Xenon headlights adjustment - via VAG or 'manual'?

[tadziak]

Hello,

I wanted to ask you what is the difference between the headlights adjustment procedure that is done using the VAG computer (apparently it takes around 30 minutes), compared to the classic/manual adjustment (VW service would just place a mesurement device in front of the both headlamps)?
I wonder, because people were blinking at me that I'm blinding them so I went to the service and asked them for the headlights adjustment. All they did was turning the two screws a bit to match the right line on their device. No computer plugged, no settings 'saved'...I asked them about the 'full computer headlight adjustment' and they replied that they can do it if it's really needed but it takes long and they would charge me for it...

Do you have any experience with that?

[Guest 2]

If the alignment is correct via the beam then its correct? I assume the computer alignment may be if a headlight was replaced or some other part had failed.

[M1tchy]

They are manually adjusted to give the lights a "reference point" so as far as the car is concerned that is correct. The car can then move them round corners and flick them up for motorway light etc and back to this reference point. You can then electronically adjust them and test their full range of movement via VCDS.


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[tadziak]

They are manually adjusted to give the lights a "reference point" so as far as the car is concerned that is correct. The car can then move them round corners and flick them up for motorway light etc and back to this reference point. You can then electronically adjust them and test their full range of movement via VCDS.


Interesting, thanks for the explanation. And do you know if xenon lights in our cars automaticaly/dynamicaly react to the car's position - downhill/uphill? Or do the whole 'self-leveling' only work at the start, when the car-load is checked?

[Guest 2]

they take into consideration the weight in the the car. Hence 'self-levelling'.

[M1tchy]

They only take the load of the car into consideration. In order for the car to take elevation and angles of hills into consideration the navigation system needs DTED (detailed terrain elevation data). It would then know if it was on a hill and would adjust the lights accordingly. Manufacturers are working on incorporating DTED but for now the lights only react to the cars load and self level accordingly.


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[NHN]

With xenons, they shouldn't manually adjust them until the adjustment mode is set, so what they effectively did was wrong, they should always adjust them with this mode enabled, then disable once the point has been achieved, what they've done is pure laziness & should of advised you this & charged if you agreed that is.

There is no effective electronic adjustment made to set them up correctly, the only intervention on most chassis is to set a preset mode which then allows you to manually correct the beam via the white turn screws, then once this adjustment matches the beam lines correctly, it is disabled & the self levelling takes over when on the road, accounting for the cars load as mentioned above.

[Wuffles]

Rather than start a new thread on this, had to ring the Wife yesterday as she was following me on the motorway and I thought she was trying to flash me to get my attention. Turns out no, it was just the car going over minor bumps. Is that normal?

There's no adjustment I should be doing is there?

Xenons & standard suspension.

[Guest 2]

Normal, experienced it on xenon loan cars and xenon cars which were behind me.


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[Wuffles]

Cheers Chris.