Are low beams supposed to be off when highs are on?

[torchard]

The subject line speaks for itself. I think they're supposed to be off. I'm in the process of installing a relay to get more power to the lows. Now both sets are on when in high beam mode...

thanks,

[delicat]

My low beams are on when on high beam...

[quadzilla]

So are mine.

[Green1]

yes, when your high beams come on, the low beams should stay on as well.

[The Pinkfingers]

My limited understanding is that because the low beams cover the area directly in front of your vehicle, and the the high beams farther ahead, when the high beams come on, you still need to see the area in front, so the lowbeams stay on.

Not sure about Delicas, but in most vehicles I think the left high beam is pointed a little bit down and to the right, and the right high beam more or less straight ahead. Don't quote me on that, though, as it was years ago I heard that, so I'm a little foggy (in fact it may be the low beams that do that).

[torchard]

Thanks all. Good enough for me. I wouldn't have given it a second thought, but (and after mucking about splicing and dicing), I became convinced that the other night only the highs were on.

--T

[marsgal42]

My low beams stay on when I turn the high beams on, but since our Delicas were all rewired for DRLs when they were imported, I wouldn't conclude too much from that.

...laura

[bae146]

I have driven may vehicles in my time, and most of them turn off the low beams when the high beams are on. All vehicles with an H4 bulb do this as they only have one bulb. All the GM vehicles have the high beam on the inside and low on the outside and they all turn off the low when the high is lit. I don't think many fords have a dual headlamp, so they are out for a reference. My Wife's 2008 Hyundai Sonata has separate high lows and fogs, when you turn on the high beams the lows go off as do the fogs. I think that the idea behind this is that if you need high beams for Hwy driving and the lows are on right in front of you your pupils will be partly closed due to the bright light immediately in front of you. This will limit your ability to see long distance in front of you. Maybe I am wrong and this was all just good typing practice though.

[The Pinkfingers]

I think that the idea behind this is that if you need high beams for Hwy driving and the lows are on right in front of you your pupils will be partly closed due to the bright light immediately in front of you. This will limit your ability to see long distance in front of you. Maybe I am wrong and this was all just good typing practice though.

That's a good point. Hopefully someone with definitive knowledge on the topic will chime in. Regardless, it sounds like it's fairly typical for Delicas to have both on.

[JMK]

From what I've seen Euro spec vehicles leave the low beams on when the highs come on. All of the NA vehicles we have at work I think the low beams go off when the highs switch on, ditto my Chrysler LHS.

In Alberta, you cannot have your driving/fog lights on when the high beams are on. They are supposed to be tied to your low beams so that they go off when you activate your high beams. I think there is a good thread on this topic in this forum from early last winter. On my Delica for example, I can turn my fog lights on independently, which I understand is illegal in ALberta (don't know about BC). However, until I get busted I'm thinking to leave them that way as at times it has been a great feature. Alberta law does allow for the use of only the fog/driving lights without high or low beams when conditions dictate, but most are not wired so you could do that. In fact many new vehicles apparently are also wired illegaly in that their driving lights cannot be switched off. Again that was covered in more detail and more accurately in that previous thread, so it's well worth looking for it and reviewing it.

[Adrock]

In my 89 the lows are a dual filament and then there is also a separate high beam bulb. So all 4 lights are on when high beams are on for me... or should be, but one day my turn signal went wonkey and ever since the low beams have been turning off when the highs turn on... anybody know what fuse it is?

[torchard]

Interesting. Here I thought I asked a simple yes/no question. I thought they were to be off - that they are required by law as discussed here, but may have confused that with another thread. Will search further. Thanks.

[Green1]

In Alberta, you cannot have your driving/fog lights on when the high beams are on.

Only half correct, fog lights are not allowed to be used with high beams (and must be used with low beams only), but driving lights are not allowed to be used with low beams (must be used with high beams on)

Alberta law does allow for the use of only the fog/driving lights without high or low beams when conditions dictate,

According to Alberta law, the driver is allowed to use the fog lights (NOT driving lights) without the low beams "when conditions warrant" HOWEVER, the vehicle is not legally allowed to be wired in such a way as to allow this (go figure!)

The Delica is wired with the fog lights separate from the low beams, and this is a good thing, as in dense fog the last thing you want is your low beams on! (that said, the Delica's fog lights are useless as fog lights as they are mounted too high, the true difference between fog lights and headlights is not the colour as most people believe, but the lower mounting illuminating under the fog)

[k8bloomer]

I constantly get people flashing at me when my regular lights are on (not day time) because both are on - I think my high beams are backwards from my regular beams when I night drive......

[JMK]

k8bloomer,

You should get that fixed ASAP before you get nicked and get a ticket, which may result in you having to get a whole new inspection done. After all, you live in the land of the Inspection Gestapo and not in the wild west of Alberta. It will be much cheaper if you get proactive now.