Light Assit with factory fit Xenon

[BIG Nick]

Hello all,

If anyone on here has a FL Octy with light assist and factory fit xenons can you answer me a question please.

When you switch on the ignition and it's dark do your xenons light up or do they wait until engine is running??

Many Thanks

BIG Nick

[gadgetman]

If the switch is on auto, they should come on.

[pad953]

Hello all,

If anyone on here has a FL Octy with light assist and factory fit xenons can you answer me a question please.

When you switch on the ignition and it's dark do your xenons light up or do they wait until engine is running??

Many Thanks

BIG Nick

They come on with the ignition on mine - unless they are already on from unlocking the car. :yes:

[silver1011]

The question was with the ignition or when the engine fires...

[ChrisRs]

They come on with the ignition and then do their little levelling dance

[BIG Nick]

Thanks for the replies.

I find it a bit odd that Skoda let them fire up just running off the battery, my previous experience (Vx) they wont come on until the engine is running!

Cheers

[silver1011]

I find it a bit odd that Skoda let them fire up just running off the battery, my previous experience (Vx) they wont come on until the engine is running!

Another reason I'm not a big fan of auto lights.

The amount of times I see people jump in their cars, lights on, radio on, rear heated screen on, reverse lights on - then start engine.

Get home, engine off, then turn headlights off, radio off etc. etc = the fastest way to kill a battery!

My Scout has xenon’s which I've learnt on here don't like to be turned on and off too regularly, in auto mode that’s all they ever do! Go over - 80mph on, drop below 80mph - off, drive past a tree - on, sneeze - off etc. etc.

Then you get people who leave them in auto and forget about them, it starts to rain, visibility reduces but not enough to activate the sensor = lots of people driving in the rain with no lights on. Wipers on? Then dipped headlights should be on!

Don't get me started on DRL's, all good and well from the front but no lights at the rear. Driver conscious of having lights on at the front but forgets or doesn't realise there is nothing on at the back - which is especially nice on the motorway

Ah, what a release - I feel better

[Mute]

Starting the car at night -->

Unlock with the remote == lights on (set to 30 seconds in maxidot so they dont turn off before i've got the key in the ignition, lights on/off kills xenons (hence why you can't "flash" them))

Key in the igntion == they will never go off now until engine started or key removed again, overrides the 30sec limit

Turn on ignition == goes through startup / self levelling procedure

Stopping the car at night (factory behaviour) -->

Turn off the ignition == factory behaviour is to turn off the lights at this point, but i have changed the behaviour via VCDS (see below)

open drivers door == lights on again

10sec delay (adjustable) == lights off

Stopping the car at night (my way) -->

Turn off ignition == lights stay on, 10 sec countdown begins

You can open / close the door, lock the car or do nothing, after 10 secs the lights will go off.

Rear lights dim then go off, not an instant off. Looks very nice.

My setup (30secs leaving home, coming home countdown begins on ignition off rather than door open) means the lights never have to flash on then off only to come on again. Hopefully preserving the xenon life at £80 / bulb

Edited 5 September, 2010 by Mute

[gadgetman]

I have come home lights and light assist, with xenons on 2mins and they've been fine for 3.5 years, and so has the battery!

[noirxpress]

Another reason I'm not a big fan of auto lights.

The amount of times I see people jump in their cars, lights on, radio on, rear heated screen on, reverse lights on - then start engine.

Get home, engine off, then turn headlights off, radio off etc. etc = the fastest way to kill a battery!

My Scout has xenon’s which I've learnt on here don't like to be turned on and off too regularly, in auto mode that’s all they ever do! Go over - 80mph on, drop below 80mph - off, drive past a tree - on, sneeze - off etc. etc.

Then you get people who leave them in auto and forget about them, it starts to rain, visibility reduces but not enough to activate the sensor = lots of people driving in the rain with no lights on. Wipers on? Then dipped headlights should be on!

Don't get me started on DRL's, all good and well from the front but no lights at the rear. Driver conscious of having lights on at the front but forgets or doesn't realise there is nothing on at the back - which is especially nice on the motorway

Ah, what a release - I feel better

Well, touch wood, 110k later... same battery with factory fit Xenons and coming/leaving home always on...!

[silver1011]

That's the good thing with xenons, they use very little power when on (compared to traditional halogens), its the initial power required to ignite them that saps the power.

My 1999 Peugeot 306 with 130,000K is still on its original battery

A little common sense goes a long way!

[JR RS]

is it possible to configure the coming home light assist to operate the foglights rather than the xenons?

i don't particular fancy having my xenons fire up for say 30secs, when leaving or getting to the car. as mentioned before, those xenon bulbs ain't cheap.

by having them turn on, then off, everytime i leave or enter the car will surely reduce the life of those xenons.

i'd rather have my foglights to that instead. cheaper to replace a halogen bulb, & it does a similar job - light up the area.

can this b configured? maybe using VAGCOM/VCDS?

[Mute]

is it possible to configure the coming home light assist to operate the foglights rather than the xenons?

I don't remember seeing that option in VCDS

[ChrisRs]

I really do doubt that there will be any problem at all with your HID's

VW/Skoda would not have this as an option if there was.

[BIG Nick]

yes u can program the 09 central electrics controller to use fog lights for leaving/coming home lights I have mine configured this way!

BIG Nick

[silver1011]

I really do doubt that there will be any problem at all with your HID's

VW/Skoda would not have this as an option if there was.

As long as they last three or more years Skoda won't care, not that bulbs are covered under warranty anyway

[ChrisRs]

They will last longer than 3 years anyway.

Not too expensive to replace either:

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/HID-D1S-Gas-Discharge-Bulb-Lamp-Osram-OSD1S.html

[JR RS]

yes u can program the 09 central electrics controller to use fog lights for leaving/coming home lights I have mine configured this way!

BIG Nick

excellent....that's promising then, for me.

its just a matter of personal preference....i'd rather have my foglights assist me to n from the car, than my xenons.

i'll leave the xenons for the serious business, i.e. assisting me on the road

now for the million dollar question - will my dealer know how to program the light assist to function in this manner???

hmmm.......

....once the car has been delivered that is.......

Edited 7 September, 2010 by JR RS

[ChrisRs]

excellent....that's promising then, for me.

its just a matter of personal preference....i'd rather have my foglights assist me to n from the car, than my xenons.

i'll leave the xenons for the serious business, i.e. assisting me on the road

now for the million dollar question - will my dealer know how to program the light assist to function in this manner???

hmmm.......

....once the car has been delivered that is.......

I doubt that it can be reprogrammed to turn on the fog lights instead

[JR RS]

I doubt that it can be reprogrammed to turn on the fog lights instead

why not? i've seen it used in other cars & aftermarket systems.

beside, BIG Nick has........

yes u can program the 09 central electrics controller to use fog lights for leaving/coming home lights I have mine configured this way!

BIG Nick

its no biggie if its not possible....i'd very much like to have it though.

Edited 7 September, 2010 by JR RS

[gadgetman]

Dealers system wont be able to, only VCDS.

Personally, I think you're worrying too much about a non-issue with the xenons. Auto-lights/come home etc wont kill them. Same wont be said for the halogens in the fogs, which will be killed quite quickly using them in this fashion IMO.

[BIG Nick]

Right, the reason for original question is:

I have fitted aftermarket HID's that are canbus compliant so no warnings etc but...........

When I turn the ignition on and it's dark enough the dipped beam comes on straight away and 6/10 times only one HID fires up and the canbus system detects a failure and shuts the voltage down to the circuit in question but when the engine is already running both HID's work fine they both light and there is no issue.

On other makes of car I know that auto light systems will wait until the engine has started before attempting to light the HID's hence the question does factory fit HID's light on ignition with light assist.

So I know why they both don't light it's a lack of power from the battery that instant draw of current one ballast wins the other loses out, so I'm hoping there might be some coding hidden away where I can make the dipped beam wait until engine running.

Many Thanks for all your replies!!

BIG Nick

P.S to those who want fog lights for leaving/coming home it is possible with VCDS.

[gadgetman]

Can you not tell the car it has xenons to add the delay?

[BIG Nick]

You can tell the CAN Gateway it has Xenon's but then it can't communicate with the controller as it's not there!

There is a option within 09 Central Electrics for having Xenon's with shutter installed but that makes no difference!

In the sub-controllers under 09 there is the coding for the Rain/Light Sensor with some of the bytes with no documention!

BIG Nick

[al bundy]

Try to check Xenon shutter without shutter installed .