P500 Why are P500 headlights so poor?

[bowhunterbill]

I put upgraded led bulbs in my P500. They’re better than the factory halogens but still crappy illumination.

I put a 30” light bar on top to provide really good illumination, but the other night was on a farm road and turned off the light bar as a pickup approached me. I could barely see in front with the headlights.

Need adjusting? Can they be adjusted?

Led bulbs not seated correctly to project light? I thought I installed correctly and they were seated.

When I kneel in front and look at them they seem very bright.

Suggestions?


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[Admin]

 

[Todd627]

I installed cubes in front for the exact reason you said above (oncoming traffic). I turn the light bar off and keep the cubes on.

 

[bowhunterbill]

Thanks for reply. I did some searching and found replacements for the factory headlight unit. They’re pricy.

For that much money I could add a bunch of led cubes. Probably designed for distance since the light bar makes the road in front look like an operating room.




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[trigger]

Thanks for reply. I did some searching and found replacements for the factory headlight unit. They’re pricy.

For that much money I could add a bunch of led cubes. Probably designed for distance since the light bar makes the road in front look like an operating room.

View attachment 199021


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Pretty sure those aren't plug and play for the 500, you have to hack the plastic up to put those in.

 

[Splorin]

Oem's are pitiful, pathetic, anemic etc. Cubes help a lot. Mini bars on the bumper are popular but I'd ruin em in the brush. Love telling people to turn my high beams on too. They're still lookin....

 

[bowhunterbill]

I looked today and the P5 appeared to have a vertical headlight adjustment screw. In the garage I turned it from the 2 extremes of adjustment and the spot didn’t move on the wall.


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[Russ989]

I put upgraded led bulbs in my P500. They’re better than the factory halogens but still crappy illumination.

I put a 30” light bar on top to provide really good illumination, but the other night was on a farm road and turned off the light bar as a pickup approached me. I could barely see in front with the headlights.

Need adjusting? Can they be adjusted?

Led bulbs not seated correctly to project light? I thought I installed correctly and they were seated.

When I kneel in front and look at them they seem very bright.

Suggestions?


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There are two ways to fix this.
1. Add cube lights or a light bar like @Todd627 suggested.

2. Buy a Pioneer 1000 Deluxe.

Your choice

 

[bowhunterbill]

Thanks for suggestions. My light bar lights up the area in front really well. It’s annoying that with led upgrades it’s so bad. My guess (it’s only that but I sold FLIR technology to the gov and know more than your average Joe) is that the led source is not at the correct focal point of the reflector. Alternately, Honda’s design of the curved reflector was given to somebody who didn’t understand basic optics design.

Either way, the poor factory lights and Honda not making the area under the drivers seat into a large storage compartment with a hatch behind the driver’s door are my 2 complaints/ areas for improvement on the 500. Otherwise it’s a great, little machine.


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[trigger]

Thanks for suggestions. My light bar lights up the area in front really well. It’s annoying that with led upgrades it’s so bad. My guess (it’s only that but I sold FLIR technology to the gov and know more than your average Joe) is that the led source is not at the correct focal point of the reflector. Alternately, Honda’s design of the curved reflector was given to somebody who didn’t understand basic optics design.

Either way, the poor factory lights and Honda not making the area under the drivers seat into a large storage compartment with a hatch behind the driver’s door are my 2 complaints/ areas for improvement on the 500. Otherwise it’s a great, little machine.


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Can't believe no one has tried to mod a door access to under the seat like they've done on the P1's? I considered it but don't use mine for storage, actually have better access to the second battery and jack from the backside. I rarely have to get into that compartment which is why I didn't run with it. Would be a fairly easy mod to do, just have to find the right size door and it wouldn't be as much of an eye sore as on the outside of the machine.
I believe this is @joeymt33 mod.

 

[joeymt33]

Can't believe no one has tried to mod a door access to under the seat like they've done on the P1's? I considered it but don't use mine for storage, actually have better access to the second battery and jack from the backside. I rarely have to get into that compartment which is why I didn't run with it. Would be a fairly easy mod to do, just have to find the right size door and it wouldn't be as much of an eye sore as on the outside of the machine.
I believe this is @joeymt33 mod.

View attachment 199756

Good idea.

I got that idea from JTW....see he can be useful.