We've been living with the increasingly frequent problems with the otherwise excellent xenon lights (various combinations of lamp-failure warnings, one headlamp not illuminating or one headlamp starting up at lowest height setting) but I couldn't find a definitive answer to which parts our dealer needs to replace when we take it in for it's first service in a couple of weeks. Could someone who has had this problem fixed please advise what we should be steering the dealer to do to resolve this?

Thanks,

Mark

There is a standard bulletin from Skoda on xenon light failures. They replace the ballast/controllers, one for each light.

I had this done several months ago. The left xenon failed during start if the light was on. Now there is no problem.

We've been living with the increasingly frequent problems with the otherwise excellent xenon lights (various combinations of lamp-failure warnings, one headlamp not illuminating or one headlamp starting up at lowest height setting) but I couldn't find a definitive answer to which parts our dealer needs to replace when we take it in for it's first service in a couple of weeks. Could someone who has had this problem fixed please advise what we should be steering the dealer to do to resolve this?

Thanks,

Mark

Replace with H4 halogens. If they fail - replace bulb.

There is a standard bulletin from Skoda on xenon light failures. They replace the ballast/controllers, one for each light.

I had this done several months ago. The left xenon failed during start if the light was on. Now there is no problem.

So do you leave your lights on all the time i.e. on auto?

Mike

Edited 7 December, 201015 yr by rockhopper

Replace with H4 halogens. If they fail - replace bulb.

Not hugely helpful, but good to know there's someone else on my wavelength!

Replace with H4 halogens. If they fail - replace bulb.

Absolutely not - as long as there are morons who walk along unlit roads, backs to the traffic, in dark clothes with no torch. The only dazzle problems I've had is with chavs with illegal blue bulbs in their Corsas, etc. and I hate driving loan cars with halogens.

So do you leave your lights on all the time i.e. on auto?

Mike

Yes - I know we could use them manually but we'd like the auto function to work as advertised.

Mark

There is a standard bulletin from Skoda on xenon light failures. They replace the ballast/controllers, one for each light.

I had this done several months ago. The left xenon failed during start if the light was on. Now there is no problem.

Many thanks, I will draw the service department's attention to this when we take it in!

Are the SBs available on line somewhere, similar to VW's ERWIN or Jaguar Tech Reference?

Mark

Absolutely not - as long as there are morons who walk along unlit roads, backs to the traffic, in dark clothes with no torch. The only dazzle problems I've had is with chavs with illegal blue bulbs in their Corsas, etc. and I hate driving loan cars with halogens.

+1

Yes - I know we could use them manually but we'd like the auto function to work as advertised.

Mark

+1

I have always left my lights on Auto. Never gave it a second thought. Still won't. it it stops working it is a warranty problem.

Mike

+1

I have always left my lights on Auto. Never gave it a second thought. Still won't. it it stops working it is a warranty problem.

Mike

I am tempted just to leave the lights on completely, if you park the car and remove the keys the lights still go out anyway, whereas they sometimes don't come on in auto when I want them, eg in fog.

i HATE my auto lights on my Superb - on, off, on off, all the bloomin time, then when you want them on, as has been said in Fog etc, they are off, pass under a tunnel in the town (newcastle central motorway for example) they come on, then off!

Personally, i think they are dangerours, with regard to the Fog issue etc - people not thinking about them... now Autowipers on the other hand, are FAB!

Haven't had any issues with my HID's as yet, and they are very good - as has been said, i wouldn't be without them...

Al.

Were the Xenon light problems not just related to the first few month's worth of production in 2009? I thought all later cars have had no issues? Can people with problems please confirm when their cars were built please?

As to the auto light's sensitivity: I was worried they won't go on at lowish light levels around dusk as I want them to. But their sensitivity has been spot on I have to say. When most cars don't have their lights on yet the Yeti's is already on. BUT there does seem to be enough light when fog is around and then they don't switch on. But hell guys, remember the olden days when we used to have to switch the lights on ourselves at night and in the rain?!?! Doh. You KNOW now that fog and mist is the one time the car will be wrong so just switch the lights on WITH YOUR HAND! Not rocket science.

i HATE my auto lights on my Superb - on, off, on off, all the bloomin time, then when you want them on, as has been said in Fog etc, they are off, pass under a tunnel in the town (newcastle central motorway for example) they come on, then off!

Personally, i think they are dangerours, with regard to the Fog issue etc - people not thinking about them... now Autowipers on the other hand, are FAB!

+1

If people do not know when to turn lights on then they should not hold a driving licence,

I also cant see them coming on before the car is started and then they constantly turn on and off when they feel like it doing their life expectancy much good.

This is one thing I will be looking to disable as soon as my car arrives.

+1

I find the auto xenons on the Yeti fantastic, very pleased with them.

This is one thing I will be looking to disable as soon as my car arrives.

easy. leave in off position

Mike

As to the auto light's sensitivity: I was worried they won't go on at lowish light levels around dusk as I want them to. But their sensitivity has been spot on I have to say. When most cars don't have their lights on yet the Yeti's is already on.

This is part of the problem with them I have had a car pull out of a junction as they thought I had flashed them out! how can that be a good thing?

It would be much better for the muppets who drive round in poor visibility with no lights on to be re-educated in their correct use rather than to fit new cars with auto lights so that they 'have one less thing to worry about'.

This is part of the problem with them I have had a car pull out of a junction as they thought I had flashed them out! how can that be a good thing?

On that one I do agree with you. Perhaps there should be legislation that with auto lights the lights HAVE to fade in slowly and fade out slowly so as to not be mistaken for a quick flash of the lights. Though in saying that I don't think Xenons can be made to ever do that.

easy. leave in off position

Mike

That doesn't get round the problem of when you need to use side / parking lights you have to 'go through' the auto position - this is one thing that you should not do with a xenon bulb - turn it on and off again quickly.

On that one I do agree with you. Perhaps there should be legislation that with auto lights the lights HAVE to fade in slowly and fade out slowly so as to not be mistaken for a quick flash of the lights. Though in saying that I don't think Xenons can be made to ever do that.

But xenons do not come on straight away, they 'warm up' like fluorescent bulbs do.

Mike

That doesn't get round the problem of when you need to use side / parking lights you have to 'go through' the auto position - this is one thing that you should not do with a xenon bulb - turn it on and off again quickly.

you can go through the Auto position without the lights coming on - there is a delay of a second or two before the will light up on auto.

Al.

My SM (built late 2009, first registered April 2010) is ok most of the time, but if I leave the switch on Auto, the o/s headlamp occasionally doesn't come on when you start her up. Simply turning the light switch to Off, wait 2 seconds then turn back to Auto cures the problem.

Also, sometimes, if I turn the ignition off, with the headlamps on "main beam", next time I turn back on, main beam doesn't work, just dip beam. Presumably there's no signal going to instruct the mask to lift. Again, turn the switch of off, wait 2, then back to Auto is the cure.

To be honest, in view of previous posts, I tend to leave the switch "off" and turn to Auto once the engine is running. I'm long enough in the tooth to have been driving in the days when you started the engine first, then began switching things on, in order to reduce the load on the battery when you needed every ounce of power to feed the starter motor. (Ounces of power? That's a new unit of measurement! And I thought that electrikery came by the bucketfull!!!).

Having said all that, I will see if the dealer can do something at first service, though thats probably another 6 months ahead yet.

Also had problems with maxidot warning me to "Check o/s rear tail light." And yes, the light would be out, though the bulb is perfectly ok. Switching ignition off & back on again usually cured it, but once the weather got colder this cheat failed to work.

After swapping bulbs, cleaning contacts, swearing at it, all to no avail, I have swapped the whole lamp holder assemby with the one on the nearside (it's exactly the same unit, just upside down, so the offending brake light bulb is now the unused LH fog lamp bulb) and....... perfect! No further problems.

Once upon a time, cars were simple! :(

Edited 7 December, 201015 yr by speedsport

My SM (built late 2009, first registered April 2010) is ok most of the time, but if I leave the switch on Auto, the o/s headlamp occasionally doesn't come on when you start her up. Simply turning the light switch to Off, wait 2 seconds then turn back to Auto cures the problem.

Also, sometimes, if I turn the ignition off, with the headlamps on "main beam", next time I turn back on, main beam doesn't work, just dip beam. Presumably there's no signal going to instruct the mask to lift. Again, turn the switch of off, wait 2, then back to Auto is the cure.

To be honest, in view of previous posts, I tend to leave the switch "off" and turn to Auto once the engine is running. I'm long enough in the tooth to have been driving in the days when you started the engine first, then began switching things on, in order to reduce the load on the battery when you needed every ounce of power to feed the starter motor. (Ounces of power? That's a new unit of measurement! And I thought that electrikery came by the bucketfull!!!).

Having said all that, I will see if the dealer can do something at first service, though thats probably another 6 months ahead yet.

Also had problems with maxidot warning me to "Check o/s rear tail light." And yes, the light would be out, though the bulb is perfectly ok. Switching ignition off & back on again usually cured it, but once the weather got colder this cheat failed to work.

After swapping bulbs, cleaning contacts, swearing at it, all to no avail, I have swapped the whole lamp holder assemby with the one on the nearside (it's exactly the same unit, just upside down, so the offending brake light bulb is now the unused LH fog lamp bulb) and....... perfect! No further problems.

Once upon a time, cars were simple! :(

Also, sometimes, if I turn the ignition off, with the headlamps on "main beam", next time I turn back on, main beam doesn't work, just dip beam. Presumably there's no signal going to instruct the mask to lift. Again, turn the switch of off, wait 2, then back to Auto is the cure.

My Octavia Scout does this - I assume it's an intentional safety feature so that when you turn lights on again (having forgotten to switch main beam off when you last used the car), the main beam will not accidentally dazzle anyone. I think it's a quite sensible feature.

The xenon light failure affected a number of cars built throughout 2009 and I believe into early 2010. Associated with this issue were reports of bulb failure warnings, including tail lights, however all bulbs were in working order. Hopefully all dealers will either be aware of these issues or be able to find the relevant bulletins.

Look up posts by Killy as I think his Monster was one of the first effected.

TP

So do you leave your lights on all the time i.e. on auto?

Mike

Nope, there is no "Auto" on my Yeti. However, when driving at night and stopping at the store as an example, you just leave them "on" - and they go out when you stop the engine and come on again when you start.

DRL's on during the daylight hours.

The xenon light failure affected a number of cars built throughout 2009 and I believe into early 2010. Associated with this issue were reports of bulb failure warnings, including tail lights, however all bulbs were in working order. Hopefully all dealers will either be aware of these issues or be able to find the relevant bulletins.

Look up posts by Killy as I think his Monster was one of the first effected.

TP

Thanks - yes, ours was a 2009 build, we picked it up in November. I don't know whether the problem is getting worse or whether is is just more annoying in winter. They did try and fix it last winter (giving us the extremely dubious "pleasure" of driving a Nissan Pixo) but to no avail.

Mark

Mine was build around March 2010.

No problems with HID lights, and I leave the selector switch in AUTO virtually all the time.

Wouldn't be without them!