Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I had to go to a darker road. I incorrectly assumed that anywhere that used to trigger auto high beams would trigger the matrix adaptive high beams. Tesla definitely went more conservative with this. I played around with the adaptive lights switch, and I can see that even without highs on, there is some low beam adaptive functionality, but it is definitely different vs the high beam matrix functionality. Here is a quick gif I made with the matrix high beams working on a 2-lane country road with an oncoming car.

2021 TMY with Matrix headlights retrofitted with Tesla's OS 2025.14.1 in the US.

View attachment 2504892
Do the lights actually light up curves now?
 
Do the lights actually light up curves now?

I noticed the low beams moving left and right (when the high beams were off). While driving in an area that didn't trigger the adaptive high beams, I brought up the menu item for Adaptive Headlights and cycled it on and off while driving to see if I noticed a difference. There definitely is a difference. The low beams definitely aim left and right with steering input.

So, my theory is the Adaptive Headlights are 2-fold for vehicles with Matrix lights. Low beam adaptive (shifts by steering input) and High beam adaptive (when auto high beams are on, the ability to individually shut off LEDs to not dazzle vehicles ahead).
 
  • Like
Reactions: diamond.g
it is $20 to rent a truck at Home Depot or Lowes for 1 hour or 90 minutes..... don't damage your car moving stuff.

This is a valid point. To add to it, you can also rent trailers from U-Haul.

I had a Ram 1500, the only way I convinced myself to give the truck up when I went full EV (TM3 & TMY) was that I already own a 3k lbs 6x12 utility trailer. I had the OEM hitch installed on my TMY (7-seater). Even with my Ram, I used my trailer anytime I had heavy things, because lifting things up 4 ft+ is not fun. Especially a motorcycle. My trailer has a built-in ramp and has a nice low deck.
 
it is $20 to rent a truck at Home Depot or Lowes for 1 hour or 90 minutes..... don't damage your car moving stuff.
For sure man... but this was an interstate move so it wouldn't have been practical in this case. I had considered getting a truck with a dolly for the car but ultimately there wasn't enough stuff to justify that.
 
I had to go to a darker road. I incorrectly assumed that anywhere that used to trigger auto high beams would trigger the matrix adaptive high beams. Tesla definitely went more conservative with this. I played around with the adaptive lights switch, and I can see that even without highs on, there is some low beam adaptive functionality, but it is definitely different vs the high beam matrix functionality. Here is a quick gif I made with the matrix high beams working on a 2-lane country road with an oncoming car.

2021 TMY with Matrix headlights retrofitted with Tesla's OS 2025.14.1 in the US.

View attachment 2504892
I know is a free update, but I’ve seen 15 year old cars with better headlights than that 🤷‍♂️
 
I know is a free update, but I’ve seen 15 year old cars with better headlights than that 🤷‍♂️

The only way I could share it was a GIF. It is choppy. I recorded it in 4k it is very smooth and looks fantastic in person. The original size was 265 MB, the gif is 12 MB. Sorry. I tried to do better.

But also remember these are on $30k (US prices) cars...
 
Wish NTHSA would catch up.

NHTSA approved the new lights in 2022, so dunno what the hold up is.

I bought a new BMW a year ago and is has all the hardware for the lights, but it is disabled by BMW. If you run my VIN through one of those VIN decoder sites, you will see a line that says "anti-dazzle" indicating the dazzle lights have been disabled. There are third party "coders" that can enable it, but I'm scared to do it.
 

NHTSA approved the new lights in 2022, so dunno what the hold up is.

I bought a new BMW a year ago and is has all the hardware for the lights, but is is disabled by BMW. If you run my VIN through one of those VIN decoder sites, you will see a line that says "anti-dazzle" indicating the dazzle lights have been disabled. There are third party "coders" that can enable it, but I'm scared to do it.
If it’s still under warranty I’d not mess with the code. Any issue later on you are going to be blamed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Weaselboy

NHTSA approved the new lights in 2022, so dunno what the hold up is.

I bought a new BMW a year ago and is has all the hardware for the lights, but it is disabled by BMW. If you run my VIN through one of those VIN decoder sites, you will see a line that says "anti-dazzle" indicating the dazzle lights have been disabled. There are third party "coders" that can enable it, but I'm scared to do it.

I think it goes back to what we were talking about several pages back. As I understand it, the US regulations have a "stricter" response time requirement vs the European response time requirement (not going to argue again about the definition of "stricter"). Something that potentially requires different hardware. So, it might be that pre-design change vehicles never officially get released because of this limitation.

I do not know enough about if Tesla's older Matrix headlights (like I have) actually meet this regulation, or if they are simply taking advantage of the current political climate in the US to just get it out there. I don't know enough about it.

If it is a hardware limitation, you might have to wait until after your warranty, then have it coded...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Weaselboy
I think it goes back to what we were talking about several pages back. As I understand it, the US regulations have a "stricter" response time requirement vs the European response time requirement (not going to argue again about the definition of "stricter"). Something that potentially requires different hardware. So, it might be that pre-design change vehicles never officially get released because of this limitation.

I do not know enough about if Tesla's older Matrix headlights (like I have) actually meet this regulation, or if they are simply taking advantage of the current political climate in the US to just get it out there. I don't know enough about it.

If it is a hardware limitation, you might have to wait until after your warranty, then have it coded...
Can your headlights still spell Tesla when doing the light show? I've read that newer models cannot as they reduced the number of dimming zones.
 
Can your headlights still spell Tesla when doing the light show? I've read that newer models cannot as they reduced the number of dimming zones.

I have the older "high resolution" Matrix headlights. So yes, as I understand it, it is the Highland/Juniper that have the "low resolution" matrix headlights which cannot display text.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: diamond.g
It’s dark when I go to work and come home three months of the year. Fortunately I work from home 4 days a week. Only go in one a week to charge up the car for free 😀

I've really been waiting for the functionality. For all winter I drive to and from work in the dark, in the summer, it's just my morning commute that's dark.
 
The only way I could share it was a GIF. It is choppy. I recorded it in 4k it is very smooth and looks fantastic in person. The original size was 265 MB, the gif is 12 MB. Sorry. I tried to do better.

But also remember these are on $30k (US prices) cars...
YouTube is your friend then to show it off. 👍

And no it’s not stricter it just different hence the existing ROW spec lights aren’t allowed.
 
Do you have to pay for this upgrade for the matrix lights? Is that how Tesla is making money but releasing updates like this and charging for them? Or are these free upgrades?
 
Do you have to pay for this upgrade for the matrix lights? Is that how Tesla is making money but releasing updates like this and charging for them? Or are these free upgrades?

Matrix headlights were only on performance models (3/Y) originally but moved to all vehicles when Tesla decided to have one Global light. But I've heard they started stocking the reflector headlights again. The newer Highland/Juniper are all Matrix.

If you damage one of your reflector style lights and needed a new replacement, if there are no reflector style available you would have to pay for one and the install at Tesla (they throw in the other). If one light goes out, and you are still under warranty, they replace both for free. You can order the lights and do it yourself with the use of Toolbox software.

I replaced the reflector style headlights on both my Teslas with the Matrix lights last year, with the expectation that they would flip the switch to turn it on.
 
Where are you? It’s already pretty light at 5:30 here. I hope you don’t have to do that 5 days a week. Grim.

NYC area. 5 days a week. I think there is a very short window where it is bright enough that my lights aren't on at 5:30 am in the summer. But for the most part, it is dark when I leave.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.