As installed in the Lexus RX 450h, Lexus’ Intelligent Adaptive Front Lighting System is a driver assistance that modifies the direction of the headlights in reaction to steering inputs and vehicle speed, effectively pointing the low-beam headlights towards the corner and improving your view.
The system is set to be activated by default, but if you’d like to temporarily turn it off, follow the instructions in the tutorial video below or continue reading for a step-by-step ‘how to’.
- Press the “MENU” button on the Lexus RX’s steering wheel, then use the arrow buttons to cycle through the options until “AFS” appears on the dash display.
- By pressing the “ENTER” button on the steering wheel, the system is turned off and the dash display indicator changes to “AFS OFF.”
- To return to the main display, click the “MENU” button one more time.
- Repeat the process to change the display from “AFS OFF” to “AFS ON” to re-activate the system. Resuming operation is the Intelligent Adaptive Front-Lighting System.
In This Article...
What does the Lexus AFS light mean?
The term “adaptive front-lighting system” (AFS) refers to headlights that turn in the direction a car is turning, illuminating more of the road in that direction rather than straight ahead.
Many automakers, including Honda, Mazda, Toyota, and others, refer to adaptive front illumination. They are also known as adaptive headlights or curve-adaptive lights, and other manufacturers have their own brand names for them, like the Genesis Adaptive Cornering System and the Porsche Dynamic Light System.
What does the AFS off light imply when it illuminates?
When it is safe to do so, pull over to the side of the road and turn off the engine if the AFS indication illuminates and begins blinking while you are driving. When driving with the ignition switch in the ON (II) position, if the AFS indicator blinks continuously or blinks once more, the AFS is malfunctioning (see page ).
Are Lexus’ headlights adaptive?
An major innovation is highlighted in the news releases from Lexus Global, Europe, and even Australia for the 2020 RX refresh: the inclusion of the first-ever BladeScan Type Adaptive High-beam System (AHS).
This is how it goes:
In a first for the automotive industry, BladeScan technology has been added to Lexus’ innovative LED Adaptive High-beam System (AHS) to improve nighttime driving safety. A lens receives light from a lens that is delivered to two blade mirrors that are spinning quickly from an LED source. This light illuminates the road in front of you. By coordinating the rotation of the blade mirrors with the on/off of the headlights, the dispersion of light is accurately regulated.
As a result, RX drivers can see dimly lit areas like road shoulders and spot pedestrians and traffic signs far earlier without compromising their overall visibility or blinding cars going the other way. With BladeScan technology, pedestrian identification at night has increased to 56 meters (184 feet) in front of the Lexus, up from 32 meters (105 feet) with the prior system (Array-type AHS).
The aforementioned picture plus this all-too-brief film serve to better demonstrate the concept:
However, why aren’t the United States and Canada using this innovative technology?
You can hold the 1967 law governing vehicle headlights, U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, responsible. The main problem with the BladeScan AHS is that there is only room for one low beam and one high beam option. No intermediate settings are allowed, using both low and high beams at once is prohibited, and the low-beam headlight candlepower restrictions are insufficient.
FMVSS-108 has previously undergone revisions and updates, however the procedure moves slowly and necessitates a plethora of research, assessments, official evaluations, public hearings, comment periods, and input from interested parties.
Toyota, the parent company of Lexus, took the initiative to legalize fully adaptive headlights in the US back in 2013, and Audi and BMW followed suit in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The problem is still unresolved, as accounts from October 2018 and April 2019 serve as a reminder.
But why, despite having more tolerant headlight laws, does Canada have to deal with this American bureaucracy? A hunch would be that the Canadian facility in Cambridge, Ontario will serve North America while the Kyushu plant in Japan will produce Lexus RXs with BladeScan headlights.
What does AFS on an automobile mean?
A well-illuminated field of view is one of the most crucial elements in reducing driver tiredness and enhancing safety during nighttime driving. According to the conditions of the road, the Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) improves the distribution of headlight light. The device directs the low-beam headlights in the direction the driver desires to go based on vehicle speed and steering input.
The technology improves the driver’s field of vision and visibility around curves and at intersections during nighttime driving by illuminating a greater distance and brighter than halogen headlights do. When combined with auto-leveling, the technology provides a consistent light distribution that is unaffected by the location of the vehicle. When a car’s back is loaded down with a lot of people or luggage, its position varies when driving over a bump or up a slope, and the system maintains the lighting axis, it helps keep drivers of incoming vehicles from being blinded.
How can I determine if I have AFS?
When you start the car with the lights on, if your lights move left and right before immediately returning to the center, you have AFS. According to my recall, the AFS won’t work when the car is at a stop; following initial calibration, the lamps must move when the car is going.
What does VSC on a Lexus stand for?
VSC, or “Vehicle Stability Control,” is a safety function in your Lexus ES that aids in preventing skidding if you lose traction when driving through Long Beach.
How is AFS light operated?
Modern vehicles dynamically change the headlights to try to improve nighttime vision. In this post, we’ll first look at this technology’s benefits. The fundamental building blocks and design issues will then be briefly covered.
Introduction
The goal of adaptive front lighting systems (AFS) is to dynamically change the vehicle’s headlights to provide the driver with the best possible nighttime visibility without endangering the safety of other road users. When the car steers or the road is uneven, the AFS uses stepper motors to regulate the headlight angle. Additionally, the adaptive mechanism seeks to prevent a direct glare from hitting approaching cars. It makes use of headlamps with an array of LEDs.
Some of these LEDs automatically dim depending on where the approaching car will be. In this manner, the driver’s side is dimmed while the area around the approaching car is lit. The position of the approaching vehicle is discovered by the AFS using image sensors. Figure 1 demonstrates how the AFS modifies the headlights to lighten the approaching car’s driver side.
Since when are Lexus headlights LED?
Light-emitting diodes in 2004 (LEDs) These lights have a long lifespan and use minimal energy to emit a stream of light that is exceptionally bright. In 2006, the Lexus LS 600h was the first automobile to feature LED low lights.
Bits of Knowledge
Depending on the cornering direction and the nation in which you reside, the angle of the irradiation axis can be altered. These variations exist because, for right-hand drive vehicles, the left light is designed to illuminate a wider area than the right light. Toyota has therefore made the left light less movable to prevent blinding oncoming motorists.
On a Lexus, how do you turn off the headlights?
207) To turn off the high lights, move the lever back to the center position. 2 Turn on the high lights by pulling the lever in your direction. To turn them off, pull back on the lever. With or without the headlights on, the high beams might flash.
In the Lexus lx570, what is AFS?
The Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) automatically modifies the direction of the headlights’ light axis in response to the vehicle’s speed and the degree of the tire’s angle as controlled by steering input to ensure great visibility at intersections and on curves.
My AFS light is blinking; why?
The adjustable front lighting system (AFS) aids in increasing visibility while driving at night.
When driving with the ignition switch in the ON (II) position, if the AFS indicator blinks continuously or blinks once more, the AFS is malfunctioning (see page ).
What is control of adaptive lighting?
To increase the safety of nighttime transportation, a new lighting concept called Adaptive Light Control (ALC) is being developed. By continuously adapting the headlamps to the current driving situation and environment, ALC enhances the headlamp lighting. The transition from offline to online (real-time) simulation of light distributions in the driving simulator has been completed successfully in order to ensure rapid prototyping and early testing. The interactive creation of novel light distributions in various driving scenarios and environments was made possible by this real-time simulation. To enable additional testing under real-world driving situations, the solutions are immediately ported to actual vehicles.
Results of the development of moveable headlights are reported in this study. Path prediction based on vehicle dynamics and navigation system route vectors is used to regulate these headlights. An introduction of the fundamental idea behind the Adaptive Light Control system is provided, along with an illustration of the differences between static and dynamic light distributions.
What is a system of adaptable lighting?
Understanding how advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) function is essential to being able to diagnose a problem with the system. You can more accurately determine the system’s potential causes of failure by being aware of what is happening internally. This will avoid replacing components that are not the root of the system’s problem. Let’s examine the adaptive lighting system’s internal operations.
According to the peculiarities of the vehicle, an adaptive lighting system may have one or many functions. Based on the steering angle, the headlamps can be turned to provide improved illumination in curves. The headlights might level themselves. On the basis of the identification of other vehicles in front of them, they may also automatically switch between high and low beam. The system frequently makes use of an in-car camera. Usually, this camera is placed close to the rearview mirror. The headlights are adjusted as necessary when the camera detects oncoming traffic and moving cars in front of the driver.
A safety feature called adaptive lighting helps you see better at night without impacting other drivers. When turning, the system can enable the driver to view more of the corner. As a result, the motorist can see pedestrians, animals, and stopped vehicles more clearly as they are in their route of movement.
Determining how the system works can speed up the troubleshooting process. Installing components that don’t actually solve the issue will be prevented by knowing which system component to test.
Which autos include adaptive headlights?
ten vehicles have adaptive headlights
- 2 Door MINI Hardtop.
- Jetta from Volkswagen.
- Toyota Mazda3.
- The Mazda6.
- Elantra by Hyundai.
- Q50 Infiniti.
- Outback Subaru.
- CC Volkswagen
Driving with the VSC light is on is it safe?
Vehicle Stability Control, or VSC as it is commonly known, is the stability control system used in Toyota automobiles. By lowering or eliminating the power provided to your wheels, stability control aids in the maintenance of traction and control in your vehicle. By automatically providing brake pressure to up to three wheels, it achieves this. The system’s main objective is to keep your car traveling in the direction of its wheels. Since 2012, at least in the USA, it has become a necessary safety requirement. Naturally, VSC OFF denotes that your Toyota’s stability control is turned off.
VSC Light Easy Fix
Depending on the model year of the Toyota, a button with the same icon as the light in your gauges will be located either next to your shifter or next to your steering wheel. When you’ve found it:
- Ensure that you have come to a complete stop. If you can, put the car in park.
- For a few seconds, hold down the VSC button.
- The indicator lights for TRAC OFF and VSC OFF will turn on. Now both systems are off.
- Once more, press the VSC button. As soon as both lights go out, the systems are back in operation.
If the VSC OFF light is still on, there can be a glitch in your car’s computer or a problem with the VSC system. Bring your car to a Toyota service location near you so a qualified technician can check the codes and identify the problem. Although it is safe to drive your Toyota even with the VSC OFF light on, we advise caution, especially in bad weather.
In Need of Repair?
Bring your car to the Toyota of Arlington servicing facility if you live close to Chicago and need repairs. We can install OEM parts for you because we have access to them. Get a free estimate from our outstanding collision facility if you need body work.