Someone post some shots of the headlight output. I really wanna see how "bad" it is..

 

I raised my headlights four full turns while watching them on a garage door parked next to another Honda with its lights on. They are a bit high, but I have not been flashed. I just realize it when following a car on a dark road. I wish we could have the electric adjusters like the UK. At any rate, I'd like a professional adjustment for some assurance that I'm not a nighttime nuisance. (The "machine" at the dealer said everything was "OK".)

The safety aspects of the low beam headlights as mine was supplied to me cannot be overemphasized. Rather than pictures, place the palms of your hands towards you at arm's length. At less than 150 feet ahead of you, this is how the cutoff appeared. Driving at 50 mph, you are literally outdriving your headlights. They did not even illuminate reflectorized signs nor the side reflectors of bicycles. After not seeing, and having a close call with a bicycle, while waiting for American Honda to respond, I adjusted them myself and fell back in love with the car.

 

PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT AMERICAN HONDA SAYS ABOUT THIS AND WHAT WE CAN DO!

 

What is the consensus on the illumination of the Fog Lights? Do people think they are OK where they are or do they need to be raised like the headlights as WYY183 kindly has shown us?

ALSO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BEST REPLACEMENT FOR THE OEM HEADLIGHT BULBS ARE. PIAA, SYLVANIA????????????

 

The fog lights are supposed to be low to light up the road when visibility is low. You aren't supposed to use the foglights in traffic with clear visibility. Here in Oklahoma it is illegal to drive in traffic with the foglights on. They only come on with the low beams because high beams in fog creates a glare that doesn't help you see farther. People who drive with the foglights on all of the time are no better than people who drive with the high beams on all of the time.

 

Does anyone know WHAT THE BEST REPLACEMENT FOR THE OEM HEADLIGHT BULBS ARE. PIAA, SYLVANIA, Phillips?

 

It's really bad.... you can test it yourself by driving on the road with a divider (blocks). If your close enough you will see that the headlights are pointed way to low from the angle from which the headlight catches the divider.

 

I have been digging around on the web about this but haven't come to any conclusions. Lots of lukewarm response to the 'high output' options. I'll put up interesting info if I find it.

 

THANKS CHEFFYJAY!! I WILL POST AS WELL. Right now I am getting contradictory and lukewarm reviews of alll the replacement bulbs as well. We need to get them because the Fit OEM headlamp bulb is insufficient, so we should be getting the best one that LASTS the longest.

THANKS AGAIN GOFIT AND CHEFFYJAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html has good aiming instructions. That site has a great deal of other information in its tech section for those interested in effective lighting.

 

Don't suppose that you've ever lived in a rural area where you are driving down a remote and twisty 2-lane road?

The fog help you see around the corners, and the high beams help you see the distance. Going straight you need high. In a sharp corner you need the fogs. In a sweeping corner, you need both.

I live in an area where a "drive in the country" at night can be very dangerous with deer and a variety of other animals posing as speed-bumps along the road.

Yes, I agee that driving around in the city make little to no sense for use of fog lights.

Fog may not be the best name for them, although I do understand the concept too well. In reality, in a foggy situation, it is easier to drive with just the fog lights on.

Many years ago I lived in an area along a major river where there was a lot of heavy fog. This was back in the early '80's. I had a '78 Accord at that time. It had a 4-headlight system. I had Cibie replacement lamps in the outer positions. I had some (someone will really laugh at this!!) Q-Beam, Blue Max (these had a blue tint to them) sealed-beam units mounted in the inner positions. I also had a set of Bosch fog lamps installed. For normal driving the Cibie's were wonderful. However, when the fog hit, it was time to run the Bosch's. At the fog became thicker, I would shut down the Cibie's, and run just the fogs. When it got VERY thick, I would power up the Q-Beam's, to "poke a hole" through the fog, running the fogs along with them.

Just my $0.02.

 

Bump
Did anyone else find that the lights would not adjust much higher--that the little gear-nut just kept turning but the lights didn't go up. Mine went up a little but not much.

It seems like the lights are pretty good until you head a little down hill. With the nose just a little down the cutoff line seems like it is about 5 feet in front of the car! Maybe it is the cutoff line that bothers me. I'm sure oncoming cars like it but my older cars just seemed to put light out in front of me in a more useable way. I don't think they offended anyone either.

Has anyone tried the other aftermarket bulbs and what was the effect on the cutoff line?

 

Yes I think this is a small but definite issue. When driving on a dark backroad the other night I had to use my brights to see enough ahead of me to be able to avoid anything that might be sitting on the road.

 

im not exactly sure what some peoples complain about the sharp cutoff is about. the point of headlights is to light up the road, and the sharp cutoff is the best way to the the light far without blinding anyone.

if you have ever driven a car with HIDs, its exactly the same way. only difference is the light under the line is brighter.


im curious to know where that imbedded line on the housing lense is? is it the little circle on the outer clear cover?

 

welly welly well well,
After driving both my '90s era cars in the dark on our dimly lit roads around here I must say that the Fit headlights are MUCH BETTER than I first thought.
The cut off line bothered me at first but it is so dramatic because of the intensity of the white light coming from the Fit. It's the contrast.

My Town and Country and Dakota put out a meager yellowish light just about as far down the road as the Fit but it seems about half the 'footcandles'.

(Grandpa Dave says headlights wear out and I should think about replacing them. I've never heard this--any thoughts?)

 

Headlights do wear out over time, especially on older cars where the intensity begins to drop. It seems to be because the bulbs accumulate a coating from some source. I've attributed it to moisture in the bulb housing in the past. I've had the same thing with taillights as well. They sometimes accumulate a "sooty" coating which begins to dim them.

 

I'm having the same issue.. The left light won't lift any higher than the right light.. I notice on the diagram it shows that theres a rear dial as well.. I hope we aren't turning the wrong one!

 

I agree fog or driving lights are routinely misused or misunderstood by some self-absorbed city-folk. When I used to live and drive around rural Virginia, the driving lights on my VW Jetta were indispensible for seeing the edges of the road. I also discovered the driving lights wouldn't cut out until the turnsignal stalk that actuated the high beams "clicked" into the high beam mode. If I pulled just enough to "flash" the high beams, I would get low, high, and driving lights all on. That really lit the road ahead, and around the front. It was great when I was the only car on an dark, unfamiliar country road.

 

Great catch. I was wondering why people seemed concerned about the headlights. (granted some may actually have a problem)

Some headlights are just brighter. I've not heard of bulbs dimming over time but that seems reasonable given the discussion.

I do know that the outside lens that is exposed can become pitted and that can affect the headlight illumination. Windshields can also get pitted and cause visibility problems for the driver. (Click and Clack info)

For those who plan to re-aim, thank kps for providing a nice reference to aiming headlights in another thread:

 

try not avoid lighting both low and high beams. the excessive heat from both the filaments burning at the same time may shorten the lifespan of your bulbs.