Have to add that the headlights are very easy to adjust. You only need a 5mm allen key and with the light levels in the UK in wintertime it can done during the day as well.

I had been scared off by previous posts talking about how the AFS and autol-evelling will conspire against you but as far as I can see that is all hogwash. Park the car on firm ground facing a wall with the headlights on and mark the top of the beam pattern for each side (I parked a rubbish bin in front of the light not being adjusted to avoid any confusion but the L + R xenon lights are quite easily distinguished). Then simply adjust the lights carefully (Small adjustments) watching the effect on the wall. 1 minute job.

Never one to let a stone lay unturned ...

I've been in touch with Skoda UK (useless!), Skoda CZ (excellent!) and Hella UK in Oxfordshire. I have to eat my own words :-(

The term "AFS2" means bugger all - Skoda are calling 2 different things with the same term. The two underlying Hella technologies Skoda are describing as AFS2 are VARILIS which both the Octavia and the Superb have, and the optional add-on VARIOX, which only the Superb has (maybe other models too, but definitely not the Octavia).

VARILIS = Bending beams. Both headlights swivel left and right by a different amount, one lighting the road ahead, the other one looking into the corner.

VARIOX = An optional separate lens / drum module which sits in front of a VARILIS unit which as it rotates produces different beam patterns (town, motorway, rain etc.)

So the only up and down movement the Octavia has is load levelling.

Also, the Octavia is not Bi-Xenon, only Xenon dipped beams and Halogen high beam.

So i'd like to say sorry to hrvojehr, jrw, JR RS, and anyone else i missed out but especially a big apology to Stevoraith for this hum-dinger i wrote:

but everything i've written is spot on, totally accurate.

Sorry guys :-(

I have been asking about the possibility of retrofitting, Hella guys aren't sure because they believe the Xenon units in the Octavia might not be standard Hella parts, they think they're a different size altogether. Skoda weren't able to help at all with the retrofitting idea.

On the plus side, VAG cars are just lego blocks so i'm sure if the lamp modules match up size wise, it'll be possible to do. Maybe in a few years i'll get lucky and the local scrappies will have a Superb with rear end damage and i'll be able to take the headlamps and find the extra Xenon ECU it has for a tinker about...

thats a relief, thanks for that Mute, im not going mad then by not having the beams lengthen at higher speeds.

Whilst we're on the subject does anyone know which one of the 3 screws attached to the headlight unit is the one to turn for adjustment of the dipped beam? anyone got any pictures to any links?

Never one to let a stone lay unturned ...

I've been in touch with Skoda UK (useless!), Skoda CZ (excellent!) and Hella UK in Oxfordshire. I have to eat my own words :-(

The term "AFS2" means bugger all - Skoda are calling 2 different things with the same term. The two underlying Hella technologies Skoda are describing as AFS2 are VARILIS which both the Octavia and the Superb have, and the optional add-on VARIOX, which only the Superb has (maybe other models too, but definitely not the Octavia).

VARILIS = Bending beams. Both headlights swivel left and right by a different amount, one lighting the road ahead, the other one looking into the corner.

VARIOX = An optional separate lens / drum module which sits in front of a VARILIS unit which as it rotates produces different beam patterns (town, motorway, rain etc.)

So the only up and down movement the Octavia has is load levelling.

Also, the Octavia is not Bi-Xenon, only Xenon dipped beams and Halogen high beam.

So i'd like to say sorry to hrvojehr, jrw, JR RS, and anyone else i missed out but especially a big apology to Stevoraith for this hum-dinger i wrote:

Sorry guys :-(

I have been asking about the possibility of retrofitting, Hella guys aren't sure because they believe the Xenon units in the Octavia might not be standard Hella parts, they think they're a different size altogether. Skoda weren't able to help at all with the retrofitting idea.

On the plus side, VAG cars are just lego blocks so i'm sure if the lamp modules match up size wise, it'll be possible to do. Maybe in a few years i'll get lucky and the local scrappies will have a Superb with rear end damage and i'll be able to take the headlamps and find the extra Xenon ECU it has for a tinker about...

no probs mate.

glad its all cleared up now.

good info u have there. so "VARILIS" & "VARIOX" r the distinguishing differences between the two.

an interesting read here

i too tried contacting skoda aus on the matter - they're yet to respond.

skoda cz responded immediately, but they referred me to to skoda aus to with regards to wat we get here.

it would've been nice to have "VARIOX" feature, but i'm quite happy that i atleast have the bending feature, unlike some car manufacturers which just have a standard fixed xenon headlamps.

something is better than nothing

Edited 19 January, 201115 yr by JR RS

Nice one Mute, that's some excellent info you've unearthed. I don't think anyone was quite sure what the AFS2 did on the Octavia so that's excellent to know

Certainly the only thing I'd seen about AFS was a Skoda info bulletin which described the different modes for motorway, town etc. We now know this to be VARIOX and that the Octavia doesn't have it!

Cheers again for doing the digging Mute :clap:

are you able to manually adjust the height from inside the car, like normal halogen lights in the pre FL have a 1,2,3 scroll wheel setting

are you able to manually adjust the height from inside the car, like normal halogen lights in the pre FL have a 1,2,3 scroll wheel setting

no

no

thanks

props to mute also for finding all that out.

rather disappointed tho, i NEED bright long light travel on my late night journeys up the awfully lit A1 into Newcastle, hence the Xenon's. i hope i wont be too let down when I use them.

I had my Octavia L & K main beam halogen lights modified to Xenon. Expensive option but well worth it.

The Octavia does NOT have bi xenon headlights and never has had. My dealer says the new 2013 models MAY have the option but they don't know yet.

Xenon headlights should not be adjusted by fiddling with the adjuster knobs on the back of the headlights.

The headlights first need to be put into safe mode using VCDS (or the dealers software).

If you manually adjust the lights without doing this then when the lights are turned on and they do their calibration 'dance' it is possible they operate beyond their allowable tolerances and damage can be caused.

Bi-xenon is not always better, either. I've been in a couple of Volkswagens where the main beam was somewhere on the scale between useless and dangerous. A projector beam that "flips up" does not give you enough range.