[Nutjob1]

For those presuming led headlights are the only ones with a distinctive cutoff, seen when shining headlights onto a wall, they are not. There are currently four types of headlights; old round sealed glass incandescent, reflector light housings with replaceable halogen bulbs, high intensity discharge (xenon gas w/ballast), and led. HIDs and led headlights require bullet style (small round lens) projector light housings. If I'm not mistaken, europe and Asia are more progressive than American headlight lighting standards to allow hid and led headlights under European ECE lighting regulations. HIDs debuted in America in the mid '90's(?). Projector headlights are designed to focus the extremely bright HID gas xenon light with a metal cutoff on the bottom of the projector housing interior. When light refracts inside the mirrored housing the light beams reverse; bottom light is cutoff from leaving otherwise it becomes the blinding high beam while the upper beam refracted outward and ahead towards ground. Some high end vehicles have the metal cutoff plate lowered by solenoid control, allowing low beam and selecting high beam with the plate lowered.

My '03 GM car has low beam projector headlights and when researching hid upgrades, I discovered the cutoff plate inside, easily upgrading from halogens to inexpensive hid lights. Zero glare, no blinding opposing traffic. Same cutoff line as factory halogen bulbs. The high beams are large regular round reflector light housings.

Led headlights follow the same bullet style (upper and lower lens trimmed off) focused beam to aim all light output outwards but use a cutoff plate many see as a cutoff line with headlights shining against a wall. This is to prevent blinding opposing traffic. If the interior cutoff plate is removed, the headlight becomes a high beam.

With only a pair of headlights in my '24 Xtrek Sport, I'm presuming these are combination dual low/high projector headlights using a solenoid controlled shutter/cutoff plate within each assembly; up for low beam, down for high beam. Although I haven't checked replacement costs($$$$), I think these headlights are becoming standardized in American vehicles (imported or made here).

 

[Nutjob1]

Often called a shutter. On my Audi you can see it operating on startup as it cycles the beam from bottom to top. The low beam raises to position and high from that.

What I was wondering does the adjustment in the video actually does anything for self leveling.

Also how much does tire inflation affect it as on my Impreza cold inflation is higher and equal where a the door recommends the rear as lower. If you take a Crosstrek with the same lighting system and set for the same target are you actually pointing down at a distance since the Crosstrek sits about 3 inches higher?

I'm still new to Subaru ownership and do not have service manuals for reference so the following thoughts are my personal guesses.

I cannot answer whether or not adjusting headlights manually, via the adjustment screw behind each headlight housing but can offer what I would consider a logical guess. Manually adjusting headlight height is physical, while auto headlight leveling would depend on a separate vehicle level sensor somewhere on the vehicle. This assumes tire pressures have been checked and adjusted prior to adjusting headlight height against a wall (the danger is adjusting haphazardly and inadvertently raising the headlight height that blinds opposing traffic). This would imply the vehicle level sensor sending signals to whatever (separate from the ecm) computer controlling headlight leveling motors to electrically move the entire led projector up or down. I read somewhere that Subaru '24 headlights are around $1500(?) and may be due to the complexity of electronics, electromechanical and led lamps of the light housing assembly. I haven't looked up parts costs on this site's Subaru parts link.

 

[Nutjob1]

My belief is that manually adjusting may affect the minimum height possibly but the level to me appears to be purely a sensor since it lowers going up short hills when the car is operating.

I think there may a regulation on left to right as on my Infiniti it would disable if stopped so you couldn't sit and flash oncoming traffic by going left to right on your steering wheel. Those were HID lights.

I think there's a maximum and minimum headlight level electronically adjusted, somewhere between 5-15 degrees from level since mechanical movement of the led/lens assembly have physical restrictions. The same for left/right movement, against physical dimensions in the headlight assembly.

It would be interesting if someone disassembled a damaged led headlight assembly for show and tell. Perhaps a current ('24) service manual has some basic drawings.

 

[Nutjob1]

Interesting subject that maybe got out of hand. For my part, I am wondering if there is any concensus at to whether people who have issues wear glasses or not? Do the glasses have added coatings? Polychromatic? Anti-'blue' computer? So may variables, but no one is considering the variables.

Nearsighted since junior high school. Now seven plus decades on this little orb we call Earth. Wearing transition, varifocal lenses for low, medium and high, I have 8-eyes. I noticed the two little low beam black silhouettes. I ignore them altogether. They're not distractions to me. There are more dangerous drivers to be concerned about than those two little things at night.

 

[Nutjob1]

I just drove 1500 miles with lots of night driving mostly highway on a new 2024 crosstrek. The low beams dark spots literally distracted me to the point I had to eventually drive with high beams all the time, blinding others.

Blocking out a couple led on the led circuit board serve no purpose to oncoming traffic as the spots are too low and never intercept the oncoming drivers view. They may block out the driver aheads rear view mirror if you are literally inches from their bumper. But have no effect on oncoming traffic.

The question is: will the usa auto manufactures update the software to effectively utilize the ADB adaptive driving beam technology already installed in usa models as they did in european models as this ADB technology was recently approved in the usa and is effectively working in other usa auto manufacturers?

adaptive driving bream headlight

According to the NHTSA, adaptive driving beam technology is allowed on all new vehicles in the USA market from 2/22; NHTSA to Allow Adaptive Driving Beam Headlights on New Vehicles, Improving Safety for Drivers, Pedestrians, and Cyclists | NHTSA

Technically complex questions like ADB may have several iterations as each manufacturer utilizes ADB to their design criteria and cost to meet their target customers. With segmented and one piece led headlights, your questions may be answered from Subaru service manuals.

I inquired a few months ago about my '24 Xtrek Sport led headlights to the Subaru parts distributor in these forums and was a bit surprised to find that they didn't know technical specs and information about them. I thought Subaru would be helpful otherwise service manuals would most likely answer my curiosity. My question related to flipping the metal cutoff plate within the projector light assembly for low beam (plate up) and high beam (plate down). I don't know if '24s use several leds within the assembly and electronically switch them for low/high beams.

 

[Nutjob1]

I do wish they weren't sealed units, I'd really like to tweak that ultrasharp cutoff on the low beams to something that faded out a bit more gradually and fuzzily...

Probably easier said than done if you search how these electronically controlled single led headlights with steering are more complicated than fixed projector light housings. America lagged behind headlight lighting for around two decades before domestic vehicle manufacturers finally abandoned sealed glass round headlights while Europe adapted to HIDs and leds. Although questionable from standardized headlight illumination regulations, some here already made adjustments, aiming their low beams higher.......... The subjective judgement may not have been made yet by driving another vehicle at night in the opposite direction to see what opposing traffic sees to raised lighting as well as asking others if they're blinded with more glare from adjustments.

 

[Nutjob1]

I have a 2024 Outback and I have had the same issue. The dealer adjusted the lights to shine higher almost like highbeams. Oncoming drivers turn their brights on me constantly because they think I have my brights on, almost had an accident tonight with this situatio.

Is this '24 OB your first vehicle with a distinctive horizontal cutoff, seen when reflecting your headlights from a wall?

 

[Nutjob1]

I have this too and it is sooooo distracting and unsafe. This is my first suburu and I am not feeling very happy with my purchase. Never thought I would need to test drive at night. Can we get this fixed?

Are you new to headlights with the distinctive horizontal cutoff?

This was a design since HID headlights debuted years ago. Older headlights using halogen bulbs are reflector type designs. HID and led headlights are projector designs to concentrate the very bright lighting and utilize European lighting systems of only one headlight per side. This is an expensive upgrade to have an automatic or manual control of low and high beams from one light source. Low beams show the horizontal cutoff against a wall. Lowering an internal plate allows high beams from the same led projector headlight. Guess how expensive this is?

Unless you're willing to spend a great deal of money to replace original headlights to something without the distracting (to some) dark block on both sides, you may not know how sophisticated these led headlights are and the amount of electronics that are involved in moving headlights up/down, right/left at night. You can disable the automatic steering headlights so they always point straight ahead.

 

[Nutjob1]

To those annoyed by the two black rectangular spots from led headlights, you may be able to minimize the distraction. On the infotainment display, click on the car symbol to open three tabs with the Vehicle Control page open. The list allows customization. Second from the bottom is Steering Responsive Headlights. Factory default is on. Press the right side enable/disable tab to disable SRH; the headlights remain in straight ahead position. It will not remove the two black squares.

 

[Nutjob1]

Thank you for that info but what is the point if those black squares are not removed? Is there a way to get rid of them all together short of a recall replacement?

As suggested, they must be there for a purpose as we all know it can be a distraction if dwelling on it rather than accept it and deal with night time driving.

My guess? Alignment for electronics, Eyesight, to steer headlights a few degrees left or right in turns when SRH is enabled, allow automatic aiming (on level ground) when starting up at night for initial straight ahead lighting, and adjust for vehicle tilt from a rear level sensor if the rear is overloaded, causing headlights to shine upwards that may create blinding glare as if high beams are turned on, to opposing traffic, tilting them down. Once an overloaded condition is removed, lighting is automatically readjusted. Those two black spots may be for Eyesight to maintain lighting in every scenario to allow safer night time illumination.