Xenon + Adaptive + Variable Range Control

Itguy

Itguy

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Hi Everyone

Anyone got this combination on their car?

I've watched some youtube videos and read some of the german forums about it on the Golf Mk7 but not really heard anything about how good it is on the 8V at all.

I'm particularly interested in the variable range control aspect. Does it really work as well as the hella animations suggest it should?
 
I have this... you're going to have to tell me what 'hella' animations are though so I know what it's trying to show you...
 
The videos are on this website on the right hand side HELLA | Headlamps

the Audi website isn't very descriptive about what it actually does, so am interested in if it is the same as the three items listed (including the adaptive function)

am am I right in thinking you just leave the lights on full beam (auto) and it just adjusts them as needed not to blind other oncoming or in front drivers?
 
Pretty much yeh, works as in that animation for the adaptive cut off line. It's not perfect, but it works pretty well. Eg, if you are following a car and it goes around a corner, your car will switch to high beam, then you go round the corner and it has to switch back to low again - but it does work quite well.
 
No, doesn't do anything like that, but I think it can keep one of the lights on full and dip the other one for oncoming traffic so they work independently
 
audi upgrades
I'm really struggling with whther or not to add adaptive lights to my order (if I do I'll get the VRC as well as it's so cheap). I don't do much night driving on unlit country lanes but as a shift worker most of my night driving is at the end of a long day (in the early hours) and so I'm generally utterly knackered. Would you class it as a must have option?
 
I don't think so. I added Xenon lights to a sport trim so I got the adaptive function anyway. Having said that I haven't tried turning it off to see what the difference is - you don't usually notice it operating (unless you look for it) as it just lights stuff up for you when you look there. The static cornering lights I notice occasionally and do a great job of lighting up the area the front of the car is going to move into at slow speed. I got the variable range control as I also added lane assist as well, and I do use it a fair bit and mostly works fine (though does have its moments sometimes). You lose the ability to have a manual full beam option without turning the adaptive lights off i think (though not tried this yet - must do at some point) - you can only switch between full beam and auto-full beam (variable range). Turning it off again from the auto mode is a bit complex unfortunately - you first have to switch to full beam mode, then turn off from there, or switch the headlights to full on from auto and back again if you want to do it without going through full beam first!
 
I'd have thought in your situation you'd be better to go the full hog and have LED headlights - the light they produce is more like daylight so is meant to reduce tiredness even more than xenons.

I have adaptive lights on my MINI and they are better than normal xenons which basically point in the direction that the car is facing. Adaptive adds them to curve the light into the bends, widen the beam pattern if needed too. They do work well. For a moment I didn't spec them on my new s3 but then I remember how good they are.

Also remember that variable range control can only be bought with lane assist, side assist or drivers assistance pack too.
 
Thanks for the opinions guys. I do have the drivers assistance pack spec'd anyway and the order is for an S3 which comes with the xenons as standard. My last car had xenons and I never thought they were particular lacking in any way so I don't really know what I'm missing. There's quite a big cost difference between the adaptive/Vrc option for xenons and the full blown LED kit. My other concern re the adaptive xenons is how well the mechanism lasts over time I.e. Is it just another moving part to go wrong in the long-run and what happens if your tracking is out and the steering wheel sits off-center?
 
Yes it's another moving part but my MINI ones have been faultless in 3 years.

If you were speccing the adaptive + variable isn't it only another £400ish for full LED?
 
Itguy said:
If you were speccing the adaptive + variable isn't it only another £400ish for full LED?
Click to expand...

it is but I haven't spec'd either yet, so it's either my current spec (which is pretty loaded anyway) plus £370 or £795. I've already used that same logic to rationalize adding other options so I'm having a hard time doing it again.
 
Ha, me too :)

you ask a really good question and the best answer I could find is "no" and they also don't include variable range control either.

for this reason I didn't buy The LEDs, I would have if they did. They have cornering lights, ie an extra led that switches on round corners but that isn't the same as adaptive on the xenons.

I'm waiting until the matrix LED tech comes down to the S3 in due course to get Full LEDs.
 
I think the standard xenons have cornering lights as well don't they?
 
Yes they do. Adaptive actually swivels the lens that is in front of the main xenon bulb.
 
Yep, you get cornering lights anyway. Perhaps even with the standard halogen bulbs.
 
Repair costs on adaptive mechanism is (I'm guessing) going to be cheaper than the cost of repairing blown LEDs on the LED lights I reckon...
 
Leeber said:
I'm really struggling with whther or not to add adaptive lights to my order (if I do I'll get the VRC as well as it's so cheap). I don't do much night driving on unlit country lanes but as a shift worker most of my night driving is at the end of a long day (in the early hours) and so I'm generally utterly knackered. Would you class it as a must have option?
Click to expand...
I've got adaptive without VRC, and think they're great. I've really got used the the adaptive already and, even though it's not very noticeable whilst it's doing its thing, when driving my wife's car it feels like the headlights are pointing the wrong way when cornering.

I don't have VRC, so can't comment. I considered it, but was worried that it might be annoying if it didn't work well - plus it wouldn't have been cheap as I didn't have the extras it needed.

cemerson said:
Repair costs on adaptive mechanism is (I'm guessing) going to be cheaper than the cost of repairing blown LEDs on the LED lights I reckon...
Click to expand...

I was thinking this too. In years to come LED will be better, cheaper and more reliable than Xenon, but right now it's still a new technology, and if it does fail it probably won't be cheap. They do look cool though, especially the LED front indicators!
 
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The thing that annoys me is that, on an S-line configuration, adding Adaptive would mean it's only £195 more for full LEDs. So tempting!
 
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