adjusting xenons
- Thread starter RHODIE
- Start date
Yep you can adjust them yourself, just make sure you don;t wind them up to high as other drivers get a bit pee'd off by you blinding them - had a couple of people get out at junctions to have a go a t me for flashing them... On the plus side as you drive down the motorway people get out of your way thinking you are flashing your headlights /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Oh and theres 2 white screws, off the top of my head I think it's the inner one that adjusts the Xenons.
J.
You need to use Vagcom to adjust the Xenons... Once you have them in "learn" mode you can adjust them with the screws. Once they are in the correct position, you save the settings and the positions will be remembered.
Sound right to me, as they are controlled by the vehicle electronics....
The Xenon beem angles are constantly adjusted according to vehicle attitude, determined by suspension travel sensors. You can see them move when you go over speed humps etc.
Garthy - when you say its a bad dip beam, do you mean its not very bright, or the beam cut off is too low down?
The Xenon beem angles are constantly adjusted according to vehicle attitude, determined by suspension travel sensors. You can see them move when you go over speed humps etc.
Garthy - when you say its a bad dip beam, do you mean its not very bright, or the beam cut off is too low down?
Well if you adjust them without Vag-com using the little white screws they stay where they are adjusted...
but I wll bow down to your superior knowledge as I'm sure someone else told me about the Vag-Com adjustment!
J.
but I wll bow down to your superior knowledge as I'm sure someone else told me about the Vag-Com adjustment!
J.
Cheers dude /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif looks like I wll be out playing with my lights and doing the job properly later on
J.
J.
It probably still works using the adjusters on their own, if the adjusters move the lamp in relation to the motor/adjustment mechanism then the car doesn't know where the lights are pointing, only where it thinks they're pointing!!
But mine as standard still light up the number plate of the car in front at 20 meters. Any higher and they'd be dazzled for sure.
It probably still works using the adjusters on their own, if the adjusters move the lamp in relation to the motor/adjustment mechanism then the car doesn't know where the lights are pointing, only where it thinks they're pointing!!
But mine as standard still light up the number plate of the car in front at 20 meters. Any higher and they'd be dazzled for sure.
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Cheers dude /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif looks like I wll be out playing with my lights and doing the job properly later on
J.
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No probs mate. I had to do my S3 lights for my last MOT. It was really funny explaining to the "old school" mot guy what I was doing with a laptop plugged into the car! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I left the garage leaving him confused but excited!
He thought I was some sort of genius! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif
Cheers dude /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif looks like I wll be out playing with my lights and doing the job properly later on
J.
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No probs mate. I had to do my S3 lights for my last MOT. It was really funny explaining to the "old school" mot guy what I was doing with a laptop plugged into the car! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I left the garage leaving him confused but excited!
He thought I was some sort of genius! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif
An interesting aside. How well do Xenons last when they are on all the time. On a recent trip to Cologne I was aware of how many vehicles had their dipped headlights on all the time.
In France, Belgium, Holland and Germany it is recommended that you drive with dipped headlights at all times and in Austria the law requires it. No doubt good old UK will catch up eventually.
When I go on hoiday to Austria next June I think I'll take out my Phillips Vision Plus bulbs and put ordinary bulbs in. No point in wearing out the Vision Plus bulbs in daylight.
In France, Belgium, Holland and Germany it is recommended that you drive with dipped headlights at all times and in Austria the law requires it. No doubt good old UK will catch up eventually.
When I go on hoiday to Austria next June I think I'll take out my Phillips Vision Plus bulbs and put ordinary bulbs in. No point in wearing out the Vision Plus bulbs in daylight.
Dave R -
I thought that with filament bulbs, the biggest factor with life was number of on/off cycles not purely 'hours'. Filaments are usually more susceptable to vibration damage when they are OFF than ON, ie. cold. Then they fail when you turn them on.
Whereas with gas discharge lamps (HID) it tends to be the starters that fail rather than the 'bulb' as such.
I'd like to see some lifetime estimates though, someone told me the HID element cost £200.
I thought that with filament bulbs, the biggest factor with life was number of on/off cycles not purely 'hours'. Filaments are usually more susceptable to vibration damage when they are OFF than ON, ie. cold. Then they fail when you turn them on.
Whereas with gas discharge lamps (HID) it tends to be the starters that fail rather than the 'bulb' as such.
I'd like to see some lifetime estimates though, someone told me the HID element cost £200.
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Dave R -
I thought that with filament bulbs, the biggest factor with life was number of on/off cycles not purely 'hours'. Filaments are usually more susceptable to vibration damage when they are OFF than ON, ie. cold. Then they fail when you turn them on.
Whereas with gas discharge lamps (HID) it tends to be the starters that fail rather than the 'bulb' as such.
I'd like to see some lifetime estimates though, someone told me the HID element cost £200.
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IIRC, the life of a HID "bulb" at Nissan was 15 years.... Still makes it voluminously more expensive than regular halogen bulbs though....
Dave R -
I thought that with filament bulbs, the biggest factor with life was number of on/off cycles not purely 'hours'. Filaments are usually more susceptable to vibration damage when they are OFF than ON, ie. cold. Then they fail when you turn them on.
Whereas with gas discharge lamps (HID) it tends to be the starters that fail rather than the 'bulb' as such.
I'd like to see some lifetime estimates though, someone told me the HID element cost £200.
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IIRC, the life of a HID "bulb" at Nissan was 15 years.... Still makes it voluminously more expensive than regular halogen bulbs though....
They were about £100 when I looked about a year ago. I guess they are much cheaper now. Yep, I've read that Xenons don't like switching on and off, and I then to switch the town lights on first and then the dips after a couple of seconds. I've of people having trouble when they go straight to dips on the Mk1 A3 and TTs.
I've have my lights on auto all the time, so this time of year they come straight onto dip with almost every ignition 'ON'
Plus 'walk in/out' lights means they come on when you unlock the doors, then go off when you open the door, then come back on again when you turn the ignition on. Then go off when you turn off the ignition, then come on again when you open the door, then go off again 30sec after you lock the doors.
Reliable? I hope so.
Plus 'walk in/out' lights means they come on when you unlock the doors, then go off when you open the door, then come back on again when you turn the ignition on. Then go off when you turn off the ignition, then come on again when you open the door, then go off again 30sec after you lock the doors.
Reliable? I hope so.
