williakz

On the 2013 LS460 with LED headlights, there are three lenses in each headlight assembly (left and right). The outermost two are small and are both on during normal headlights ON operation. When high beams are ON, the outer small lens becomes brighter. The "parking lights" are the LED "swoosh" under and beside the lights with the 3 lenses. So WTF is the big, lensed light inboard of the smaller two in each headlight assembly. I think the DRLs are the same as the parking lights - the LED swooshes. Is the big inboard lens for show only, or is it functional and if so, WTF does it DO?? Thanks for any illumination (ouch!)

aypues

great question!! I wonder if they are a) just for show. or b) some redundant system if a bulb goes out, or c) if they come on in certain turns with the dual swivel AFS.

dochusar

I have not yet pictured the turn illumination light, think that is the third light.

williakz

Ah, you may be right. I did not think to check that at the dealership. I'll find out tomorrow and post back.

CJITTY

Found this on Google

"The look of the 2013 Lexus LS 600h is further distinguished by standard all LED lighting in a 3-lamp configuration, including two LED low-beam units and another LED high beam. Even the turn indicators use 12 LED lights that fade from sight when not active maintaining a crisp, clean appearance"

So maybe that inner led only comes on when the intelligent high beam system detects it is ok to activste it..which would have to be tested in complete darkness iirc

adamls2

Very interesting^^^^ Saw one driving on the highway the other night and the lights looked fantastic front and rear!

Dranom

iTrader: (7)

love those headlights

ikey78

I have a 2013 SWB LS with LED headlights and I had the same question about the function of the 3 lights. Here is what I found out based on my own observations as well as looking at some technical documents the dealer showed me.

The outer light is a low beam. The middle light is a Hi/Low beam both when used manually and in auto Hi beam operation. The inner light is a near infrared projector for models with Night View and the Advanced Pre-Collision System.

We took the car to an empty parking lot at night and I watched as the car was driven at over 20 mph so that the auto Hi beams operated. Only the middle light changed to Hi, the inner light stayed dark. In other words, I could not find a situation where the inner light actually lights up.

The only cars that have Advanced Pre-Collision and therefore have near infra-red projectors are LWB models which are usually special orders with MSRP of around $100K. Those are few and far between. I am not even sure if these infra-red projectors emit visible light when they are active.

So it looks like these inner lights are for show in the majority of the cars. By the way, the technical diagram that
the dealer showed me indicates that the inner projector on the HID two lamp configuration is also an infra-red projector. The outer light functions a Hi and Low beam light.

williakz

Great info! Thanks.

I wonder if the All-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise utilizes these projectors to determine distance to vehicles ahead in order to maintain selected separation distance. Dynamic cruise actually maintains distance, not speed when in traffic. Only when no vehicles are around is set point speed maintained. I'd hate to think my car (with Radar Cruise) has non-functional gizmos in such a prominent and visible position. Of course, I'm the type that hates those ugly black blanks where option switches and controls would OBVIOUSLY go if the vehicle were so equipped.

vasy

Very good info indeed. This is the first time I've heard of such a thing on the LED headlight. Do you mind sharing with us how well these LED headlights illuminate the roads at night? How do they compare to HID? Is high beam significantly brighter and longer-range than low? Thanks.

ikey78

I have not noticed any significant difference in the way they light up the road compared to the HID lights on my previous 2010 LS. The Hi Beams makes a big difference in seeing further down the road and also to the sides. Again similar to the previous car.

I have noticed that the edges of the projected low beam has a prism like rainbow effect. There are subtle colors most easily seen at the top of the beam that you see when the lights are projected on a flat surface like a white wall.

Also, I notice the effects of the front turn signals more prominently. I can often see them lighting up objects ahead of me even during the day. I assume the multiple small LED lights in the turn signal are giving out more light than the single bulbs in the previous model.

LexusNN

iTrader: (5)

They all light up in the UK addition. Only 2 light up in the US. I just heard they were too bright for US laws and codes.

williakz

C'mon, this doesn't even pass my cousin Lou's smell test and he's barely human!

Those crafty Nipponese somehow manage to meet, even exceed, every major, minor, and trivial U.S. DOT, EPA, FCC, and XYZ standard for ECU, fuel delivery, display technology, emission control, remote sensing, communication, mechanical crashworthyness, and state-of-the-art safety technology. Yet "you heard" they botched a maximum headlight illumination standard so badly they had to cripple the feature in production vehicles? Again, c'mon!

CJITTY

vasy

Does this come from a reliable source? Not that I don't believe you, just want to get the truth. If all 3 light up in the UK, then the 3rd projector is not the infrared used in the advanced pre-collision system as mentioned in an earlier post.