Hi all,

I have a Yeti with the Xenon lights and planning to drive to France/Spain in September. On the computer display I see there is a tourist mode that adjusts your headlights when driving on the wrong side of the road (apologies to our european forums members). So one night on a dark road with no traffic about I had a play and didnt seem to be much differnce to my untrained eye. So the question is anyoen been aborad and used this function and any problems ?

Cheers for any help

Weedge

Hi all,

I have a Yeti with the Xenon lights and planning to drive to France/Spain in September. On the computer display I see there is a tourist mode that adjusts your headlights when driving on the wrong side of the road (apologies to our european forums members). So one night on a dark road with no traffic about I had a play and didnt seem to be much differnce to my untrained eye. So the question is anyoen been aborad and used this function and any problems ?

Cheers for any help

Weedge

Hi Weedge

I'm in Austria now and have set the Tourist Mode on my lights. You don't get the cornering function at all, so just straight ahead (I presume - no night driving). I have noticed though that when the Tourist Mode is set, on starting up, the bulb failure warning light flashes for a few moments.

John

The lights work a treat when abroad,just be warned about the price of a spare xenon bulb - 150 quid!

The lights work a treat when abroad,just be warned about the price of a spare xenon bulb - 150 quid!

Ridiculous exploitation! Completely familiar to anyone with a video projector!

Video projector Xenon lamp 150 quid to 500 quid, Cinema Xenon arc lamp, at 10 times the power, less than a hundred quid. Zenon floodlight bulb less than 20 quid. Come on manufacturers, stop taking the p*ss!

Edited 8 August, 201015 yr by Rob666

The lights work a treat when abroad,just be warned about the price of a spare xenon bulb - 150 quid!

High Power Halogen H4 - 21 quid, and, in my opinion, the better option!!

You don't get the cornering function at all, so just straight ahead (I presume - no night driving).

That is really peculiar. Does that mean then that even though the Maxidot can change the light spread Skoda in fact still make left hand drive and right hand drive versions of the Xenons?! Why not just make one (as I thought) and swap all its functions when abroad. Surely you need the safest lights (ie the cornering bits) both here and abroad - if not more when on the "wrong" side of the road!

The lights work a treat when abroad,just be warned about the price of a spare xenon bulb - 150 quid!

I know when driving abroad a spare set of bulbs is law (in most countries it seems), I had planned to take some indicator/brake/tail-lights etc, but does this mean I have to take a spare Xenon ?? at £150 yikes, hadn't planned on that ! I has planned on "winging" it and taking a normal headlight bulb in case the police stopped me, I had not planned doing any night time driving. Getting worried as £150 is a fair wad of cash. Ant advice from anyone who has taken their SM abroad and what they did?

Having found out about the cost, I took a spare bulb set without the xenon. I decided that the other bulbs were more likely to go than that one.

The Xenon bulb is listed as a dealer fit item (plus they are supposed to last longer). Think you would probably get away with it if you were stopped.

Might have to call in to the nearest service centre mind and then the local 'cop shop' to prove you had the work done.

edit; front indicators are also a dealer fit item, as you have to remove the bumper and light unit to change them by the way

Regards,

TP

Edited 9 August, 201015 yr by The Plumber

That is really peculiar. Does that mean then that even though the Maxidot can change the light spread Skoda in fact still make left hand drive and right hand drive versions of the Xenons?! Why not just make one (as I thought) and swap all its functions when abroad. Surely you need the safest lights (ie the cornering bits) both here and abroad - if not more when on the "wrong" side of the road!

It is the safe option, think of the problems when people inadvertently don't change back or select the option in error. The option disables the kick up to the kerb side of the lights to a flat profile which is safe in any country, whereas when not selected the UK spec car defaults to the lighting profile for the uk which it was designed for.

Take a standard H4 bulb!!

Lets be quite honest here; few Police man are going to expect you to change a bulb there and then. Even the Gendarmerie aren't that bad. They are more concerned that you have the correct "bits" and how are they going to know what your car is fitted with?

So are Elegance nodels or any others fitted with Xenons bought in countries requiring a spare bulb set, then actually supplied with a spare xenon bulb as part of that set when the vehicle is new?

Hopefully by the time the Xenons go on my Yeti, Haynes will have published a book showing how to take the front end of the car apart to fit these things! The bulbs are available for much less from internet suppliers and I have heard that taking the car to bits is not actually that complicated. It just seems daunting to think about - something that Skoda keep quiet about but then surprise you when you take the car to them to fix. I fully intend to swap these things myself if needed but can only do so with a few clues as to how to do it.

Why do they make things so complicated? The Octavia II headlamps come out as a complete unit after simply flicking a lever. You take off the connector and can then even take the thing indoors if you want to for replacing the bulb. Progress?

Xenons are really good though and I am happy to put up with the hassle to benefit from them. Even on 'Tourist' mode the available light is much better than even 'off road' halogens.

Edited 10 August, 201015 yr by Trevorminor

Skoda are doing no worse than many manufacturers in making it difficult if not impossible for "joe in the street" to change bulbs. I know of Citreon's, Fords, Audi's BMW's and probably others that have the same problem.

As I understand it, the HID units are not deemed to be "bulbs" under the legislation and therefore are NOT provided in bulb kits by manufacturers. Certainly BMW don't provide them, nor Opel.

Skoda are doing no worse than many manufacturers in making it difficult if not impossible for "joe in the street" to change bulbs. I know of Citreon's, Fords, Audi's BMW's and probably others that have the same problem.

As I understand it, the HID units are not deemed to be "bulbs" under the legislation and therefore are NOT provided in bulb kits by manufacturers. Certainly BMW don't provide them, nor Opel.

That's the view I took and just carried a regular bulb kit.

John