Light Assist - too slow?

[tadziak]

Hello,
I have been doing a lot of night-driving yesterday and was tessting my Light Assist (adaptive light). Overall it's a very nice feature, but in many cases it was too slow to switch the high beams to low beams and I dazzled the oncoming traffic. It was especially problematic when the car would be oncoming from behind a hill or a turn, covered with some trees. In general I was hoping that it can work at least as fast as manual light switching, but I could see the oncoming car way ahead of the light assist reacting (for example by the white light-cast visible from behind a hill).

Is there any way to increase sensitivity of this feature or make it work faster?

[Wuffles]

Yes, disable it and use your hands.

I have.

[razor77]

But it only blinds them for a second or so, I find they get me back, turning theirs back on just before they pass me!

[retired99]

Seems to be ok most of the time, although have been flashed on the odd occasion. That said, it nearly always dips the lights a split second after I would have and, as previously stated, doesn't spot oncoming headlights until, e.g., the on coming car has come round the corner or over the hill. In these case I would dip considerably earlier when the loom of the oncoming lights becomes visible.

A feature I really like, and which doesn't seem to bother other drivers, is the continuously variable range adjustment to match the distance from the car in front. It illuminates up to the back of the car in front without appearing to dazzle the driver.

[tadziak]

A feature I really like, and which doesn't seem to bother other drivers, is the continuously variable range adjustment to match the distance from the car in front. It illuminates up to the back of the car in front without appearing to dazzle the driver.

I also have the "continuously variable range adjustment" and in general it seems to be working, but yesterday I was driving on country roads with some more tricky turns and hills and the assistant was often not fast enough when I already saw the 'loom' for a few seconds or longer. Same goes for the cars that come quite suddenly from behind a turn in a forrest. I could spot the incoming car's lights through the gaps between the trees, however the assistant did not react in time.

I don't think that turning off that feature is a solution. I paid quite much for it and I want to be able to use it.

[Wuffles]

Leave it on and get flashed on occasion then.

I am one of life's moths. I will stare directly at a main beam and it is bad.

I do not like being flashed, mind you, I also don't like being at the mercy of a computer telling me when I should or should not be courteous. It's just how I am.

[retired99]

Is it the adaptive lighting to blame (I suspect it has a role) or is it Xenon lights in general?

I drove a MB with non adaptive Xenons for a number of years and got the odd flash even when I'd dipped in plenty of time. A bumpy road or cresting a hill would seem to cause a problem even when dipped.

[rickerby]

All these automatic systems seem a complete waste of time. If I keep my headlight switch in auto, the lights are on virtually all the time, even after adjusting the setting in MMI. As for auto wipers. They sit still in a monsoon and go like the clappers in light drizzle. The same on every auto wipe car I have owned. I have now disabled these.

[Passatier3]

There has been times in the past when I've been sick of switching between low and main beams and would have loved an automatic system but it seems that now they are available have their shortcomings.

You just can't beat a human being in some situations!

[tadziak]

I'm sorry to dig up the old thread, but I have one more question to people who actually have the 'flexible/fluid xenon light' option. In manual it clearly states that whenever high beam is active (even partially) the blue indicator should be lit. In my experience every time there is a car driving in front of me or from the opposite direction - my lights switch to short (the blue indicator goes off). According to all animations I find on youtube, the high beams should stay on in such situations
Volkswagen Light Assist - YouTube

Can anyone share their experience?