European Bmw Adaptive Headlights Vs. Us Spec

[Montesquieu1748]

I know there are a few people here who drive European specification X5 Ms. I imagine Can-am is one of them.

I had a Euro Spec 2017 X5 M loaner for 4 days prior to buying my 2018 X5 M US spec that was delivered to me on 9 November 2017 here in Germany.

When I had the Euro spec version I was simply amazed at the headlights. It was astonishing what the adaptive headlights can do, and what the dynamic spotlight feature would do for pedestrian detection spotlighting.

I am driving the same roads in my US Spec X5 M and it is quite disappointing the major decline in capability of US spec headlights compared to what is legal here in Europe.

I cannot describe how much better truly adaptive headlights are. I pasted an article below from a couple years ago that describes the antiquated US laws/standards.

Does anyone know if we are making any progress on adapting European standards for lighting technology?

I would probably pay to retrofit European lights if possible. They are that good.


http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...eadlight-tech/

[aas5]

You can get it coded in the US version

[sworks335i]

Originally Posted by aas5

You can get it coded in the US version

Is this something that you have to pay someone to do or can the Carly app turn this on?

[Alberta]

Yes I do drive in Europe , mostly where I live , in Belgium.

I rarely drive at night , but I need to say that the power of the LEDS is insane !

[Montesquieu1748]

Originally Posted by aas5

You can get it coded in the US version

Thank you very much for letting us know that it can be coded into the US version.

Anyone who can point me in the right direction for where to begin as far as coding is concerned?

When you code something like this, could the dealership, or some sort of software update wipe it off?

[Jlu88]

Originally Posted by Montesquieu1748

Thank you very much for letting us know that it can be coded into the US version.

Anyone who can point me in the right direction for where to begin as far as coding is concerned?

When you code something like this, could the dealership, or some sort of software update wipe it off?

Here's the link to the coding thread

http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...ed+coding+esys

[Montesquieu1748]

Originally Posted by Jlu88

Here's the link to the coding thread

http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...ed+coding+esys

Thank you very much. For those looking specifically at the Euro vs. US Spec headlights here is the link about coding I have located thanks to Jlu88 pointing me in the right direction.

http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/att...1&d=1452268635

[ajob]

Having driven in both environments, I strongly agree that adaptive beams are a very big improvement in safer night driving.

Also the "night vision" infrared cameras using intermittent "pencil light beams" signaling a "warm body" obstacle on the road seem to work well - in the last two years I was warned some 3 or 4 times about something (a dark, unlit cyclist or a dog) that I had not seen before - not dangerous in my case, but may have easily been so.

The US resistance to allow such systems may depend on the lack of local suppliers - who, in turn, may be discouraged by a costly "patent wall" erected by the European car lighting companies, but this may just be a wrong guess.

What I begin to notice is that our European "Washington" in Brussels appears to be populated by younger, more innovation friendly bureaucrats, many of them personally aware of the need to make the young European Union construction more justifiable to its citizens.

So our European regulatory environment may be reacting faster and positively to new ideas.

[Montesquieu1748]

Originally Posted by ajob

Having driven in both environments, I strongly agree that adaptive beams are a very big improvement in safer night driving.

Also the "night vision" infrared cameras using intermittent "pencil light beams" signaling a "warm body" obstacle on the road seem to work well - in the last two years I was warned some 3 or 4 times about something (a dark, unlit cyclist or a dog) that I had not seen before - not dangerous in my case, but may have easily been so.

The US resistance to allow such systems may depend on the lack of local suppliers - who, in turn, may be discouraged by a costly "patent wall" erected by the European car lighting companies, but this may just be a wrong guess.

What I begin to notice is that our European "Washington" in Brussels appears to be populated by younger, more innovation friendly bureaucrats, many of them personally aware of the need to make the young European Union construction more justifiable to its citizens.

So our European regulatory environment may be reacting faster and positively to new ideas.

I really appreciate your thoughts on why Europe is embracing new technologies faster and more willingly than the US. Thank you.

For anyone who has not driven both, it is truly astonishing the difference the intelligently adaptive high beams have on Euro Spec BMWs (or as I learned, for those who have it coded into the US Spec). When I drove the Euro Spec, I could be following a car, and the driver in front of me would be intelligently shielded from the high beam glare, and 500 meters down the autobahn I could see the well lit autobahn signs for major exits. The autobahn signs were shockingly bright and readable. So much light.

Similarly, The headlights would adapt to oncoming traffic, and still allow me to see well into the distance with full high beams in all areas not turned off to prevent glare in the other drivers eyes. It really made me feel like I could see everything at night. I have ran into a deer doing close to 80 mph once, and I am certain lights like these would have made my reaction time much better.

I live in a small village near Stuttgart, and when I drove the Euro Spec X5 M, I turned on the night vision thermal camera system to test it out. The sidewalks are literally on the road, and as I was driving the night vision took a dynamic spotlight and pointed out the pedestrian to me. It was crazy.

I have not been able to get that functionality to be repeated with my X5 M, so I will try to find someone who is proficient in coding here in Stuttgart. It is dark so much here in the winter. I need this added safety now.

[Jlu88]

I purposefully didn't order the LED lights because I thought they wouldn't be too much use to me as I drive 90% in the city.

However, on my recent trip outside of the city a deer decided it was fun to run in front of me and it didn't end well. Looking back, the adaptive headlights may have actually saved that deer and the front of my car if I had optioned it!

[yvnrg1981]

I remember the first night after getting mine coded....AMAZING. It's hard for me to get into another car now as everything seems to just not light up the road as the LED Adaptive lights do. Wife's X5 lease is coming to an end and I have been looking at the new Cayanne for her with their version of LED adaptive lights but i dont know if Porsche can be tweeked for US like i did with the x5.

[VGM6]

Is this what you guys are talking about? Does anyone know if this system is programmed into Canadian cars, or is it the same as the US version?

[Montesquieu1748]

Originally Posted by VGM6

Is this what you guys are talking about? Does anyone know if this system is programmed into Canadian cars, or is it the same as the US version?

That is exactly what we are talking about. Unfortunately, I do not know what the laws are in Canada. However, I imagine that all cars that are produced for a BMW North America have the same capabilities. The US Spec version just has this intelligent adaptive lighting disabled by coding.

The requirements your vehicle needs, if I am not mistaken, are fully adaptive LED headlights, and the auto high beam button on the left stalk near the BC button.

If you refer to the coding thread above, it talks about the headlights on the first page or so.

[VGM6]

Originally Posted by Montesquieu1748

That is exactly what we are talking about. Unfortunately, I do not know what the laws are in Canada. However, I imagine that all cars that are produced for a BMW North America have the same capabilities. The US Spec version just has this intelligent adaptive lighting disabled by coding.

The requirements your vehicle needs, if I am not mistaken, are fully adaptive LED headlights, and the auto high beam button on the left stalk near the BC button.

If you refer to the coding thread above, it talks about the headlights on the first page or so.

ya lucky enough i have all of that just need to test it out or wait for someone who can confirm before i look into coding. So weird that NA doesn't allow it. Its a very smart function that I would have left on all the time. I never understood what that button even does for us with out coding. So does it still light up when cars aren't around and shut off entirely when it sees a car, or is it just a button that lights up on the dash and does nothing?

[Montesquieu1748]

It literally just turns on the high beams until it notices it will interfere with another driver. Then it turns back to low beams. Once it notices it can turn high beams back on it does so. This is indicated by the blue high beam light turning on and off on your instrument cluster. I think the light switch on the left side dash needs to be on Auto too. This is all supposing that Canada models have the same setup as US.

[VGM6]

Originally Posted by Montesquieu1748

It literally just turns on the high beams until it notices it will interfere with another driver. Then it turns back to low beams. Once it notices it can turn high beams back on it does so. This is indicated by the blue high beam light turning on and off on your instrument cluster. I think the light switch on the left side dash needs to be on Auto too. This is all supposing that Canada models have the same setup as US.

Thanks for your help ill look into this and ill get back just incase any one wants know if its the same as the US or different. Most likely i see it being the same.

[Djvolume]

Originally Posted by Montesquieu1748

Thank you very much for letting us know that it can be coded into the US version.

Anyone who can point me in the right direction for where to begin as far as coding is concerned?

When you code something like this, could the dealership, or some sort of software update wipe it off?

Get in touch with my buddy okee at codemycar.com tell him I sent you, he will explain more and help you code it

[ajob]

...and write to your US Congressperson asking to change the (outdated) regulation!

[BeamerandBimmer]

Originally Posted by Djvolume

Get in touch with my buddy okee at codemycar.com tell him I sent you, he will explain more and help you code it

I will second the endorsement of Okee. He has coded several of my cars. Including adaptive headlight coding on my M4 and remotely coding my 135i TCU after a rebuild of the transmission(saved me a tow to the dealer).

[VGM6]

In case any one was wondering in Canada the lights work exactly the same as the US looks like I'll need to code it.

[secretariat]

jlu88, I doubt very much that the adaptive high beams would have saved you from a deer. Living in the burbs in N.Y. there is very little that can be done (unless your driving 15mph) when a deer runs in the street in front of you. However, the night vision has saved my ass plenty of times. It beebs and gives you a picture of a deer on the head up display. When the picture is yellow the deer or whatever is further down the road. When it's red it's right next to you. When I see the picture or hear the beeps jammmmm on brakes.

[Maverik259]

I thought that even with coding the US lights don't have full euro functionality. They're physically different somehow or something that keeps them for fully being the same. At least that's what I read on here some time ago. I had the anti dazzle coded but i still get flashed occasionally when high beams are on which tells me that they aren't fully working as I've seen on YouTube for the euro version.