LED Headlights auto leveling reversed?

[BAP84]

Curious if anyone else has this issue on their Gen3...I've found one other post related over at the F150Gen14 forum but no conclusion to the issue in that thread. I have an October 2021 build 801A (LED headlights) and I've always thought the headlights didn't adjust correctly to weight in the bed of the truck (always getting flashed with much of anything back there at night) but never really confirmed it until yesterday when I got curious with FORScan hooked up and I was looking at the live data for the height sensors while I used a floor jack to raise and lower the back of the truck by the hitch to extend the suspension and see what the suspension height sensors and headlights were doing as the suspension traveled. First I made a tape line at the low beam cutoff on the garage door with the truck resting at neutral. Next I raised the back of the truck and watched the live measurements on the rear sensors decrease from a positive number while neutral of like .78 I think it was, and go into the negative measurements the farther I went up with the back. I assume this is correct but haven't ever tested on another truck with sensors so don't know for sure. Next I compared the low beam cutoff line of the headlights to the tape line from when the truck was sitting neutral and the cutoff line was a considerable distance below the tape line with the back of the truck lifted up and rear suspension extended roughly 2" from where it was in it's resting position. So that got me wondering, is the auto leveling actually doing anything? During startup the headlights go through their range of motion checks on both x and y axis plus I could watch the commanded and actual headlight angle in FORScan moving while I lifted and lowered the back of the truck so I know they're moving at this point. Last test I did was had a friend lower the jack from the lifted position while I physically watched what the headlights did and I was shocked to see they're actually adjusting ass backwards...when the back of the truck was dropped back to neutral the headlights would naturally come back up with the pitch change of the truck but then the headlights would make their "auto level pitch adjustment" and they would adjust up even farther. I'm at a loss...appears the vertical axis is reversed or something in the programming but I'm sure the service department is going to look at me cross-eyed when I take it in and try to explain this.

Anyone else have this going on or know of a solution?

 

[DougDimmadome]

That's super strange. Mine adjust like you'd expect them to, and I've even noticed them adjusting when coming to an aggressive stop

 

[Antho]

Just to follow up on this. I have done some trips with a load in the back. I had to pull over and manually adjust my headlights. Never put much more thought into it. @BAP84 had me curious so i tried jacking the back up and i watched my headlights go down. WTF. Jack up the front and watched the headlamps adjust up. @BAP84 results where the same as mine. So i updated the HCM and sure as shit. The headlamps auto level. I can jack the back up and the headlights stay at the line marked on my garage wall. I noticed some 22MY have the update in FDRS pending and 23MY are built with this software. So there may be some 21 & 22 folks running around with reversed leveling headlamps that where forgot about.

 

[BAP84]

Fixed thanks to @Antho

 

[swoop1156]

Just to follow up on this. I have done some trips with a load in the back. I had to pull over and manually adjust my headlights. Never put much more thought into it. @BAP84 had me curious so i tried jacking the back up and i watched my headlights go down. WTF. Jack up the front and watched the headlamps adjust up. @BAP84 results where the same as mine. So i updated the HCM and sure as shit. The headlamps auto level. I can jack the back up and the headlights stay at the line marked on my garage wall. I noticed some 22MY have the update in FDRS pending and 23MY are built with this software. So there may be some 21 & 22 folks running around with reversed leveling headlamps that where forgot about.

That's wild to think about. When you say you updated the HCM, what did you update? I wanna check mine out, though I've not noticed anything crazy so far. I know mine go left and right, not sure about up and down.

 

[BAP84]

That's wild to think about. When you say you updated the HCM, what did you update? I wanna check mine out, though I've not noticed anything crazy so far. I know mine go left and right, not sure about up and down.

@Antho should elaborate if he wants, but he checked in FDRS to confirm there was no available HCM updates for my truck and nothing was pending so he sent me 3 files which are the current firmware files on the 2023 HCM’s I believe (not sure if it’s a Raptor specific file set or applicable to all LED high package trucks) but anyways he walked me through the firmware update process in FORScan. Post update my headlights worked like they should and stay nice and level now no matter how much weight is in the bed or how high I jack up the back of the truck. Only negative I’ve found post update is the dynamic steer portion of the headlights is now really sensitive to steering input compared to the stock firmware files on the 21 HCM. Think I can get used to that though in exchange for the ability to leave my screwdriver at home now and not worry about blinding everyone if I put something in the bed of the truck lol. I’ll post my findings from pre-firmware update that I posted on another forum if you’re interested in what mine were doing.

 

[im33303]

@Antho should elaborate if he wants, but he checked in FDRS to confirm there was no available HCM updates for my truck and nothing was pending so he sent me 3 files which are the current firmware files on the 2023 HCM’s I believe (not sure if it’s a Raptor specific file set or applicable to all LED high package trucks) but anyways he walked me through the firmware update process in FORScan. Post update my headlights worked like they should and stay nice and level now no matter how much weight is in the bed or how high I jack up the back of the truck. Only negative I’ve found post update is the dynamic steer portion of the headlights is now really sensitive to steering input compared to the stock firmware files on the 21 HCM. Think I can get used to that though in exchange for the ability to leave my screwdriver at home now and not worry about blinding everyone if I put something in the bed of the truck lol. I’ll post my findings from pre-firmware update that I posted on another forum if you’re interested in what mine were doing.

View attachment 419890

Very great news! Thanks for sharing

@Antho is there a need for the FDRS to update or only figures in Forscan from the 23 is enough please?

 

[wyomingraptor]

I drove my new truck for the first time at night last week. Headlights were very high, pissed off a lot of people. Seems like a few miles and five minutes it settled down. I need to keep an eye on it. Kind of weird how the headlights turn when I turn.

 

[Syberspace]

I think i have the same problem. I will check, but I have to manually adjust mine if I tow or carry a load.
Where can I get these files and try on mine? I know how to use Forscan.

Thanks for the post on this @BAP84!!

 

[BAP84]

@Antho walked me through getting mine straightened out and from my point of view he is an absolute wiz with these Ford computers and FORScan/FDRS (way beyond my basic knowledge of programming little preferences through FORScan) thanks again to @Antho for the guidance... I’m not sure if the files he sent to me are the same ones you would need or not for your specific truck. He sent me 3 files (I believe from a 2023 Raptor but maybe just a 2023 truck with the LED high series headlights I’m not sure). He has a 2021 Raptor (as do I) and found the firmware/software build from the 23 HCM fixed his reversed leveling issue which was the same issue as mine and likely yours and many others out there. Maybe reach out to him directly. Hopefully he will expand on the requirements and process and get you all sorted out. I was slightly hesitant with my knowledge and concern for messing something up but followed his lead and it did the trick.