Sontat "projection lamp" headlight question.

I've been the owner of a Sontota Limited for about 3 1/2 hours now. I
test drove it and picked it up during the day, but after driving about the
countryside at night, I have a question.

The headlights are fine when the road is straight and level. There is a
very definite line of lighted, and unlighted space ahead. There is no stray
light to speak of above about 8 feet of so. The problems though, was when I
hit some hilly areas. As the car is going down an incline, the lighted
portion becomes very short in front of the car and visibility is unsafe to
drive above about 30 mph ! If something jumped out in front, it would be a
serious problem. With high beams on, it is OK.

Is this normal for the projector style bulbs? IMO, it is damned dangerous
to drive on a very dark road with some hills with just low beams.

The car is going back to the dealer tomorrow for some other issues with the
remote starter, interior lights. We are not off to a good start (no pun
intended, but hey, it works)

 

Ed, I have had my 2007 Limited for one month and have the same issue. It
appears to be inherent in this car. If you have the beams adjusted
upwards, you risk always having on coming traffic think your high beams
are on.

If there is a solution, I would like to know one as well.

 

If the road is very dark and not well traveled, it is not a big deal to
leave the high beams on. I found myself flipping them off and on far too
often on at least one road as a car would approach. Turns are very dark
also, but I'll admit I've been spoiled by the turning lights on my LeSabre.

My guess is that the projector bulb concentrates the light better, at the
expense of peripheral vision. This is my first car with them.

One more thing, on the dashboard, is the buttons for the trip meter and
reset supposed to be lighted? On mine, they are not. I have other lighting
issued, but I think that is all due to the remote starter installation.
This is the first care I've ever had to take back after only 40 miles.

 

I had not heard of anyone complaining of this Ed. My wife's Sonata is an
'04, so it's not the same as your '06, but its lights rank among the best
I've ever had on a car. I can only wish that my Grand Am could throw light
like her Sonata does.

What lighting issues are you having Ed?

 

That sucks. You're right - a competent installer should never have let the
car go like that. Did it act like that when you picked it up at the dealer,
or did that develop shortly after that?

 

Lighting issues associated with the remote starter installation. The dealer
took it to a local shop that supposedly makes their living installing these
things and they either put in a defective unit or just botched the job.

The starter starts the care, then it runs ten seconds and stops and repeats
four times. Lights are supposed to go on and stay on for 1 minute when you
lock the doors. They do not. A competent installer should have caught all
of that. It is back there now to get fixed. .

Other than that, seems to be OK.

 

It did start once and we shut it right off because we were going over
everything else. The dealer (salesperson) really didn't have a clue.
Later in the evening I read the manual and figured out how things work, like
the trunk release that uses the same button as the "unlock", just held for
three seconds. .

So far, the dealer is interesting in making things right. Supposedly,
Hyundai is covering things in the first year that are technically not
covered, like wiper blades, just to keep customers very happy.

While I was typing this, they called and said the car is ready.
Ed

 

It's typical of a lot of newer cars. The lights are brighter and have
more distinct cut-offs that the lights in older cars. There's no reason
you can't flip on your high beams when going down a dark hill if you
need more illumination.

 

Yeah, flip, flip, flip, depending on condition it is a real PITA and on
some roads, the "dark spot" comes up fast and unexpected. It will take some
getting used to; sometimes progress isn't.

 

Picked it up and seems OK for starting. I was told it was a bad connection.
Problem was the installer, not Hyundai or the dealer.

 

I stand corrected Matt - I do recall you mentioning that.

 

I mentioned this in this forum shortly after I got my 06 in December of
last year. It isn't much of an issue on the highway, but on the back
roads where I live, it is a real pain on the rolling hills. As you
enter a dip in the road, you can't see 30 yards in front of the vehicle.
This isn't good in deer country.

Matt

 

**I have to agree with Edwin. I have a 2005 Impreza and the headlights
cut off sharply and, I feel, don't project far enough. I'm from MI
where the roads are straight and flat so I didn't have too much
trouble driving around (that, plus I rarely drive at night). I still
feel very uncomfortable with what they're *not* illuminating.

I'm now visiting family in CT and the other night I drove some unlit,
tiny curvy roads and was *really* displeased with the lights. Every
corner was a surprise, fast and unexpected is right! I wasn't even
going fast (Gran was in the car) either but it felt really weird.
I had the dealership look at it a few days later but they said that
the headlights were correct. I shouldn't have to have my high beams on
at all. They used to be a rare occasion but I have to use them all the
time for night driving with this car. I don't think that's right.

kaboomie

 

I did find a solution, however. I just close my eyes until I'm heading
up the other side and the lights become effective again.

Matt

 

Your high beams should be used ALL of the time at night, except when
another car is oncoming or you are driving in fog, snow, etc. That is
what high beams are for.


Matt

 

**And all those etceteras add up to: My high beams are rarely used.
There's usually always traffic, oncoming or I'm following or I'm
already in a well-lit neighborhood or area. I don't like running
through people's neighborhoods with my high beams on. Do I use my high
beams in sparsely-populated areas, low traffic, and/or underlit areas?
Yes, of course, I do. I'm saying that my previous vehicles had
excellent lighting, that I did not need my high beams to see up ahead.
With the Impreza, I feel that I absolutely *must* use them or else I
can't see and that is my complaint and a problem. Also, some of us
prefer a manual transmission so I really don't need or want to be
constantly flicking the lights while I'm trying to maneuver curvy back
roads.

kaboomie

 

I use high beams in urban areas as well if there is no traffic nearby.
I also drive standard shift and haven't found dimming the lights to be a
major hassle and I live in an area with many curvy and hilly back roads.
And many deer. Using high beams as much as possible is the best
prevention against a deer encounter.

Matt

 

**Oh man, do I know that! I always check for that tell-tale eye
illumination far down the road. I live in southeastern MI and, boy, do
they have a deer problem. Just ask Ted Nugent I use my high beams
around home, not a lot of houses and sparse traffic at night. The
roads are wide and reasonably straight so you can see those beady-eyed
buggers in the distance.

However, since I'm in CT, at the moment, and probably will be moving
back here, this particular 'feature' of the Impreza is now a problem.
Dimming the lights in and of itself is not a hassle, I do it when I'm
able to and it's needed. Being forced to do it in order to see because
the regular headlights were not doing their job in the particular set
of circumstances that I was in, was indeed a big hassle. There was a
lot of oncoming traffic and I was completely thrown by the
ineffectiveness of the headlights. I truly believe that something's
wrong, even though, perhaps that's what the headlights on Imprezas are
like. It's my first Subaru. But, I did my part, I did take it in to
the dealership like I said previously, so I guess I'll have to live
with it or start chatting the boys up in Subaru forums

kaboomie

 

Actually, that was - and still is a major gripe of mine. I believe you even
suggested a way to fix it... http://tinyurl.com/lnczd

 

Hmmm. I daresay that if flipping the high beam switch is such a chore,
driving must be real agony for you. ;-)

Seriously, it's just a matter of adapting to the car, just as you do
with switch locations, heater & A/C controls, radio buttons, etc. It's
really no big deal. If you quit resisting, it won't take long at all.