Xenon headlight levelling system

[2SkodaFamily]

On my way home from the cinema last night, it seemed to me that my headlights were at a very low angle. As they are automatically levelled, how reliable is this system? Does it ever play up?

Thanks,

Martin

[chicken_eyebrow]

It could be playing up but the headlights are also manually adjustable via screws on the light unit, so if the headlights have been manually adjusted in the past when the car was not level then even though the car may be level and the auto adjustment is keeping the lights at what it thinks is the "right height", they are manually pointing too low.

Edited 20 August, 2010 by chicken_eyebrow

[RobClubley]

I thought the manual adjustment was ignored next time you started the car because the sensors cause it to auto-level?

And the only way to fix it was with VAGCOM and a beam tester.

[chicken_eyebrow]

The manual adjustment sets the position of the lens and bulb within the light unit independently of what the auto levelling (or levelling control if you don't have xenons) is able to do. So really you should just have the car on a level surface with no luggage or passengers in it and set the level manually.

Then when you start putting weight in the car the auto levelling should kick in and move the level down from this "zero point".

Edited 21 August, 2010 by chicken_eyebrow

[2SkodaFamily]

well it's definitely not right - i drove the wife's toyota last night and her halogens are way better than my xenons!!!

[2SkodaFamily]

I'm assuming that levelling works on both headlights? I parked up behind a nice shiny black car this morning at work and noticed that the offside leveller moves when i switch the ignition on but the nearside doesn't.

Anyone had this before?

Thanks,

Martin

[RobClubley]

I'm assuming that levelling works on both headlights? I parked up behind a nice shiny black car this morning at work and noticed that the offside leveller moves when i switch the ignition on but the nearside doesn't.

Anyone had this before?

Thanks,

Martin

Yes! My drivers side one does it sometimes then fixes itself.

You can replace the motor - part number is on here somewhere and if I recall correctly it's not that expensive.

Removing the light unit is straightforward

http://www.pimpmyskoda.co.uk/RemovingHeadlight.htm

[chicken_eyebrow]

I think sometimes water can get in the motor and mess it up. Mine did it for a while, every time I started the car one of the headlights was fluttering. In the end I bought a new motor and replaced it. I assume the motors for the Xenons are exactly the same as the ones for the Halogen headlights, just controlled by the autolevelling system rather than the levelling switch in the dash.

Edited 7 September, 2010 by chicken_eyebrow

[2SkodaFamily]

Part number for the motor is confirmed (by searching on here and also calling Skoda in Hull) as 1U0 941 295B. Retail price is now £41.89 + VAT.

Will be putting a listing in the Wanted section I think!

[chicken_eyebrow]

OUCH!

They must be different from the ones for Halogen lights then - I've got a feeling my normal one was about £20... which is still a lot to pay for something that very rarely gets used!

[2SkodaFamily]

Found this on ebay

option 1 which seems like the same part number except for the 1U0 becoming 1J0

and this

Option 2 which has the B missing from the part number. Wonder what the difference is?

Certainly at a tenner or so it's worth a punt before forking out £50!!!

Edited 7 September, 2010 by 2SkodaFamily

[Phil_VRS]

I`ve been having a few issues as of late with my xenons where as the near side will adjust when you turn them on but the off side doesn`t and the near side will kind of flicker for a while before it`s fully heated up so i`m not sure if the bulbs actully on the way out. I had to take both units out the other week to replace both side lights and what a pain in the arse that was lol

Phil

[chicken_eyebrow]

I looked at some old posts earlier today and it seems the Xenon ones have more advanced motors than the halogen ones, and the retail price is around £50 :(

[2SkodaFamily]

I thought as much!!

[yashicamat]

£50 is a lot less than a new headlight unit though . . . .

[ExAudiSi]

Found this on ebay

option 1 which seems like the same part number except for the 1U0 becoming 1J0

and this

Option 2 which has the B missing from the part number. Wonder what the difference is?

Certainly at a tenner or so it's worth a punt before forking out £50!!!

Those are for the post and pre-facelift halogen lamps and won't fit the xenon I'm afraid.

I have a spare xenon levelling motor as I am not using it in my conversion as I can't figure the wiring out. Four wires for the xenon against three for the halogen, so I am making some brackets up and using halogen motors for levelling.

The motor is out of a 2nd hand headlamp and I have no way of testing it. Drop me a PM and we may be able to sort something out.

[2SkodaFamily]

PM sent. Many thanks.

[jmf]

My driver's side lamp did this from time to time, but now it looks like it's finally dead and gone. It just stays at the minimum level all the time, while the other one moves normally. This is extremely annoying, not to mention dangerous, since i only see 5 meters before me. I guess I'll take it apart in the weekend to have a look, though I don't know what exactly i can do to it. Maybe I can somehow stick it to the top position and just leave it like that? (nasty I know, but I VERY rarely get someone sitting in the back or have luggage in the car)

And to top it off, the headlight that IS working looks like it isn't sealed properly, i have mist forming inside. So i have to take that one off also and pray that the screws aren't gone and i can tighten them. ARGH!

Edited 28 September, 2010 by jmf

[ExAudiSi]

You should be able to lift the stuck one up with the adjusting screws on the top and line it up with the one that is working.

However if you take it off and disturb things inside the lamp it may start working again like Martin's did.

[2SkodaFamily]

My driver's side lamp did this from time to time, but now it looks like it's finally dead and gone. It just stays at the minimum level all the time, while the other one moves normally. This is extremely annoying, not to mention dangerous, since i only see 5 meters before me. I guess I'll take it apart in the weekend to have a look, though I don't know what exactly i can do to it. Maybe I can somehow stick it to the top position and just leave it like that? (nasty I know, but I VERY rarely get someone sitting in the back or have luggage in the car)

And to top it off, the headlight that IS working looks like it isn't sealed properly, i have mist forming inside. So i have to take that one off also and pray that the screws aren't gone and i can tighten them. ARGH!

It might be worth taking the back off the headlamp unit (remove the headlamp first) and seeing if the motor will work at all when it's not connected to the lens. You might be able to coax a bit more life out of it this way.

Failing that, I still have the motor which I removed when I had the problem. It didn't move at all before I took the assembly apart, but when I did the motor seemed to work fine. I replaced it anyway as I had a different motor and the headlamp was already apart. I'm happy to send it to you to try, just cover the postage? No charge for the motor itself. Might be worth a try; the new motor definitely retails for £50.

PM me.....

[jmf]

PMd and thanks again for the very kind offer

[jmf]

Kicked the light gently with my fist a few times and now it works.Maybe it was stuck or something...

[TrondOstli]

I know this is an old thread, but my old Octy has develloped the same issue. The driver side lamp has stuck in the lower position. The other one works just fine, so i guess the sensors are ok. That leaves me with the motor inside the lamp. Is there a way to take the motor apart, to get it working again? If it is stuck, it shoul be possible to “unstick” it.

[iXtremist]

Well you can easily open the lamp and replace the motor. I will do it just to check the lamps, if they are not stuck.

 

This is how damaged/bend motor looks like.

 

As you can see on the top picture, the motor have ball on the end of shaft. You need to unsrew the 2 torx and than gently push/rotate the motor down, so the ball with shaft goes up. It have keyhole mount and you need that ball to get out from it.

This is a view of installed motor (its damaged, from back, but it doesnt matter for purpose of showing how to uninstall it).

 

this picture is in same position of the photo, showing the keyhole mount for shaft and way ho to get the motor out. Initial position of the ball on shaft is at bottom of the keyhole. 

 

 

Edited 30 March, 2019 by iXtremist

[TrondOstli]

Thanks, but I wondered if it is possible to take the motor itself apart and fix it.