Automatic High Beams

[Newton]

The Chevy website is very slow and annoying to use and I wanted to know what features my Bolt has and I found an Autotrader article that says it has automatic high beams. Recently, I briefly drove at night in an area with no street lights, few artificial light sources, and no other vehicles in front of me. The high beams did not automatically come on but I was able to turn them on manually and they seem brighter than any car I have owned before. I wish the IIHS had tested them so I would have an idea how they compare to modern cars. Autotrader could be wrong. Is my Bolt (see signature) supposed to have automatic high beams? Do they take some time to come on?

 

[Newton]

OK, I'm going to answer my first question in case somebody else has this question in the future: Yes. My car has the feature but getting it to work is difficult. Apparently, the feature is called Intellibeam and the instructions start on page 103 of the owner's manual. When I tried pushing the button in my driveway when the headlight control was in Auto or low beam position, nothing happened. I tried several times in both positions and I did not get the Intellibeam light on the instrument cluster. I thought maybe 1LTs don't have Intellibeam but then why would the button be there? I started driving out of town at night with the light control set to Automatic and I kept pushing the button and nothing happened. The roads kept getting darker and at one point, I pushed the button and the Intellibeam light came on in the instrument cluster and, as the streets got darker, the high beams came on. I still don't know what conditions have to be met to enable Intellibeam but I must have pushed that button 30 times on that short trip before it was enabled. I have determined that the first sentence on page 104 is false or, at least, usually false. If anybody knows what conditions must be met in order to enable Intellibeam, let us know. If the answer is in the manual, it's not on page 103 or 104 where it should be.

 

[ClarD]

I can see on your copied page:
Driving with IntelliBeam
The system only activates the high beams when driving over 40 km/h (25 mph).
[deactivates when] The vehicle's speed drops below 20 km/h (12 mph).

That's why it did nothing in your driveway.

I often disagree about when the automatic headlights turn on in general, but the switch from low to high beams is good.

I just pushed the button and leave it engaged all the time.
Sometimes it dims the lights for roadside lights that could be mistaken for oncoming headlights, but usually it is pretty good.
I would occasionally like to have high beams sooner after passing by an oncoming car, but the convenience outweighs the times that I disagree with the selection. It is much quicker to dim than I am on winding roads, and it is correctly timed.

 

[ClarD]

You should be able to find the owners manual online at
https://www.chevrolet.com/support/vehicle/manuals-guides
I was able to retrieve a copy of my window sticker from
https://cws.gm.com/vs-cws/vehshop/v2/vehicle/windowsticker?vin=
I also decoded the QRCode on my door pillar, and got a copy of my build sheet from my dealer.

 

[Newton]

I can see on your copied page:
Driving with IntelliBeam
The system only activates the high beams when driving over 40 km/h (25 mph).
[deactivates when] The vehicle's speed drops below 20 km/h (12 mph).

That's why it did nothing in your driveway.


I just pushed the button and leave it engaged all the time.

I'm pretty sure the above means that, when Intellibeam is enabled, it behaves that way. The manual doesn't say that Intellibeam can only be enabled when the speed is over 25 mph. My problem is enabling Intellibeam. However, I have found many mistakes in the owner's manual and maybe you are right and the manual is wrong again. The good news is that when I started the car today, Intellibeam is still enabled so it remembers my preference. If it ever malfunctions and blinds oncoming traffic, I can turn it off by pressing the button (probably).

 

[Newton]

You should be able to find the owners manual online at
https://www.chevrolet.com/support/vehicle/manuals-guides
I was able to retrieve a copy of my window sticker from
https://cws.gm.com/vs-cws/vehshop/v2/vehicle/windowsticker?vin=
I also decoded the QRCode on my door pillar, and got a copy of my build sheet from my dealer.

Yes, I downloaded the manual weeks ago and I am curious about it. Every other thing I have downloaded goes to my hard drive and I can access it when the computer is offline. But, I can't access the Bolt manual unless the computer is connected to the internet. Why is that?
Thanks for the window sticker link. I know now that my Bolt has automatic high beams but I might want to see the window sticker for something else in the future.

 

[ClarD]

Yes, I downloaded the manual weeks ago and I am curious about it. Every other thing I have downloaded goes to my hard drive and I can access it when the computer is offline.

I have the Bolt manual downloaded and can view it offline. <shrug>

Intellibeam can only be enabled when the speed is over 25 mph

I don't know about needing to be over 25 MPH. I don't think that part is true, but the indicator doesn't appear unless the headlights are automatically on. Turning them on manually doesn't show the indicator.

I don't know if clicking the button while the indicator is not visible changes the enablement I think it remains visible once it is set, even when under 25 MPH, but I noticed that it doesn't appear unless the headlights are on automatically.

I set it the week that I got the Bolt over two years ago, and never turned it off, until playing with it this week. I have never felt that it engaged the high beams when it shouldn't, but have wanted high beams on a few occasions where it had dimmed them. That has usually been a combination of rolling hills and curves, sort of discussed in the manual.

It does light up one neighbor's house on the outside of a corner that I might not illuminate by choice if I were controlling the high beams manually, but other than that, I am happy with the performance.
The performance is better than a Toyota Camry that I drove, where the automatic selection both on and off was slower than what I wanted.

 

[Newton]

I don't know about needing to be over 25 MPH. I don't think that part is true, but the indicator doesn't appear unless the headlights are automatically on. Turning them on manually doesn't show the indicator.

I don't know if clicking the button while the indicator is not visible changes the enablement I think it remains visible once it is set, even when under 25 MPH, but I noticed that it doesn't appear unless the headlights are on automatically.

I set it the week that I got the Bolt over two years ago, and never turned it off, until playing with it this week. I have never felt that it engaged the high beams when it shouldn't, but have wanted high beams on a few occasions where it had dimmed them.

Which indicator(s) do you mean? (second, third, and fourth sentences) I'm glad to hear that it works well when it is enabled. I have not had a chance to use it much myself. Since I did manage to enable it and, so far, it has remained enabled, I plan to leave it enabled. If it gets disabled, I will probably spend a lot of time attempting to enable it again since it is very difficult to enable and the manual does not adequately explain how to enable it. How did you get it enabled again after you played with it? Also, sort of a rhetorical question, why does the manual say "if equipped" about Intellibeam? I have a 1LT and I am not aware of a lower trim that might not have Intellibeam. Maybe there was a cheaper version in a foreign market?

 

[Newton]

I have the Bolt manual downloaded and can view it offline. <shrug>

I tried again this morning and now I can access the manual while the computer is offline. I have the manual stored in Documents and when I double clicked on the Bolt manual in the list of stored documents back in December I got a warning that my computer was not connected to the internet instead of getting the manual. I tried three times and I got the same result. When I got the modem synced up, it let me see the Bolt manual. My guess is that some MS update caused this problem and a later update corrected the problem. All's well that ends well.

 

[ClarD]

Which indicator(s) do you mean?

The "Intelibeam Light" with the little A in it.

I will probably spend a lot of time attempting to enable it again since it is very difficult to enable

You are trying too hard.
When driving at night at more than 25 MPH, with the headlights automatically on, tap the button.

 

[Newton]

The "Intelibeam Light" with the little A in it.


You are trying too hard.
When driving at night at more than 25 MPH, with the headlights automatically on, tap the button.

I kept trying because following the instructions in the manual was not working and I was pretty sure the car had Intellibeam. I may have had the headlights on manually while I pushed the button the first 29 times. I may have (I don't remember) twisted the headlight control to the Automatic setting later. I will try your instructions when I get a chance. I suspect they will work better than the instructions in the manual. Thanks.

 

[ClarD]

I may have had the headlights on manually while I pushed the button the first 29 times.

It doesn't matter whether the switch is in auto or manual.
The icon for Intellibeam light only appears when lighting is dark enough for Intellibeam to function.
It does appear at a stop, when it is dark enough.

 

[Newton]

It doesn't matter whether the switch is in auto or manual.
The icon for Intellibeam light only appears when lighting is dark enough for Intellibeam to function.
It does appear at a stop, when it is dark enough.

Do these sentences apply whenever Intellibeam is enabled or do they apply when it is disabled and you are pushing the Intellibeam button to enable it or do they apply in both situations? I am mainly interested in what is required to enable or disable Intellibeam. I would have preferred that Chevy had provided adequate instructions in the manual but if we could just get the procedure explained clearly in this forum, it would benefit all the owners who want to use it and are willing to search for Intellibeam or "automatic high beams" in this forum.

 

[Joe Cherra]

I kept trying because following the instructions in the manual was not working and I was pretty sure the car had Intellibeam. I may have had the headlights on manually while I pushed the button the first 29 times. I may have (I don't remember) twisted the headlight control to the Automatic setting later. I will try your instructions when I get a chance. I suspect they will work better than the instructions in the manual. Thanks.

Thank you for addressing this! I've had my car for 7 years with the light switch on auto all the time. It helps if you read the instructions doesn't it?

 

[Newton]

It helps if you read the instructions doesn't it?

It's always a good starting point but, if the instructions are inadequate, it is frustrating and annoying. Chevy is not alone with regard to poorly written manuals. The manual for my Mazda also has bizarre mistakes. But, Mazda has the (poor) excuse that English is not their native language. I have seen instructions for Chinese products that are so bad that they are LOL funny (until you actually need to use the product).
Writing this reminded me of the problem I had accessing the Bolt manual I had on my hard drive. I was temporarily not allowed to see it unless the computer was connected to the internet back in December. Maybe Chevy needed to make a correction to the manual and it has the ability to deny access to the downloaded manual until it can make a correction. If the downloaded manual is an evolving, improving document, that is probably a good thing. Does anybody know if Chevy can correct the downloaded manual? Maybe it will improve the section on Intellibeam.

 

[Joe Cherra]

It's always a good starting point but, if the instructions are inadequate, it is frustrating and annoying. Chevy is not alone with regard to poorly written manuals. The manual for my Mazda also has bizarre mistakes. But, Mazda has the (poor) excuse that English is not their native language. I have seen instructions for Chinese products that are so bad that they are LOL funny (until you actually need to use the product).
Writing this reminded me of the problem I had accessing the Bolt manual I had on my hard drive. I was temporarily not allowed to see it unless the computer was connected to the internet back in December. Maybe Chevy needed to make a correction to the manual and it has the ability to deny access to the downloaded manual until it can make a correction. If the downloaded manual is an evolving, improving document, that is probably a good thing. Does anybody know if Chevy can correct the downloaded manual? Maybe it will improve the section on Intellibeam.

You haven't seen anything until you dive into Toyota's books. They make Chevrolet's book pale.

 

[Newton]

I decided to take a test drive last night to verify what ClarD said about how to engage Intellibeam. While still in my driveway, when I turned the car on, the headlights came on automatically because it was dark enough. The Lamps On Reminder and the Intellibeam indicator lights were on on the instrument panel, as expected. I pressed the Intellibeam switch on the turn signal stalk to verify that it still does not do anything but I was surprised when the Intellibeam light went out. I pressed it again a few times and I found that I could turn Intellibeam off or on with the switch while the car was still in Park. This is in stark contrast to 2 weeks ago when I pressed the button about 30 times at night at varying speeds and light levels before the Intellibeam light came on on the instrument panel. The switch "feels" normal so I doubt that the switch is bad. The car has changed. Could it be that an over-the-air update fixed the problem? Do Bolts get over-the-air updates? I dropped Onstar a few days ago because it was bad at navigation. Is Onstar required for over-the-air updates? Driving this car is like dealing with a person with multiple personalities. At least so far, the changes have been improvements but behaving correctly and being stable would be better. This is what I have learned about the headlights as of last night, ignoring how they were before:
1. In contrast to every car I have driven in the last 60 years, the car has to be on before the headlights can be turned on.
2. After the car is on, the headlights cannot be turned on unless it thinks it is dark enough.
3. When the car is on and it is dark enough, you can turn the headlights on or off or set them to turn on or off automatically using the headlight control knob.
4. When Intellibeam is off, you can control highbeam/lowbeam by moving the turn signal stalk forward/back. I'm not sure if this control works when Intellibeam is on.
5. After the headlights are on, you can turn Intellibeam on or off using the Intellibeam button on the turn signal stalk (there are no other requirements). You can tell when the headlights are on by looking for the Lamps On Reminder on the instrument panel. You can tell when Intellibeam is on (not when the high beams are on) by looking for the Intellibeam indicator light on the instrument panel, which only comes on if the headlights are on and Intellibeam is on. You can tell when the high beams are on by looking for the High Beam On indicator light (which, I think, is blue) on the instrument panel. These indicator lights are illustrated in the owners manual and above in this discussion.
Headlights were weak in 1964 compared to today's headlights but, at least, they were simple to operate. This work is exhausting. I'm gonna take a nap now.

 

[Joe Cherra]

I decided to take a test drive last night to verify what ClarD said about how to engage Intellibeam. While still in my driveway, when I turned the car on, the headlights came on automatically because it was dark enough. The Lamps On Reminder and the Intellibeam indicator lights were on on the instrument panel, as expected. I pressed the Intellibeam switch on the turn signal stalk to verify that it still does not do anything but I was surprised when the Intellibeam light went out. I pressed it again a few times and I found that I could turn Intellibeam off or on with the switch while the car was still in Park. This is in stark contrast to 2 weeks ago when I pressed the button about 30 times at night at varying speeds and light levels before the Intellibeam light came on on the instrument panel. The switch "feels" normal so I doubt that the switch is bad. The car has changed. Could it be that an over-the-air update fixed the problem? Do Bolts get over-the-air updates? I dropped Onstar a few days ago because it was bad at navigation. Is Onstar required for over-the-air updates? Driving this car is like dealing with a person with multiple personalities. At least so far, the changes have been improvements but behaving correctly and being stable would be better. This is what I have learned about the headlights as of last night, ignoring how they were before:
1. In contrast to every car I have driven in the last 60 years, the car has to be on before the headlights can be turned on.
2. After the car is on, the headlights cannot be turned on unless it thinks it is dark enough.
3. When the car is on and it is dark enough, you can turn the headlights on or off or set them to turn on or off automatically using the headlight control knob.
4. When Intellibeam is off, you can control highbeam/lowbeam by moving the turn signal stalk forward/back. I'm not sure if this control works when Intellibeam is on.
5. After the headlights are on, you can turn Intellibeam on or off using the Intellibeam button on the turn signal stalk (there are no other requirements). You can tell when the headlights are on by looking for the Lamps On Reminder on the instrument panel. You can tell when Intellibeam is on (not when the high beams are on) by looking for the Intellibeam indicator light on the instrument panel, which only comes on if the headlights are on and Intellibeam is on. You can tell when the high beams are on by looking for the High Beam On indicator light (which, I think, is blue) on the instrument panel. These indicator lights are illustrated in the owners manual and above in this discussion.
Headlights were weak in 1964 compared to today's headlights but, at least, they were simple to operate. This work is exhausting. I'm gonna take a nap now.

Sleep tight. My 2017 bowl has always had the switch I just never thought to use it. I always kept the button in the top mode. The lights went on when I started the car up and the lights went off when I parked the car and shut it off. Now with intella light I get out of the car and beeps at me and it leaves the lights on for at least 20 minutes before shutting everything down when I get in the car in the dark the headlights come on. And when I'm driving the little blue light on the upper left corner turns on when the high beam turns on and it turns off when the high beam turns off. Everything is set up so we don't have to fuss with it