I've read couple of posts about other drivers flash their brights at you because they mistaken you had ur brights on. This actually happen to me number of times. One time a driver actually screamed out, "your brights are on!" It starts to annoy me. So I wonder if I go to dealers and have them adjust my head lights, will this cover under warranty, since it's safety related? Anybody had their dealers do it for them? How much they charge u or they do it for free?
Well it certainly should be covered under your warranty, they were most likely out of adjustment when you got the car. If some dealer wants to charge you for adjusting them go to a different one.
Upon delivery my headlights were set so high that on low beam, they would light up the top of street light poles and trigger the light sensor, turning off the street lamp. I didn't realize just how bad until one of my rare nighttime drives and folks not only flashed their brights at me, they LEFT THEM ON. Ouch. In Manitoba, the car insurance is part of the provincial government and is called Manitoba Public Insurance, or "Autopac." Among other things, they require headlight aiming to be done with digital aiming devices. When I complained, they sent me to their bodyshop, where I had to drive up to a special stall with the equipment. The machine uses a laser to mark the centerline of the vehicle windscreen, and the centerline of the headlight. The headlights required quite a bit of adjustment. This was all free, courtesy of the basic adjustment. After adjustment, I couldn't ask for better headlights: the low beam has a razor-sharp cutoff just where you need it, with good side illumination of the ditch. On high beam the distribution is exactly where you want it. The optics are very sensitive to ride height. I once had a couple of passengers - my Aunts - and I hesitate to call them "heavy." Make it "mass challenged." On low beam, the cutoff was far too low.
I also had the problem of people constantly blinking at me. I took my car to the dealer and they ajusted them under warrenty.
There is a 12mo/12,000mi adjustment period included on the Prius. Take advantage of it for anything you think you need looked at or adjusted. I had an alignment done (specifically thrust angle adjustment) because the car tracked straight, but the steering wheel was pointing off to the right when tracking straight. Very annoying. I Have been flashed before (I have the regular halogens). However the flashers were nearly always driving older vehicle with rather dim headlights. I firmly believe that the people that flash me don't know what good headlights are because theirs have dimmed so much over time and in many instances the lenses are yellowed. Frankly the headlights on the Prius are no more offensive than any other complex reflector headlight out there. Ever had a Crown Vic come up behind you (not pulling you over ) in normal traffic with their headlights on. Same effect as the Prius. Very intense, bright, white light. I believe there are some with totally out of adjustment lights, but I'm inclined to believe that many of the flashers are folks who just don't know what good headlights are supposed to look like.
Even then, I don't find my headlights bright. Tonight coming home, it barely illuminated the highway. THis is at 5pm, so twilight. My friend in the next lane with HIDs had a nice white light on the pavement.
Thanks for all the responses. At night, I do see a reasonable area being light up. I don't think my lights are off until ppl start flashing their brights at me. I have the regular halogens by the way. I'll try my dealers and see what will happen.
