Are others with Xenon lights finding they are getting frequent "complaints" from oncoming drivers who flash their headlights believing you are driving on main beam.?

We wondered if this was perhaps due to older drivers with dirty windscreens (inside or out) being unable to cope with the brightness rather than direction.

We have started to drive on main beam to show oncoming drivers we are indeed dipped. This seems to reduce "complaints" by about 90%!

Even when an oncoming motorist is aware we are dipped we have had a further flash indicating they are not happy.

Sometimes, for no apparant reasons the headlamps will switch automatically to a very low dipped position during nightime. This provides a very intense light very close to the car and is quite dangerous when you lose normal dipped beam. Wonder if this is the daylight tunnel switching on at the wrong time.

We have regarded the warning light concerning a lighting problem that comes on intermittently as a fault on the master lighting switch as described in a previous thread and resolved by restarting. It is quite disappointing to have the inconvenience and expense (travel cost and time) of organising a master switch change for a problem similar to that encountered on the master switch of our Superb over five years ago.

Sounds like the lights have not been set up at PD correctly, and the reverting to a very low position could be that they have not had this position set in VAGCOM. Or I could be talking carp as usual

Edited 7 March, 201016 yr by postmanpat

Are others with Xenon lights finding they are getting frequent "complaints" from oncoming drivers who flash their headlights believing you are driving on main beam.?

We wondered if this was perhaps due to older drivers with dirty windscreens (inside or out) being unable to cope with the brightness rather than direction.

You have, of course, checked that the complainants receive their pensions and are thus incapable of cleaning their windscreens? Is this an Ageist comment?

perhaps you had dirty lenses and the light was being reflected upwards?

Xenons can and do blind oncoming drivers.(of any age) They are not as wonderful as claimed by some so please accept that no lighting system is perfect.

You have, of course, checked that the complainants receive their pensions and are thus incapable of cleaning their windscreens? Is this an Ageist comment?

perhaps you had dirty lenses and the light was being reflected upwards?

Xenons can and do blind oncoming drivers.(of any age) They are not as wonderful as claimed by some so please accept that no lighting system is perfect.

No it's a confession!!!

When you collect your pension it is important to ensure your screen is clean inside and out and , if you have avoided laser treatment or contact lenses,clean your spectacles too

BTW shouldn't the headlight washing system keep the headlights on the Elegance clean? :wonder:

Edited 7 March, 201016 yr by Y4YETI

No it's a confession!!!

When you collect your pension it is important to ensure your screen is clean inside and out and , if you have avoided laser treatment or contact lenses,clean your spectacles too

BTW shouldn't the headlight washing system keep the headlights on the Elegance clean? :wonder:

I have driven for many hours up here in the cold north where it is dark for many long hours during the winter and have never had any problems with xenon headlights. This has also been the case when I've driven through other European countries. I have no idea why this is the case, maybe the lights are set up differently when the car's lefthand drive?

It's cause the oncoming drivers are idiots!

I have always received flashes of annoyance from oncoming drivers whenever I have driven a vehicle that is taller than the average hatchback. Whether a 4x4 or my wife's Smart, people think that you are on main beam just because the lights are a little bit higher up. Occasionally I flash them back to show them that the lights were on dipped beam but I don't imagine that this is well received given that the dipped beams upset them so much in the first place.

I have always received flashes of annoyance from oncoming drivers whenever I have driven a vehicle that is taller than the average hatchback. Whether a 4x4 or my wife's Smart, people think that you are on main beam just because the lights are a little bit higher up. Occasionally I flash them back to show them that the lights were on dipped beam but I don't imagine that this is well received given that the dipped beams upset them so much in the first place.

I have always thought that the higher the headlamp the less oncoming vehicles will be inconvenienced because the angle of the beam is steeper.

This is why low level fog lamps can only be used in fog or falling snow even though they have a sharp cut off. To get the same coverage they have to be set closer to the horizontal so any slight change in angle is more likely to take the beam above horizontal and thus dazzle oncoming drivers.

The change in angle of a higher set light source has to be much greater to take it above the horizontal (like, say, on a humpback bridge).

It is more likely that oncoming drivers are reacting to either the brightness or the flare caused by dirty headlamps (notwithstanding headlamp washers)

tom

i hate other road users with xenons, but find them brilliant myself!!! i find they dazzle me from pretty much any car with them, i drive a lot in the dark, my shift patterns consist of finishing at around midnight, or starting at 5am depending on what shifts im on, and i live 20 miles from work, so most of my miles are done at night, but i find the new renaults dazzle me more than anything

I have never had a problem with my Octavia, and they are set on the upper limit

Does the yeti with Xenons have AFS fitted, if it does then the beam pattern is constantly adjusting. Around town the beam is supposed to be very short, as you go faster the beam pattern gets longer. At motorway speeds the beam pattern is long and wide. There is a good explanation here.

http://www.carpages.co.uk/skoda/skoda-superb-07-11-08.asp

I'm a bit confused here as to the talk of main/dipped etc. The way I see it is we have DRLs, side lights and headlights. Headlights are on either 'dipped' or 'high' beam.

I have had people flash their lights at me when I have been driving with the headlights on 'dipped' beam. This has only happened 'out of town' where there is no street lighting. I ignore the first flash but give a flick of high beam if they flash a second time. One thing the Bi-Xenons do is allow a very short flash as there is no bulb to light up. I rarely had people flash at me when I had the Fabia (with Xenons).

The Yeti does not have AFS beam control.

The Yeti headlights stay extremely clean. This isn't just down to the headlamp washing system (which does operate more frequently than the Fabia system). I reckon the aerodynamics of the Yeti account for that - the headlight lenses are not square onto the road but at an angle so i reckon a lot of road crud just carries on past the headlights (and attaches itself to the front of the rear wheel arches and tailgate... ).

Perhaps my headlights are set slightly too high, I do have my suspicions but that is something I will get checked when I next visit Allams. I do find that on-coming Range Rovers no longer dazzle me, sitting higher in the Yeti and I think this is the root of the problem, as shrub said - high mounted headlights. I don't reckon Range Rover drivers are worried about upsetting other road users...

I haven't seen my headlights doing anything but sit at the same level apart from the little dance they do every now and then when they are switched on.

Before the anti-Xenon brigade appear claiming we're burning holes in the ozone layer, what I will say is wouldn't you prefer to see that child that's about to run into the road before it is too late with the extra light emitted by the Xenons...

Does the yeti with Xenons have AFS fitted, if it does then the beam pattern is constantly adjusting. Around town the beam is supposed to be very short, as you go faster the beam pattern gets longer. At motorway speeds the beam pattern is long and wide. There is a good explanation here.

http://www.carpages.co.uk/skoda/skoda-superb-07-11-08.asp

Thanks for the link mannyo.

It explains:-

•Urban – light beam shortens and widens for better illumination of pavements and junctions in built-up areas; active between 9 – 30 mph.

It seems that for my vehicle this pattern might be activating at inappropriate speeds and the brightness of this area so close to the vehicle certainly takes focus away from a dark road ahead. . Guess in an illuminated urban area this would not be a problem. At 60 mph on a dual carriageway such a cut off is dangerous as you need the coverage of a properly dipped beam.

Edited 7 March, 201016 yr by Y4YETI

<snip>

The Yeti does not have AFS beam control.

<snip>

I haven't seen my headlights doing anything but sit at the same level apart from the little dance they do every now and then when they are switched on.

<snip>

Thanks aerofurb my last post crossed with yours. My lights are behaving as if the had a malfunctioning AFS!!!!

I see the brochure states the Elegance has(over the SE) "Light assistant (coming, leaving home, and tunnel light, daylight running lights)"

Unless there has been an upgrade to AFS then the tunnel light coming on at inappropriate times could be related to the cut off problem.

The coming and leaving home is fine.

On auto daylight running seems to vary on the light levels - sometimes the beam setting will be dipped and other times it is sidelights. Perhaps longer on dipped that I would keep them.

It's all rather confusing as in the thread on adjusting xenon lights aerofurb wrote:-

My understanding of the Yeti Bi-Xenons is that they are not AFS like the Superb and Octavia which adapt to the driving conditions. Yeti Xenons are, according to the UK brochure: Bi-xenon headlights with cornering function and dynamic angle control.

Would the dynamic control create odd effects of shortening the beam range?

Edited 7 March, 201016 yr by Y4YETI

Thanks aerofurb my last post crossed with yours. My lights are behaving as if the had a malfunctioning AFS!!!!

Would the dynamic control create odd effects of shortening the beam range?

I doubt it. I can't remember the exact figures but its something around 10 or 15 degrees of left/right movement to the headlight on the inside of the corner and 5 degrees to the outside headlight. It's purely a left/right move so shouldn't effect the vertical setting of the headlight.

Before the anti-Xenon brigade appear claiming we're burning holes in the ozone layer, what I will say is wouldn't you prefer to see that child that's about to run into the road before it is too late with the extra light emitted by the Xenons...

Don't be so silly! What a trivial comment. You are suggesting that the drivers of cars fitted with halogens cannot see the road ahead. This brings the argument to a new low. Don't drag the other users of Xenon lights down to your level.

Don't be so silly! What a trivial comment. You are suggesting that the drivers of cars fitted with halogens cannot see the road ahead. This brings the argument to a new low. Don't drag the other users of Xenon lights down to your level.

Ooops - did someone bite....?

Ooops - did someone bite....?

I was thinking of people, who may read this Forum, who have lost or who know of a child lost in these circumstances.

I was thinking of people, who may read this Forum, who have lost or who know of a child lost in these circumstances.

Yes it is a very sad fact that more children are likely to be killed, injured or suffer mental damage as a result of road accidents than will ever suffer from the actions of paedophiles.

What would be the cost benefit results in diverting the millions of pounds on setting up the Independent Safeguarding Authority and Criminal Record Bureau checks for all those involved with children in comparison with proper research, improvement and action for issues such as this. This costly "Stasi" is unlikely to pinprick the damage done to children by family members or people known to the family but could damage the careers and reputations of innocent people based on unsubstantiated rumour.

From time to time we have campaigns to get drivers to get their eyesight tested but nothwithstanding it is apparant that some drivers are dazzled by all incoming headlights whether they be halogen or xenon.

Before introducing more and more powerful lights (perhaps encouraging those drivers with them to drive faster at night) there should be research into the causes of dazzle and a breakdown of driver age groups, spectacle wearers, cleanliness of internal and external windscreens.

Facing up to reality brighter headlights could have an adverse safety effect by causing more dazzle to oncoming drivers (maybe on a country road causing them to hit a pedestrian or cyclist)

Maybe this will prove the need for a campaign to improve windscreen cleanliness. Judging from the number of people who drive with windscreens partly frosted or misted inside visibility is not a priority for some people.

At the end of the day I would guess that more damage done to children at home or on the road is linked to alcohol rather than paedophiles or any issues raised on this thread.

I sometimes get dazzled by Xenons; but not always. There seem to be several different reasons;

1/ People driving aggressively, the front of the car "rears" under hard acceleration, blinding oncoming traffic; big 4x4s are the worst for this, Range Rovers, BMW X series, etc

2/ Heavy loads in the back; a lot of cars do not cope well, even with auto levelling suspension and/or lights, the back is too low, the front is too high, the oncoming traffic cant see a bloody thing. This usually happens after the car is a couple of years old, and usually big saloons or estates.

3/ Badly cambered roads, especially dual carriageways with long sweeping bends, seem to push one side up, so one light looks fine, the other blinds you.

I have flashed people thinking their light were too high or had main beam on, and sometimes I know I have been wrong, so I mentally apologise to them as I pass.