Automatic High Beam Issues

[Ferretusmaximus]

Has anyone experienced any problems with the AHB activating incorrectly? Twice this morning the system decided to turn on High Beam within the space of 100 metres in the face of oncoming vehicles. The weather was clear and the car was clean. The speed was 20mph (it being Wales) in a flat stretch with LED street lights. According to the manual the system shouldn't even activate below 25mph. The system works correctly otherwise. So far this has happened 4 times, always with oncoming traffic, so rather than driving with fingers on the stalk all the time (thinking "will it, won't it"), the system, like LKA, is now always off.

 

[pharrison84]

Yes.

Has anyone experienced any problems with the AHB activating incorrectly? Twice this morning the system decided to turn on High Beam within the space of 100 metres in the face of oncoming vehicles. The weather was clear and the car was clean. The speed was 20mph (it being Wales) in a flat stretch with LED street lights. According to the manual the system shouldn't even activate below 25mph. The system works correctly otherwise. So far this has happened 4 times, always with oncoming traffic, so rather than driving with fingers on the stalk all the time (thinking "will it, won't it"), the system, like LKA, is now always off.

Yes. It's rubbish. I'm fortunate that it and the LKA don't really kick in much on the roads I drive on. Is it one you have to turn off the settings before each drive?

I don't think it's the only car out on the roads with issues with the auto-lights though by any means.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

These systems have always been unreliable in my experience.
I had a 'high beam assistant' on my X5 back in the mid 2000s and it would pop on the high beam sweet as a nut.

Couldn't ever switch it back off fast enough for me though, frequently blinding oncoming vehicles.

I switched it off, and off it stayed.
I have never trusted the system in any make since.
I've not tried it in my car, but see I'd be wasting my time anyway.

 

[Tuareg]

I had a 2009 BMW 330D Touring. The high beam assist worked perfectly well.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

I had a 2009 BMW 330D Touring. The high beam assist worked perfectly well.

You see...
Four years on they might have sorted it.
I just lost faith in the system and am yet to have it restored!

 

[siteguru]

HBA has been fine in my car ... I can only think of one time it has got confused and put them on when it probably shouldn't have. I'd say HBA in my MG4 is equally as good, if not better, than the system in my previous Vauxhall Insignia (company car, 2017 new model).

 

[tonybridge]

I assessed HBA in the first few days of ownership - I'm afraid my reactions seem quicker than the car's, so I switched it off, and it stays off.

 

[fnegroni]

I think the one in my mg4 is pretty good, maybe delayed reaction a couple times but nothing major. The one in my Kia Stonic is a little better but also not as eager to come on.
Haven’t tested it yet since the upgrades so maybe now the two are on par or maybe nothing changed.
The Kia system is a little better in the sense I can choose to have them on AUTO or not with a flick of a switch on the stalk, and it doesn’t come on automatically to start with even when the lights are on AUTO: I first need to put the high beam assist on with the switch.

 

[Rolfe]

The first time I came across this function was in a courtesy car I had just before I got my MG4, and I really didn't like it. When the MG4 started doing it I thought it was better, and left it on for a while, but really, unless I'm only going a short journey on a good road, I'm turning it off.

It keeps thinking it sees some reason to dip the lights, when that reason is no more than a couple of tail lights a mile and more ahead, or the lights of a house, or the reflection of the car's own lights on a road sign - often a sign warning of a bend. This is annoying. Fortunately if you operate the high beam yourself a couple of times it realises when it's not wanted and goes away.

 

[tonybridge]

I wrote: <I'm afraid my reactions seem quicker than the car's>
I meant that, for example I can see an approaching car's headlights before he gets to the bend, while my HBA only sees the headlights once they are in full view, and the driver already dazzled.

 

[Matt x power]

Never used mine and never will

 

[YaR]

For me it worked fine 95% of the time. That 5% is still a lot of blinded drivers. So I turned it off.

 

[Rolfe]

I mostly had trouble with it dipping the headlights when I didn't want it to, rather than the other way round. Now I've trained myself not to switch the entire lighting system off when trying to dip the headlights, I just do it all myself.

 

[Jeroen]

My MG4 had a software update Wednesday and before the update AHB was pretty much useless: to quick to turn on and to slow to turn off.

After the update it works perfectly: had it on on a 2hr drive yesterday mixed highway and country roads and I was impressed with how well it now works.

LKA als improved dramatically and now works pretty well.

See MG4 Trophy 2022 model had major software update WOW!

 

[OriginalBigAl]

As Yar says 95% time its fine , which lulls you into a false sense of security , then it does not dip and blinds someone. This happened on undulating bendy country roads , and the camera failed to "see" the opposing car quick enough. ( or at all ). Back to old school.

 

[jonney]

A recent update improved AHB for me.

 

[wattmatters]

Sounds like I need some system updates. I found the AHB was unusable on our country roads, constantly turning on and off, seemingly oversensitive to reflections from roadside markers. I had to take manual control. Fortunately we don't need to drive in the dark too often.

AHB on my previous Mercedes GLC was fantastic (as was ACC/LKA).

 

[Rolfe]

I drove over 90 miles this evening, all in the dark. I took full control and apart from turning the damn lights off completely just once, momentarily, I had no issues.

About nine miles into the journey I was aware of a set of very bright headlights right behind me. I was going as fast as I thought prudent given the twisty road and how dark it was, but it didn't surprise me in the slightest when the headlights pulled out and passed me at the first opportunity.

An electric Audi.

Of course it was easy to keep in touch with him by following his tail lights. I was still there over 30 miles into the journey, following him as he overtook a couple of cars on a short section of dual carriageway. Then he pulled in, in front of the car he had just overtaken. I was going faster than he was, so just overtook him quite naturally and pulled in in front of him as the dual carriageway ended.

So he got another eyeful of Caliban's rather distinctive backside for a few more miles. It was dark, and there had been other cars between us for a fair bit of the route, so I'd bet he had no idea I was still on his tail.

We negotiated the new A8 approach road to the M8 just before Eurocentral. He had to follow me all the way as there was no opportunity to overtake. Finally we got to the double entrance ramp to the M8 proper. I chose the left hand lane to give him every opportunity to overtake. He took the right hand lane, passed me momentarily, but then was held up by the traffic on the motorway itself, which he was obliged to join. Meanwhile the much longer left hand approach ramp was clear of traffic. I showed him a clean pair of heels and joined the motorway traffic well ahead of him.

I only noticed a couple of cars overtake me on the motorway before I reached the back of the inevitable queue that makes up last couple of miles of the journey to Glasgow. Neither of them was an electric Audi.

OK, childish, but one has to amuse oneself somehow on a journey of that length. And maybe he'll learn not to underestimate the MG4 next time.

 

[mg4 ade]

For me it worked fine 95% of the time. That 5% is still a lot of blinded drivers. So I turned it off.

My experience was the same so I switched mine off too.