Flasher!!!!!!!

[Trickey Dickey]

Well Hello

I have an A3 s line with Xenons and every time i drive it at night people keep flashing at me and signaling that i have my full beam on (which i dont) when i put the lights on they come on they go up then down and then go back up again is this normal? does anyone else get this problem with people flashing then all the blinkin time????

 

[h5djr]

No, I have Xenons as well and I have never been flashed. It's possible that the basic setting for the Xenons is set too high. The auto-levelling will only level correctly set headlamps. They should be set 1 degree down. You need to take your car to a dealer or a workshop that has beam checking kit and have them checked.

As far as the down and up when you switch on is concerned, this is normal and confirms that the auto-levelling is working.

 

[Trickey Dickey]

ok cheers dave, i guess i,ll take it to the stealers to get it checked out

 

[bacardi]

No, I have Xenons as well and I have never been flashed. It's possible that the basic setting for the Xenons is set too high. The auto-levelling will only level correctly set headlamps. They should be set 1 degree down. You need to take your car to a dealer or a workshop that has beam checking kit and have them checked.

As far as the down and up when you switch on is concerned, this is normal and confirms that the auto-levelling is working.

actually not being picky Dave but it merely confirms that the motors are working , not that autolevelling is working, as mine go
up,
down,
up
and then sadly, down,
and stay down.
very down
until I reset it

!

 

[Trickey Dickey]

sounds like your having problems keeping it up mate

 

[s3mike]

I've been flashed a few times, a quick flash of my full beam shows them I'm on dipped!

Maybe they look bright? I remember being blinded by other people's Xenons before I had the S3 and thinking they were too bright.

Good for the people that have them but I'm not convinced they help other drivers.

 

[Trickey Dickey]

i know exactly what you mean, i tend to flash full beam sometimes to show them but it doesnt stop the next person flashing me again

 

[bacardi]

sounds like your having problems keeping it up mate

ROFL!! Well, the A3's getting on a bit I guess! keeps needing replacement hip (wheel bearing) joints too so lets be nice to her

 

[h5djr]

actually not being picky Dave but it merely confirms that the motors are working , not that autolevelling is working, as mine go
up,
down,
up
and then sadly, down,
and stay down.
very down
until I reset it

In that case I would suggest there is something wrong with your setup. Have you had it checked out?

When I switch on, mine go down, back up and that's it. They then change as required when I'm driving or if I put heavy items in the boot or has passengers in the back.

 

[Trickey Dickey]

i,ll see if chester audi can sort me on saturday i think before i start carrying a gun to shoot the Bxxtards who keep flashing me

 

[paul051]

Ha ha, When i get flashed for my Xenons i give them the main beam to give them a proper blinding... I know im bad just cant help it

 

[bacardi]

In that case I would suggest there is something wrong with your setup. Have you had it checked out?

When I switch on, mine go down, back up and that's it. They then change as required when I'm driving or if I put heavy items in the boot or has passengers in the back.

I totally agree with you, shame Audi don't, they say they can see nothing wrong and its normal

 

[Twizzler]

Ha ha, When i get flashed for my Xenons i give them the main beam to give them a proper blinding... I know im bad just cant help it

That seems a bright way of potentially becoming involved in a head-on accident.

 

[paul051]

Was "bright" the pun?

 

[Spin140]

This happens to me too and in the wifes Jetta also with Xenons, I guess they just look bright, I tend to swear under my breath then take no notice

 

[h5djr]

I totally agree with you, shame Audi don't, they say they can see nothing wrong and its normal

On page 77 of my Sportback Owner's Manual (11.2006) the is the following item

Dynamic headlight range control

On vehicles with xenon gas-discharge bulbs, the headlights automatically adapt to suit the load being carried when the ignition is switched on. They are also adjusted automatically when the vehicle is moving (e.g. when accelerating and braking).

So if yours do not 'adjust automatically when the vehicle is moving' there is clearly something wrong. Personally I would have another go at the dealers.

 

[steve184]

i've always noticed with these Xenon plus lights that you can see the beams wobble on the road ase you hit bumps - this isn't something i'm happy with but had it in to be checked and audi ahve said this is fine (although not by me it isn't!) - I can imagine this wobbling would cause the lights to flicker at oncoming drivers and could be annoying (this didnt happen with the old standard xenons) - have to be honest though i can't say i've been flashed much tho

 

[murray]

Yep, get flashed at a lot as well!

 

[h5djr]

i've always noticed with these Xenon plus lights that you can see the beams wobble on the road ase you hit bumps - this isn't something i'm happy with but had it in to be checked and audi ahve said this is fine (although not by me it isn't!)

When I had an 8L 1.8T Sport on loan for a couple of days in May 2003. It was fitted with xenons I noticed exactly the same thing and I hated it. When I test drove a new 170 before I bought my current one, it had different xenons and they seemed to be very stable, so I decided to order my new one with them.

I glad to say that I don't notice any 'wobble' with the xenons on my current A3. Perhaps it was the change from xenons with halogen main beams to the current bi-xenons with xenon on both beams and DRLs.

 

[bacardi]

On page 77 of my Sportback Owner's Manual (11.2006) the is the following item

Dynamic headlight range control

On vehicles with xenon gas-discharge bulbs, the headlights automatically adapt to suit the load being carried when the ignition is switched on. They are also adjusted automatically when the vehicle is moving (e.g. when accelerating and braking).

So if yours do not 'adjust automatically when the vehicle is moving' there is clearly something wrong. Personally I would have another go at the dealers.

I agree here too and have tried, believe me! Its been to two dealers (S-Hatfield Audi and Huntingdon Audi), they don't agree with me, to be honest I've really lost the will to complain or try to get them fixed as I have much more interesting things to spend my time on.

This is the same thing I go through everytime it needs a new wheel bearing -
Me - it needs a new wheel bearing
Dealer - no its your tyres,
Me, it needs a new wheel bearing
Dealer, no its your tyres
repeat a few times

Dealer - actually, it needs a new wheel bearing,
me - Really, why didn't I think of that.............

 

[Stitch_626]

I have been noticing this all the tiime - yet the beam pattern is no different from what it was on my focus st so Im at a bit of a loss .....

 

[baz1985]

I've had issues with mine- mine were too low. Now sorted.

Ask the dealer to raise the vertical aim to the maximum legal height.

Procedure as I understand it:

Connect to Diagnostics.
Turn off the self-levelling sensor.
Reset aim.
Activate self-levelling sensor.

If your car is lowered then it is more complex?- so I've read on VWVortex somewhere.