Adaptive Headlights Vs. Main Beam Assist?

[Jerodequin]

Finding it a little difficult to understand the handbook when it covers the headlight functions... I have the xenon light pack which as far as I can tell, means I have adaptive headlights (confirmed by seeing the option in my mmi settings) it seems like if you have adaptive lights then you don't have the main beam assist but possibly this isn't a problem as the adaptive feature replaces this??? (As you can tell, I'm confused here ) any hints?!

 

[HawkeyeS3]

No. Adaptive headlights means the low/high beam "follow" the car around the corner when the wheel is turned, so in a (say) left hand turn, the lights will be closer to the kerb than normal headlights.

High beam assist will auto engage high beam when there are no lights in front (or street lights) and auto disengage high beam when any lights are evident in front of the car. Brilliant feature at night as it saves keep switching high beam off and on manually and means you never get caught "blinding" other drivers.

So two different features.

 

[glospete]

Finding it a little difficult to understand the handbook when it covers the headlight functions... I have the xenon light pack which as far as I can tell, means I have adaptive headlights (confirmed by seeing the option in my mmi settings) it seems like if you have adaptive lights then you don't have the main beam assist but possibly this isn't a problem as the adaptive feature replaces this??? (As you can tell, I'm confused here ) any hints?!

These are quite different features. With Adaptive headlights "the dynamic cornering light identifies the course of the road from the movement of the steering wheel. The headlights swivel into the corner – depending on the steering angle – to provide variable illumination of the curve; navigation or speed-dependent distribution of light from headlights for town, junction, country and motorway, in a speed range from approximately 6 to 68mph".
High Beam Assist - "Working within system limits, automatically detects the headlights of oncoming traffic, the rear lights of other road users and built-up areas and depending on the traffic situation, the high beam is automatically switched on or off. "

I have to say that both features are excellent but High Beam Assist makes night driving so easy.

 

[cemerson]

High Beam Assist isn't available with the Xenon lights, it's replaced with Variable Range Headlight Control (something like that), which performs the same function, but can also adjust to any height in between 'full' and 'dipped' - so as a car approaches you down a road, the lights dip more and more progressively while still lighting up as much of the road as possible, then switch back to full beam when the car passes.

 

[glospete]

Ah mine are the LED headlights so sorry for any confusion!

 

[Jerodequin]

High Beam Assist isn't available with the Xenon lights, it's replaced with Variable Range Headlight Control (something like that), which performs the same function, but can also adjust to any height in between 'full' and 'dipped' - so as a car approaches you down a road, the lights dip more and more progressively while still lighting up as much of the road as possible, then switch back to full beam when the car passes.

Thanks for all the replies, do I need to do anything to enable or disable variable headlight range control or doors it just do it's thing automatically?

 

[cemerson]

It comes on by default if you have the option when you use the full beam, and the lights are in auto mode.

 

[Jerodequin]

It comes on by default if you have the option when you use the full beam, and the lights are in auto mode.

Got it thanks.... I don't have the option (I was mistakenly under the impression it came with the Xenon light pack) - looking at the online confiurator it can only be added as an option with Side Assist/Active Lane Assist/Driver Assistance Package plus either Adaptive headlights with Xenon Plus headlights or Xenon light package, plus either Auto-dimming rear-view mirror or Comfort package.

I didn't spec lane/side assist as I didn't want either of those features, so it seems I missed on on the range control and 'only' have the adaptive lights.

 

[cemerson]

Ah yeh, you need lane assist too for the high beam assist or variable range control. Forgot about that! Don't think it'll come with just side assist though, only with the side + lane assist packages, driver assist package, or lane assist on its own, because all of these include the camera that is used for the function. Side assist on its own doesn't.

You also get the speed limit display with the tech pack as well when you get the camera, so you actually get quite a few nice extras (even though the variable range control is more ££) when you spec the lane assist.

 

[HawkeyeS3]

High Beam Assist isn't available with the Xenon lights, it's replaced with Variable Range Headlight Control (something like that), which performs the same function, but can also adjust to any height in between 'full' and 'dipped' - so as a car approaches you down a road, the lights dip more and more progressively while still lighting up as much of the road as possible, then switch back to full beam when the car passes.

Well mine has High Beam Assist with the Xenon Lights and no, before you ask, it isn't variable range control.

 

[cemerson]

Yeh, I meant when ordered with the front camera as well, as my later post says

 

[HawkeyeS3]

No I don't have any of the lane assist or side assist packages that need a camera either. In the UK, high beam assist is an option with the xenon lights. Clearly there must be a sensor of some sort at the front somewhere for it to work, but it's not reliant on any other option that I'm aware of. And it's brilliant, one of the better options available but apparently not many spec it.

 

[Jerodequin]

Interesting, most definitely wasn't an available option when I ordered mine - as soon as I added Xenon lights, high beam assist was no longer available and the only option for any kind of auto high beam was to add the packages that included the front camera which then would have added variable range control as Cemerson pointed out.

 

[cemerson]

Yeh there's a separate light sensor for the high beam assist, but it's just a light sensor - not a camera. The variable range tends to work very well, but there are instances when it can be fooled.

 

[Jerodequin]

Yeh there's a separate light sensor for the high beam assist, but it's just a light sensor - not a camera. The variable range tends to work very well, but there are instances when it can be fooled.

Just checked the configurator again and high beam assist is definitely not an option in the UK with xenon lights, only with the standard lights. Maybe this was different when you bought your car Hawkeye??

 

[HawkeyeS3]

Just checked the configurator myself to make sure! It's changed quite a bit since I spec'd my S3 SB last year (2014 build delivered March 2014) - variable range I don't recall being an option then. I guess specifications move on, and the configurator seems to indicate that to be the case. A number of options seem to have changed or have been re-packaged. Def Xenons (non-adaptive) on mine with high beam assist.

 

[Pulp84]

I'm sure when i ordered January 2014 high beam assist was only available by upgrading to adaptive lights and dynamic range control I think. If you select those options you will see it includes highbeam assist. Didn't really take it all in as upgraded to LED headlights and then high beam assist was £110 add-on.

 

[HawkeyeS3]

£150 for High Beam assist when I got mine. Was still showing as of April this year I think, like them so much have the same option on my wife's A1 (just delivered).
I'm away from home with work until Friday, but have the Audi brochure at home from when I bought mine, so will review and post up options then as to what they were.