Auto high beams

[Hugo A Go Go]

I could have sworn there was a thread about this, but I can’t see it now.

On Friday I drove in the dark for the first time since getting my S5. At first I thought the auto high beams were working quite well.

But it all went wrong when I was approaching a sharpish bend in the road.

I could see an HGV approaching the bend in the other direction. But because it wasn’t coming at me straight on, and there was high hedges, the car didn’t see it and switched to high beams just as the HGV came round the bend. I didn’t have time to react and the HGV driver flashed me and blasted his horn in anger.

I’ve now disabled auto high beams in the convenience menu.

 

[Loada]

I had the same experience - it's just too sluggish/dumb to be practical.

Another sort of related thing is that the manual high-beam (like you'd do to "thank" someone) seems slow, it doesn't feel like you can do a quick flash, despite me moving the stalk quickly, it gives the other car a good face full, annoying at night.

 

[Alb]

It's one of those features that is firmly under the heading of "Gimmick". Switched it off on day one and have no plans to change that.

 

[nem]

Yeah this is sadly just useless. I have the exact same experience, it works ok on straights, but as soon as there is a turn or something else, it fails miserably.
Kinda like all other cars...

Even the prismatic headlights on some cars are rather bad. Dont get me started on Tesla headlights being too high...

 

[5teep]

Not experienced it on the S5 yet but it's worked well on other cars. Thing is if you have it on but don't rely on it i.e. keep an eye on the road for oncoming vehcs you won't be let down when it falls over.

 

[Hugo A Go Go]

Not experienced it on the S5 yet but it's worked well on other cars. Thing is if you have it on but don't rely on it i.e. keep an eye on the road for oncoming vehcs you won't be let down when it falls over.

It’s not terrible, it does actually work most of the time. You’ve just got to be aware of the limitations of it - looking around bends mainly.

It’s the same as most things that require any car to look ahead. They only seem to look in a straight line.

My previous car (Ioniq 5) also had similar shortcomings. There is a particular urban road I drive on most days where there is a slight bend and there is usually loads of parked cars. Every day the car thought I was heading straight for the cars parked just after the bend and triggered the collision detection. At least I don’t have that problem in the S5

 

[tsedge]

I do mine manually, switched auto off when I first got the car. These technologies are immature - it isn't a bad idea but they need to work at least as well as doing it manually. Unfortunately we've had a raft if immature driver-assist systems pushed on us by the safety bodies, well meant but not backed up with proper testing and data.

 

[Topgum]

Yeah this is sadly just useless. I have the exact same experience, it works ok on straights, but as soon as there is a turn or something else, it fails miserably.
Kinda like all other cars...

Even the prismatic headlights on some cars are rather bad. Dont get me started on Tesla headlights being too high...

I've just switched from a modern Ford Focus and it worked perfectly on that every time, switching off immediately at seeing tail lights or approaching on coming traffic, even before you were facing them. The MG version is completely Mickey Mouse

 

[Weeble]

I've got mine switched off, along with most of the other 'optional nicities'. But I find when I set off in the dark occassionally the lights start off on main beam, which I sometimes don't notice until i get flashed a couple of times.

 

[Kenp1]

The auto high beams on the MG4 are terrible as well. The zoned ones on my MX5 are excellent, never had an issue with them at all.

 

[dicky ticker Dave]

I have s5se long range and I don’t seem to have the some of the issues that the trophy owners do, except the auto main beam which I have disabled. My wife’s Mokka is just as bad and I have turned that off also. It might be a good idea if we went back to a button on the floor. But most of you won’t remember those.

 

[emmrecs]

It might be a good idea if we went back to a button on the floor. But most of you won’t remember those.

I remember them!

 

[Black estate]

Turned mine off as well
Auto high beam

 

[Ian Key]

It might be a good idea if we went back to a button on the floor. But most of you won’t remember those.

I remember those too. I also remember when cars didn't have auto high-beam and we had to risk getting RSI by having to move the stalk backwards and forwards but at least it was reliable.

I also remember controlling the speed of the car by reading speed signs and using the accelerator and brakes with my right foot. Never had a problem with speed signs on side roads or sudden unexpected changes of speed.

 

[Amun]

It's irritating, particularly as my HS PHEV works perfectly - so MG know how to do it. I'm hoping that a future update may imrove things.

 

[Everest]

I remember them!

I learned to drive in a car with one of those

 

[TimothyN]

As I mentioned in another thread, they don't have auto- or manual-dipping in Puerto Rico. It's horrible.

 

[Chris H]

Yeah this is sadly just useless. I have the exact same experience, it works ok on straights, but as soon as there is a turn or something else, it fails miserably.
Kinda like all other cars...

The S5 and my previous ZSEV auto headlights are terrible - just turn it off. They take about 2s or more to react (if they do at all) and just annoy everyone else on the road.

My previous car's headlights were utterly amazing (2015 Merc E220D cabriolet) with "intelligent LED Light System". It's not a simple dip/high, but the beam "shapes" round the vehicles in front, so the main beam stays on except in the bit cut out around either rear brake lights or oncoming headlights ahead and changes dynamically as it moves. The beam also tracks round corners, so when you're going round a right hand bend the beam swings right to illuminate the road you're heading onto. Everything happens in an instant, zero delay and I can never remember being flashed. I bought the car 2nd hand and didn't even notice the £2k+ optional extra on it, which turned out to be the best bit of tech on the car and I've never come across anything like it in any other car. There's a video here and here which gives a flavour but probably doesn't do it full justice.

 

[Joningy]

I could have sworn there was a thread about this, but I can’t see it now.

On Friday I drove in the dark for the first time since getting my S5. At first I thought the auto high beams were working quite well.

But it all went wrong when I was approaching a sharpish bend in the road.

I could see an HGV approaching the bend in the other direction. But because it wasn’t coming at me straight on, and there was high hedges, the car didn’t see it and switched to high beams just as the HGV came round the bend. I didn’t have time to react and the HGV driver flashed me and blasted his horn in anger.

I’ve now disabled auto high beams in the convenience menu.

Yes it's crap on the S5, my previous MG4 worked much better, it's sad a more modern car has adopted a retrospective design.

MG needs to pull their socks up on a lot of the features on the S5!
There has been a lot of comment on this and other simple things which are standard on the MG4, but strangely not on the newer S5 and presumably S6.

 

[Lovemyev]

Same

I learned to drive in a car with one of those

Same !.
On the early 2CV’s the there was a lever inside the cabin, when you wanted a longer reach with the headlights, you just pulled the lever, which then was attached to a head light bar running through the engine bay.
This bar would then physically turn and tip the headlights upwards !.
Now we have a computer to do a similar job.
Technology is a marvellous thing ( when it works of course ).
I am all in favour or progress, but when it does react as fast as an OAP like myself, then it’s a fail in my eyes.
That’s not progress, it’s purely a gimmick.