The wife's new Yeti had very low dipped headlights when delivered. They are xenons, and over on the Fabia I forum, there has previously been much discussion about xenon lights being set very low from the factory. My own Fabia VRS had to have it's xenons reset to get a decent dipped beam reach. It has passed 2 MOTs with the headlights at their current setting.

We sent the Yeti back to the dealers (DM Keith in West Yorkshire) for a few small faults to be corrected under warranty, one of them being the headlight aim.

Unbelievably, they said the headlights were illegally high and lowered them.

I just went out tonight to check the lights as it was my first chance. Boy is the car now dangerous to drive on unlit A roads. Anything over 30mph feels scary due to the lack of light on the road ahead.

I found a spot to check the reach of the dipped beams and measured the cut-off to the dipped beam at 29m.

Looking around on the web I found info at UK Vehicle Lighting Regulations and Hella New Zealand Vehicle Lighting Test Equipment that states a 1.3% dipped beam angle for cars with lights up to 850mm to centres. As the Yeti is 780mm, this should apply.

I did some dead-hard-sums and worked out that the dipped beam cut-off should be exactly 60m for the Yeti. The Fabia was at 50m and has a limit of 51.1m as the headlights are lower at 665mm and using the same 1.3% angle.

THIS IS TWICE WHAT THE DEALERS HAS SET IT TO!!!!!! GGGRRRRHHHHHHHHH!!

I guess a long talk is on the books with them but I can see 'issues'coming.

They are not the best inclined to listen to anything their customers tell them. I think their MOT testing guy may need some more training on the headlight aiming equipment.

Anyone else found the xenon equipped Yeti's have their lights set too low?????

I am not sure of any new reguations, but ut used to be that dipped beam shoul drop 1 cm per meter from the car. With a 780 mm height, that should bring the horizontal cut-off out to 78 meters on a flat road. Without actually measuring, that seems very close to what mine does.

The near side asymmetric cut-off reaches much further and illuminates the side of the road out to around 120 meters, judging from the roadside markers, normally spaced haere 100 meters apart.

The xenons work welll and is a great boon to these ageing eyes. The lights do not seem to blind drivers coming the opposite way, as I do not get flashed very often.

Edited 4 April, 201115 yr by Agerbundsen

1cm per metre is one percent.

tom

Thanks for the feedback.

Car goes back to stealers tonight for them to have another look. I'm hanging around to see what they do as I'm starting to loose confidence in the care they are putting into some issues. Not the first time either.

Find a good garage you trust and stick with them as they treat you better long term.

The xenons work welll and is a great boon to these ageing eyes. The lights do not seem to blind drivers coming the opposite way, as I do not get flashed very often.

Oncoming drivers can't see who to flash and are concentrating on keeping on the road. I know the adjustment for the halogens is on the top of the light housing so a small adjustment should be in order. The dealer should set the lights up FOC to within accepted parameters.

Just an update about the issue with the low beam lights on the Xenon equiped Yeti.

I did a lot of measuring of the headlight beams using some info I found on the web about dipped beam aim.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/4/made

http://www.ukmot.com/1-6.asp#Text_top

I measured the lights as being about twice as dipped (2.6%) as the MOT test allows (1.3%).

The dealers headlight test equipment showed the headlights to be OK.

At this website http://www.hella.co.nz/103/dipped-beam%20angle%20conversionseam there are details of how to check the aim using marks on a wall 3m from the headlights which gives a distance of 39mm dowm from the centre of the headlights at 1.3% slope. Our car measured at 80-85mm which backs up the measurements I got of the lights being twice as low as they should be. The tech at the dealer couldn't explain how a simple test on the wall didn't match up to their testing machine. They said it had been calibrated that day. Funny how they always say that...I must have been there on the day things are calibrated on many occassions at various garages!!!!!

They said if I signed waiver they would adjust the headlights as I wanted as in effect they said they would be illegal.

We adjusted the lights to the wall test spec. Checked them last night and they are now as they should be. They also match exactly the lights on our other car which has just passed it's third MOT since having the Xenon headlights adjusted.

We did a dazzle test by driving past each other, and they certainly aren't any worse than other xenon lights, as they do tend to be a bit fierce for oncoming drivers.

I still think the dealers light testing equipment is way out, but that's just me coming from an engineering/quality engineering background I trust what can be actually measured easily not what some machine says.

Rant over.

Edited 5 April, 201115 yr by Shadowphax

Just an update about the issue with the low beam lights on the Xenon equiped Yeti.

I did a lot of measuring of the headlight beams using some info I found on the web about dipped beam aim.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/4/made

http://www.ukmot.com/1-6.asp#Text_top

I measured the lights as being about twice as dipped (2.6%) as the MOT test allows (1.3%).

The dealers headlight test equipment showed the headlights to be OK.

At this website http://www.hella.co.nz/103/dipped-beam%20angle%20conversionseam there are details of how to check the aim using marks on a wall 3m from the headlights which gives a distance of 39mm dowm from the centre of the headlights at 1.3% slope. Our car measured at 80-85mm which backs up the measurements I got of the lights being twice as low as they should be. The tech at the dealer couldn't explain how a simple test on the wall didn't match up to their testing machine. They said it had been calibrated that day. Funny how they always say that...I must have been there on the day things are calibrated on many occassions at various garages!!!!!

They said if I signed waiver they would adjust the headlights as I wanted as in effect they said they would be illegal.

We adjusted the lights to the wall test spec. Checked them last night and they are now as they should be. They also match exactly the lights on our other car which has just passed it's third MOT since having the Xenon headlights adjusted.

We did a dazzle test by driving past each other, and they certainly aren't any worse than other xenon lights, as they do tend to be a bit fierce for oncoming drivers.

I still think the dealers light testing equipment is way out, but that's just me coming from an engineering/quality engineering background I trust what can be actually measured easily not what some machine says.

Rant over.

Out of interest, which branch of DM Keith do you use?

I still think the dealers light testing equipment is way out, but that's just me coming from an engineering/quality engineering background I trust what can be actually measured easily not what some machine says.

Rant over.

It always amazes me how "modern" people tend to believe all the electroninc and other instrumentation rather than things they can physically observe and judge to be correct.

The headlight aiming device used to adjust headlams is in fact designed to duplicate the 3 meter wall test, as the 3 meters is not usually available in a shop setting. The simple measurement on the wall from the car being on a flat surface is in fact spot on and more accurate than the device.

I am a little curious why the UK regs seem to specify 1.3%, where as the DK uses 1% and I assume the rest of the EU use 1% as well.

On further reading the regs in the link, there is an allowance that they can be adjusted to between 1 and 1.5% - so take your pick.

Edited 5 April, 201115 yr by Agerbundsen

It always amazes me how "modern" people tend to believe all the electroninc and other instrumentation rather than things they can physically observe and judge to be correct.

You believe everything your computer tells you - don't you?

One of the best ways to "sell" an idea to our Director was to put it on computer paper. If it came from the computer, it must be right.

The number of lorries who drive our road following a Sat Nav is endless, despite a notice saying the road is not suitable for large vehicles. Some people are born gullible, others just know better than the rest of us.

You believe everything your computer tells you - don't you?

One of the best ways to "sell" an idea to our Director was to put it on computer paper. If it came from the computer, it must be right.

The number of lorries who drive our road following a Sat Nav is endless, despite a notice saying the road is not suitable for large vehicles. Some people are born gullible, others just know better than the rest of us.

It is amazing how some people tend to belive that if it is written, it must be right - not. Just take newspapers and stockmarket predictions as an example.

Common sense in engineering went out with the slide rule. With that you had to be following along to be able to set the decimal point. Today, most people do not have any idea if they made a decimal point error in entering data, and the "Does the result make sense?" mental test is gone.

shadowphax,

Could you talk us through the 3m wall test and adjustment. I for one would be willing to do this myself. I have set the lights on my Triumph bike with good effect.My understanding is a drop from the measured centre of the light unit-ie the bulb height- to the measured top of the cut off beam at a measured distance of 3m.

That drop should be 39mm?

Does anyone have info as to how to adjust beam height?

It is amazing how some people tend to belive that if it is written, it must be right - not. Just take newspapers and stockmarket predictions as an example.

Common sense in engineering went out with the slide rule. With that you had to be following along to be able to set the decimal point. Today, most people do not have any idea if they made a decimal point error in entering data, and the "Does the result make sense?" mental test is gone.

So true. A slide rule meant you had to think especially about units and powers of 10. My children could do mental arithmetic - it was a game we played on long journeys. They now never get caught at the supermarket till with too little change!?!

The silly thing is that, today, the figures may be right but the answer could be out by a factor of 10 or 100 or 1000 - not good when you are building Yetis.

Out of interest, which branch of DM Keith do you use?

It was Bradford but the car (being supplied under lease) came from the Leeds Branch.

Also, thanks to all the replies backing up my 'comon-sense' approach to the headlight problem.

Is it just us 'of-a-certain-age' that tend to look at things from more than one perspective to come up with (hopefully!) the correct solution?

Edited 6 April, 201115 yr by Shadowphax

shadowphax,

Could you talk us through the 3m wall test and adjustment. I for one would be willing to do this myself. I have set the lights on my Triumph bike with good effect.My understanding is a drop from the measured centre of the light unit-ie the bulb height- to the measured top of the cut off beam at a measured distance of 3m.

That drop should be 39mm?

Does anyone have info as to how to adjust beam height?

• Find a place where the ground in as near as flat as possible and there is a wall you can get the car 3m away from. Not easy in hilly West Yorkshire I can tell you!
  
• Park the car so the the headlights are 3m from the wall.
  
• Measure to the centre of the headlights with someone sat in the drivers seat. Measure up the wall this distance and put some masking tape at this height.
  
• Turn on the headlights (dipped beam) and there will be a nearly horizontal section of light. This mostly comes from just the drivers side headlight but the passenger side light also has part of the beam pattern horizontal so will also need adjusting.
  
• Adjust the height of the headlights until the horizintal part of the light pattern is no more than 39mm below the mark on the wall. A little more, like 40-42mm would guarantee you are legal.
  

On my Fabia, which has Xenons, the lights have to adjusted using a VAGCOM computer. Adjusting the height screww simply makes the computer control of the lights re-adjust it. Our Yeti has the Bi-Xenon lights that steer around corners and do the comical up-down-in-out movement each time the lights are switched on. The techie at the delaers said that these lights can be adjusted the old fashioned way using the height adjustment screw as long as the car is sat on a level piece of ground when it is done, as the movement of the lights at switch on is them going through ful movement and re-calibrating themselves to the position set by the screw.

There are 2 hex sockets (plastic I think) on the rear of the Yeti headlights. The sockets face upwards. One does the vertical height (this is furthest back) and the other does the horizontal adjust. The tech just set the vertical adjustment.

On your Yeti 140 the lights may be slightly different. Simply adjust one screw and look for the light beam moving. If nothing happens it's the wrong screw, move it back to it's orignal position and try the other screw. The screw only has to be moved a bit and it's obvious to see the light beam moving up or down.

It is amazing how some people tend to belive that if it is written, it must be right - not. Just take newspapers and stockmarket predictions as an example.

Common sense in engineering went out with the slide rule. With that you had to be following along to be able to set the decimal point. Today, most people do not have any idea if they made a decimal point error in entering data, and the "Does the result make sense?" mental test is gone.

Even nuclear scientists can get the decimal wrong, what chance has a Skoda Technician?

•For the first week after the tsunami, TEPCO radiation reports showed that hourly readings of airborne levels near the plant had were twice as high as recommended health levels. In fact, they had been off by one decimal point for dozens of readings for days. Radiation doses had actually exceeded the limit by 13 times.

Interestingly, the driver's side Bi-Xenon on my 1.8TSi was substantially higher than the passenger side beam when I took delivery. Oncoming drivers were flashing their lights at me so I took the car to a Skoda dealer in Manchester that I was passing (not the supplying dealer)and asked them to check the beam set. They told me that both lamps were "within tolerance" (despite me pointing out the difference between the two), and were not prepared to adjust them (maybe they didn't know how!).

I gave up, and using a large sheet of white plywood propped up against my trailer under my car-port, I adjusted the drivers side beam down to match the passenger side. The result? Not been flashed at since.

I subsequently asked one of my motor club members who is an MOT tester, to check the beams, and he confirmed that they are now correct but he added that since I'd had to adjust the driver's side down, then it must have been illegally high before.

As you say Shadowphax it's all down to the guy operating the equipment.

shadowphax,

Could you talk us through the 3m wall test and adjustment. I for one would be willing to do this myself. I have set the lights on my Triumph bike with good effect.My understanding is a drop from the measured centre of the light unit-ie the bulb height- to the measured top of the cut off beam at a measured distance of 3m.

That drop should be 39mm?

Does anyone have info as to how to adjust beam height?

My understanding is that you cannot adjust the xenons by yourself - it's a Skoda job. Halogen adjustments must be covered in the manua?

Assuming the 780 mm height of the center of the lens is correct, UK regs allow you to adjust the beam angle from 1.0 to 1.5%, so a drop of 7.8 to 11.7 mm per meter away from the headlamp. Multiply these values by the actual distance in meters to the wall the lights are shining on. It does not have to be 3 meters.

My personal preference is the lower drop, so about 8 mm per meter.

Easiest way is to put the car where you want to measure the beam, draw a line horizontally on the wall with a felt tip pen. adjust the lights. You will not be able to really measure the 10ths of a mm, but it will be close enough in practice.

How I interpret the UK regs is that every vehicle first used after April 1 1991 should have a marking label which indicates the manufacturer's recommended downward angle that the beams should be inclined. For headlamps below 850mm height above road etc etc that recommended figure can be between 1 and 1.5%.

The lamps themselves should be aligned as near as is practicable to conform with the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation, or in the case of a vehicle where there is no such label giving a figure then the downward inclination shall be 1.3%, again as near as is practicable.

The latter or tolerances are not defined, as always.

Assuming the 780 mm height of the center of the lens is correct, UK regs allow you to adjust the beam angle from 1.0 to 1.5%, so a drop of 7.8 to 11.7 mm per meter away from the headlamp. Multiply these values by the actual distance in meters to the wall the lights are shining on. It does not have to be 3 meters.

Your figures are out.

Per metre distance the drops are :-

1% = 10mm

1.5% = 15mm

Using the same eqaution give 39mm drop at 3 metres for 1.3%.

The equation is Percentage Slope = (100 x Drop from horizontal) ÷ Distance from wall

Remember the slope is percentage NOT degrees.

• Adjust the height of the headlights until the horizintal part of the light pattern is no more than 39mm below the mark on the wall. A little more, like 40-42mm would guarantee you are legal.
  

Should that not read: "at least 39mm below the mark on the wall"? It doesn't actually make sense otherwise.

I get mine adjusted the easy way......

go to shop

buy 4 pack of beer

drive to garage

put car and beam setter together

adjust beams

give garage man beer

job done!!