JExpedition07
That One Member
Fog lights generally actually hurt your vision if your running them on a clear night, they light up the side of the road but hurt your overall far seeing vision. I only run mine when it’s not clear out.
15-17 LED Headlights
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chuck s
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Got a reference for that statement? Not a challenge, just curious. 
-- Chuck
-- Chuck
chuck s
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I just looked and confirmed both the lows and highs are on when the high beams are selected in my '17. Separate bulbs this year. Don't think they were on my former '07.
With the fogs in Bambi Mode there's a mass of lights of the front of the truck sometimes.
BTW my fogs are DRLs and switch off when the headlights come on unless selected to remain on via the headlight switch.
-- Chuck
With the fogs in Bambi Mode there's a mass of lights of the front of the truck sometimes.
BTW my fogs are DRLs and switch off when the headlights come on unless selected to remain on via the headlight switch.
-- Chuck
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J_82
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Ok If you are smart enough you switch back to low beams when some one is coming the opposite direction. The way it works that when you switch to high beam, you get high beams and low beams stay on instead of cutting off.
I did this a while ago and love it. On dark roads it’s a huge difference to run every lamp on the front. Of course, I always switch off the high beams when others are approaching, but otherwise it’s a no brainer. Way more visibility and safety. Yet another reason to be thankful for FORScan.
I understand that but I think the goal of the thread is better lighting for the low beam. Anybody can hit the high beam when needed, that's what theyre there for.
On my 17 the highs and lows stay on
chuck s
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Forscan wasn't needed by me to get both beams on high. Is there a setting to stop this? Not that I can ever see wanting to.
Flash the high beams you say? Decades ago in the "quad round 5" sealed beam era" I ran 5" 13v aircraft landing lights as the high beams. Bought on special order at the local airport. (Most aircraft were running 24v systems by then.) Required cutting part of the mounts to make them fit securely and with a filament parallel to the lens in the bulb the pattern reflected that: vertical filament was long and narrow, horizontal wide angle. No prisms in the lens. Rarely had to ask guys to dim their high beams twice!
Only problem was their amperage would trip the headlight circuit breaker very quickly to they had to be either relay wired or just bend the 3d contact on the low beam bulb so they didn't run the same time as the highs. So glad we didn't have fuses.
Legal? We didn't know and didn't check. They were "sealed beams" and that seemed to be what was required.
Modern halogens just seem wimpy.
-- Chuck
Flash the high beams you say? Decades ago in the "quad round 5" sealed beam era" I ran 5" 13v aircraft landing lights as the high beams. Bought on special order at the local airport. (Most aircraft were running 24v systems by then.) Required cutting part of the mounts to make them fit securely and with a filament parallel to the lens in the bulb the pattern reflected that: vertical filament was long and narrow, horizontal wide angle. No prisms in the lens. Rarely had to ask guys to dim their high beams twice!
Only problem was their amperage would trip the headlight circuit breaker very quickly to they had to be either relay wired or just bend the 3d contact on the low beam bulb so they didn't run the same time as the highs. So glad we didn't have fuses.
Legal? We didn't know and didn't check. They were "sealed beams" and that seemed to be what was required.
Modern halogens just seem wimpy.
-- Chuck
J_82
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So with forscan you were able to program all 3 lights to stay on when switching to high beam?
I just checked mine and both beams come on but fogs turn off when switching to high. For some reason I thought low beams would turn off.
I also wonder if you could fit the high beam bulb on the low beam bulb hole, has anyone done that?
Guys, my apologies. I am wrong. When I enabled 'bambi' mode in FORScan, I thought I was enabling both the high beam and fogs to stay on along with the normal headlamps. It turns out that the normal headlamps on these trucks stay on anyway when high beams are switched on. I did not realize that.
My prior vehicles have been GM (Tahoes & Suburbans) and on those, the low beams are switched off when the high beams are switched on. I always hated that, but it was what it was and, sadly, I thought (assumed) the Expy was the same without ever checking...
nick
J_82
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Same thing happen to me. My other vehicles are GMs.
So I’m curious now what is “Bambi” mode?
Fogs on with High Beams, to better see the deer on the side of the road before they jump out.
J_82
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Thanks
chuck s
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Bambi mode is for spotting little deer in the headlights using the fog lights and the headlights. Fogs normally extinguish when the high beams come on.
-- Chuck
-- Chuck
J_82
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This morning I drove in a 2017 GMC 1500 Denali with the projector headlights. I don’t know if it’s just me but I was not impressed by the projector headlamps. Maybe it’s just the GM headlights but I thought they would be a lot better since a lot people talk great things about projectors. I have oem reflector lights on my expedition and I can honestly say the reflector lights are just as good.
gixer2000
Retrofit or Bust
It's pretty typical for oem projectors to have poor performance. Sometimes it can be the bulbs used, can be the lens or even just a poor design. Drive something with either a retrofit or quality oem projectors and you'll understand why projectors are better
Ive never had a 2017 Denali in front of me but chances are its a combo of all 3 issues I listed.
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JExpedition07
That One Member
My fathers sister has a denali Yukon that ive driven a few times, the headlights suck, my stock halogens put her lights to shame.
gixer2000
Retrofit or Bust
Not sure about the new ones but the old ones used a Fresnel lens to diffuse the output so its not so harsh for oncoming traffic. They also used ****** bulbs so that didn't help
JExpedition07
That One Member
Could also be the aim of them... they aren't unbearable just, not the best you know? truthfully mine are only somewhat better but they are aimed well. I just think if you pay upward of 70k for a vehicle you should have great lighting.
I find your lighting projects interesting and ponder the idea of better lighting time to time. I just don't know that the look would fit the XLT and I have pretty good vision yet.
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