Euro Ellipsoid beam pattern question

[havand]

Ok, so I just picked up my e30 this summer and it has DEPO Euro style ellipsoid smileys. I sealed them up better, but they still leak occasionally. Just not nearly as bad.

So, I put 55W HIDs in them and I can't seem to understand the beam pattern. What's with the _/_/ pattern? The driver's side uptick blinds people in front of me. The main beam is aimed low, but the uptick pisses them off and I have had someone slam the brakes, get behind me and just highbeam me for a few miles.

Worse, the passenger side, I understand the uptick for illuminating the side of the road, but it is WAY too big and bright. If I am cruising in the left lane, I am leaving ridiculous shadows of the car to my right on the side of the road. I feel bad and end up cruising in the right lane a lot.

To me, it would almost make more sense to have a beam pattern that looked like \__ _/. That way you wouldn't blind oncoming traffic and would illuminate both sides of the road. I think I just don't get it. Can someone explain this concept to me? Thanks guys.

[JasonC]

If you have it like this \_ _/ then you'll be blinding people in the other lane. The up kick is to help see the side of the road and signs from what i've gathered. I dont think i've ever been flashed cause of my euro ellpis and they even have HIDs in them. Since yours is DEPO, they may have a messed up beam patteren to them also, idk...

[reelizmpro]

The beam is correct for countries that drive on the right side of the road. Aiming the beam lower helps a bit. It happens to me in my E30's and my E39. I also am blinded everyday by trucks with HID's or idiots driving with their high beams on, motorcycles, etc. With lighting technology as good as it is today, it's inevitable.

[havand]

Gotcha. Thanks for the replies. I know if they were exactly like \_ _/ it would blind people coming at you. That's why I was suggesting to make the driver's side farther to the side \__ _/. Just an idea. I'm no expert on this stuff. It may be the DEPOs. I almost feel like the freakin things illuminate the right hand side of the road better than in front of me.

[Van Westervelt]

\__ _/ is a bad idea.

just dip the drivers side down a little. Anything else is asking for someone to be blinded and hit you head on. _/ _/ is correct

[havand]

Gotcha. I wasn't saying I was going to do it, I was just wondering about the design. Thanks for the explanation. So the peak from the driver's side is supposed to shoot down the road onto the car in front of you? Interesting. It is weird. I have these 55w HIDs and they are BRIGHT, but the light doesn't seem to be focused right. The side of the road is as illuminated if not more than in front of me. I guess I am going to have to do the proper alignment on them when I find a place to do it. Thanks guys.

[T Verdier]

US spec projectors __,--- __,---

[evilnickwong]

The uptick can be flipped, so you can change your \__/ to the proper \_\_ or _/_/ depending on RHD or LHD. I had to do this recently too (asked about it here too).

Just remove your low beams, check out the rear, there are 3 screws there, remove them, then rotate the bucket (it can really only go into one other position and still utilize all 3 screws), then reinstall screws + lights.

[Van Westervelt]

He doesnt need to change the pattern, all he needs to do it aim his light appropriately.

[evilnickwong]

Oh shucks, I thought his current pattern was \__/. My bad. :)

[havand]

Oh shucks, I thought his current pattern was \__/. My bad. :)

Thanks for the attempted help though. Appreciated. :)

[BrewCity11]

You know you can achieve the U.S. pattern: _-- _-- by modifying the Euro cutoff, or just using the US projector housing (the metal cage inside with the ellip that has the cutoff) in your Euro light housing.

Not saying i would go through the trouble of doing it, but it can be done.

[EA8]

just out of curiosity ... how bad would it be if you just removed the metal cutout inside the projector to get rid of that cutoff? Aside from possibly blinding the people on the other side of the road, which then you could just aim your lights a tad bit lower.

Cheers ...

[nando]

the answer is Depo's have a really shitty beam pattern. they're both dim for the driver and annoying for other people on the road. I honestly felt they were a downgrade from my stock sealed beams. But nobody will listen because they are cheap and they look shiny. the high beams are also totally useless.

with euro ellipsoids in the proper LHD _/_/ pattern, aimed correctly with HIDs, I've never been flashed by another driver.

[nando]

just out of curiosity ... how bad would it be if you just removed the metal cutout inside the projector to get rid of that cutoff? Aside from possibly blinding the people on the other side of the road, which then you could just aim your lights a tad bit lower.

Cheers ...

this is a bad idea. you need that cutoff with projectors. you'd basically have to aim them at the ground in order to not blind other drivers.