Isn't the notch the same thing as the cutoff from a HID headlamp or does it serve a different purpose in this specific situation? I never really payed attention to the notch in the headlight beam pattern but did kinda wish for a slope cutoff from the beam pattern instead of something so drastic looking.
edit: nvm, after sipping some coffee I understand now, so the main point of that notch is to avoid a hotspot and getting docked points from the IIHS. So it doesn't help keep the lights leveled properly like an actual cutoff..
Right, that notch is there specifically to miss one test point. Cutoffs are typically stamped metallic shutters on projectors that form the low beam pattern on the road. ECE and SAE lamps have different cut offs for the specific regulatory agency and traffic travel direction. When you flip on your high beams, a shutter mechanism lowers the cut off so the entire pattern is filled with light. Matrixed LED headlamps eliminate the need for a shutter as discrete LEDs can be turned on and off to form the beam pattern.
Agree. I really like the high beam assist but I find it turns on and off too much. It would be nice if someone designed a fog lamp with an air inlet for the brakes like the Challenger headlamps that have an opening to funnel air to the intake. I used the fog lamps often here in Michigan in heavy snow too.
Isn't the notch the same thing as the cutoff from a HID headlamp or does it serve a different purpose in this specific situation? I never really payed attention to the notch in the headlight beam pattern but did kinda wish for a slope cutoff from the beam pattern instead of something so drastic looking.
edit: nvm, after sipping some coffee I understand now, so the main point of that notch is to avoid a hotspot and getting docked points from the IIHS. So it doesn't help keep the lights leveled properly like an actual cutoff..
Also regarding the cut off, FMVSS and ECE regulate how much light can be seen in specific spots in the pattern. Photometric testing measures the intensity of light at FMVSS and ECE specified locations and the lamp must pass before it goes into production. The beam pattern is measured in a rectangular shaped box with "HV" being dead center. The lamp is mounted in a fixture and rotated at specified compound angles (up, down, inboard and outboard) and luminous intensity measurements are taken. This applies for all functions: HB, LB, DRL, Turn, Park and Position. 45 degrees inboard is hard to meet for turn because of grille geometry and the depth of the light source. Test points high and to the inside and outside of the rectangle have low intensity requirements to reduce unwanted glare from bezels, reflector walls, etc.
I wish we could get some fogs, I've used them on every car I've owned, they definitely make a difference. I have a base gt so I don't even get the dynamic light bending. Plenty of places to have intergraded fog lights into the bumper. One thing that always bothered me was having a ton of bumper space and not having fog lights. It's not like we're driving some supercar that accounts for every smooth part of the bumper that could potentially be held back by wind drag or something. The K5 even has em.
