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I have a 2016 4×2 Denali with the LED headlamps. When driving at night, I notice that the light from the headlamps is bright, but they do not “shoot” very far. I know they’re capable, as the high beams are amazing, but the “cut off”/”dark line” of the light is real short. It doesn’t seem to be throwing light very far. I previously owned a ’14 Sierra with the halogen projector headlamps, and while those were much more “yellow” they “shot” much farther out in low beam than these “high performance” ones I have on my 2016. I also noticed that my ass-end/bed sits higher than other 4×2 sierras (the one I park next to at the office is a ’14 Sierra 4×2 also, but the bed sits lower), so I am not sure if that is a mistake and is attributing to the short throw of the low beam light. I took it into my dealer on Saturday, and the SA made me feel like I was some snob giving him a “first world” problem to investigate (which is fair… it is a first world problem, but it was damn near scary as hell driving down the interstate out of town at night and not being able to tell if there was a bend in the road coming up). Anyone else notice if Denali’s ass is just higher than other models or is having the same issue with their LED headlamps? Thanks!
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This is an interesting one, @padrino14.
First, I would have a dealer check to see if the lights are “aimed” or “pointed” properly. I am not sure if the new units in the Sierras need to be posted or aimed, but it would be the first place I start. If they’re not aimed correctly, then they might be shooting too low.
As for the question of the rear end of your truck being higher than others… it could be based on suspension differences. Yours has Magnetic Ride Control, if I am not mistaken, and other the 2014 Sierra Denali did not even offer that feature… so that could explain why you’re sits a bit higher.
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Thanks for the reply. I forgot to mention that the dealership’s foreman came out to tell me that he couldn’t find any TSBs on the issue and that these trucks don’t have a way to aim or level them. He said the way they are installed leaves the headlights fixed. He also, though, said there was no way to check them… Since it was light out.
As for the lifted rear end, that’s a good point about the suspension. I’d have to compare it to another Denali. But if it is higher, and the lights can’t be re-aimed or adjusted, then wouldn’t that mean they wouldn’t shoot as far out as they would in another trim level? Sounds like an oversight.
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Hello, have a 2012 Silverado and just installed after market led low beams, I also noticed that the LEDs don’t seem to projects as far as incandescent bulbs.I have determined for myself that they actually do project as far as the incandescent bulbs since all signage farther ahead of me which is reflective,is bright and clear.The led light is a different frequency than incandescent light so it appears different to you because you are used to the incandescents.When I put the LEDs in my truck my son said the LEDs take some getting used to and he is right because of the difference in frequency.If the signs 500 ft in front of you are lit up,you have plenty of light,if they are not lit up then they are not aimed right,also noticed signs are much more crisp with leds/frequency.The back of my truck also sits high,2wd,I guess that’s normal for today’s trucks to counter more weight from back seat passengers or when you load the bed down.
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@padrino14 Now that I’ve done some more thinking about this, it would seem that these lights need to self-adjust, self-level, and self-calibrate… so there shouldn’t be a need to manually adjust them.
And it sounds like you have a dealer that’s not exactly the most delighted to provide customer service. So, what I would do at this point is call GMC corporate customer assistance at 1-800-462-8782. Explain to them what is going on and they should create a case about the issue.
They should also ask you if you are working with a dealer on this. Tell them the name of the dealer you took your Sierra to. From there, they will follow up (read: hound) the dealer to get this taken care of for you, whether it means diagnosing the issue, replacing the lights, or something else. It puts accountability on the dealer from the GM corporate side.
That, or perhaps take into account what @dinsdale said about the LEDs taking time to get accustomed to, since they are a different kind of light/frequency.
Let us know how it goes 🙂
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