulations came into place stating the minimum time concealed headlights could take to go from concealed to unconcealed. With the vacuum system GM was using, it wouldn't meet the standard, so they just chose to nix the concealed headlights.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Interesting!

[@judih.8754]

I seem to recall my Porsche 914 headlights were lit as they came up into position.

[@S.1-I-I-1-1]

Europe is always superior.

[@alexmail123]

The 90's were the most balanced for lighting and anti-glare.

[@nahteo]

Omg, I was blinded by a Subaru's lights last week...in the middle of the day. Yes, it was a dreary, rainy fall day, ..but nothing crazy, yes the Subi was cresting a, well, crest... but...Ducking blinded. I wasn't even mad, that's just impressive. The light of a thousand suns murdering my S.A.D. and tanning my soul. All this brought to you by the face of the agri yob. We salute you, Subaru driver 🫡 for lighting up the noon hour like we always knew you could

[@alstruck8063]

With all that "Cut" going on I thought I was on the butcher shop channel! Love your channel Jon, please keep up the great videos. Maybe more bloopers? That put a smile on my face.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks 👍

[@robertallan4489]

WOW, Jon, you really raised the bar in video production with this one. We were very well entertained with both the substance and with the presentation the video offered. The depth of your research cannot be doubted by all the many sources in your credits. An expertly done video and in depth study of an interesting subject. Yes. We agree that our auto industry has been stifled for years if not decades by over regulation. We hope that the Supreme Court's striking down of the Chevron doctrine will free American inventiveness and innovation so that our industries can one day be competitive in the world once again. Looking forward to more fine videos like this in the future. Well done, Jon.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Appreciate the kind words!

[@cranialnerv]

True Adaptive headlights were approved years ago, but remain illegal in the USA. The NHTSA isn’t even willing to even talk about a projected approval date as of 11/24.

[@ohioplayer-bl9em]

My wofe has a Porsche cayenne and it has the best headlights i have ever used. Zeon bulbs, turning lights, auto level, brights that light up the night while leaving the zeon bulbs on. They are amazing and a joy to drive at night.

[@jacksong6226]

My 2003 Lexus ls430 has Auto-leveling headlights too

[@2StrokeDriptroit]

XENON bulbs, not Zeon. They are incandescent and filled with xenon gas, the most expensive product on earth. It os s very dense gas and it doesn’t convect, carrying away heat from the filament and cooling it and lowering efficiency like argon/nitrogen used in most lamps do. The result is a pocket of super heated gas forms around the filament, retaining the heat and increasing efficiency a good amount, and also exerts a good amount of pressure on the filament, retarding sublimation (evaporation basically) of the tungsten filament, allowing operation at much higher efficiency and brightness at a higher but still warm color temperature with no loss of life. The bulbs have to be smaller to use as little of this insanely expensive gas, but the bulb temperature stays the same because so little heat is wasted. Cheers!

[@kaischmidt8030]

Headlights a generation ago: 2-light round, 4-light round, 2-light rectangular, 4-light rectangular. Could break in low-speed impacts. Available everywhere for under $10. Now: Headlight assembly unique to every car. Can break in low-speed impacts. Cost $500-$2500. But they are aerodynamic and give you a .0000372% increase in gas mileage.

[@S.1-I-I-1-1]

Mandatory sealed beams have always been retarded.

[@xcalibertrekker6693]

But speeds in general where much much slower as well.

[@adrianmonk4440]

I was in a small bender at a Bump Shop for repairs. They were not too busy. We talked shop. Insurance cost of average paint job, $15k. We (I) were talking about high prices. Adjuster mentioned there was a high end, Euro-luxury headlight assembly that cost $10k. Yowsir !!!

[@gregorymalchuk272]

We need to start clamping liability for insurance purposes so that manufacturers are forced to decrease the costs of of this junk.

[@2StrokeDriptroit]

I am a bulb collector and have a fair amount of early automobile bulbs, many exhaust tipped, along with general lighting lamps. My favorites are early fluorescent and mercury vapor. My oldest bulb is an 1888 Edison “Taper Neck” bamboo carbon filament lamp, new old stock! I am now putting up my beloved C6 series antique Christmas lights! Merry Christmas! 😋

[@AllCarswithJon]

Merry Christmas, and that sounds like a cool hobby. I've never considered bulb collecting....

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

my 03 Lincoln Town Car has factory HIDs and they are just perfect, not blinding to other cars, but far superior lighting to traditional old style systems. HID gives a crystal clear white light and is so sharp and crisp. When you first turn them on and it is cold, like under 32F, they start off kind of a purple/pink light and dim, but in the next 20 seconds they get to full brightness...

[@killerontheloose80]

John you could do a video on fender mounted turn signals and it would be awesome thank you so much for your videos

[@AllCarswithJon]

Hmmm, that's an interesting idea!

[@Romiman1]

​@@AllCarswithJonAbsolutely!

[@judih.8754]

Had them on my 1968 Dodge Dart. Neat feature!

[@davinp]

The US Goverment regulations had restricted adaptive headlights that are allowed in other countries such as Canada

[@DioTheGreatOne]

It's so weird how the US overregulates itself to oblivion in some areas while other areas are neglected and unregulated.

[@hondofourfivetwo9347]

I remember when I got a new company car assigned to me with LED headlights coming from HID & Halogens in my personal vehicles at the time I remember being unimpressed while the LED was pretty blinding to oncoming traffic that strict beam cutoff at night didn’t allow me to see the small street signs at night used in my area especially if I was in the more rural parts of my territory. Even with the high beams the cutoff was just below the sign, Not to mention I believe my HID’s still threw light a greater distance when it came to unlit reflective hwy signs. almost 5yrs later my current truck has LED headlights while the street sign thing isn’t a problem with my truck (height may have a lot to do with it) I still say the HID system in my other car and previous truck both threw more light down the road to illuminate those hwy road signs. Also the glass composite headlights on my car with Halogen headlights with never fade and get cloudy like all these modern ones which is probably a whole other subject for a different video 😂👍

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

Learning to drive in the 90's it seemed lights were bright and great. I saw a 90 Tempo for sale last year and stopped to possibly buy it, it was the same as my first car, I felt like I couldn't see and the headlamp lenses were crystal clear on this garage Queen Tempo. Lighting is for sure stronger on new vehicles!!!!

[@adrianmonk4440]

I thought it was just cheesy of U.S. regulations that it was illegal to cover headlights with Plexiglas. Cars like the 280Z looked so much cooler & streamlined (Europe, late 80s).

[@LawrenceMarkFearon]

I use LED's only for the high beams. HID's for the low beams and the fog lights. When turned on, LED's have that quick flash quality for passing cars. But HID's have the wider even beam pattern, choice of kelvin color temperatures and are still very bright in a Bi-Xenon projector housing.

[@JimmyShields-z2h]

Great follow up vid, i try to find history Australian ADR rules on headlights but found statement saying you must enough light to sèe 100m away. I remember Pa adding more lights to his farm machinery, 80's young farmers were adding spotlights at front on their bullbars n on the roof/roll bar but you couldn't have odd number of lights like 1 or 3 or 5. Spotlights can be used on the road but must be turn off when encountered oncoming traffic or cover up/folded down when not in use but laws have relax or not enforce. Ford AU falcon in 98 had best headlights ever they were first Ford triangle headlights.

[@lm7bird680]

I love sealed beams. They're plenty bright, comfortable on the eyes, and when one breaks, it's $10 and 10 minutes to swap out

[@USSWISCONSIN64]

not sure why but the design of headlights and taillights has always been an interest for me. whatever it be for either be for aerodynamic reasons or how it looks. not sure why that is.

[@Romiman1]

You are not alone with that... ;-)

[@OLDS98]

Thank for the video information, The first American cars that used rectangular headlights was in 1975 model year by GM. They were on: Oldsmobile Ninety Eight and Oldsmobile Toronado, and Buick Riviera, Electra, Cadillac Deville, Seville, Fleetwood and Eldorado and Pontiac Bonneville and Grand Ville. They then spread to other GM cars in 1976. That is correct and true about Lincoln Mark VII, GM then stared the model the move to flush headlamps in 1986. Great video.

[@nlpnt]

They were also on the '75 Chevy Monza (and hastily badge-engineered Buick Skyhawk and Olds Starfire) which were the first cars "born" with them, the Seville not appearing at new-model intro time and the others you list being facelifts.

[@OLDS98]

@@nlpnt Thank you for your post. I forgot about the Chevrolet Monza, Pontiac Sunbird and Oldsmobile Starfire and Buick Skyhawk. You forgot about Pontiac Sunbird. I do recall the 1975 being facelifted upscale models models that got the headlights first. The other GM cars got them in 1976.

[@billmalec]

If you have problems with oncoming headlights you may have: 1) dirty windshield( the inside) 2) poorly- corrected vision And the biggest reason... 3) cataracts. Yes, I'm an eye doctor. Go get your eyes looked at.

[@compu85]

In the early days the US sealed beams our performed European lights with replaceable lamps. US lighting regulations put the drivers vision first, and glare control second. Europe's regulations were the opposite - very strict controls on glare, and lower minimum output requirements. The article "HEADLAMP HISTORY AND HARMONIZATION" by David Moore is a good read on this topic.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Yes. I mentioned that near the end of the video, that even to this day the EU and US prioritize "upward light" different. I did find Mr. Moores paper and scanned through it when preparing for this video. It got a bit more "in the weeds" than I wanted to here! But thanks for the comment and mentioning it!

[@compu85]

The H4 lamp was also approved for the USA in the early 90s, I think the first car to use them was the W140 Mercedes.

[@skipast75]

I live up north where it snows a lot and it hurts to breathe in the winter. I tried LED bulbs in my 4runner and I learned a few things…. - LEDs don’t work well in headlight housing designed for incandescent bulbs. Retrofitting LED bulbs in stock housing is a waste of money. -incandescents give off infrared heat that keeps your headlight lens free of snow and ice… LEDs do not (this is a major problem when you need your headlights the most) -incandescents shine through snow flakes and highlight the road far ahead in all but the absolute worst blizzard conditions while the beam from LEDs light the snow flakes up directly in front of the vehicle like you’re piloting the Millennium Falcon at warp speed and the road far out ahead is left dark. I know technology has worked around a lot of the issue in luxury cars but they haven’t addressed the lack of infrared needed for us northerners.

[@mrgurulittle7000]

😂The ending.👍 I prefer innovation over regulation although it’s interesting to think that there was a standard for headlights. Makes replacing one so easy.

[@LukeMauerman]

First time I went to France was in 1979 and the whole yellow headlight thing was like... Huh? How? But I really liked them, in fact in the '80s I had them on my Volkswagen here in the states. Cops loved that...

[@jeffgerndt2813]

Very nice! Interesting stuff.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks for watching!

[@69Applekrate]

Nice job! very informative and recommended. I've learned to hate newer vehicles here in US due to that glare/blinding you mention. something needs to be done.

[@AllCarswithJon]

I'll probably do a whole video early next year on headlight glare. :)

[@davinp]

The US Government is so slow to get things done or update laws

[@pcno2832]

I miss sealed beams. With today's U.S.-spec cars, the intensities and aiming is so radically different from car to car that your eyes are constantly re-adjusting and most of what you see is glare. Allowing the intensity to double, then double again, without requiring smart aiming or masking to only direct the light at things that need to be seen was a huge mistake. Any light that is directed at other driver's eyes is not helping you see any better, it's just blinding those coming at you. To make matters worse, with some vehicles having 4 lights even for low beams and others with 2 low-beam lights that are as bright as other's high beams, it's impossible to tell if some cars are using their low or high beams, so some drivers just use their high beams non-stop, while others have fog lights that might as well be high beams. All this misdirected light is more blinding than illuminating, and some experts believe the excess blue component in some LED lights is causing early retina damage in some.

[@JeffFitzgerald-r4m]

Great report. Modern lighting is so much better. One big current misstep is the plastic covers that oxidize and cloud over; especially in sunny climates. This ruins advantages of modern bright lighting. It’s a safety and aesthetic issue.

[@muznick]

My 2019 GTI had the best headlights. LEDs with a sharp cutoff that would turn with the car around curves. Really lit up the road, without blinding oncoming drivers. Factory sealed beams are the worst. My 2001 Jeep XJ has these. If the road is wet at night, good luck seeing much of anything.

[@jeffbybee5207]

When talking about light strength charts or posters would help keep track of the numbers

[@adrianmonk4440]

Please forgive me for OFF TOPIC. I went to a Dodge Dealership. New, SMALL crossover hybrid was $44k. You can buy a lot of gas for $1000. FCA is in serious trouble. New Prius (not crossover) is about $14k cheaper.

[@Thingstest-rl8xu]

Small Round and Rectangle sealed beams had High and Low beam in 1 lamp and second Lamp only High Beam. Sealed Beams had Halogen Bulbs *inside them* way before H1 replaceable lamps was allowed. These where OEM parts on High $ models or later some Trim level(s) for a model and thru Aftermarket from GE and other major brands starting in the late 70's. Where some brands still offer Sealed Beams, often only the Halogen are sold like H6054 that pull more power from old wiring that need to upgrade the same or expect to burn up switches etc.

[@knuckles1206]

I would not be suprised if chrysler corporation's 1939 cars (which a headlight design for each brand) had something to do with congress making sealed beam headlights law in 1940. Also Toyota Crown Eight spotted at 5:41 (bottem close left)

[@MaxFury75]

Great video, thank you! I hate the lights on new vehicles. Way too bright, blinding, and hazardous.

[@garyradtke3252]

Part of the problem is the poorly designed aftermarket LED bulbs installed in reflectors made for incandescent including halogen. Then there is the people that found the adjuster screws but don't know how to use them. Lets not forget the idiot customizers that raise their 4x4s way too high for the legal headlight height or raise the front and lower the rear like they are something special. Then we have "D" all the above.

[@InfiniteLoop]

those standard bulbs are why the US version of many foreign cars either didn't come here, or in the case of something like the Citroen DS Ugly in the US, but beautiful in Europe

[@campingkillen]

I can´t help but wonder how US car design would have evolved if not hindered by the sealed beam mandate. Think for example of the -68 Dodge Charger with a head light style like the NSU RO80, German of the same period.......🤮

[@andrewnope7879]

I think we need to go back to standardizing headlights. I can’t see at night anymore

[@markwillis1665]

As one that drives overnight for a living, I’m appalled at the number of vehicles that either have their high beams on continuously (which is unlawful in most states to oncoming traffic), have NO lights on (or only the DRL’s), or run those ridiculous LED light bars just above the grille. Come on y’all, have some courtesy for you fellow road users, by dimming your bright lights BEFORE you have them in your field of view. BTW, if you don’t know what DRL’s are, then just turn your light switch in your vehicle to the “AUTO” setting and leave it there. Please!

[@bobjohnson1587]

I used to enjoy - in some ways prefer - driving at night, but not anymore! With the advent of Xenon, HID, and now LED lights night driving has become a hellish nightmare! Sigh!

[@jimbo5728]

"I'm from the government, and I'm here to make sure you can't see where you're going"

[@JohnAnderson-hr4qc]

Definitely needs maximum brightness standards, I can barely drive at night anymore

[@AllCarswithJon]

We have them already. They're much lower than (as I understand it) most of the world.

[@fratzogmopars]

These new lights are ridiculous, many oncoming cars headlights are blinding. At first I thought it was just me growing older and my eyes getting more sensitive.

[@toyotabrony]

It is but we rather have led to see better and be seeing better. U get blind. That if it’s poorly slight beam pattern, or some or most are using the wrong type of led bulbs

[@rt_goblin_hours]

Didn't this get posted yesterday?

[@AllCarswithJon]

No. It's been uploaded for several days but not public.

[@rt_goblin_hours]

@AllCarswithJon maybe it glitched cause I watched it yesterday

[@phillyups3023]

The change of them nail is better the original

[@kevinj2412]

I don't mind sealed beams, unlike all this plastic crap made now that fades and yellows. All lights now are to bright and way to expensive.

[@toyotabrony]

No such thing as too bright. But as for the cost it is. For example the 2022 Toyota Corolla with led headlights. The price is around $1100 per side. I’d rather have around $200 per side with conventional halogen and incandescent bulbs, to swap with led bulbs that are bright but remain the same beam pattern. 😊

[@DrMacintosh]

Bright headlights are a horrible idea. These days, older cars headlights do almost nothing. Meanwhile modern vehicles are illuminating all 4 lanes and blinding oncoming traffic.

[@AllCarswithJon]

It's not just a "brightness" issue

[@AnthonyHarris-l2d]

Great content, as always! A bit off-topic, but I wanted to ask: My OKX wallet holds some USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). How can I transfer them to Binance?

[@Romiman1]

12:09. This shows the wrong car (the '77 - '86 model). 12:50 The 1st LED DRL was seen on the Audi A8 (only W12) from 2003. 15:20 Absolutely. Also remember the issue with rear turn signals being red and combined with the brake-light... 15:47 Not just that. For decades this cut-off-line had to be asymmetrical with a ramp up on the right side (mirrored for Great Britain). But this appearantly isn't mandatory anymore. I have (had) 3 BMW motorcycles with simple straight cut-off-lines. (Very dislike it because of shorter range.) Very interesting stuff although!

[@danielstrachan8988]

😁👍👍

[@ScottLoke]

I refuse to drive at night duto headlights being way too bright

[@8corymix8]

WHERE'S THE BEEF

[@TheJCompound]

its projector housings i cant stand! they are enevenly bright and r blinding if the car is going over a bumpy road or hill ! and the rainbow effect sometimes makes me think theres a cop 3 miles away, nope just a projector loght housing equipped car going up a hill 1 mile away

[@MeaHeaR]

Nhomhŭll Orê IŁŁeee ¿¿¿

[@davinp]

Chrysler owns Dodge and Eagle not GM

[@danielulz1640]

When did he say that they did?